Beneath the Bridge
Lake Redding Regatta Returns to the Sacramento River…
Back in 1933, the Redding tourism board invited yachtsmen, swimmers, divers, and stuntmen and women to participate in the Lake Redding Regatta, an event with prize money and lots of thrills to take place on the Sacramento River under the Diestelhorst Bridge.
Hundreds of spectators came out to watch racers rip around the course in Hydroplanes, Racing Runabouts, and Service Runabouts classes and further enjoy dances, barbecues, and good ol’ fashioned Redding hospitality. The Lake Redding Regatta continued through 1939 until the Shasta Dam was constructed and World War II happened, which changed the character of the Sacramento River. It became too cold to swim in; however, a couple of boating clubs resurrected the Regatta in 1949 and held boat races there until the 1950s.
With the advent of stand-up paddleboarding and growing popularity of kayaking, surf skis, and other crew rowing boats in recent years, Visit Redding has decided to bring the Lake Redding Regatta back. Co-founded by Danny Orloff and Tiffney Ottoboni, the 2026 Lake Redding Regatta is a two-day event held August 1-2 with performance/relay races, food vendors, live music, a classic car show and more, all held on the banks of the Sacramento River.
“The original Lake Redding Regatta began in 1927 and included swimming races, diving from the Diestelhorst Bridge (I do not recommend this one), a beauty pageant, a downtown parade, carnival and dances in Caldwell Park,” says the new Redding Regatta Co-Founder Tiffney Ottoboni. “The modern Lake Redding Regatta has been going on since 2024 and is also evolving to include live bands, vendors, events for our local children and food trucks.”
An avid kayaker, Ottoboni met Danny Orloff when she was acting as a safety coordinator for the Sundial Splash (another beloved Sacramento River paddling event held in Redding) and together they worked with the Shasta Historical Society to research and bring the event back in 2024. “The Shasta Historical Society has been instrumental in retelling the history and keeping this tradition alive,” Ottoboni adds.
“Once I saw the sign on the Diestelhorst Bridge about the Lake Redding Regatta, I couldn’t help myself but find out more about it. Tiffney and I always wanted to do more on the river; we have the Sundial Splash and the California River Quest, but races in the middle of the city hit home. We understand that the river is what pumps not only water throughout the city, but also pumps in this unique energy. Seeing the historic photos of the steps and stands filled with people inspired us to bring it back,” says Orloff, the tourism marketing director with Visit Redding.
In 2024, the Lake Redding Regatta had about 75 participants but this year the organizers are hoping for 100-plus racers.
“We are including more things for spectators to do besides watch the races, like including live music, face painting, more vendors and food trucks. We have the band Hook playing Saturday evening and will have another band playing on Sunday, and The Asphalt Cowboys will serve up another awesome pancake breakfast to participants and spectators Sunday morning,” says Ottoboni.
“On the water events, we are including tandem canoes and kayaks as well as crew racing this year. I will be holding clinics for registered participants on Lake Redding in the weeks prior to the event to get them comfortable reading the water, and those who have never paddled the river before becoming comfortable on it,” she adds.
The river has a current making it a bit challenging, but the course does not have rapids, making it safer for new paddlers.
“Danny and I decided to turn it into an upriver event, giving participants a challenge whether they choose the short one-mile course or the four-mile one,” Ottoboni explains, adding that her goals as co-founder of the Regatta are for participants to have fun, be safe and bring the community together in a welcoming environment.
“The steps that are on the river in front of the start and finish make an awesome grandstand; spectators are able to see paddlers start and finish without having to go anywhere. I can’t explain to you what a rush it is to paddle and see and hear spectators cheering you on even when you are behind the pack. The cheering is infectious,” says Ottoboni.•
Lake Redding Regatta • August 1-2
www.reddingregatta.com
Article Written by:
Kayla Anderson is a freelance writer and co-author of Moon Travel Guides’ Best of California State Parks and Northern California Road Trips. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from CSU, Chico and loves to read, write, and explore the North State and beyond.
