SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - More than 100 kayaks hit the water Saturday morning to kick off the 16th annual Schuylkill River Sojourn from Island Park.
This year, participants will be floating down Pennsylvania's 2014 River of the Year.
"I think being River of the Year and the publicity of the event has encouraged more people to come out," Kurt D. Zwikl, Schuylkill River Heritage Area executive director, said Saturday.
The Schuylkill River was designated the River of the Year though online voting in December. The river previously earned the title in 1999.
The annual sojourn is a week-long event down the 112-mile Schuylkill River. Seventy participants have signed up to make the entire trip from Schuylkill Haven to Boathouse Row, breaking last year's record of 59.
"I think the sport itself is taking on interest," Zwikl said. "You don't necessarily have to be an athlete to do this. You have to be determined. New people are trying it because they heard about the experience."
A total of 196 people have signed up for the trip. Only about 100 kayaks are allowed on the water each day for safety reasons, Zwikl said. The first few days of the trip were quickly filled to capacity.
There were 109 kayaks in the water Saturday. About half of the participants were new, Zwikl said.
"As long as we keep getting new people to do it, we will keep doing it," he said. "It's a good event go on. There's good food and good company along the way."
Over the course of the event's history, there has been more than 3,000 registrants from 21 states and Canada who participated. This year, the event added another state as well as the first European registrant from France.
"The people are amazing," Alex Shandera, 21, of Chambersburg, said.
Shandera has participated in the annual sojourn for the last 8 years.
"It's like a big family reunion," Julia Iannucca, 18, of Bronx, New York, said.
Iannucca said she has been coming to the sojourn for 10 years ever since her father first brought her along. Both Shandera and Iannuca said they kayak throughout the year, but always look forward to coming to Schuylkill Haven for the sojourn.
"This is the main event," Iannucca said.
For more information about the Schuylkill River and the annual sojourn, visit www.schuylkillriver.org.