Raft race returns to Rio Grande

ALBUQUERQUE TRADITION CAME BACK TO LIFE THE GREAT RAFT RACE DOWN THE RIO GRANDE PADDLED BACK INTO TOWN CRIS ORNELAS IS LIVE ALONG THE RIVER WITH MORE CHRIS ALTHOUGH ITS CALLED A RACE MOST PEOPLE WHO BRAVE THE RIVER don t WORRY ABOUT SPEED FOR THEM ITS ALL ABOUT THE FUN that s THE SOUND OF THE GREAT RACE RETURNING TO ALBUQUERQUE AFTER 13 YEARS SOME HAVE BIG BEEFY VESSELS OTHERS don t 2 49 TAPE 1 oh AND OTHERS HAD TO IMPROVISE 4 18 TAPE 1 4 50-4 59 TAPE 1 we lost a tube but were not giving up we re still gonna go with one and we might drag the air mattress were improvising thats ok ONE MORE TIME IN SLOW MOTION OTHERS USED SODA BOTTLES TO KEEP THEM AFLOAT 5 44-5 33 TAPE 2 we just kinda went to the recycling center and got a complimentary pallet from home depot and set it up it cost like 15 dollars in total A HOMEMADE PADDLE MADE OF WOOD SHINGLES AND THEY WERE READY TO GO 6 12-6 18 TAPE 2 it was under water the whole time but it worked it looked like we were kinda floating on the top of the river it was kinda cool TURNOUT FOR THE RETURN OF THE RACE WAS HUGE 4 58-5 07 TAPE 2 the turnout was much more than expected and we expected about 100 craft and ended up with about 250 craft and 600 participants approximately EVEN OUR OWN MUSCLE MAN GADI SCHWARTZ GOT INTO THE ACT LETS SEE THAT AGAIN IN SLOW MOTION THAT CANT BE GOOD FOR HIS JOURNALISTIC CREDIBILITY OTHERS COMMITTED ACTS OF PIRACY ON THE RUNOFF SWOLLEN RIO GRANDE 9 03-9 12 TAPE 2 its not about pace its about destroying other people s crafts and sinking things and making other people soaking wet is really what the river race embodies is soakness DID HE JUST SAY SOAKNESS ANYWAY ALBUQUERQUE FIRE SAYS THERE WERE A FEW MINOR MISHAPS ON THE RIVER TODAY BUT THE CITY WAS READY CREWS PATROLLED THE RIVER BY BOAT AND CIRCLED ABOVE THE RACERS IN HELICOPTERS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAD A SAFE RIDE DOWN THE RIVER