TDT Director Trey Snyder awards Denise D’Abundo of Baton Rouge $100 for her third-place finish in the solo double-blade class, racing against men. Under changes for 2015, she would have received $200 for third place, plus another $200 for being the first woman in that class.
Women of Tour du Teche get a bonus
Female paddlers will get some extra love from Tour du Teche starting with next year’s race.
The TDT Board of Directors has approved changes for Tour du Teche VI that include bonuses to the first boats powered solely by women to finish in each of four “pro” racing classes.
Tour du Teche pays each racer a fixed percentage of the pot made available by sponsor donations. Next year’s prizes are set at 8 percent (per paddler) for first place, 4 percent for second and 2 percent for third.
First solo female or all-female boats to finish in each class receives a 2 percent bonus in addition to any prize money they may have won in overall competition.
“We have had some very competitive women in Tour du Teche over these past five years,” said TDT Director Trey Snyder. “We’ve been searching for a way to show the love, and we think we have found it.”
Class changes to be announced later will have the effect of doubling the percentage of cash payouts across the board.
Tour du Teche VI will be held Oct. 2-4, 2015. The annual paddle series includes a 135-mile, three-day staged race down the entire length of Bayou Teche from Port Barre to Berwick, plus several one-day races with additional starts or stops in Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, New Iberia and Franklin.
Tour du Teche is a non-profit dedicated to promoting the low-impact recreational use, protection and appreciation of Bayou Teche.
Call Ken Grissom at (337) 394-6232 for more information.
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