by Travis Prewitt, NorthWest Region member
The 13th annual Paddlesplash festival packed SUP racing and a lot more for three days September 11 through 13th on Lake Natoma in Folsom, California.
The festival bills itself as a celebration of water, wellness, and community. Most importantly the festival is the main fundraiser for NorCalSUP’s outreach program for at-risk and foster children to learn water safety and community through paddleboarding.
Through the years the festival has added less competitive, community events such as a first timer’s race, poker paddle, dog paddle parade, relay race, 100-person yoga and many clinics for SUP, safety, kayak and outrigger to reach the broader community.
For SUP racers, and other craft, there was a two, five and eight mile race this year on the almost always calm waters of Lake Natoma. No motors are allowed on the lake, making it a historic site of Olympic training and rowing championships.
In the 5-mile race the Heinemann family came close to a sweep. Shirley was the fastest overall female, husband Rob was a half-minute behind overall male winner Rod De La Rosa.
In the 8-mile race Marsha Arnold and Michael Kahn were overall winners. On a personal note, for the third year in a row I was the only competitor in my over-70 age group for the five- and eight-mile races. Guys, the rocking chair can wait.
