South Dakota Kayak Challenge

02/11/2024

It's official: We're hosting The Jake Jaunt in 2024! Hope you'll join us July 20.

The Jake Jaunt is a 25 mile race for canoes and kayaks on the Missouri River to celebrate the life of Jake Riter.

04/22/2023

Happy Earth Day! While the SDKC will not take place this year, you can still paddle the nation's longest river with many friends July 15. Join us!

https://sdbestriverraces.com/

03/28/2023

Please consider this the only organized Sodak event on nation’s longest river (so far).

Many thanks to the dozen-plus already signed up!

• The cost for participation is $36 for each person. • The entry fee covers insurance, T-shirts, finisher medals and a few top prizes for the fastest finishers. • All non-motorized craft are welcomed to take part.

02/03/2022

While there will NOT be a SDKC race this year, The Fort to Field 50 Paddle Battle is back! If you've raced the SDKC in the past and are looking for a similar race on the beautiful Missouri National Recreational River, come check it out!

01/06/2021

Grateful For Every One of You

The South Dakota Kayak Challenge will not return to the waters of the Missouri River in 2021.

As the creators of this event, we’re proud of what we made together between 2010 and the present. The future is unwritten – but the event will not take place this May.

We encourage everyone to use the resources on the website to chart your own explorations of this remarkable waterway. We thank every participant and support team, as well as our sponsors and the cadre of volunteers who helped make the Challenge something amazing.

May 2021 bless you with fair winds and blister-free fingers.

Cory, Jarett and Steven

04/09/2020

Greetings:

In the face of the global pandemic, we write today with the sad-but-logical news that the South Dakota Kayak Challenge planned for May 2020 is canceled.

We certainly were looking forward to hosting you for this event’s finale. At this time, we send our best wishes and compassionate thoughts to all. Please stay socially distant, safe and healthy. That’s priority.

Everyone who registered and paid for 2020 will receive a full refund. While we would like to declare the event will be back in May 2021, at this time we’re not certain if that will be possible.

We hope it will – but we’ll make a final decision on that later this year. Once we do – you’ll be first to know what’s decided.

In the meantime, the Missouri River in our neck of the woods will be beautiful this summer and perhaps, if the fates allow, we’ll see you on it in a more informal and recreational fashion. Most importantly, we certainly hope everyone in the paddling family has the best possible outcomes in the face of this tough situation.

We close with a message of gratitude – we’ve been quite honored to be your hosts in South Dakota this last decade. We cannot thank you and everyone who has made this event a part of their lives enough – it has been an outstanding, life-changing endeavor for us, and we truly appreciate your support.

Please keep yourself and those you love safe; remember to keep faith in the face of all challenges.

Respectfully,

Cory, Jarett and Steven
South Dakota Kayak Challenge leaders

01/01/2020

This is it! Registration is now open for the final running of the South Dakota Kayak Challenge!

Reminder: the 2020 version no longer includes an Adventure Class. It also features new rules, checkpoints and cutoff times. Be sure to read through all updates on our website prior to submitting your registration.

Updated rules: http://sdkayakchallenge.org/rules.htm
Register: http://sdkayakchallenge.org/register.htm

12/31/2019

Your SDKC course in December. We’ll soon have our plans for the 2020 finale on the website. Look forward to hosting you!

06/12/2019

Full official results, along with updated course records, have now been posted on our website. Check them out here: http://sdkayakchallenge.org/results2010.htm

Thanks again to everyone who made the trek to race with us! We enjoyed hosting you - and hope we see you on the water again soon.

05/26/2019

Another taste of the coverage. Thanks, Garrett!

SOUTH SIOUX CITY | When Jim Pechous and Braxton Carter paddled their kayak into the dock at Scenic Park Saturday afternoon, the sun was glistening off the Missouri River’s murky