The shoreline is quiet as Jefferson City waits for the next round of kayaks to come through.
You won’t catch Jefferson City resident Joe Wilson out on the Missouri River in a boat with a paddle. He told me any boat he gets into will have a motor on the end of it. That doesn’t cut short his admiration for the near 300 individuals and teams who set out on the daunting task of paddling 340 miles from Kansas City to St. Charles.
Ever since the Missouri River 340 kayak race pushed off nine years ago, Wilson (as he prefers to be called) has been involved from the shoreline ever year.
He took it upon himself to help spruce up the area around the Noren Access Ramp in Jefferson City to help those competing have a safe haven along their route.
Last year, Wilson had pontoons with showers and restrooms. He even had a taco barge set up on the banks. This year, his boat is standing by in case a racer needs help. Last year, Wilson came to the rescue of a Columbia man who was knocked out his kayak by an Asian Carp.
Wilson has done so much for the race and land around the access point, it’s now also known as Wilson’s Serenity Point.
Wilson shares his love and passion for the MR340 from the shore. Enjoy the video.
