SPORTS

Story by Daniel Israel

Photos Courtesy of the City of Bayonne

For the fifth year since its inception, “Paddle the Peninsula” has been a splashing success on Saturday, September 24. Residents enjoyed the day kayaking on the Newark Bay from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the bay that borders Bayonne’s eastern shoreline.

While there may be some preconceived notions about the body of water, particularly about its cleanliness and the safety, there is more than meets the eye, or nose. In fact, there are an array of fun things that residents can do on the water, kayaking being one of them.

According to Alicia Losonczy, Land Use Administrator but also a coorganizer of “Paddle the Peninsula,” the event is all about getting people to get in the water. She hopes to change the perception that many may have of Newark Bay, noting that it offers a number of safe recreational opportunities.

Prior to the event, residents have to register with the city. This is because the city rents the kayaks for participants. However, those seeking to kayak can also bring their own kayaks if they have them.

“We needed to make sure that we had enough kayaks to accommodate everyone who wanted to participate,” Losonczy said.

For safety reasons, kayakers must be at least 12 years of age. Participants who are 12 to 17 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

After registering, participants can choose to

participate from one of two locations. The event offers options for both beginners and advanced kayakers.

According to Losonczy, pushing off at Rutkowski Park, the more experienced kayakers took part in a float down the Newark Bay from the park to 16th Street Park. At the kayak launch at 16th Street Park, less-experienced kayakers could take part in float-around sessions in between Robbins Reef and the 16th Street Park Boat Dock.

There were three floataround sessions lasting 45 minutes each. The periods began at 12:30 p.m., repeating at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

It was a fun and festive day on the eastern Bayonne waterfront, with eager resi-

dents dipping their paddles in the cold-but-not-thatcold water before winter fully arrives. It is one of the many gems of events hosted in conjunction with the Division of Recreation.

Kayakers can venture out onto Newark Bay by themselves or with a friend. Losonczy said: “In addition to the single kayaks, we offer tandem kayaks where two people can go in together. So if you’ve had someone who hasn’t kayaked before and is apprehensive about going out into Newark Bay because they think it might be a high-traffic area, the channel is busy, and it’s intimidating versus going somewhere down the shore or in a lake, tandem allows two participants to go together. That also makes for a more fun event as well.”

To ensure safety for all participants, the Bayonne Fire Department and the New Jersey State Police

typically have vessels in Newark Bay during the event. McCabe Ambulance also usually has a unit on shore as a precaution.

The goal of the event was to activate the waters of the Newark Bay as a recreation space. “Paddle the Peninsula” seeks to look at the space in a different light, which she said is now aided by the new kayak launch thanks to Consulting City Engineer Andrew Raichle and Director of the Department of Public Works Tom Cotter.

“The idea that I had five years ago when I started working on the mayor’s special events programs was that we are a peninsula, however, our waterways are underutilized,” Losonczy said. “This was a way to bring some of our residents out to the water.”

After five years of promoting the event, “Paddle the Peninsula” continues to see good turnout. Suffice to say, the event will continue in the future, with plans for a local kayak club.

“We hope so,” Losonczy said. “We hope to also have a kayak club, whether it would be a private club or connected to the Department of Recreation. We don’t know about what it will be yet. But as someone who kayaks, I think it would be a welcome addition to the community.”

In addition to the club, Losonczy said she hopes to

bring another kayak event into fruition in the future: a mayor’s race. While she couldn’t speak on it in her role, with the increase in kayak events, the possibility for more kayak launches in the city also arises.

“As long as I’m allowed, I will continue this kayak event,” Losonczy said. “I also spoke with the mayor about this, I would love to see a mayor’s race one day where we can have other community members. Maybe we start in another municipality and finish in Bayonne and a trophy given to the winner. I could see something like that down the line.”

The reception to “Paddle the Peninsula,” the only kayak event in existence in the city thus far, has been overwhelmingly positive. Some residents who are very enthusiastic about kayaking, such as the Bayonne Nature Club’s Mike Ruscigno, even dress up for the occasion donning pirate garbs before paddling away.

City officials come out each year to support the event. In recent years, members of the City Council have even gotten in the kayaks and paddled the water themselves.

Losonczy said she was happy the event returned to some of its former glory this year. The COVID-19 pandemic saw the event downsize since 2020, but this year was another step back toward normalcy.

“COVID-19 held us back a little bit because of the social distancing requirement,” Losonczy said. However, the event was still held that year, albeit with precautions to avoid the spread of the virus.

Of this year’s festivities, she added: “However, we came back and we had a good turnout this year. I’m thankful for that.”

In the future, the barbecue that typically accompanied the event pre-COVID-19 may be reintroduced. She hopes to continue the community-oriented vibe of the annual event on Newark Bay.

“When we first started this, there was also a picnic component or barbecue component to it,” Losonczy said. “That was enjoyable and I’m hoping that next year we can bring that back to the event.”

With dreams of ramping up “Paddle the Peninsula” to its full former glory, Losonczy hopes to continue to change opinions about recreation along Bayonne’s

Newark Bay shoreline. She hopes that residents can see that there are plenty of opportunities on the waterways that surround the city on three sides.

“The event has fostered more participation with the water for our residents,” Losonczy said. “I’m glad that we have it for that purpose, because that was the intention behind it when we set out to do this.”

Mayor James Davis echoed Losonczy that the event aims to allow residents to utilize the bodies of water around Bayonne. He said that the event has become a staple in addition to the other recreation opportunities offered by the city throughout the year.

“For five years now, the ‘Paddle the Peninsula’ event has given numerous residents the opportunity to enjoy getting out into the waters of Newark Bay,” the mayor said. “As a waterfront community, we need to take advantage of the recreational potential offered by the bodies of water around Bayonne. ‘Paddle the Peninsula’ has become a very popular addition to Bayonne’s annual assortment of great activities.” — BLP