Regatta races royale in Angel Fire
Angel Fire Resort held its second annual Monte Verde Lake Regatta on Saturday (Sept. 10). The event featured races for pedal boats, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and an overall race from the winners of each category for a final showdown. Competitors lined up at the Boathouse before 10 a.m. to register in the races. The event was free of charge, unless a competitor needed to rent out one of the watercrafts.
Marissa Chaney and her calm canine companion Leia won the best-decorated boat award during the parade before the race. A handful of festive boaters adorned their vessels, bow and stern, with colorful festoons.
The distance that had to be covered for each race was about 40 to 50 yards out from the dock, where two orange flags indicated where boaters had to turn back around and head to the black-and-white checkered finish line. The area near the flags proved to be tricky in the overall race, which had numerous racers trying to navigate around one another as they made a semicircle to get out in front for first place.
Camra Fischer took first place in the stand-up paddleboard and in the overall race. Lily Hitch took first place in the 12-and-under kayak race.
Marketing Director Greg Ralph talked about the turnout: “This is only our second one. So we’re figuring it out still, but the music’s great ... [If] we would have [had] some sun out here earlier it’d be packed.” Ralph continued “people are having a blast, and we’re going to do this every year.” He then joked about adding another contest to the Regatta “I want to start a contest to see, give a $20 prize and see who can eat the most bags of those Jalapeño chips [Kettle Brand] because we have lots of those left over.”
Albuquerque-based cover band No Chaser belted out Midland’s “Drinkin’ Problem” as the Regatta shifted over to the Cornholio tournament. Team Lake Boys, consisting of Lance Credeur and Javier Branch, was able to bring home the championship to the Boat House with their superb bag throwing. They won bragging rights and an Angel Fire Resorts gift certificate.