Race recaps

by Keith Conway

The Midwest Paddle League held its last race of the season, the Rubber Ducky Regatta. Sadly this will be the last time this event will be held. Elizabeth ran the most organized races I have been a part of. 

The conditions were amazing, bluebird skies, warm 80 degrees and glassy water. The 10k race was decided very early as Dan Novak took an early lead that he never relinquished. 2nd place was Alex Sandler who was solidly in 2nd place with no real threat to reel him in. 3rd place was a battle between Grand Masters national champ Joe Bechtold and Vladimir Vetrov that saw Vladimir come out on top. The women's race saw Julie Miller as the clear victor who has not lost a race all season. Kathy Macrae and Betsy Duke battled it out for 2nd and 3rd and Kathy came out on top in that battle.

The 5k race had its battles as well, the men's race was heated as there were 4 lead changes. Harrison Withers took the hole shot out front first, then Keith Conway over took the lead and was out front for nearly half the race when Jeff Aiken took the lead then lost the lead to the eventual winner Todd Averest. Jeff settled for 2nd followed by Tom Wernette who came out of nowhere to snag the 3rd podium spot. On the woman's side Lauren Dorsey came out of retirement to dominate the women's side followed by Jill Bloemendaal and Natalya Shoror.

12'6" Men
1. Carl Solms
2. Aaron Luogo
3. Greg Rizzolo

12'6" Women

1. Lauren Dorsey 
2. Laura Kinne
3. Cheryl Kemp

Well done everyone.

2024 National Championships results and recaps are LIVE:
DAY 1 Sprints

DAY 2 Distance

DAY 3 Tech

by Julia Smith - SouthCentral Region 

The Sup El Camino Real is a 6.2 mile Sup Race in Bastrop, TX. I had only been paddleboarding for I did my first race. I raced the Sup El Camino 2023 for my first ever race. I won second place in 2023 on my IRocker inflatable. I said I would never do a race again on my inflatable. Linda could see my determination that I wanted to do better. October 2023 Linda offered to sell me her Naish racing board. I said yes! I brought home the new to me Naish racing board, and stared at it for many months scared to learn to paddle this board because of the fear of failing

Thanks to the encouragement of many good friends, I finally got out on the water with this board and really started to train. Let me say, growing up I was never in sports or clubs at school. I am the middle child, so I did have to fight for what I wanted growing up, which has stuck with me as an adult. I have an autoimmune disorder that is supposed to keep me from doing many things, but I have always said this autoimmune disorder is not going to keep me from doing all the things I want to do. When I decide there is something I want to do and be good at it, I put my all into it.

About seven weeks before the race I started weekly training paddle nights with Kenny Munn in New Braunfels, TX. Each week I came home sore and exhausted. Kenny pushed me each week with his encouraging words and bringing me different paddles to try so I could find a lighter paddle other than my SOL or iRocker paddle.
I have so many people in my life that have been encouraging and supporting me while I doubt myself that I would even place in the upcoming race. Saturday August 10, 2024 I showed up to Fisherman's park nervous about the race, had a panic attack, but had a few friends there to calm me down and cheer me on. I had set a goal to complete this race in one hour and twenty minutes. Once I got my Naish on the water Saturday morning I was ready. I just wanted to GO! I started the race and knew I could do it, but my legs were shaking and of course doubt filled my head.

So, after kicking the doubt out of my head and I focused on where I was and what I was doing I just paddled with all I had. I was able to keep up with one of the men that was out front of me who is an awesome paddler. At some point during the race I passed him, I was really focused and didn't realize I had passed him.

As I crossed the finish line, I heard Linda McCoy yell one hour twenty minutes! I was so excited to hear that. I was thrilled I completed the race in the time I had set for myself . Everyone finished the race and it was award time. When Linda called my name for 1st. place I couldn't believe it. Still brings me to tears thinking about it. All the women in the elite 18-49 group are very experienced race paddlers and here I am just doing my second SUP race on a racing board.

Hard work, determination and a great group of very supportive friends helped me to keep pushing myself when I was full of doubt and wanted to give up. My SUP family keeps growing!! Everyone I raced with Saturday have been very encouraging and positive. Never stop going after what you want. Never stop setting goals for yourself. Get that racing board, register for a race and get out there and do your best. Never give up on yourself. This past weekend has showed me so many things about myself that I did not know.

Thank you to everybody that believed in me when I didn't, that pushed me when I wanted to quit, and Thank you Linda for selling me one of your racing boards.

by Troy Hendricks, North Central Regional Rep

Once a year for the last 23 years, in early August, the shipping Highway of the Ohio River is shut down to commercial traffic for six hours. This is done so that over 2,000 paddlers can participate in The Ohio River Paddlefest. The paddlers downriver with stand-up paddleboards (SUP), iSUP, kayaks, canoes, ocean canoes (OCs), and surf skis paddle nine miles downriver passing under seven bridges near Cincinnati.

This event is unique! To begin the day, there is a race for almost any craft. This year 30 racers were riding a SUP!  While paddling there are at least three boats with bands that play a variety of recognizable music. This is a great way to ease a racer's mind, distract them from the monotony of nine miles, and put a smile on your face as you paddle on by. My favorite song this year was "If I Had a Million $" by the Barenaked Ladies. The festival also has shuttle buses that move passengers between the start and end of their paddle.

With so many paddlers, Friday night is used to stage the watercraft for a smooth start to the paddle in the morning. To make the process more enjoyable, the Paddlefest organizes an Exposition. Paddlers can pick up their race number and Paddlefest hat, learn about water conservation, check out some of the latest paddling gear, and swap used gear. Other exhibitors are conservation-based and educate others about improving our environment. For entertainment, the festival has a playground, food and drink trucks, and a small concert area where a bandplays for several hours during the exhibition. 

The race always starts on time at 7 am every year after a word from the wonderful race director and fellow North Central Regional Rep, Adrian Angell. The race begins heading upriver for 0.1 miles to assist in creating an even starting line. This also allows spectators to see their favorite paddler twice before the finish line. Many photographers are at the event and share their pictures online later for paddlers to see. Videos of most of the race finishers are shared on Facebook as well.

This year, the Men's 14 ft SUP category was tight. The top 9 paddlers finished only 10 minutes apart. There was literally a gut-wrenching finish for third as Randall Winer (OH) beat out Michael Weidman (KY) and Randy Rair (OH) by less than 20 seconds, then emptied his stomach on the river. Kirk Bumgarner (from TN) placed first and Alex Sandler (MI) placed second. Betsy Duke (IL) took first for the women's 14 ft SUP category followed by Rebecca Striet (WI) and, first-time racer, Elizabeth Glotfelty (OH).

At the finish line, racers received free water or a recovery drink. After stowing your craft, food trucks, and tens for beverages, ice cream, and memorabilia were available for everyone. The oak canopy offered plenty of shade and a live band was playing, which made it enjoyable to sit and recover while chatting with old and new friends. The awards happened in front of the Southern Most Point Bouy. It is fun to see the winners receive their awards. Another unique piece of this event is the constant stream of recreational paddlers coming off the Ohio River highway while racers sit and enjoy the after-race time of the Ohio River Paddlefest.

The First Annual RIVER RUMBLE!!

Flathead River, Montana ~ USA SUP NorthWest Region

by Linda McCoy- USA SUP VP and SouthCentral Regional Rep

What a great inaugural race! This was a totally grassroots effort to fill the gap left by the Windermere SUP CUP and it turned out so great! Big thanks to Jess Bouchee, Dan Miller, and Tricia Lyons for banding together and pulling off such a fun, challenging, and community focused event! I was so excited to have my Texas SUP Sista, Kiri Mevin, join me in Montana for the race! She has family in Montana and I really enjoyed introducing her to the awesome Montana SUP crew!

The race was held on Saturday, July 21 with a start time of 9:00am. We gathered at Riverside Park in Polson, Montana for the morning race. It was held on the Flathead River, just as it flows into Polson Bay and Flathead Lake. The sky was nice and clear, but the wind kicked up and gave us some challenging conditions! Mother Nature was putting some RUMBLE in the RIVER for sure! 

We had a great group of racers from all skill levels and a good mix of board types. Brooke and Ed were doing their first race! Dan was the Master of the Megaphone and gave everyone a great description of the racecourse and what to expect for the day. He made sure that everyone knew that safety was the priority and to stop and help any racer in distress. Kiri’s husband, Josh, took start line duty until Dan could take over (on the megaphone, of course).

We lined up at the pier and Josh hit the siren – we were off! The wind was blowing at our backs and the chop got into my head a little, so I didn’t have the most confident start. I had jelly fish legs - BAD! But I gave myself a stern talking to (out loud!) and I dug deep. The whole field was out in front of me. I had some work to do! A few paddlers opted to take a bit of the course on their knees due to the conditions. I was determined to stay upright even though I was struggling! Once I passed a newer paddler on an inflatable, I had my work cut out for me! I caught up to Kiri about a quarter of the way through the course and set my sights on halfway island. I was able to catch up to two amazing women paddlers from Montana just past the island. They both cheered me on in true SUP love spirit! I could see Kat Shaw's bright-pink shirt in the distance - she was almost at the finish line already! I set my sights on Tricia Lyons, who was currently in second, but she was way too far ahead to make that a possibility. Tricia, Arnold Lucero and Mike Bouchee were battling it out to the finish line with Travis Prewitt between us. I wasn’t out of the woods just yet! I could hear Jess behind me when the waves would catch her board! I tried to catch Travis, to no avail. We were paddling straight into the gusting wind ! It would have been easy to let up, but it was my 58^th birthday and I was going for the podium!

I was out in the middle of the lake pondering whether to go straight (and hope they could see my finish) or paddle the longer route closer to the pier. I stuck it out in the middle. I could hear Dan on the Megaphone calling out names – I could hear mine - and Jess’s, too - she was close! I didn't dare look behind me and risk falling. I kept my resolve and kept paddling as hard as I could. The voice in my head was going a mile a minute! Am I past the pier? Should I keep paddling? Yes! Keep paddling! Then, I heard Dan call my name for third place!! Jess was a close fourth with Sue Miks taking fifth for the women’s field! Kiri had a strong finish with sixth place. Onno and Ed had great races, too!

We weren’t all in, yet. Brooke was out on the lake battling the wind! We could see her off rounding the halfway point. She wasn’t giving up. In true SUP Ohana fashion, Kat grabbed her board and paddle and went out to support Brooke to the finish line. We all gathered on the shore to give a giant cheer as she crossed the finish line of her first race!

Dan was the MC for the awards ceremony on his trusty megaphone! As he called the placements, Tricia gave us all a Flathead Lake tote with goodies from local businesses! The awards were wonderful painted rocks – each one unique!

After the race we all gathered and enjoyed the food the organizers provided. We dug into the wonderfully delicious huckleberry pie that my sweet friend, Arnold, brought for my birthday! What a perfect way to celebrate – in a beautiful place, with beautiful friends, doing the thing I love most! Thanks again to the truly phenomenal Montana SUP family for a race I’ll never forget!

~Put THE RIVER RUMBLE on your summer plans for 2025 – this race is not to be missed! ~  

 

 

Paddleboard Passion Meets Purpose:  The Goat Boater, Megan Cynowa and the Success of Dam 2 Dam 

by Rob Cynowa

Combining a passion for paddleboarding with a commitment to making a difference, Megan Cynowa, owner of The Goat Boater, has played a crucial role in bringing a groundbreaking event to life. The Dam 2 Dam paddleboarding event, created by the 24 Foundation, has not only brought the community together but also raised an impressive $70,000 for charity. This article explores the inspiration behind the event, the challenges faced, and the impact made.

The Genesis of Dam 2 Dam

The idea for Dam 2 Dam stemmed from the 24 Foundation’s mission to inspire and engage communities to make an immediate impact on the lives of those affected by cancer.  United by the common vision of cancer navigation and survivorship for all, 24 Foundation has raised more than $27 million to date. Megan Cynowa was approached by the foundation to organize and facilitate the event. “We wanted to create an event that brought the community together and made a significant impact,” Megan shared. Paddling from one dam to another while raising funds for charity seemed like the perfect way to achieve this.

The 24 Foundation, known for its dedication to charitable causes, saw the potential in this vision and partnered with Megan Cynowa, whose extensive experience in organizing paddleboarding events made her the ideal organizer and facilitator for this ambitious project. Together, they set out to turn the dream of Dam 2 Dam into a reality.

The Journey of Planning and Execution

Turning an idea into a successful event is no small feat. The planning for Dam 2 Dam took about 1.5 years, starting with a proof of concept in 2023 to ensure the event’s feasibility and scalability. From there, they set their sights on the 2024 dates, laying the groundwork for what would become an inspiring success story.

One of the most significant challenges was ensuring the safety of all participants. Paddleboarding over long distances is demanding, so it was crucial to ensure everyone was properly trained and equipped. Navigating the logistics of the route over 25 miles and securing permits were other hurdles that required meticulous planning and coordination. Megan credits her dedicated team for their tireless efforts in overcoming these obstacles.

The Day of the Event

The event saw 38 paddleboarders participating, each raising funds for the 24 Foundation.  Paddlers met at 5 AM and the finish line to start their 45 minute bus ride journey to the starting line.  It was a controlled mad dash upon exiting the bus, lining paddlers up with their correct board, paddle, safety gear and equipment.  The temperature was 84 degrees and the humidity was off the charts.  Within twenty minutes, safety boats, police boat escorts and all the paddlers were on the water highly anticipating their 11 hour adventure to come!  The sense of camaraderie and shared purpose was palpable as participants made their way through heat and sun towards the finish line together. “It was incredibly moving to see people of all ages and backgrounds come together for a common cause,” Megan recalled.

The funds raised from this event were for patient navigation and wellness programs provided through Levine Cancer Institute, Levine Children’s Hospital, and our other Beneficiaries. These programs include integrative oncology, acupuncture, healing touch, massage therapy, nurse navigators and much more.

Looking Ahead: Scaling for the Future

Buoyed by the success of this year’s event, both Megan and the 24 Foundation are keen to make Dam 2 Dam an annual affair. There are plans to scale the event to include 200 paddleboarders, raising even more funds for the foundation.  Ideas for next year are already being discussed and brainstormed.  Scaling up requires more safety boats, improved paddler selection criteria, more Milo’s for hands free communication and additional safety training for escort boat volunteers.  We aim to capitalize on this years wins and make modifications from minor challenges encountered.

Advice for Aspiring Organizers

For other standup paddleboard companies looking to organize similar events, Megan offers some valuable advice. “Start by finding a cause that resonates with you and your community.  I have a personal relationship with cancer and the 24 Foundation does incredible work in that arena. 

Building a dedicated team for planning and logistics is crucial.  You will need more volunteers than you expect and leaning on them might be the difference between success or insanity. Starting with a small-scale proof of concept can help test the feasibility of your event.  Engaging with local businesses for support and sponsorships, and leveraging social media and local media for promotion are also key to success. Prioritize safety above all else.  You are a steward of the paddling and lake community.  What you know and take for granted, many others not familiar with the lake have no idea about.  Go the extra mile do discuss the little things as basic as they may seem and do not compromise.  Above all, staying passionate and persistent is essential. “The impact you can make is worth every effort,” Megan emphasizes.

Conclusion

Megan Cynowa’s dedication and enthusiasm, combined with the 24 Foundation’s vision, have not only made Dam 2 Dam a resounding success but also set a precedent for how passion and purpose can be combined to create meaningful change. As the event continues to grow, it promises to inspire many more to take up the paddle for a cause.

Photos by Joel Simpson of FireTower Media

Written by Gail Kotowski

The Charles Island Sup Cup did not disappoint this year! The water conditions were probably the best I have raced there in the past 10 years. The heat, however, was probably the hottest ever, for so early in the summer. The courses were shortened slightly due to the heat. The lack of side chop was replaced by salty, sweat.

This race grows every year. Originally a local race, it has expanded throughout Nee England and New York. This year the tribe tentacles drew in the Jersey boys and a Maryland crew. The Canadians returned for a second year.

The success is due to the Race Directors, Tina Pritchard the owner of Scoot and Paddle in Milford, CT and Jack Egan of Surfrider Foundation CT Chapter. Jack has initiated a Sprint series with events at 5 CT races during the season. This attracts some strong competitors as well as 1st timers .

More than the race itself, the gathering of the tribe is heartwarming.. This event is our season opener, often bringing together friends not seen since the past September. The vibe with music, food trucks, vendors and families livens up a town beach on Long Island Sound in Milford, CT. The new addition of a Board and Gear Swap offered opportunities to upgrade gear and talk shop.

By APRIL ZILG

[copied with permission from Facebook]

So happy to be getting back to the old things we love, with a new thing that we love! Race day looked and felt a lot different at @thegoatboater this weekend for obvious reasons for @mtb_sup [Corey] and I... But other things felt and looked mighty familiar. It's been a while since we've done a "local race"... in pursuing some big dreams I had, I was on the road to travel and compete a lot, but there was something missing at those "big races". When we first started paddling, we only did "local races," it was the competition at them that got me where I needed to be, it was the various race formats, conditions, and paddlers (male and female) to push myself against. I think it's the after the race that I've been missing the most, it was the hanging out and talking story about "how that last leg in the cross chop kicked my butt" or whatever it happens to be that day

it's cheering for every single paddler on the course and at the finish it's not taking any of it too seriously and just enjoying being with other people who like to get out and do hard things and push themselves. Thank you Meg & Rob [Cynowa] for putting on an epic "local race" that's just as good if not better than the "big races" We had a blast, can't wait to be back in July!!

Photo 1: Corey and I podium in the sprints despite someone wanting to wake up and play from 3-5am

Photo 2: One of the hardest podiums I ever made, the wind on the course was gnarly and my body wasn't ready to work that hard just yet!! Plus, @supc00kie [Caroline Cook of Canada] kept closing that gap as I ran out of steam!!!

Photo 3: packing for race day just got a whole lot harder

Photo 4: Blaise living his best life taking in the swanky hotel room.. "now play with me"

by Katherine Wallace, owner Flatwater Fitness in Kansas & Race Director for Power to Paddle Classic October 3-5, Springfield, MO

This past week has been an amazing week for me personally AND professionally

This is the 3rd year I have participated in the SUP Carolina Cup races at Wrightsville Beach, NC. 

Not only is this a beautiful location, but it certainly brings the FUN to SUP racing! This community is a family of whom to be proud. 

Yes, competitive. 

YET… 

Supportive

Encouraging

Inspiring

Full of…

Laughter

Smiles

Hugs

Cheers

Positivity

Openness 

Sharing

& Caring!

Life. Long. Friends!

NEVER do I hear anyone speak poorly of another paddler, and they are ALWAYS inclusive of each other.

On a personal note:

I had a great race myself! This year’s 5k was a true 5k!! (The past 2 years had been an extended race due to rerouting from a bridge under construction!) I had been training for 5 miles. How happy I was to find out it was mapped out to actually be 3.5 miles this year!! (Ok, slightly over a true 5k ‍♀️) But I was READY! I’m NOT a distance racer, so this was the perfect race for me! 

I had set goals:

~ to start at the front this year (a lot of paddle wake to face) ✅

~ stay more consistent in my pace✅

~ finish strong ✅

~ beat last year’s PR ✅

I ended up 6th in my age group!

(Out of… well, more than 6. )

There was some BA women in my age category! Hats off to them all! What an honor to race with them. It was said this was the fastest avg race times ever in this group!

As always, I’ve learned many things on this journey, and felt humbled by it all. So blessed!

Special thanks to my #ss who was my strength and support this whole week! I’m SO blessed to call her friend! ‍♀️

FFF Owner,

Katherine Wallace

Seek Adventure, Find Passion

FlatwaterFitness.com

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.