Flying Fish Summer Challenge 2026
By Michael Markunas
Photos Courtesy: John Meskauskas
The first weekend in August saw dozens of racers gather at Jensen Beach on Florida's Treasure Coast to answer that age old question that has bedeviled philosophers and arm-chair athletes for years: can fish really fly?
The 2026 Flying Fish Summer Challenge held on the beach adjacent the beautiful River Palm Cottages was the scene for this year's challenge. SUP-ers had a choice of either two or four loops around a 1.25 mile buoy course (2.5 miles or 5 miles respectively) and sit-down craft had a slightly more challenging 6.5 mile course.
The sit-down craft and five-mile SUP racers launched first and had the benefit of calm seas and minimal wind leaving the Florida heat as the biggest challenge. Now, locals know that Florida can get hotter than a stolen tamale in summer, but it's not the heat that gets you, it the humidity. Fortunately, by the time the leaders in the SUP race rounded the half-way mark, a slight breeze kicked up just enough to help cool down the racers and give them some welcome relief for the final stretch.
Even with the breeze, the Florida heat proved the great equalizer and except for the lead pack, the race line quickly became spread out. The buoys were comfortably positioned with no hairpin turns, but even an easy turn in 90-degree heat feels challenging. Fortunately, for the family and friends watching from the shore, the fishing pier between the first and last buoy turns provided an opportunity to cheer on their favorite athlete and catch some great action shots. Because the pier was also parallel to the finish line, spectators could also give the racers that last bit of encouragement before they crossed the finish line and finally got to jump in the water for a well-deserved cool down.
In the five- mile men's open division, Jake Portwood (#1 overall), Jake Graham (#2 overall) and Packet Casey (#3 overall) swept the top three spots proving that fish really can fly. They were followed closely by Stephanie Shidler, Kim Barnes and Nea Lee for the top three spots in the open women's division. In the 51+ division, Steven Bernstein, Alex Somoano and Michael Markunas proved that age is just a number, followed by Julianne Veal, Debbie Carrillo in first and second place for the women's 51+ division.
The 2.5 mile SUP racers followed right after the first race and had slightly more breeze deal with, but conditions stayed favorable for the rest of the morning. In the 2.5 mile men's open division Lenin Henderson, Jonathan Jordan and Alvaro Torres threw down for the top three spots, while Victoria Burgess (#2 overall), Haley Stumvoll and Amanda Portwood snagged the top three for the women's division. In the 51+ men's division, Mark Hewitt (#1 overall), Bert Puig and Steve Drolet showed the young'uns how is it done by flying their fish to the top of the heap, while Holly Crowder and Theresa Zarelli took the top two spots and Martine Brown and Brenda Blanton tied for third.
After all the racers had crossed the finish line, the funnest spectator race of the day kicked off with the kids' fun race. A variety of pre-teen and teens borrowed their parents' boards and paddles and set out for a one buoy turn race. The parents were thrilled to see their kids compete, but the look of excitement and joy on the faces of the young racers as they crossed the finish line was the highlight of the day and got the biggest cheers from the crowd.
The awards ceremony and lunch was held afterwards in a giant palapa hut on the River Palm's property where folks could enjoy a cold IPA sponsored by Jai Alai brewing company with prizes provide by Blue Line Surf and Flying Fish Board Company. You could tell it was a great event because long after the awards were handed out, people stayed to hang out and enjoy the afternoon. So, if you missed the race this year and find yourself in Florida in August next year, book a cottage at the River Palm Cottages in Jensen Beach and join the hottest (literally) race in south Florida and come watch the fish fly. Hope to see you next year!
