Carlton “C.J.” Hall – son of the late Carlton “Pete” Hall and retired teacher, Lea Hall, of Seadrift – and his partner, Jason Cade, coming in to the finish line of the Texas Water Safari this past Saturday in Seadrift. Aptly touted as the …world’s toughest canoe race the team in boat 9009 beat the deadline by 33 minutes. They were cheered on to the finish line by the entire crowd at the Seadrift Bayfront Park.

The finish was the fulfillment of a Hall Family lifelong dream. Hall’s team consisted of his wife, Lorna, and his sister, Tyra Hall Randall. His mom, Lea Hall, followed the team on the Texas Water Safari tracking site the entire race and was there to honk the horn all the way down the bay front to welcome her son and his partner home.

It was an emotional ending to see them standing underneath the finish line, a sign that Pete Hall designed so many years ago. He is smiling down on Carlton and his entire family from some fishing hole in Heaven.