Iron Paddler Award Recipients

Created by Hall of Fame Historian John B. Cook, the Iron Paddler Award is given to paddlers who have finished 10 or more AuSable River Canoe Marathons in the Professional Division. To put 10 finishes into perspective, it is 1,200 miles of intense hardcore paddling; it is a minimum of 500,000 relentless paddle strokes; it is a minimum of 140 hours of grueling canoe racing.

These paddlers are die-hard and dedicated. These paddlers are iron-willed and incredible. These paddlers are the Toughest of the Tough!

Iron Paddler logo designed by Brent Southland Iron Paddler Award Recipients

“The Toughest of the Tough!”

No. Paddler Year Age No. Paddler Year Age No. Paddler Year Age

1 Bernie Fowler 1956 30 2 Steven Kolonich 1961 41 3 Ralph Sawyer 1962 25 4 Jack Kent 1965 34 5 Al Widing, Sr. 1968 43 6 Irvin “Buzz” Peterson 1971 47 7 Jack Kolka 1972 38 8 Jerry Kellogg 1977 33 9 Verlen Kruger 1978 56 10 John Baker 1980 38 11 Bob Welsch 1980 38 12 Butch Stockton 1983 34 13 Brett Stockton 1987 24 14 Tony Short 1987 23 15 Rick Joy 1987 28 16 Jeff Kellogg 1989 44 17 Al Robinson 1989 46 18 Dave Shepherd 1991 35 19 Ken Kolonich 1992 46 20 Serge Corbin 1993 36 21 Lynne Witte 1993 39 22 Jeff Kolka 1994 35 23 Jim Harwood 1994 30 24 Bill Torongo 1996 34 25 Steve Kolonich 1997 25 26 Randy Drake 1997 43 27 Ted Kolka 1997 31 28 Al Rudquist 1998 38 29 Blaise St. Pierre 2000 60 30 Bill DuBois 2002 44 31 Robert Bradford 2002 59 32 Clark Kent 2003 43 33 Steve Landick 2003 50 34 Bruce Barton 2003 46 35 Carrie Montgomery 2003 33 36 Michael Garon 2004 47 37 Jon Webb 2004 44 38 John Sullivan 2006 36 39 Tom Trudgeon 2006 47 40 Joe Shaw 2006 51 41 Connie Cannon 2006 45 42 Dwight Walker 2006 52 43 Steve Krantz 2008 53 44 Solomon Carrière 2008 51 45 Joseph Seifert 2008 56 46 Fred Mills 2008 53 47 Ted Smutek 2008 40 48 Frank Smutek 2008 74 49 Mo Harwood, Jr. 2009 30 50 Ray Bauer 2009 52 51 Tom Cannon 2009 53 52 Peter Heed 2009 59 53 Ray Quick 2009 54 54 Joe Johnson 2009 59 55 Andrew Triebold 2010 34 56 Steve Lajoie 2010 34 57 Mike Bradford 2010 45 58 Allen Limberg 2010 52 59 Greg Nelson 2010 53 60 Brian Royce 2010 38 61 Chuck Hewitt 2010 51 62 Colin Hunter 2011 30 63 Tim Sheldon 2011 46 64 David Teddy 2011 37 65 Amy Solak 2011 46 66 Sean Casey 2011 33 67 Mike Hartman 2011 35 68 Jeff DeFeo 2011 56 69 Nate Winkler 2011 39 70 Robert Smith 2012 38 71 Jon Thompson 2012 55 72 Don Brooks 2012 43 73 Matt Streib 2013 49 74 Pete Mead 2013 32 75 Tad Hill 2013 35 76 Rodney Matthews 2013 58 77 Dick Kloss 2013 71 78 Nick Walton 2014 41 79 Gloria Wesley 2014 54 80 Jason Hatfield 2015 37 81 Flash Marsh 2015 38 82 Joey Kimsel 2015 34 83 Brad Wilson 2015 33 84 Gary Aprea 2015 72 85 Tom Ackemyer 2015 50 86 Chris Hewitt 2015 25 87 Ellen Thompson 2015 58 88 Ryan Halstead 2016 29 89 Matt Meersman 2016 39 90 Russ Reker 2016 52 91 Mike Packard 2016 52 92 Tim McClure 2016 58 93 John Lucey 2016 52 94 Michael Schlimmer 2017 31 95 Tim Chapple 2017 43 96 Benedict Schlimmer 2017 28 97 Doug Moggo 2017 55 98 Fritz Hansen 2017 76 99 Steve Watson 2018 46 100 Matt Gabriel Jr. 2018 34 101 Roger Henry 2018 76 102 Mike Davis 2019 28 103 Rebecca Davis 2019 29 104 Ray Trudgeon 2019 37 105 Daniel Medina 2021 27 106 Joe Leusby 2021 37 107 Nick Lyesiuk 2021 77 108 lo Harberts 2021 62 109 Jerry Killingbeck 2021 52