On Saturday March 28, I’ll be presenting at the Far North Symposium, which is put on by Bob O’Hara, the legendary expedition canoeist, and subject of the forthcoming book: Where the Green Light Shines A Fifty-Year Odyssey from the Boundary Waters to the Far North

If you want to hear about paddling from BWCA to York Factory on Hudson Bay, or an 870-mile canoe expedition through the Canadian Barren Lands or a 39-day journey of more than 600 miles by canoe through the Northwest Territories, then this is your event.

Also, if you want to hear about the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby, and see historic photos and videos, I’ll be there as well discussing, “The Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby: Racing at the Crossroads of History.”

In the 1940s and 1950s, the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby was one of the longest and most ambitious canoe races ever held in North America, a grueling 450-mile competition down the Mississippi River. More than a race, the derby stood at a pivotal moment in history, bridging an older, non-motorized river culture with a rapidly modernizing world. It launched the career of canoe-racing legend Gene Jensen and drew paddlers from across the continent into a shared test of endurance, skill, and grit. The derby also occupied a unique social space, linking Indian country with white America and creating neutral ground where people from different cultures and communities came together in competition and camaraderie. In this talk, Frank Bures explores the rise and fall of the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby, drawing from his book Pushing the River. Through vivid storytelling, he brings to life a largely forgotten chapter of canoeing history and reflects on what was gained, lost, and nearly lost again along the river.

Register here.