Belize Bank team wins 10th anniversary Ruta Maya

The sun was hot, the breeze was strong, and the crowd was large. That’s the environment entered by dozens of tired paddlers on the last day of Belize’s great canoe race. News Five’s Janelle Chanona and Stewart Krohn–with a little help from Love FM’s Patrick Jones–combined for the coverage.

Stewart Krohn, Reporting
The tenth annual Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge had one of it closest finishes ever on Monday when team Belize Bank made a valiant sprint over Belize Natural Energy to win the last leg of the four-day race as well as the overall championship.

But the final day’s competition was not without controversy. A false start at Burrell Boom that was not corrected until many boats had exhausted themselves well downriver, left many teams feeling betrayed.

Spectator #1
“Last year they mi have false start the same way and they stop it right yah. This time, them B.D.F., they dah service team, they must have wah radio, they dah B.D.F. If they wah defend fi we country without wah radio, they must have wah radio so they could stop that and bring the thing. Why they wah stop it way yonder. Fi we bwai mi done deh way up yonder and right now they wah start the race, they tired, how they going on the river and paddle right after this? But this dah lone lie, they stop the race because ah Boomers—Fruta Bomba and that unfair, because they turn over. It very, very unfair, noh only fi our team, but all the teams weh mi deh pan the river.”

Spectator #2
“I think everybody round here is a little very frustrated. Obviously we are well, but the facts are the facts, everybody is going to have to do it again and we’re gonna get in with the same good attitude, with the same positive momentum, and we’re gonna get it done.”

Orlando Harrison, Chair, Organising Committee
“Somebody in the public blew a whistle and did a false start for us, creating a little bit of a problem because couple of the teams were far ahead. So we had to call them back and it’s taking a while for them to get back. So we’ll decide in a bit when we’ll take off again.”

Janelle Chanona
“You call this a little problem, but you look like you have your hands full.”

Orlando Harrison
“Yes, because we are concerned. We know that the partners are out there working hard and they are competing and we want to know we give them a fair chance.”

Janelle Chanona
“What, as far as when the race gets started, are you going to do to make sure that everybody can hear the proper bullhorn, the proper send off?”

Orlando Harrison
“We’re making arrangements this time around to use a gunshot. So if nobody hears that, I think we have a real problem then.”

[Harrison Addressing crowd]
“There will be a first gunshot signalling the start. A second shot signals a false start so you need to stop when you hear the second shot, if necessary.”

When the real start did get underway, some two hours later, it was a mad dash for the major station prize at Boom Bridge. What looks like a deliberate blocking manoeuvre by B.N.E. to hold off Belize Bank, allowed the canoe called Ah Deh yah Again and What to take the coveted cash.

And the close competition continued down the lower and slower reaches of the Belize River … before turning the corner into the Haulover Creek and the final sprint.

After the finish, triumphant team captain Armin Lopez savoured his fourth consecutive Ruta Maya victory.

Armin Lopez, Team Belize Bank
“Well first of all, I want to give thanks to God because without him I cannot do it. I owe him a lot, we all owe him a lot because without him nothing can happen. But I am proud of the guys because without the guys, like what I said, all the people like to say Armin, Armin, but I think the guys, they are the men too. There are three of us in the canoe, I really feel good about one more victory.”

Patrick Jones, Love FM
“What strategy did you employ from Cayo to Belize to win this race?

Armin Lopez
“Well what I do is just ride the wave. They sent us abroad to learn more techniques and that’s what we learn and that’s what we try and practice here and finally it worked out.”

Lopez was joined in his victory by team mates Amado and Daniel Cruz.

At news time the official final results from all classes of La Ruta Maya had not yet been released by the organising committee.