PADDLE EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO BEACH CONDITIONS. 11 AM GATHERING AT EXCELSIOR BREWING IS STILL ON.
The 12th Annual Big Island & Back 10K Paddle Event is on Saturday, August 9, 2025.
Beach closure notice: We are sorry to announce beach conditions in Excelsior and the surrounding area are such that this year's Big Island and Back 10K Paddle on Saturday, August 9th, has been cancelled. We learned that E.coli levels at Excelsior Public Beaches drastically exceed the EPA standards for safe recreation and there is no way for us to host a safe event. Per Hennepin County Public Health, when E. coli bacteria levels exceed guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hennepin County Public Health recommends beach closure until subsequent sample results show a level within the acceptable range.
Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds of event entry fees or future event credits. The staging of this event results in substantial expense prior to the actual event itself. Everyone is welcome to join the gathering at Excelsior Brewing for pizza, prizes, and beer at 11:00 am!
About the event
Tune up your canoe, kayak, or paddleboard and head to Excelsior for a friendly race out around Big Island and back. With a 9:00 a.m. start time, the paddle begins and ends at Excelsior Public Beach. Our goal is to get paddlers of all ages and skill levels out on Lake Minnetonka for a great community summer event and raise money for clean water across Minnesota and beyond.
Check-in begins at 8:00 am at the beach and day-of registrations are welcome.
Don't miss the after-party at Excelsior Brewing Company beginning at 11 a.m. for food, fun, and beer! Awards and door prizes will be given away by our wonderful sponsors. Make a day of it and explore beautiful Excelsior!
Proceeds from this event support Freshwater's work for water!
Congratulations to last year's top competitors:
- Mike Brumba - First place overall, kayak (45:30)
- Jose Matute and Rick Lorenzen - First place canoe (49:15)
- Jeremy Nicholson - First place paddleboard (58:50)
Registration is closed.
Cancellation Policy: Safety for all participants is our primary goal. Severe thunderstorms with the threat of lightning that are forecasted to continue throughout the day of the event may result in cancellation of the event for all participants. These conditions will be recognized as “an act of God” and will not result in the refunding of race entry fees or future race credits. If this occurs, we will let participants know via email. Assuming conditions are safe enough for car travel, we will still host the after party at the brewery for all who can attend.
Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact development@freshwater.org or learn more here!
Thank you to our sponsors!
