New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced off in a whitewater rafting race yesterday on the Indian River in Hamilton County.

The contest was a bit of political theater, designed to boost tourism in the region.

Bloomberg showed up on the banks of the Indian River wearing a "Departent of Sanitation" tee-shirt. "Do I want to be in city hall dealing with waste management, or do I want to be here with you guys? That's easy," he said.

The mayor grinned and gestured with his paddle at the roiling water just off shore. "If we get through this alive, we'll be happy."

Governor Cuomo invited Bloomberg here. Cuomo won yesterday's race, beating Mayor Bloomberg by 18 seconds.

Cuomo has made it a personal goal to convince more people from New York City to vacation in the Adirondacks, rather than packing off to New Hampshire or Vermont.

On the same day that New York state's most powerful politicians were paddling down the Indian River, Cuomo unveiled a new advertisement, designed to sell the Adirondacks to tourists and visitors.