The record attempt was conceived by Venture Outdoors as a way to raise awareness of World Environment Day and give the region’s residents, regardless of age or ability, a chance to celebrate the outdoors together. Sally Newman is one good example of the range those ages may reach.

Newman, a retired Intergenerational Studies professor at Pitt, will turn 81 on June 4, the day before Paddle at the Point. That evening, she and her husband plan to attend the symphony to hear Beethoven’s 9^th. The evening of June 5, post-record attempt, they intend to paddle downtown and see the Zambelli Brothers light up the sky above PNC Park during a Fireworks Paddle with Venture Outdoors.

Newman insists that there’s nothing exceptional about her active lifestyle. She has a “lousy back,” but loves to be outdoors. A week-long family vacation of backpacking and kayaking in Alaska stands out as one of her most memorable experiences. Could breaking a world record cause a similar thrill?

“More people my age should go!” said Newman. “We’re outdoors folks … but it’s not that we’re great.”

Of course, she’s has a point. No experience is necessary to take part in the event and it won’t be particularly strenuous, so it’s welcoming to beginners of all ages. To participate in a kayak or canoe, individuals need only be at least 3 years old and 35 pounds, And although paddlers won’t travel far or fast, two-seater tandem kayaks offer families or couples, like the Newmans, a way to keep an eye on each other.

Paddle at the Point
Saturday, June 5 is World Environment Day and Venture Outdoors and its 30 plus outdoor partners are taking over Pittsburgh’s three rivers in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record^TM for the largest kayak and canoe flotilla in the world. 1,200 kayaks and canoes are needed as we set a mark at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers to beat a record that was previously held by long time arch nemesis Cleveland!

Don’t have a boat? Don’t worry. Sign up early and rent a kayak from Kayak Pittsburgh before they’re all gone. We’ll need everyone and anyone, clubs and groups welcome! Parking will be offered for free on the North Side and we’ll shuttle your boat to the landing for launch. Be part of history in the making and celebrate World Environment Day in Pittsburgh with Paddle at the Point!