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  • Fri, February 09, 2024 12:15 PM | Anonymous

    The Sound Rowers and Paddlers La Conner race is a very well organized race that’s open to a number of human powered watercraft. They offered a 2.7 mile short course and a 7 mile long course. The race check in was at the shelter at the top of the hill in Pioneer Park, so you get a little pre race warm-up running up and down the hill. 

    The race starts under the bridge over the Swinomish Slough in the town of La Conner, goes South into Skagit Bay, then West toward Goat Island, around a channel marker 1 mile West of Goat Island and back to the start in La Conner.  The Race started a little after the high tide so we had an outgoing tide for the entire race and the water was glass smooth for most of the race.  We expected to be going with the tide on the way to Goat Island and against the tide on the way back, but the direction of the flow is a little unpredictable in the Swinomish Slough and on the North side of Goat Island. We ended up going against the tide on the way out of the Slough and part of the way to Goat Island and with the tide from mile 2.5 to mile 3.5 at the turn around.  The tide was pushing pretty hard on the way to the channel marker where we turned for the 7 mile race. After I passed Goat Island, I started paddling South because I could tell the racers ahead of me were getting pushed West by the heavy current. I route took me directly to the channel marker and I gained about 100 yards on the racer ahead of me.  We paddle against a decent current after the turn marker from mile 3.5 to mile 4.5 or maybe mile 5.  Once I got back into the Swinomish Slough, I was averaging about 6.7 mph, so I probably had a current going with me that was moving at least 1 mph.

    Sound Rowers always had a great chilly feed at the shelter after the race with prizes for the top three finishers in most of the catagories.


  • Fri, February 09, 2024 12:10 PM | Anonymous

    by Linda McCoy – USASUP Board Member and SouthCentral Regional Rep 

    The Texas Winter One Hundred (a.k.a. The TWO) was held on February 28, 2024. Race Director, West Hansen, puts on such a great race! The 25k SUP “short course” runs from the FM 969 bridge in Utley, Texas to Fisherman’s Park in Bastrop, Texas. This race is for canoe, kayak, and SUP racers. There were 14 entrants in the SUP division for this year’s short course. No SUP’ers were brave enough to tackle the full 100K this year (there have been less than 5 brave souls in the full course over the years). 

    The pre-race meeting is always great! Each participant gets a raffle ticket and West and his family always have so many great prizes! I was lucky enough to win a sweet rocking camp chair with my ticket ending in 007! 

    I paddled the course the weekend before the race with some friends and the river was WAY down – at about 230 CFS. Our fins scraped bottom several times and there were a lot of ripples and rapids to navigate. In the week leading up to the race we had some heavy rains and the river peaked at 5200 CFS by that Wednesday. On race day, the river was running at 1200 CFS, so about 6 times higher than the weekend before. We asked for more water and Mother Nature DELIVERED! 

    I Juliet caravanned from Austin to Bastrop with a few friends – both of whom had never paddled the course! We parked our cars at the finish line and saw that the boat ramp and surrounding area were covered in about 10 inches of mud! We took a shuttle to the bridge and started to gather our gear – as well as gather our wits about us! 

    I was a nervous to see what the river would be like. It can be a bit of a dangerous course with debris, murky water, and plenty of obstacles & strainers! The racecourse is bordered by private property, so there are no support boats along the way. I made sure to have a knife on my P.F.D. in case I got into any trouble as well as a small first-aid kit, heavy duty tape, and a small towel to dry any holes in the event of an emergency board repair. 

    West gave a safety meeting and went over the course verbally. There were several paddlers who had never done the course before – including Juliet and Rachele! Juliet has been paddling for years, but this was Rachele’s very FIRST SUP RACE! She was so excited! With Jennifer, there were four women in the running -the most women of any other year! 

    The men’s field had a great mix of TWO “old timers” and new paddlers. Scott Seiffert, Morris Paillet, John Knippers, and Douglas Chavarria were back for another go. John, who tackled the full 100k course in 2021, was fresh off the plane – returning from the Gla Gla race in France! Newcomers included Reynald “Bong” Mercado, Mark Villanova, John Upton, Larkin Hood, and Greg Wingo! Greg is the race director for The Last Paddler Standing, which John, Scott, and Jennifer had just participated in. Greg also directs the Alabama 650. John Knippers just made history for being the first Stand Up Paddler to complete that race!

    The short course race starts at noon and we all gathered on the water about 11:45. We paddled upstream, against the flow, until the countdown started. Once West called out 15 seconds we turned and lined up to GOOOOOO! The first rapids appear near the 1.5 mile mark – but they looked NOTHING like the weekend before. It was clear that this muddy river would not be the same! The rapids were washed out and there was a new island to navigate – but which way to go? I recognized some landmarks and took the left side, which was a good choice! Two of my fellow paddlers took the right and I could hear some scraping sounds coming from that side of the island. I took the first bend in the river alongside Jennifer. It’s tricky to navigate moving water when you are in close proximity to another paddler. She and I stayed pretty close to each other for the middle part of the race, trading leading spots when one of us took the better line. We could see John and Douglass ahead of us, but Morris and Bong were way out of sight!

    Scott was close behind us, so I knew I couldn’t let my guard down! We made it to “The Cliffs of Insanity!” as I call them – a nod to the Princess Bride. That is roughly the halfway point – I was feeling good and my nerves were settling down. Most of the rapids that were hard to maneuver the previous weekend were not as hard to navigate because the water was so high and our fins were clearing the river bottom. There were lots of eddies, rocks, and boils to navigate, so we had to pay attention to what was in the water. Jennifer and I were still close, but she was starting to pull ahead of me. Every once in a while I could hear Scott behind me, so I had to keep up a good pace! John and Douglass were well ahead of us by now. There were a lot of fun bumps to navigate and long stretches of straight paddling. The wind would kick up every once in a while to keep things interesting. I was feeling a little trepidatious about “Wildman Rapids” coming up around the 10-mile mark. There are several big boulders that you have to watch out for and the water is flowing pretty swiftly. You definitely don’t want to get dumped! I could hear the water rushing over the rocks before I could see what we were in for. They actually were kind of fun! With the water level so high, they were pretty easy to navigate. Schwoo! 

    In the next long stretch, Jennifer turned on the juice and pulled ahead of me. I was running out of steam, but I was trying to watch her paddle strokes to keep somewhat of a good pace. She picked some really good lines and was making great time! I saw the stairs for Bob Bryant Park and I knew I was about a mile out from the finish line. Jennifer was well ahead of me and out of my sight line by now. I dug a little deeper to see if I had a little bit more gas in the tank! I took a quick peek over my shoulder and Scott was on my tail! So, I found a good rhythm and just focused on my breathing and stroke technique. We had one long line of rapids to navigate and I had to take advantage of any push I could get from the water! I paddled as hard as I could. Rounding the bend, I could see the big iron pipes that stuck out from the bank and I knew the finish line was close! I could hear Scott breathing, but I didn’t dare take a peek and risk falling. I knew he was giving it his all – and SO WAS I!! The finish line sign was in sight and all our friends were cheering for us on the banks of the river! That gave me the little rush of adrenaline that I needed! Both Scott and I were giving it all we had! I could tell by way people were calling our names that Scott was too close for comfort! It was a race to the finish! 

    I crossed the finish line in 2:36:45 and Scott’s time was 2:36:47!! TWO SECONDS!! What a thrill! You know the best part? Scott gave me a big ol hug at the finish line and told me how much fun he had racing with me. Of course, West was there, too, with a big smile, a big hug, and bag of “gold doubloons” (dollar coins) for my second-place finish! He also gave us our super cool TWO finishers beanies! I quickly put it over my Mermaid cap – my ears were cold! Jennifer had such a great race! She finished in 2:32 and greeted me at the finish line - we both congratulated each other on a great race!

    We put our boards to the side and headed over to the GUMBO STAND!! That’s right!! WARM GUMBO, rice, and cookies  at the finish– and the biggest hug from Jeannette Wilburn Burris! Does it get any better? We sat and decompressed and chatted about the race, it was a beautiful sunny, but chilly day and we were all so happy! We heard cheers as we finished our gumbo and made a beeline to the banks to cheer on John Upton who was finishing with a time of 2:54! I was able to grab my warm socks and dry shoes just in time to cheer on Mark (3:19), Larkin (3:19:18), and Juliet (3:20) who were all paddling together across the finish line. Of course, Juliet was taking selfies! Hahaha! She had no idea she was in THIRD place! West bestowed her with her own “bag o’ gold” and her finisher beanie and she was thrilled! Rachele and Greg finished up together with 3:24 and 3:24:10, respectively. Rachele was tired, but you couldn’t tell from the giant smile on her face! She just completed her FIRST SUP RACE and what a race it was! Everyone helped each other with their gear and congratulations were given all around! Morris took the first spot with a time of 2:12, followed by Bong with 2:16, John rounded out the top 3 money winners with 2:22. Douglass had a strong finish with 2:28! 

    The canoe and kayak racers – who paddled the entire 100k course – started coming in soon after we all finished! They start their race at the crack of dawn. Perfect planning so that many of us finish in a close timeframe. It’s so exciting to see them paddling so strong after 62 miles on the river! There is no other paddling community like we have here in Texas! It is so nice to be welcomed into the canoe and kayak community by so many wonderful people! 

    I told Juliet and Rachele about our tradition to eat PIE at Maxine’s on Main after the TWO. I mean – it’s PIE…and it’s a TRADITION… and we just paddled 15 miles so those calories don’t count, right? The coconut cream pie really hit the spot (and so did the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes! Shhh!!) We split it.

    BIG THANKS go out to West Hansen and Barbara Hansen Edington “the dynamic TWO -O” (you’re welcome for the new nickname), and the whole TWO crew! This a such a wonderful race and I highly recommend that you put in on your race calendar for 2025! 

    It’s a great way to start the year!



  • Fri, February 09, 2024 11:35 AM | Anonymous

    by Gail Kotowski

    Luckily,I was in San Diego and able to make my first Hanohano race this past Jan 27.  

    Renting a board was a snap from West Coast Paddle Sports, which was also a major sponsor. Jeton brought my board close to the launch and picked it up from the beach, so this Senior didn't have to hike up the undertow,created cliff. Being forewarned of the choppy start, I opted for a wider board than mine, but I ended up being upgraded to a Starboard Allstar 14 x 26! 

    The pre-race communications from the Director Dan Van Dyke were frequent and informative. I was also able to order a Taliscrew Hoodie Jersey, that was delivered to my CT home. 

    The day of race, administrative procedures moved quickly and efficiently with cheerful volunteers! There were many vendor tents, thankfully because last minute, I needed to replace my Camelback bladder! A hearty breakfast was available as well as a water station and a bank of PortoPotties. All the ingredients for a great event, including a gorgeous , sunny day.

    I flew with my own paddle and made Uber arrangements to Mariner's Point Park in Mission's Bay. The scene at the parking lot even impressed my driver on both trips! 

    The race started timely and the short course was stunning. The views of the hills packed with colorful houses, islands and Sea World greeted my eys. The water was clear and had just enough currents and bumps to keep it interesting. The rocks I was forewarned about were nothing compared to ricocheting nightmare off Newport,RI. I was in my happy place and just paddled for fun! I met my goals, didn't fall in, vomit or come in last! 

    Because of my Feldenkrais training schedule, I had to leave early, so didn't get to socialize, but my eyes did notice many faces that I knew. Many industry rockstars were there, Victoria Burgess, Danny Ching and family, Jim T of Quickblade,Bodie von Allman and our own KT! Paddlers traveled from 15 states and several countries. 

    This was the largest race I have ever entered! Everyone needs to try it at least once. It was worth my going to class late and having to watch a rerun on Zoom! This platinum racer gives the race a score of a 100! From the low entry fee ($30) to the mug awards, it is clear why this race has longevity. Thank you for the bottom of my ablated heart!

    Photos by James Kao

  • Sun, October 01, 2023 9:10 PM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    by Troy Hendricks

    August brought the last 3 races for points that count towards the Season Rankings in the Midwest Paddle League. The top 5 racers qualify for an award. Points are earned by racing, you need to participate in 2 races in a particular division to be ranked. There is a maximum of 5 races for scoring, which is your top 5 races. Each race is 1000 points for first and a decreasing amount of points for subsequent places in each race category. The six race divisions are 14' SUP Male and Female, Shor distance (~5k) and Long distance (~10k) divisions, also 12'6" SUP Short distance Male and Female. The final award any racer can win regardless of where they finish is the Waterman Award. Simply participate in a race in FOUR states- Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana to obtain the award.


    Consistency, and lots of it, is the name of the game in the season rankings. All 10 of the top Male and female long-distance SUP winners raced in at least 5 races. The long-distance races were also dominated by two winners who obtained a perfect score. Congratulations to Danielle and Dan.  The short distance was also dominated by 6 people who participated in at least 5 races. But that means that there is plenty of room at the top of the short distance for people who participate in more races next summer!

    The women's short distance 14' division came down to the wire with Elizabeth beating Ana by seconds to take first in the last race, Sky An Oar, and overall season rankings. Both women along with Jill, podiumed in the last points race to secure their spot in the season rankings. In the men's short distance, Rob Wilkinson podiumed at Sky an Oar to jump into the top 5 rankings. Interestingly Rob, Troy, and Elizabeth were ranked in both the Short and Long Distance rankings. There were 10 people who earned the Waterman Award for SUP racing.


    Who will win MWPL 

    Male/Female Rookie of the Year and

    Male/Female Paddler of the Year? 


    Come find out on Saturday, September 9 after the Rubber Ducky Regatta. There will be an after-race party and a Season Awards Celebration.


    The Final Season Rankings

    Long Distance Women's SUP 14'

    Danielle Holdsworth (5) 5000 pts

    Kattie Carpenter (5) 4400 pts

    Kirsten Marina Lefeldt (5) 4280 pts

    Julie Miller (5) 3920 pts

    Kathy McRae (5) 3920 pts


    Long Distance Men's SUP 14'

    Dan Novak (5) 5000 pts

    Joe Bechtold (5) 4020 pts

    Karl Euster (5) 3600 pts

    Alex Sandler 2760 pts

    Vlad Vetrov 2380 pts


    Short Distance Women's SUP 14'

    Elizabeth Duke (5) 4660 pts

    Ana Ebright (5) 4400 pts

    Jill Bloemendaal (5) 3360 pts

    Cheryl Perlis 2000 pts

    Rebecca Trapp 1960 pts


    Short Distance Men's SUP 14'

    Patrick Reeg (5) 4200 pts

    Troy Hendricks (5) 2869 pts

    Rob Wilkinson 2560 pts

    Ryan Bryker 2060 pts

    Adam Rivera 2000 pts


    Short Distance Women's SUP 12'6" & under

    Laura Kinne (5) 4540 pts

    Catlin Cowan 1280 pts

    Amy Gowans 1040 pts

    Amanda Sleeper 1000 pts


    Short Distance Men's SUP 12'6" & under

    Aaron Lugo 2000 pts


    Waterman Award Winners 

    Kirsten Marina Lefeldt

    Kathy McRae
    Joe Bechtold
    Karl Eugster
    Elizabeth Duke
    Ana Ebright
    Patrick Reeg

  • Wed, August 30, 2023 11:13 AM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    The 7th Annual Sky and Oar was held on August 20 on Beautiful Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, IN, which is a fantastic place to race with the sandy beach and close, long shoreline. The race features categories for 12'6" and 14' SUP, outrigger, kayak, and prone. There are male and female divisions for each craft type and a mixed division for the youth. This is the last race for points of the SUP season for racers in the Midwest Paddle League. It is also the final leg for the MWPL Waterman award. Award winners needed to race in 4 states (Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana to earn the award.


    For 8 years, the race has been supporting our wonderful charity, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs. Which is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing, raising, and training highly skilled medical service dogs for people with both mental and physical disabilities. 


    The race features a unique 5k and 10k experience. The 10k starts first and the course circles around an island and back, a loop of about 1.5 miles. The 5k starts 5  minutes after the 10k, where they are the first on the down and back course (or section for the 10k) which features Shaka SUP Racing's trademark inflatable ducky buoys. It is a straight down and back, with several bays on the right side of the course. Passing or nearing the end of a few bays leaves racers thinking, "Where the F*ck is the duck?!"

    After finding and rounding the duck all racers return to the start-finish area where the 5k ends, but the 10k goes around the island a second time. The other great part about this race course is that having the 5k racers ahead of the 10k racers allows for fun shouts of encouragement or joking disparagement between the racers. After the longer distance races, there is a 1 mile race for kids and adults who may be racing for the first time.


    Going into the race for the women's 14' 5k division, Ana Ebright and Elizabeth Duke were within 60 points of each other. Whoever beat the other would take 1st place for the season. 


    Everyone had a great time at the after-party on the lower deck of the Boathouse Kitchen & Swan Dive. There were 10 SUP racers who earned the Waterman award.


    The final race results are below. Elizabeth Duke edged out Ana by less than a minute to take the race and the season title. 


    In the 1-mile race SUP division mixed youth, we had

    Kara K. 1st

    Evette L. 2nd

    Castiel L. 3rd

    1 mile SUP adult Results

    Andre Balentine 1st

    Sara Ott 2nd.


    5K Distance

    Male-SUP 14'

    David Ewald 1st

    Patrick Reeg 2nd

    Rob Wilkinson 3rd

    Male-SUP 12'6"

    Aaron Lugo 1st

    Female-SUP 14'

    Elizabeth Duke 1st

    Ana Ebright 2nd

    Jill Bloemendaal 3rd

    Female-Sup 12'6

    Chioma Jjoku 1st

    Laura Kinne 2nd

    Lori Miller 3rd


    10K Distance

    Male-SUP 14'

    Joe Bechtold 1st

    Michael Weidman 2nd

    Keith Conway 3rd

    Female-SUP 14'

    Kirsten Marina Lefeldt 1st

    Katy Mcrae 2nd

    Meg Grady 3rd


    Post race pic of everyone 



  • Sat, July 01, 2023 10:18 AM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    Paddle 45

    by Keeth Conway

    The Paddle45 race takes place in Suttons Bay Michigan a small quiet town in Northern Michigan Michigan. It is a 3 day festival of events that begins with a social paddle on Friday evening with all levels of paddlers joining in and afterwards enjoying drinks and brick oven pizzas made with fresh local ingredients. Saturday is a paddle that may be a downwinder on the big lake or a shipwreck paddle depending on weather conditions. This year with the calm conditions we wake surfed behind my boat which was a hoot.
     The race has a “Badass” category where racers can opt to do both the 5k and 10k race for a cumulative time. Many paddlers even did each race on different crafts and we use a handicap system to even the playing field. We had OC, SUP, SUrfski and prone.  The badass winners for female were Danielle Holdsworth (1st), Lauren Dorsey (2nd), Kirsten Lefeldt (3rd) all on a SUP. The men’s Badass winners were Dan Novak (OC, SUP) , Rob Hartman (2nd) (Surfski), Nick Murray (3rd) (surfski).
    The race started off with some side chop for the 5k and the first mile of the 10k when the wind laid down for a flat calm race which is unusual for Suttons Bay which is part of Lake Michigan. The flat water paddlers definitely had the advantage this year. Overall winners in the SUP were Dan Novak, Jay James, and Thomas Hardin.  Full results can be found on Paddleguru, then Paddle45 is the race. 


  • Sat, July 01, 2023 8:57 AM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    Santa Monica Pier 360

    " It was the hardest physical thing I've ever done"

    by LynAnne Escatel 

    ( New Member from California)

    This past weekend I participated in the Santa Monica Pier 360 Race. This is a two day festival celebrating decades of surf, paddleboard and lifeguard history. I entered the 5 mile distance race and the technical sprint race. I’ve been racing for about three years and wanted to push myself to do something new. This would be the first time I entered a technical race. Que the butterflies.

    In the long distance race it started out gorgeous and warm. The sun arrived and it was a low tide with very little surf. This course was a triangle shape and we had to make two loops. The first loop around was nice and smooth. During the second loop I suddenly felt the wind arrive. As I felt the wind get stronger I knew that when I turned the buoy it would be a hard paddle. I looked to see how far anyone was behind me. I purposely slowed my stroke down just enough to slow my breathing down and prepare for the harder paddle. When I turned I was right. The wind was in my face. I paddled hard for a while and then again slowed it down to find a rhythm.
    I started to hear another paddler so I paddled a little quicker. I repeated this a few times. After the second buoy, top of the triangle, it got even harder because now I was fighting side chop and the start of white caps. After the last buoy it got a little easier knowing the end was near, but I still had to make it all the way into the beach and run up to the finish line. I grew up in the desert and 18 years in NYC. I only started to surf this past year so any beach finish makes me both excited and nervous. As I came into the beach I remembered to look behind me and was able to catch a nice little bump to ride all the way in. Then the long run up the beach to the finish line. I absolutely do not like to run, blah!

    For the technical race we had two heats. The average of the two would determine our placement. The course was M shaped, so we had to go in and out of the surf twice. A total of 4 times. Here is what I remember:

    IT WAS THE HARDEST PHYSICAL THING I HAVE EVER DONE!

    The first heat my adrenaline was so high that the details are very fuzzy. I do know as I came in for the ending I was exhausted and suddenly heard everyone yelling for me to paddle hard. I knew immediately I was late and I ate it on a wave as I was coming in. At this point in my surf experience I'm great at falling and getting back up. I got back on my board and took the last few strokes I needed to get in and finish the race. Did I mention the long run up the beach, ugh! The best was all the other ladies waiting to pour cold water on my head and encourage me to get ready to do it again.

    The second heat I was exhausted so I took my time and had a much cleaner race. I was actually doing better than I thought but just as I got to the last turn, pop, I fell off my board. I have no idea if I bumped the buoy or just lost my balance but I was in the water before I knew it. I even lost my paddle. I collected myself back onto the board and took a deep breath. I knew this would be my last chance for a clean finish. I took some nice easy breathes and a few paddles later I felt my board starting to glide. I caught a great wave and I was able to ride it into the beach. One final run up to the finish line! Whew, I did it. I kind of wanted to die of exhaustion, but overall I was proud that I pushed myself to do something new. I woke up the

    next morning feeling every day of my 44.6 years, but also like a rockstar. I pushed myself to do something so uncomfortable and with some incredible paddlers. Women I have been watching and I think are bad asses. I can’t wait to do it again.



  • Sat, July 01, 2023 8:54 AM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    Brattle Paddle

    by Gail Kotowski

    (Founding Member & Board Member from Connecticut)

    This Sunday, a small SUP class joined the canoes and surf skis for a 5 or 9 mile race on the West and Connecticut Rivers. This was my first time doing this race and an experience I plan to repeat.

    The Connecticut River separates Brattleboro, Vermont from Hinsdale, New Hampshire. The race is part of the New England Canoe and Kayak Racing Association ( NECKRA) series. The entry fee is a modest $20, which includes snacks,a very cool sticker and a T-Shirt. It ends and starts at a dock by the Marina restaurant . The proceeds are donated to a local charity that helps people get on their feet and towards independent living.

    The course included paddling under several bridges, some current and some shallow areas where you could cool off. The weather report predicted rain and thunderstorms, which never appeared but most likely kept a few racers away. When forecast is iffy, it is still best to show up !

    The awards ceremony was low key.  First placers received a paddle trophy as well as a block of Grafton cheese, which 2nd and 3rd place also received. Unfortunately it is wrapped in wax, and mine melted in the car, while eating lunch with my new friends at the Marina restaurant! An 80 year old canoe paddler celebrated his birthday cake with everyone.


    The series has a championship race on July 30 starting on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River. Information can be found at www.Neckra.org for this and all races in the series.




  • Fri, June 30, 2023 2:15 PM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    Charles Island SUP CUP

    by Kyle Ann

    (founding member & Regional Rep from Rhode Island)

    The stoke was STRONG on June 17th at Walnut Beach in Milford CT.

    Sup Racing made its return to New England in a BIG way.

    The 8th running of the Charles Island Sup Cup was back after a 2 year hiatus.

    The day was forecasted to be Stormy, Windy and Rainy BUT turned out to be perfect!

    Rained on the drive to Milford and again on the way home. But during the race the Sun appeared and the rain took a break.

    The winds were just the just the right amount of challenging, although some described it as paddling in a “gale” LOL.

    Many thanks to Jack Egan, Surfrider Foundation, Tina Pritchard and Paddle & Scoot for sponsoring this event.

    Well organized with Good Vibes and Great Swag!

    This race had everything you could ask for, awesome finisher metals, sweet trophies, FOOD! and a fun funky band that played all afternoon.

    There was something for everyone, first timers to seasoned racers. Three races were offered, 5 mile course around Charles Island and two 2.5 mile courses, one for Race boards and one for Recreational Sups.

    I think that encouraging those new to the sport and giving them their own course to shine on really sets this event apart. This type of friendly, supportive and all inclusive event will grow the sport of Sup Racing.

    Awards were given out in all races, both Overall and Age Group. So everyone had a shot at some glory and bragging rights.

    After the Main Event, the Sprint Race was on!  Everyone was welcomed to enter and test their speed in this Single elimination event.

    It was the luck of the draw who you went up against and it was tons of fun to watch.

    The Grand Prize was a CUSTOM Quickblade carbon paddle with SUPer cool Surfrider graphics generously donated by Jim Terrell.

    Just a fabulous day that will be remembered by all. 

    This event is always held the mid June so be on the look out for Charles Island SUP Cup 2024 and make sure to sign up

     

     



  • Fri, June 02, 2023 7:02 AM | Kristin Thomas (Administrator)

    by Juerg Geser

    (founding member living in California)

    Great race for a good cause over Memorial Day Weekend hosted by Newport Aquatic Center (NAC) and Operation Open Water, supporting the health of every First Responder & Veteran through unique training programs, fellowship, and open water experiences.

    Had to quickly change my race strategy based on who actually showed up at the race. Last minute registrations by Jake Graham and Paul Pianowski made me quickly realize that this will be a battle for 3rd place for me. These two guys are just too far out of my reach. They are leaner, younger, stronger, and just better paddlers than me, congratulations to you two for 1st and 2nd place!

    The 3rd place was up for grabs for a few, especially Rich D'Souza who has had an incredible season so far, and then back from Peru we had Paul Gonzales who is faster every time I see him, then we have Dave Anderson, the fastest one off the line, Shawn Tierney  who is a wild card, he is always one to look out for, depending on how far back his last private lesson with Danny Ching was   Kenny Kwong must have had some miracle breakfast as he showed up in my draft and pushed me hard at the beginning of the race.

    With this all going on, my new strategy was to go out hard and keep a mean pace. The pace was faster than my original plan for sure, and luckily, I was able to take advantage of the two buoy turns to shake the draft train behind me at the halfway point. Right after the turns, i paddled as hard as possible to create a gap to the paddlers behind me and then just kept my head down going against the wind and paddle my heart out till the finish line showed up. Really had to earn my 3rd place  .

    Training is now shifting from short distance events to long distance, getting ready for SUP 11 City Tour in September.



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