The Westfield River Wildwater Races began in the winter of 1953 as a challenge among friends. As they told tales of their canoeing skills while sitting around the bar at the Whippernon Club in Russell, Dick Waterhouse, the club owner challenged the friends to a race down the Westfield River on the first Sunday in April.
The prize? A case of beer.
When the owner of the Wildcat Springs Restaurant on the river in Chester, caught wind of the challenge, he added another case of beer to the prize.
The course of the race was determined – it would start at one bar and end at the other.
The race is now the oldest consecutively run wildwater race in the United States. Many elements of the race have changed over the years, but the tradition continues.
The race evolved in the 1970s under Merritt Andrews. Jeff DeFeo and the late Jurgen Igel took over in 1983, and that year they began holding race clinics in the weeks before the race. Jeff continued to organize the race until 2012.
He’s even taken some brave reporters on the course, and in 1993, he hosted the American Canoe Association National Championships on the Westfield River – an experience Jeff considers one of the highlights of his racing career.
If anyone knows the race, it’s Jeff. Next year will mark his 50th race. Jeff was in high school when he and a friend entered the race for the first time.
The race was still being held the first weekend in April, and he recalls that there was still snow on the river.
He hasn’t missed a race since and holds the distinction of being the longest-running racer.
“I’ll race as long as I can. They’ll have to drag me out of the boat,” he said.
“I’ll race as long as I can. They’ll have to drag me out of the boat,”