Texas Water Safari (1966)

Duration: 0:02:54

Year Published: 1966

Format: 16mm

Sound: silent

Description: This short clip captures competitors in the 4th Annual Texas Water Safari. The race kicked off from the Aquarena staging area on the San Marcos River in San Marcos, Texas on April 29, 1966. The course extended over 500 miles of waterways between San Marcos and the finish line in Freeport, Texas. In 1966, fifteen competitors entered the race. It was sponsored by the Texas Water Safari Association and the Brazosport Chamber of Commerce at Freeport. The idea of the race originated from two men from San Marcos, Frank Brown and Bill "Big Willie" George, who paddled the distance from San Marcos to the Gulf of Mexico in 1962.After eight days of boating, the first place prize of $2,000 was awarded to J.L. Bludworth, 51, of Houston and his brother, Harold, 45. Of the fifteen boats that competed, the Bludworths were the only crew that crossed the finish line. Many crews were reportedly disqualified having been caught traveling across land.The Texas Water Safari continues to this day and is now infamously called “The World’s Toughest Canoe Race.” It has been trimmed significantly in length, from 538 miles in 1966 to 260 in 2012.