Photo by Deb Gau Kenlie Greenfield and Bob Greenfield paddled their way back to shore during the oarless canoe races at Balaton’s Fun Fest on Saturday. Contestants had to paddle out to a buoy on Lake Yankton and back using only their hands or feet. The team with the best average time after two races would be the winner.

BALATON — It looked like a straightforward task: paddle a canoe from the shore of Lake Yankton around a buoy and back as quickly as possible. But the contestants at Balaton’s oarless canoe races said they ran into plenty of challenges.

“You get tired. Your arms get really sore,” said Cassie Adrian. She and her two teammates had just finished a race paddling only with their arms.

Besides feeling the fatigue, steering and fighting against the wind and currents was also tough to do.

“You just kind of go back and forth, and keep zig-zagging,” said Allison Ebbing.

The oarless canoe races were one of a few different competitions going on Saturday morning during Fun Fest. The event used to be a Fun Fest tradition, and was just revived in the past few years, organizers said.

The big catch of the races was that contestants could only paddle canoes with their hands or feet. As teams gathered at Balaton’s lakeside park, competitors could be heard strategizing.

“I’m not trying to win, I’m trying to not fall in,” Kenlie Greenfield said, as she and her dad Bob Greenfield waited their turn to race. At race time, Bob ended up diving head-first into the canoe, adding some momentum as they launched from the shore. Trying to turn the canoe slowed the Greenfields down, however.

“Turning around the buoy was the hardest,” Bob said.

The team of Cade, Caleb and Braxton Dudgeon were at the races to defend their spot as the reigning champions. But they met with a setback right at the start of their first race, tipping their canoe over at launch.

“They took on a lot of water!” one spectator said. It took a couple of minutes for the Dudgeons to get the canoe floating again.

“I think we all just got in on the same side,” Cade Dudgeon said. They’d have to coordinate more to balance the canoe in their second race. On the bright side, he said, the water felt nice after competing in the Fun Fest three-on-three basketball tournament earlier Saturday morning.

The winning team of Caden Johnson, Levi Ellingson and Catherine Wendland had an eventful time competing. They were one of the last canoe race teams to arrive at the lake because they were also competing in the basketball tournament. After making good time in two races, the three teammates capsized close to shore and had to quickly bail out the canoe to get it to the finish line.

“It was stressful. But it was fun, though,” Johnson said.

Wendland and Ellingson said their team signed up for the canoe races partly because people thought it would be funny to watch. But they were also in it to win.

“I’m competitive. I needed to win something this weekend,” Ellingson said.

“I’m glad we made it in time,” Johnson said of joining the races.