by Travis Prewitt – NorthWest Region member
Mix spectacular red canyon walls with the Colorado River that carved them and a few dozen paddlers and you have the ingredients for the Back of Beyond Paddle race, held near Moab, Utah September 21st and 22nd 2024.
The ninth Back of Beyond featured the 7-mile “Postcard Alley” flatwater race on Saturday and a whitewater technical sprint on Sunday. The Postcard Alley name comes from the scenic views of canyon walls and the Fisher Towers. There are two national parks, Canyonlands and Arches a few miles away from the race. However, the geologic forces that created these parks didn’t have a map to stop at park boundaries so paddlers and spectators can skip the crowds and see similar epic views along the racecourse.
The Postcard Alley section of the Colorado River has modest current and only occasional riffles but look at the scenery too much and you will go swimming as I did. As the river winds past vertical canyon walls, there are lots of eddies and confusing currents to keep you on your toes and bracing at times. The Whitewater Showdown on Sunday took place at the well named Rocky Rapids.
The Postcard Alley race had open and elite SUP divisions for men and women as well as a kayaks. Trent Hickman, owner of Park City SUP, repeated winning the men’s elite. Heidi Miller was the top elite woman. Both also won the Rocky Rapids race on Sunday.
Like many races, Back of Beyond still suffers from “long Covid.” A couple year hiatus for the virus cut into participation that organizer and sponsor, Paddle Moab, hopes to reverse. With famous mountain biking, four-wheeling, and two national parks in the vicinity, as well as a unique race course, there is potential for Back of Beyond to become a bucket list SUP destination with broader awareness. Plans are to keep the races on the third weekend of September.
For a paddler’s eye view of this year’s Back of Beyond there is a well-done video by InflatableBoarder.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFUddjGLaQk
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