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TOWNSHIP E — Some spend their Saturday mornings on the couch, others go out to brunch. But for about 20 kayakers, they spent the morning of April 18 shooting down the speeding waters of Smalls Falls in western Franklin County.

The annual Smalls to the Wall race is organized by Maine Whitewater Championship, which hosts events across the state every year. Saturday’s race was at the Smalls Falls rest area, which is about 12 miles southeast of Rangeley.

Participants tackled a chain of five falls one after another, with times running around 30 seconds for most kayakers. Smalls Falls is a Class V run, which is ranked the most difficult in whitewater.

“The atmosphere is always super high,” said Matt Jameson, co-organizer of Maine Whitewater Championship. “People come out and see these guys and gals throw themselves off waterfalls and not really understanding what they’re doing. But it’s a cool thing to come to on a Saturday in April.”

Noah Jackson was one of the 18 participants who raced down Smalls Falls and the slightly easier Class IV Chandler Mill Falls. He said the fast-moving waters and the sharp turns along the Sandy River can take precious seconds off from a winning score.

“The current is so strong it creates really strong eddies on either side of the current,” Jackson said. “If you’re trying to get a good time, you can get pulled into the side and then you got to paddle your way back out again, and that can add on quite a few seconds.”

Knowing all of the tricks to staying safe while paddling comes second nature to kayakers like him who have been practicing for years.

“Trying to keep your nose down the middle is the hard part,” he said.

Onlookers crowded trails and cliff edges to cheer and film the racers. The audience was made up of family, friends, repeat visitors, but also a sizable group who decided to visit on a whim without knowing what to expect.

Pam Tozier and Cindy Farrington traveled up from Jay to watch the spectacle. “I just wanted to see how they maneuvered,” Tozier said. “They make it look easy.”

“They’re having a blast,” Farrington replied. “You can tell just by looking at them.”

There is also danger in races of this caliber. Spring water temperatures are still freezing to the touch, having just thawed in the past few weeks. Paddlers wore dry-suits to shield themselves from the cold. If they flipped or fell into the water, a whitewater safety and recovery team was stationed along the Sandy River, ready to rappel in on ropes to pull the racer out.

The winner of the Smalls Falls race was Miles Puleio, No. 14, with a time of 27.11 seconds from start to finish.

Maine Whitewater Championship has two more races planned this year. The next is in June on the Penobscot River near Millinocket, and the last will be in August on the Kennebec River.

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