Under cloudless blue skies, but with a chill still in the air, the 31st annual Hockanum River Canoe and Kayak Race was run on Sunday, April 5, with 117 water craft finishing the 7-mile course.

According to Andrew McKenzie, the event organizer, the water was very low this year, but that did not seem to deter any of the entrants.

This year, several paddlers were in costume, including the brother/sister team of Mike and A.J. Manfre, who were outfitted in Viking helmets, complete with horns. Manchester residents Bryan Hoffman and Heath Carlson, first-timers at the event, were decked out in jackets, white shirts and ties, while Sean Cappalla and Dan Rizzuto ran the rapids in their chef’s toques.

Spectators could watch the race from the numerous viewing spots along the length of the race through Vernon, Manchester and East Hartford .

There were 16 different categories for the entrants, determined by the age of the paddler, type and size of water craft, etc., and there was an award for the winner in each category. Posting the best time for the race was L. Carrier in the Men’s Long Kayak division, with a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes , 22 seconds.