TORNADO, W.Va. --  Kris Radford started swimming in the Coal River when she was 5, but on Saturday she was left ashore as 191 paddlers floated 11.5 miles during the 6th annual Tour de Coal.

"The river gets a lot of hard knocks but we're trying to show people it's a good place," said Radford, vice president of the non-profit Coal River Group.

One hundred and forty one canoes and kayaks of all shapes, colors and sizes floated along the river from Meadowood Park in Tornado to the Gateway Shopping Center in St. Albans.

Some of the paddlers competed, others just enjoyed the sunny day.

Mary Shultz of Charleston said she and her husband Bill have paddled the Tour de Coal for several years and she placed third this year.

"I know it's not a race, but I have only one speed," she said.

Both her and her husband said that each year the event improves.

But there might not have been a race Saturday morning. Severe weather threatened to cancel the event.

Organizers were in contact with the National Weather Service all morning and after a slight delay, the race was on its way.

"The clouds parted, the sun was shining and the boats hit the water," said Bill Currey, president of the Coal River Group.

Joshua Moore of Charleston has not been home during the summer for at least 10 years.

Moore lives in Bamberg, Germany, where he helps advise the Army about outdoor recreational activities. He said he plans to take the idea for the Tour de Coal back to Germany.

TORNADO, W.Va. --  Kris Radford started swimming in the Coal River when she was 5, but on Saturday she was left ashore as 191 paddlers floated 11.5 miles during the 6th annual Tour de Coal.

"The river gets a lot of hard knocks but we're trying to show people it's a good place," said Radford, vice president of the non-profit Coal River Group.

One hundred and forty one canoes and kayaks of all shapes, colors and sizes floated along the river from Meadowood Park in Tornado to the Gateway Shopping Center in St. Albans.

Some of the paddlers competed, others just enjoyed the sunny day.

Mary Shultz of Charleston said she and her husband Bill have paddled the Tour de Coal for several years and she placed third this year.

"I know it's not a race, but I have only one speed," she said.

Both her and her husband said that each year the event improves.

But there might not have been a race Saturday morning. Severe weather threatened to cancel the event.

Organizers were in contact with the National Weather Service all morning and after a slight delay, the race was on its way.

"The clouds parted, the sun was shining and the boats hit the water," said Bill Currey, president of the Coal River Group.

Joshua Moore of Charleston has not been home during the summer for at least 10 years.

Moore lives in Bamberg, Germany, where he helps advise the Army about outdoor recreational activities. He said he plans to take the idea for the Tour de Coal back to Germany.

"This is great and the people are the nicest people I've met in years," he said. "It's the best thing I've done in years. It's great for the community."

The float can take anywhere between three to seven hours, Currey said.

For some, he said, that's a little longer than they expect. Volunteers are scattered across the river to make sure paddlers are all right.

One of those volunteers is "Captain" Ken Hill, who for six months lives on his houseboat.

"Women don't care for it," he said. "But for a single guy it is just fine."

Hill made his boat available to those who got out of the river and needed to use the bathroom, or for the organizers, if they needed to use his office.

He also had one of his smaller motorboats tied on to the houseboat, in case any of the paddlers needed a tow.

Like Radford, Hill said that the Coal River has gotten a pretty bad rap lately, but one of the Coal River Group's goals is to change that image.

The Coal River Group is a registered non-profit which aims to preserve the river's history and create tourism and recreational opportunities.

"It really and truly helps interpret the river for people who have read about it and thought it was dirty," Currey said. "They can walk away now and say, 'Wow, this is a neat river.'"

Reach Jon Offredo at jonoffr...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5189.