PHOTOS: Blaze on, big river! The Blazing Paddles #Cuyahoga50 race in photos

Bob Perkoski Monday, June 24, 2019
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Fifty years since the notorious Cuyahoga River blaze, the second annual Blazing Paddles race set the river ablaze in a whole new way—with kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes.

Spearheaded by Share the River, the event was aimed at highlighting how the river has "risen like a phoenix since the 1969 fire ignited the environmental movement." Participants took on one of two courses (5.7-mile or 13-mile) that provided an up-close look at Cleveland's iconic bridges, skyline, and other riverfront sites. See our photographer Bob Perkoski's images of spirited Clevelanders celebrating a river reborn.
Bob Perkoski
Bob Perkoski

About the Author: Bob Perkoski

Bob is managing photographer with FreshWater as well as a Cleveland freelance photographer. His photographic approach is rooted in the art of storytelling. Whether freezing the energy of an event, encapsulating the magic of a performance, or astutely anticipating the decisive moments, his work displays an innate ability to distill the essence of any scene or subject into a single frame or series of work. In addition, Bob is the official photographer for LAND studio and Holden Forest and Gardens and has worked with various Cleveland organizations. In 2019 he published a book of his photos Rust Belt Burlesque. He's had work published in other books like LGBTQ Cleveland by Ken Schneck, Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology, Rust Belt Chic: The Pittsburgh Anthology and Moon Cleveland by Douglas Trattner. Previously he was co-founder/art director for Balanced Living Magazine. You can view his versatile portfolio of work, which includes news coverage, portraiture, architectural and fine art at Perkoski Photography. Originally from Conneaut, Ohio, Perkoski now lives close to the city in Parma. He has been Fresh Water's managing photographer since the publication's September 2010 inception.

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