DOWNTOWN - Scott Olive looked out at the Ohio River. He waited.

In just a few hours, he knew he would see hundreds of boats cut
through the water, a sight he calls "inspirational."

Working a booth at Paddlefest for several years now, he says it has
grown each year. He thinks more people are catching on to this new
thing - this thing he calls "hydro-therapy."

The 10th annual event draws paddlers from across the country and
organizers tout it as the largest in the U.S. They said there are
about 2,200 participants this year, a record.

"The water sporting industry has just taken off," Olive said. "You get
on that water and your problems literally float away."

The employee with Ace Adventure Resort has participated in water
sports for over 20 years. His favorite is white-water rafting,
although just about anything on the water, including paddling and
kayaking, is his way of "being one with nature."

Jeanette Landenwitch of Florence watched as paddling enthusiasts
emerged from their morning races. The couple is originally from
Cincinnati but moved away until 2004. They've been attending
Paddlefest annually since then.

Their love for water started here, she said.

"(Cincinnati) is the perfect place to be for this," she said. "There
are so many rivers and streams here."

Her husband, David Landenwitch, had his paddles in the river Saturday
morning. He has been doing this for 40 years and was in the 1972
Olympic Games in Munich.

"I do it for the simplicity," he said. "It's just boat and paddle -
oh, and life vest, of course."

He called the morning paddle a leisurely one, although somewhat choppy
in the low current because of the wind.

The couple was amazed by the growing attendance at Paddlefest.
Cincinnati's interest in the sport is obviously growing, they said.

Meanwhile, back at his booth, Olive kept an eye on the boats making
their way down the river.

"There's no reason why people shouldn't come out and enjoy the water,"
he said. "To see something small grow bigger and bigger every year,
it's really nice to be a part of that. It's like, hey, here's 2,000
people with the same idea I've got. It's inspirational."

For more information on Paddlefest, visit
www.ohioriverway.org/paddlefest.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...S01/106260322/