Scooter Chapman
Deadline for ducks is up
Published on Wed, May 19, 2010 by Scooter ChapmanRead More Chapman
I know it's not technically a sport, folks, but it's a fun fundraising event that benefits Sequim and Port Angeles and has been doing so for 21 years now.
Of course, I'm writing about the Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby that splashes off at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 23, on the Nippon Paper canal in Port Angeles.
As he has for the past 20 years, Dan Wilder and Co. provided a brand new Toyota Tacoma truck as first prize, but, wait, this year if your duck swims across the line first, you have your choice of the truck or a brand new Toyota Corolla sedan.
Toss in cash prizes (up to $1,500), spa packages, gift certificates for meals, lube and oil changes, car washes, ferry trips to Victoria and more and a $5 duck purchase could net you some big bucks.
By the way, Toyota does not help Wilder with the trucks or cars - they are donated by Dan as a community service project.
Wilder has been the main sponsor since the first race, which was called the Great Dungeness Duck Derby and was held on the Dungeness River right by the old schoolhouse.
Rain helped swell the river two days before the duck dump and the event was over in minutes in a driving rainstorm.
Year two was at Carrie Blake Park, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and ducks had to be dumped into the creek.
From that point on, the name was changed to Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby and the canal at Nippon has proved a popular race site. Way back when, logs were floated through the canal to the holding pond on their way to make newsprint, so each race depends on the incoming or outgoing tide. This year's event goes at
3 p.m. with the Bub and Alice Olson VID race.
There are a jillion duck derbies around the world now, but the Port Angeles/Sequim event is the largest, per capita, of any. Last year 30,600 ducks swam and money raised benefited Olympic Medical Center and Sequim Rotary, as well as several other service clubs and organizations.
Got a duck yet? I have 50 ready to race and have not won a prize in 20 years. I'm thinking this is the year I win something.
Wednesday whirl
• Halibut - The next big fishing event is the Port Angeles Halibut Derby from May 29-30 with headquarters at the Port Angeles Yacht Club.
There are $20,000 in cash prizes to the lucky anglers who sign up to fish in the event that ends the very short halibut season.
At one point during the winter, fisheries people were going to cancel the entire season but opted for four weekends, including the last weekend of the month, so the Port Angeles Salmon Club could continue its derby.
It's $40 for one day or both days and everyone in a boat must be registered and have derby tags. Sale of tags continues until 10 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Swain's General Store in Port Angeles. Tickets can be purchased at the Port Angeles Yacht Club on Saturday and Sunday.
• Tourney time - The
Sequim Wolves fastpitch team is ready for West Central District tournament time and will be ready for Friday's 2A contest at Sprinker Recreation Area south of Parkland.
The Port Angeles Roughrider girls will be at same tourney in the 3A division.
Both the Wolves and the 'Riders have strong pitching to get through a tournament, but it takes defense and situational hitting to get through these events and into the state.
Sequim is hoping for a rematch with archrival North Mason.
This district tournament is fast-paced on eight fields all at the same time, so it's worth the price of admission to see some outstanding softball.
• Extra hoops - The Next Level varsity basketball squad recently wound up play in the Pacific Northwest AAU boys spring league in Tacoma and the team, made up of players from Sequim, Port Angeles and Kingston, went 7-1. Their only loss was to a team made up of players from the Puyallup area.
Coaches Tom Hughes, Jeff Carter and Phil Langston did a good job of mentoring. Nick Camporini of the Wolves averages 10 points a game. Gabriel Carter, Evan Hill and Corbin Webb led the floor game. Other Sequimites were Jayson Brocklesby, Dylan Eekhoff, Tim Guan, Josh McMinn and Kenny Meier.
The spring ball will help those Wolves when high school ball starts up. KONP broadcaster Dan Kari went with the team and provided the info.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
Of course, I'm writing about the Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby that splashes off at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 23, on the Nippon Paper canal in Port Angeles.
As he has for the past 20 years, Dan Wilder and Co. provided a brand new Toyota Tacoma truck as first prize, but, wait, this year if your duck swims across the line first, you have your choice of the truck or a brand new Toyota Corolla sedan.
Toss in cash prizes (up to $1,500), spa packages, gift certificates for meals, lube and oil changes, car washes, ferry trips to Victoria and more and a $5 duck purchase could net you some big bucks.
By the way, Toyota does not help Wilder with the trucks or cars - they are donated by Dan as a community service project.
Wilder has been the main sponsor since the first race, which was called the Great Dungeness Duck Derby and was held on the Dungeness River right by the old schoolhouse.
Rain helped swell the river two days before the duck dump and the event was over in minutes in a driving rainstorm.
Year two was at Carrie Blake Park, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and ducks had to be dumped into the creek.
From that point on, the name was changed to Great Olympic Peninsula Duck Derby and the canal at Nippon has proved a popular race site. Way back when, logs were floated through the canal to the holding pond on their way to make newsprint, so each race depends on the incoming or outgoing tide. This year's event goes at
3 p.m. with the Bub and Alice Olson VID race.
There are a jillion duck derbies around the world now, but the Port Angeles/Sequim event is the largest, per capita, of any. Last year 30,600 ducks swam and money raised benefited Olympic Medical Center and Sequim Rotary, as well as several other service clubs and organizations.
Got a duck yet? I have 50 ready to race and have not won a prize in 20 years. I'm thinking this is the year I win something.
Wednesday whirl
• Halibut - The next big fishing event is the Port Angeles Halibut Derby from May 29-30 with headquarters at the Port Angeles Yacht Club.
There are $20,000 in cash prizes to the lucky anglers who sign up to fish in the event that ends the very short halibut season.
At one point during the winter, fisheries people were going to cancel the entire season but opted for four weekends, including the last weekend of the month, so the Port Angeles Salmon Club could continue its derby.
It's $40 for one day or both days and everyone in a boat must be registered and have derby tags. Sale of tags continues until 10 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Swain's General Store in Port Angeles. Tickets can be purchased at the Port Angeles Yacht Club on Saturday and Sunday.
• Tourney time - The
Sequim Wolves fastpitch team is ready for West Central District tournament time and will be ready for Friday's 2A contest at Sprinker Recreation Area south of Parkland.
The Port Angeles Roughrider girls will be at same tourney in the 3A division.
Both the Wolves and the 'Riders have strong pitching to get through a tournament, but it takes defense and situational hitting to get through these events and into the state.
Sequim is hoping for a rematch with archrival North Mason.
This district tournament is fast-paced on eight fields all at the same time, so it's worth the price of admission to see some outstanding softball.
• Extra hoops - The Next Level varsity basketball squad recently wound up play in the Pacific Northwest AAU boys spring league in Tacoma and the team, made up of players from Sequim, Port Angeles and Kingston, went 7-1. Their only loss was to a team made up of players from the Puyallup area.
Coaches Tom Hughes, Jeff Carter and Phil Langston did a good job of mentoring. Nick Camporini of the Wolves averages 10 points a game. Gabriel Carter, Evan Hill and Corbin Webb led the floor game. Other Sequimites were Jayson Brocklesby, Dylan Eekhoff, Tim Guan, Josh McMinn and Kenny Meier.
The spring ball will help those Wolves when high school ball starts up. KONP broadcaster Dan Kari went with the team and provided the info.
Reach Scooter Chapman at scooter@olypen.com.
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