CINCINNATI — Brewster Rhoads has spent decades turning the Ohio River into a destination, and on Monday, he's hoping to make history.
The 25th annual Ohio River Paddle Fest is set to draw more than 1,800 paddlers to the water, and organizers are seeking official Guinness World Record certification for the largest paddling event of its kind.
"Being the 25th annual Paddle Fest, we thought, what the heck, we've been the largest in the country. Let's get Guinness to certify that we in fact are the biggest paddling event of its kind," Rhoads said.
The current record stands at 1,100 paddlers, set at an event in New Jersey.
"We have to break the record of 1,100 paddlers at an event in New Jersey a few years ago. We already have more than 1,100 people registered, so we're just going to stick a fork in it and make it clear that yep, Guinness agrees we're the biggest in America and maybe even the world," Rhoads said.
The event is a 4.5- to 9-mile paddle down the Ohio River and serves as a fundraiser for Adventure Crew, a nonprofit that connects city teens to outdoor opportunities. Paddle Fest started with roughly 230 to 240 participants and has grown into the largest event of its kind in the country.
"What we wanted to do was to give people in the region an opportunity to experience the Ohio," Rhoads said. "One of the things that Paddle Fest does is give people an opportunity to experience the Ohio without barges on the river or powerboats on a beautiful day in August and have a personal, intimate upfront experience with it. We want to help people fall in love with the Ohio and be advocates for it going forward."
The event also features a festival the night before and six houseboats with live bands on the water.
"We have six houseboats that have bands on them, so in some ways it's a floating music festival," Rhoads said.
Rhoads, who describes himself as a self-described river rat who lives part time on a houseboat, has long championed the Ohio River as a destination worth exploring.
"I'm basically what folks call a river rat, you know. I live part time on a houseboat. I paddle all the time on the river. I like to fish," Rhoades said. "To me, the river is alive. Every day is different. The water level, the current, the debris, the wind, it's just, it's ever changing."
He said the river offers adventure without the need to travel far.
"You don't need to go to Colorado or the Alps to have a real adventure. You can jump in the Ohio, as we've done numerous times, me and other colleagues, and taken one or two week trips down the river, camping out along the way right in our own backyard here and getting to know the historic river towns," Rhoads said.
Beyond Paddle Fest, Rhoads is a founding board member of Adventure Crew, a nonprofit that works with 34 inner-city high schools and middle schools across Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.
"Adventure Crew is a way to get young people who wouldn't otherwise be able to rent a kayak or go on a little Miami bike trail or go camping or go fishing a chance to do that. And if they find that they love it, they have a passion for it, then we can help them get summer jobs working with our park districts and go into undergraduate programs. It's a career path opportunity for young people if they find that they have a passion for being outside," Rhoads said.
The organization connects more than 900 kids each year to outdoor opportunities, according to those who work alongside Rhoads.
"I've known Brewster for probably 16 years now," Adventure Crew Executive Director Libby Hunter said. "I've gotten to work with him at Adventure Crew for the past three. We connect over 900 kids every year to opportunities outside, so he's a force of nature."
Rhoads also works through the Ohio River Way on recreation, tourism, and economic development tied to the river. From the beginning, Brewster's family says he has tried to make an impact. His background includes working on Capitol Hill and managing more than 150 candidate and issue campaigns.
"I think one of the things that’s been fascinating over the years is that he’s just been such a such a devoted and capable grassroots organizer,” his brother, Stephen Rhoads, said.
“Even when he was working it was always about the ohio river, promoting it, and he loved his volunteer work,” his sister, Ann Littleton, said.
In May, hundreds gathered at Mad Tree Brewing for a roast in his honor, celebrating his contributions to the community and what lies ahead for the river and the organizations he helped build.
"There is this new future for the Ohio River," River City Paddle Sports' David Wicks said.
For Rhoads, the motivation behind all of it comes down to a simple philosophy.
"The bottom line for me is, you know, life's too short not to work hard, make a difference, and have fun, and that's what I try to do," Rhoads said.
Making a difference often means a decision to keep paddling and shaping the course for others to follow.
This segment aired on CINCY LIFESTYLE and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI.
