The local Venturer crews proved that hard work pays off.

Bogalusa Venturer Crew 313 and Bush Crew 213 took their talents to Arkansas for the 49th annual National Invitational White River Canoe Race July 23-25.

It was a 3-day, 8-leg race that was nearly 120 miles long.

The race began in Bull Shoals, Ark., and concluded in Batesville, Ark.

The two crews’ racing teams combined to tally five first-place finishes, three runner-ups to go with a third and a fourth.

The third and fourth-place finishes were in the Boys Beginner Division, which featured nine teams. In that race, Bogalusa Crew 313 took the top four spots. Fourth and fifth place were separated by a little more than nine minutes.

But the success of the crews didn’t come without putting in the time and effort prior to the race.

Leading up to the event, the crews put a good amount of time in at practice and into competitions to help them be successful at this annual event.

Besides the practices at Five Lakes, the Pearl River Navigational Canal and on the Bogue Chitto, the crews also competed in several competitions. They participated in the Dragon Boat Races, the Bayou Liberty Race and the Bogue Chitto Race.

The Bogue Chitto race, which was the week before the National Invitational White Water Canoe Race, is a 3-day, 110-mile event, going from the Mississippi Highway 98 bridge and ending at Lock No. 3 in Sun.

Also, some of the Venturer scouts were in the Louisiana Adventures Race.

It was a great job by everyone involved, and they should all be proud. It is once again a testament to the immeasurable value of hard work on the path to success.