Costumed revelers, curious onlookers and serious competitors will all gather May 13 for the Great Dock Canoe Race at Crayton Cove in Naples. An event that started with a few businesses celebrating the end of tourist season is now celebrating its 30th anniversary with the theme A Day at the Circus. The race is known to draw a large crowd to the area for seafood, beer and entertaining canoeing, which includes boats decked out in themed decorations. We asked event founder and The Dock restaurant owner Vin de Pasquele how the event has grown and if-or when-we should send in the clowns.

Q. What have been some of the more inspirational themes over the years?

A. Blazing Paddles was fun last year. A lot of people did a spin-off of the Mel Brooks' film Blazing Saddles. Our 20th anniversary was great; we did Captain Nemo and the whole Thousand Leagues Under the Sea theme. But the thing is that the canoe has to get in the water and float [to be considered for the $1,000 prize]. Some of them are so big they need stabilizers.

Q. When did you know you had a bona fide Naples tradition?

A. It had to be around our 20th year. Not only were people still showing up for this and it was a big opportunity for people to have fun out in the water, but the City of Naples became a sideline sponsor. That showed us what a community event this is.

Q. Are the participants really serious about the actual race?

A. [Seven-time winner] Pete Jenks and [two-time winner] Frazier Gardella have been competitive in canoe racing throughout the Southeast [U.S.]. We also have teams from St. Petersburg and Orlando. When these guys are out there racing, you respect their experience and know-how. But they can be out on the starting line with someone with no experience at all who has his canoe facing backwards.

Q. Do some find paddling the three-mile course too rigorous?

A. You bet-every year. We have the Broken Paddle award that goes back to the first race when a team finished the race with a broken paddle. Each year we look for someone who had the determination to finish the race under some amount of difficulty-their canoe got swamped, a boat uprights their canoe, they have broken gear or a missing paddle. There's always a team that stands out. We have 29 broken paddles hanging in the restaurant [for past winners].

Q. The race has received some criticism for getting rowdy. Is anything being done to tone it down?

A. It's always been somewhat controversial in the respect that it is an event where people come on a hot Saturday and just take over [Naples] Bay. I guess some people look at that as disturbing. I don't think there's any real harm. We do a lot to control the event-we have the city police in, the sheriff in, five safety boats. It's loud, there's music, excitement and beer drinking. It's fun.

Q. And philanthropic?

A. We raise $5,000 each year. Over the years, we've raised about $150,000 for children's community organizations. This year's beneficiary is the Early Literacy & Learning Model, which prepares children to read by the end of first grade. We try to look at groups in town where we might be able to make a difference.

For more information about the Great Dock Canoe Race, visit www.greatdockcanoerace.com. There are several races throughout the day for all-male teams, all-female teams, coed teams and parents with children. The event begins at The Dock at Crayton Cove restaurant at 10 a.m., with the themed canoe parade at 11 a.m.

-Shellie Benson