Tulsa's Great Raft Race Will Return Next Year

The Tulsa Riverparks Authority board called the first race since the 1980s a great success with the potential to be even better.

While the race on the Arkansas River had been capped at 500 entrants, 800 entrants actually showed up Monday, Labor Day.  Among the entries were 100 homemade rafts and 100 kayaks and canoes.  

The authority plans to bring it back in 2016.  

The race began at Sand Springs' River Park and ended downstream at Tulsa's River West Festival Park.

9/7/2015 Related Story: Seaplane Turns Heads At Successful Great Raft Race Return

The authority also praised the safety response from the various agencies and felt confident any emergency would have been handled.

Officials said three amateur photographers lost their drones in the Arkansas River.  Video from the Riverparks Authority's own drone will be released in the near future.