AL650 recap

The Alabama Scenic River Trail's state-wide river race, the Great Alabama 650 (AL650), wrapped up on October 10. 

AL650 alumnus Bobby Johnson, who holds a Guinness World Record for paddling the Mississippi River, won the race, earning the overall title in the AL650 for the second time since it began in 2019. He finished the race in six days, six hours, and 15 minutes. 

Returning AL650 racer Salli O’Donnell won second place. O’Donnell, like Johnson, has entered the race every year since it began in 2019. In 2021, she set the solo record for the race when she finished the event in four days, 22 hours, and 39 minutes. 

Johnson and O’Donnell battle for a first-place finish each year. This year, they were followed by Frances Hiscox of Boston, the third-place finisher. Alabama natives Trey Reaves and Jim Lewey finished fourth overall and first in the tandem division.  

About Johnson: Johnson won the inaugural race in 2019. He won the male solo division in 2020. He also holds several titles in other long-distance races, including the Everglades Challenge. In 2021, Johnson was part of a team that paddled the Mississippi River in record time. He and his teammates, including another AL650 alumnus, Rod Price, were awarded a Guinness World Record. 

The Great Alabama 650 is a vehicle for showcasing all Alabama has to offer. 

The racecourse is on the core section of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, which expands to all corners of the state to include more than 6,500 miles of navigable waterways. Like the racecourse, the broader river trail offers a wide range of paddling opportunities.
 

For example, on the Alabama Scenic River Trail, paddlers can test their skill on narrow creeks, trace the water’s edge on large lakes, or explore coastal landscapes by kayak, canoe, or standup paddle board. 

ASRT sign project on tour

The Alabama Scenic River Trail continued in October promoting its sign initiative.

ASRT employees and volunteers met with state lawmakers and local officials in Trussville at the Cahaba River and on the banks of Flint Creek near Hartselle to promote the state-wide program.  

The signs at these sites are part of an expansive river trail infrastructure program designed by the Alabama
Scenic River Trail to attract tourists to Alabama towns. The infrastructure program includes these
directional signs, hundreds of water-front campsites, and more features designed to make Alabama
kayaking and canoeing more accessible.

Senator Shay Shelnutt, Representative Danny Garrett, Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat, Trussville city councilmembers Lisa Bright and Ben Short, and Cahaba Riverkeeper founder Myra Crawford stood creekside at Civitan Park in Trussville for the event in that community. Senator Arthur Orr, Rep. Terri Collins, members of the Huntsville Canoe Club, a representative of the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments, and the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils attended the Hartselle-area event.  

In Trussville, Rep. Garrett spoke briefly about the role of outdoor recreation in recruiting and retaining a competitive workforce to and in Alabama. He is a member of the Alabama Innovation Corporation Board of Directors, which seeks to spur innovation and entrepreneurship in Alabama for the 21st Century. 

"This type of effort is going to be very critical in growing the state, retaining the workforce, and attracting people here,” Garrett said, referencing the Alabama Scenic River Trail’s state-wide sign program. 

The Cahaba River section of the Alabama Scenic River Trail begins in Civitan Park in Trussville. A sign there marks the first in a series of access points that help paddlers explore this valuable waterway. This sign is part of a network of signs that span the state and help kayak and canoe enthusiasts access Alabama waterways in Trussville and beyond.

"One of our big tasks is promoting Alabama’s waterways here and all throughout the state,” said ASRT Acting Executive Director Andrew Szymanski. “One way we try to do this is by educating local residents about the paddling opportunities in high-traffic areas all across the state of Alabama.” 

The ASRT recently installed two signs at the Hickory Hill boat launch on Flint Creek in the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. The signs are part of an expansive river trail infrastructure program designed by the Alabama Scenic River Trail to attract tourists to Alabama towns. 

The infrastructure program includes these directional signs, hundreds of water-front campsites, and more features designed to make Alabama kayaking and canoeing more accessible.

Rep. Collins, also a member of the Alabama Trails Commission, emphasized the importance of trails for the state. She said it is important to support recreational trail activities for residents and also visitors. 

ASRT organizers recognized Collins and Orr for supporting the Alabama Scenic River Trail, and the organization awarded each of them with a small memento. 

"It’s important for our state,” said Orr, referencing the Alabama Scenic River Trail. “I’m glad to be a part of it.” 

ASRT selects new executive director

The Alabama Scenic River Trail formally selected Andrew Szymanski in late October to serve as the organization’s third executive director. 

Szymanski previously served as the acting executive director for the organization and as the director of operations. In his tenure, Szymanski has already spearheaded the implementation of a state-wide mile marker program, worked to increase awareness of recreational paddling, and partnered with other water-focused nonprofit organizations to raise awareness of conservation, cleanup, and safety initiatives. 

Szymanski is a long-time recreational and competitive paddling enthusiast. He moved to Montgomery, Alabama, in 2010 as part of the AmeriCorps VISTA program after graduating from the University of Georgia. He then became the Executive Director of the Montgomery Dragon Boat Festival, which raised funds for two local non-profit organizations through a large-scale annual event in downtown Montgomery. His passion for Dragon Boating led him to the competitive side of the sport, where he became a board member and was later elected president of the United States Dragon Boat Federation and Team USA Program from 2017-2021.

Szymanski helped organize the Great Alabama 650 in 2020 and 2021 before accepting a full, paid position on staff for the Alabama Scenic River Trail. 

Andrew grew up in Topsfield, Massachusetts but has made Alabama his home.