Race recaps

by John Knippers

***** RACE RECAP: "Last Paddler Standing" *****

First of ALL, MAHALO everyone involved in this crazy race. Whether it be the directors, volunteers, the elite endurance racers from across the globe, to the thousands of people who were following it through the 48hrs of livestream via SUP Racer, FB live, and on YouTube Live! *MAHALO NUI LOA!!!

**************** BONUS! ****************

The FINAL 12 hours are still on YouTube if anyone wonders what it was like & would like to watch it!

(*I'll attach a link in the picture of the livestream!)

The EVENT was truly something extraordinary, and I am SO grateful to have been a player who made it until the end (2nd to "LAST PADDLER STANDING").

*This meant i had made 47 laps around the course, a 3.33 mile loop an hour, & eventually surrendering to an extraordinary pro paddleboarder from Italy, Paolo Marconi... AND what an honor it was to share the last few hours of this thing together! He is a STRONG, inspirational, SOLID athlete & Father!

(NOW A LITTLE BIT OF MY TAKE ON THE EVENT)

Sleep deprivation, fatigue, paddling alongside an accomplished group of ultra distance racers ALL set on winning... IT was MENTAL beyond MENTAL!

AND on that 44th hour, when it was down to just me and Paolo on our second exhausting night out there... well wouldnt ya know an approximately 5 ft gator surfaces about 40ft in front of me right on my course under the moonlight. (*AND I'm on an inflatable LOL). Talk about mental. Needless to say though I paddled another three laps around the course until it was the "proper" time to surrender.

****** Some might ask why did i surrender? ******

Well, let me explain... it had been 47 hours and 45 minutes, 150+ miles no current w/ headwinds, and at that point i was exhausted. Plus, had the event gone one more lap, the loop would be increased to 4.9 miles, a distance that after 48hrs pretty much no sleep, seemed inconceivable to do more than once. In addition, i really just didn't have enough gas in the tank to give Paolo a run for his money & why add more time to my recovery?! So here I am today approximately 10 days later, thankful I made that decision, because although i'm pretty much recovered, I do still have numbness in my toes which will probably take some time to get normal.

That being said, I'm SO grateful to be the "ASSIST"!

* (Now for the LONG LIST of MAHALO's.) *

First of ALL, Greg Wingo, race director, organizer and brainchild of this AWESOME event that will be no doubt filling up quick come January for 2023.

QuickBlade Paddles, the paddle i used for almost 48hrs, had the perfect flex, & i didnt get one blister! Yster SUP, the official board sponsor of the 2022 LPS, who allowed me to fly there for a proper 48 hours testing the new incredible linear 17'3 x 26 touring ISUP... *(Swedish designer Per, if you see this post, I'd be honored to do some more testing, wink wink lol). Mason Gravley of Athletic Brewing Company, who not only helped w/ the commentary provided TOP shelf non-alcoholic brew for the guests & even athletes all throughout the event...

*(Note: As someone who doesnt drink alcohol anymore, but did however in the past enjoy IPA... they actually had a delicious non alcoholic option)

ALSO, thank you to the AMAZING Volunteers who helped pull this all off together, as well as the BRAVE racers & friends from around the globe who participated in this never been done before crazy ordeal. To my RAD brother, Mark Knippers, who continually backs me up in these wild paddle ultras. The LPS racers & friends who paddled 12 hours like Tracy Cullinane & Patrick B. then hung around for the rest of the event showered me w/ ALOHA & then treated me like a KING afterwords. Josette Lata (who also paddled 12 hours) and hubby Eddy Okinsky, who 2/3rds into the race announced VIA the livestream they were giving me a new 14' raceboard for being inspiring. THATS JUST CRAZY AWESOME, AND i'M SO GRATEFUL!

Göran Gustavsson, one of my fierce competitors from Sweden who not only did I enjoy paddling 40 hours & laps with, was also blessed to hang out with for 2 following days there. Then there was Bobby Johnson, 2 time winner and LEGEND of one of the toughest races in the world, "The Great Alabama 650"... This guy, is possibly the fastest ultra distance surfski guys on the planet, had only been SUP'ing a few weeks before the race, & "What an honor it was to paddle with ya Bobby"! Alexis Somoano, you as well my friend... And lookout if your thinking of doing it next year... he WILL be a contender i know in 2023 something fierce. Huge thanks to my next door neighbor and friend, Chad Blackman... who looked after my first mate paddle dog Jericho here at the house while & i was out of town. THAT WAS HUGE! Krystal @ Country Pets Bed & Breakfast who runs a TOP notch kennel on a ranch outside of town and always takes good care of the rest of my furballs (Zeus, Zoe, Sup, & Koa).

Then, the BIGGEST Thank you of ALL AWARD has gotta go to Mike Dodd an old friend rom Hawaii, and Efrat Almog, who really came through there in Sarasota! Besides just being in my camp hollering encouragement, or as I would paddle under the bridge on the loop, the many vulnerable times too when I really felt like quitting! They periodically would bring me coffee, a taco, burger, or tasty treat that could break the monotony of my normal routine of vacuum sealed spinach, sweet potato, sprouted quinoa, dark choc, Blueberry, banana, beet powder, "nutrition bar stuff" I typically make for these ultras, just get tired of it after 24 hrs LOL.

And last but not least Chris Parker, Kelly Margetts, & Kristin Thomas for encouragement throughout the 48 hour, never been done before LIVESTREAM!

Y'all knocked it out of the park keeping thousands of friends, family, and people entertained across the globe & in the "LOOP", (so to speak LOL). ALL DAY ALL NIGHT on this WILD CRAZY SUP EVENT!

*BIG MAHALO's to ALL the friends too who sent kind messages and congratulated me ALL week!

*Almsot forgot to mention USA SUP & TotalSUP...

(Thank you both for hyping up the event & sharing)

******* MAHALO NUI LOA EVERYONE!!! *********

by Keva Andersen

The picture on my Instagram story on race day morning was captioned “wondering WTF I got myself into!” That was a pretty good indicator of how I’d been feeling since I made a last-minute decision to enter the “Off Da Couch” race, held on October 22 in Newport Beach, California. At the beginning of the year I’d set a goal for myself to be more intentional about my paddleboarding and to expand on my skill set. I’ve been paddling since 2011 but I’d never really set distance or speed goals for myself. And while the sport was still great fun I wanted to see how much further I could go if I pushed toward specific goals. Yet racing still really wasn’t on my radar as something I thought I could do. And if I’m being honest, as I was standing there that morning waiting for my turn to head out, I still wasn’t sure this first attempt wasn’t going to end in disaster!            

The “Off Da Couch” race day schedule started with the safety meeting at 8:30 am, the 9-mile long course headed out at 9 am, followed by the 6-mile board race a few minutes later, and the short course at 11:30 am. Since this was my first time out I opted for the short course, so I had a lot of time on my hands to reconsider if I was really cut out for this. I knew the distance would be fine but seeing the crowd with all their gear was a little intimidating. Especially as I was standing there with my 12’6” inflatable Infinity Blackfish Air. But watching “the big kids” take off on their boards, cheer on other racers, and finish strong was so inspiring I knew I’d be kicking myself for weeks if I chickened out. So when the time came to head to the start point for the short course I checked the pins on my race number for the millionth time, tightened my leash, and followed along at the back of the pack. 

We gathered on the water at the start line just south of the Newport Aquatic Center with the OC-6 and OC-1 crews leading the charge along with surfskis and some prone paddlers. The skies were mostly cloudy, the temperature in the low 60s, the breeze had definitely picked up and there was already some chop on the water. The SUPs were the last to go and as we waited to take off, I decided to start the race kneeling. I knew this would be a no-go in a professional race situation but given how choppy the water was after the other craft took off, I knew my inflatable didn’t stand a chance of staying upright if I was standing. After getting tossed around for a while I hopped to my feet and took stock of how things were looking. Most of the group had taken off and were well ahead of me but they didn’t seem too far ahead, all things considered. We were pushing against the outgoing tide but the wind was at our backs and I thought, ok, I can at least keep this respectable. One stroke at a time, keep your balance, don’t crash into anybody. I kept that as my mantra until there was no one close enough to have to worry about that last one!

As I approached the turn around point most everyone was well ahead of me, with the exception of the hardy crew of 12u racer Lily in an OC-1, her dad following along on a SUP, and a man in a kayak. We made our way around the metal buoy to head back to the start when we were hit by a headwind I can only describe as gnarly, I believe between 10 and 15 miles per hour. Every bit of speed we gained from following the outgoing tide was getting flattened by that breeze. But no matter. Lily led the way in her OC-1 as I put the hammer down on the paddle and just tried to keep up.

With the finish line in sight, we could hear the cheers as we approached with the crowd encouraging Lily in what I think was her first race. But then I heard another voice yelling for me too! There was Suzy, who before that day was a friend from Instagram I hadn’t yet met in person, encouraging me to push hard to the very end. I remembered to yell out my number 79 to the team at the finish with the race director teasing me “ok, 1 clap for you too!” and just like that it was done. I was sweaty, tired, and ready for a snack, but really stoked.

In the end, the official race results said I came in second to last but I really didn’t care about that. I had such a good time out on the course and was so excited to meet that goal of finishing that I couldn’t wait to try my hand at another one, now that I knew what to expect. And everyone at the event was so nice and encouraging, especially when they found out this was my first race. I had a lot of fun meeting new people and one woman even stopped me in the parking lot to tell me she thought I did a great job on the inflatable and her kindness and encouragement has stayed with me. “Off Da Couch” is also a fundraiser in honor of NAC’s beloved Sam Couch, who died of Cystic Fibrosis. CF has also touched my family and it felt great to start my racing journey in a way that was also giving back to the community. 

I’d been hearing that the racing community was really fun but for years I’d been hesitant to try it. I was lucky to have run with a fun crew of paddlers through Salmon Bay Paddle when I lived in Seattle but even after years in L.A. now I hadn’t been able to replicate that. I’d watched the racers on Instagram and felt like I was missing out but thought I didn’t have the right gear or the right skills or the timing just wasn’t right. I live in an apartment so inflatables have been my only option, and while they’re fun they’re not exactly built for competition. So what finally convinced me to give it a shot? I kept going back to a July SUP Connect Instagram live conversation with Kristin Thomas and Jen Fuller about racing. It’s no secret that SUP can be very expensive and it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you have to have the fancy race boards and paddles before you can compete. In that live interview I asked if there was a way to get into racing on a budget and it was Jen who offered this advice: “paddle the hell out of whatever you’ve got.” Everyone starts somewhere and dialing in your stroke and your skills on something unconventional can help build a base that will benefit you down the line. That advice kept rattling around in my brain until finally I said stop second guessing yourself and registered for the race. And I’m so glad I did. I’m hoping to upgrade my board sometime next year but until then I’ll be paddling the hell out of that inflatable and I’m looking forward to racing again at Hanohano in San Diego in January. 

  

A collection of costumed paddlers preparing for ghoulish gusts
Photo credit: Michelle Black

The Ballard Elks Paddle Club in Seattle, WA held the annual Halloween Race on October, 30th. The race features two constants: great costumes and high winds. The 2022 edition was no exception as everything from kraken to Howard Stern showed up to race along with predicted winds in the 15-20 knot range. On a somewhat sheltered course the field paddled well and survived the fresh breeze to enjoy a breakfast buffet and some libations, in the Ballard Elks Lodge #827. 

Nick Papa won the SUP first place after pulling away from the field. We won't dwell on the fact that he was one of the few uncostumed competitors and will instead focus on his exceptional performance. Jessi Wasson won the women's division, handling the heavy weather well... while wearing a costume. Sarah Hess won the award for best costume - an octopus.

After the race, many participants chose to take part in a downwind on the building southerly that swept across Puget Sound. 

My Quest for the Buckle 

by Roxane Robinson

This Race.  Chattajack 31.  It’s like no other.  A race where the registration begins at midnight (EST) 6 months in advance and has been known to sell out in under an hour.  This year we have over 700 competitors and a waitlist of over 200.

I first decided to so this race in 2015 and convinced Shawna Macnamara to do it with me.  We started training in April (in New York) wearing wetsuits.  Every 4 four weeks we would paddle around Shelter Island, approximately 20 miles or so.  It was exhausting.  Then there was the panic about the cut-offs.  10 miles…2 hours and 30 minutes.  Due to family medical issues, I was unable to paddle for the two months leading up to the race. The week of the race, I realized, I had trained, and whatever happened was going to happen, so off Shawna and I went.  My first Chattajack was a bluebird day.  Lovely weather, low 70’s, and a bit of a push from the current.  I didn’t own a Garmin, and had mis-set my phone app, so at no time did I know where how many miles had I gone, how many did I have left.  What I know now was approximately mile 27, I met up with Chandler Bold and Danielle Goldston, two of my favorite prone mermaids.  They told me we were almost there.  Once we spotted the Hales Dam, which I thought was a mirage, we paddled even harder.  As we got close to the turn, there was Shawna.  We had trained together and We finished together!!   

I was hooked.  I had to do this race again!!  So finally, 2017 I was back in Tennessee on my quest for the buckle.  It was such a tough year weather wise, 55 degrees and raining at the start…then the temperature dropped 10 degrees, and it was still raining.  Over 70 people dropped out during the race that year, due to the cold and hypothermia.  For months after, I heard that people couldn’t feel their finger tips and toes. I was ok, a bit cold, but ok.  When the race started, I figured that I’d warm up enough for it not to be an issue.  I had learned how to finally set my phone app so that I could hear the miles and pace, so I made a couple of friends that needed that information also.  Around mile 7 I fell off my board, and wondered, how can I do the next 25 miles from in the water. It was so much warmer than the air.  But finish I did, in just over 7 hours.  

2018, the year of not as much training as I wanted.  The morning started ok, I met Michael Dunlap at the board staging.  He was so excited, his first race of any kind. Who starts with a 32 mile race?  Loved his enthusiasm!  But halfway through my race I was done.  I had nothing left.  My shoulders were on fire, my body hurt.  It was raining off and on, it was kinda cold.  Thoughts of “I’m never doing this again” “I’m too old” “What was I thinking” and yet I kept paddling.  Then about 5  miles from the finish, I ended up paddling next to these two guys, Jim Powell and Ken Taber.  I’m convinced that if it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t have made that final cutoff.  I finished with about 20 minutes to spare. 

2019 was just an exercise in tenacity.  I fell off my board before I even got to the Bridge and timing boat.  Thank goodness the current was good. I got my first 3 miles done in about 30 minutes.  Around 15 miles in I thought, I’m going to finish in about 7 hours. Yippee. But that was not to be, the wind had started picking up.  Headwinds, side chop (actually waves you could surf), and the wind gusts were up to 40mph.  My last two miles took me almost 55 minutes.  I was actually shocked that when I finished, I still had 15 minutes to spare.  

2020, the virtual year.  So there’s that. It didn’t count for or against the five consecutive years that you have to paddle to earn your belt buckle. 

2021 had the fastest current ever.  All kinds of new records were set.  As I was definitely undertrained but determined to finish, I decided that considering the previous years, I would join a SUP-4 team, “Here for the Beer”.  I even fell off this monster inflatable, and took half the team with me. But we finished!! It was so exciting,  MY first Podium finish.  3rd place.  I was giddy!!  And I had one more year to go for the Buckle!! 

So here we are, 2022. My buckle year.  It was the largest buckle class since this race started, almost 80 paddlers were expected to receive their buckles.  I had moved, again, and found a training partner in another state.  We would both drive an hour to meet on Saturday mornings at 7:15.  Sybel Pacis Sierra was the best, we would discuss nutrition, strokes, and both of us finishing our race successfully.  But I was still worried.  No one knows what the weather will be that day.  Will we get lucky and have the current of 2021?  Will there be wind?   I reached out to my Facebook friends and asked for good wishes and positive thoughts which I received.  It meant so much to me and I used those as my mental energy.  

Race morning came, in the low 40’s but no wind.  It was going to be a sunny day and warm up to around 70.  Finally, it’s announced that we need to start getting on the water.  Row by row we pick up our boards, walk down past the live band playing Kashmir (Led Zeppelin) which is so cool.  We all got on the water so fast, they were able to start the race 10 minutes early. I wasn’t quite ready for that, but off I went.  The amazing John Puakea had given me some advice on Friday regarding my stroke which took me from a very solid 15 minute mile to 12 and 13 minute miles.  OMG!!!  Which was great as there was absolutely no current.  If you stopped paddling, you stopped moving completely.  

Paddling down the river is beautiful no matter what the weather.  It’s truly one of my favorite places to be. You hear people on the river banks, on their docks, on boats, cheering for you as you pass.  I love their support! 

As I neared my final 5 miles, I realized how good I still felt.  Still strong, still maintaining a good pace, chatting with Cassie Salter and friends from the UK, it was going to be a good finish.  Coming around Hales Dam, seeing my friends on the dock, and then my son, Hugh.  I was so happy he could be there for the finish of my race and see me receive my buckle.  A big thanks to Ben Friberg and Kimberley Friberg for creating this race that brings us back year after year.  I know I’ll be back on that river again.

by Mike Wang

Battle of the Bay has been a culminating race for Northern California for many years. Usually hosted at the end of the season, folks from all over NorCal come to the iconic San Francisco Bay to get a taste of what’s it like to race on the bay. In the past it has been hosted in a number of awesome locations such as Crissy Field (round Alcatraz & Golden Gate Bridge) and McNear’s Beach in San Rafael. 

My first BOTB was epic. The 7 mile course was set from Crissy Field to circumnavigate Alcatraz and then round the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the hardest race I had done with just 2 years of paddling SUP. I wasn’t a total stranger to paddling underneath the bridge (having lots of experience in sea kayaks), but on a stand up it was totally humbling. With an almost 6 knot flood current, paddlers were completely knocked off course and drifting back into the bay at times. When I finished, I was beaming with excitement and it is still the best race that I done with 9 years of paddling.

This year, although a little more muted since the Golden Gate years, Steve Pugh still put on an amazing race with the help of all the local retailers and coaches from Sausalito. After the pandemic, it feels like the paddling community is much more inclusive and less competitive. We all felt what we had lost and treasured the moments together. David Wells from 101 Surfsports managed the registration and timing with grace and precision sacrificing his own urges to be #1. John Hadley did the announcement after running his own race the previous weekend (Sonoma Surfriders Foundation race at Doran Beach). Gaelan Schmidt from Seatrek did safety on his boat as I did safety and photos from my new “used” boat that I use for Mike’s Paddle. It was great to see all the folks who love this sport so much to support each other.

Both the long and short course gave the paddlers a sense of being one with the water. Richardson bay is relatively calm in the morning with less than 5 knot wind but the current can be challenging. Paddlers came up to the opening of Richardson Bay with conjunction of Racoon Strait - which can be a really challenging place to paddle with added currents with constriction between Belvedere Point and Angel Island. It was amazing to see 100 paddlers going across the bay, seals popping up here and there, strong currents in the strait and the scenery of the open bay with Blue Angels flying by occasionally for the air show.

Results with all the local favorite paddlers winning awards and that’s how we like it! 

Womens:
7 Mile Long Course: Jen Fuller our local favorite SUP coach finished first, battling out with USA SUP board member favorite Kristin Thomas from SoCal by only two minutes. Tiffany Cleveland finished third.
4 Mile Short Course: LeeAnn Petersen (a Mike’s Paddle instructor) finished first, Clare Mazzetti (Ohana Paddle Club member) finished second just a minute behind, and Brenna Raugewitz lost to Clare by only 10 secs. 

Mens:
7 Mile Long Course: Peter Gauvin (a consistent winner here in the Bay Area) finished before BB (Bojan Bernard) and Chad Raugewitz. All three finished just over an hour which is quite a feat!
4 Mile Short Course: Riley Hurd first win with Rob Heinemann (only a first year paddler from Ohana Paddle Club) coming second, and Jason Dachtler coming in third all within a minute of each other, it was a close call!

This race recap was originally posted by Ivan Storck (pictured  below next to #41) on his "Good Paddle"  Facebook page

As I looked to shore from my paddle board, the land wasn’t moving. I was paddling as hard as I could. Not going anywhere. The current of the Tacoma Narrows was against me. If I can’t make it past this, I won’t make it back to the race start in Gig Harbor. The current was so strong they couldn’t anchor the turn-around buoy in the channel, and had to use a boat to hold the buoy in place. Then the boat must’ve got distracted, because I saw it moving the buoy back to the place where it should’ve been, near the day mark. Or maybe the humpback whale that was seen on the course earlier was in the way, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the fault of the Narrows’ famous giant octopus.

The 2022 Narrows Challenge pits human powered vessels against the strong tidal currents between Tacoma and Gig Harbor. About a third of Puget Sound flows through the deep and narrow channel. The race is open to stand up paddle boards (SUPs), outrigger canoes, open water rowing shells, and is mainly attended by surf skis, also called high performance racing kayaks (HPK)s. It has 5K (3 mile), 10K (6 mile) and 20K lengths. The Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak club puts it on and it’s such a great adventure race. Especially the amount of kids that participate from the sponsoring club.

During the 10K SUP race, as we neared the turn around point, Nick, who was about 50 feet in front of me, got the short straw and ended up going about a quarter mile more than me, chasing the buoy/boat against the current. Crawling against the bubbling currents in the shallow water on the shore side of the eddy line was the only way to make any progress. I saw Adam, who smartly remembered where the buoy should have been, gliding downstream, positioning to be in 1st place now. We got to the shore together, with me just in front, then started paddling hard upstream in the shallow back eddy there. Whenever a group of rocks would stick out into the current, there was no escape from the water and waves piling up. The only way forward was to power through, in as little water as possible.

If there was a boulder, better hope you see it before your fin hits it, and you get launched forward off the board . On the other hand, if you know whitewater currents, you know boulders create back-currents that push upstream. The rocks were sometimes barely visible under water, and a lot of quick corrections were necessary. I gradually gained distance from Adam and solidified my lead in first place.

It’s not a position I am in often. I’m much better with a “rabbit” to chase. I had to use a lot of mental self-talk to try to do my best, without pushing too hard, or taking it too easy. When the current eased up and I could see the finish line, I didn’t dare look behind me, because I knew Nick would be chasing me down. It was amazing to get cheered in, in first place, by the race committee and crowd at the harbor’s entrance.

As is typical in our SUP community we stayed at the finish to cheer the other 10K racers in before we paddled back to the awards ceremony. I love the support we all give each other in this sport, it’s one of the things that just makes it even better.

Sunshine State Games All Around Class Standup Paddleboard (SUP) Event, presented by Amazon International Beach Games - 09/24/2022

What happened at this years event was a landmark success!

Kevin Woodin's Perspective

How can I summarize this event? EASE, PLACEMENT, TOGETHERNESS, and INCLUSIVITY.
This event received some extraordinary feedback from all the participants, volunteers, spectators, and sponsors. We celebrated each and every win together, and that's an extraordinary accomplishment. We had a couple of new paddlers out there for their first or second time, and everyone gave them amazing support. The event emphasized on the all around board class (SUP Surf/planing hull design), time trial format (staggered start), short course (with easy/moderate turns), two laps, three heats, and the entire event was fully visible from shore. Every paddler was center stage. All paddlers of different skill levels had the opportunity to claim a podium finish on an equal playing field. It all came down to your best, not the best. The winners were determined by the lowest total time of the combined heats.

Even experienced paddlers had to dig a little deeper. Some took advantage in the distance between turns. Some had the advantage in the turns. Some favored the tail winds. Others did better in the head winds. Some went out to hard, and some to slow. Some just enjoyed being part of the amazing community experience and fantastic Florida weather. After each heat the paddlers had a short break before starting again. Some of the newer paddlers took this time to ask more experienced paddlers for some tips, and then made some changes in the next heat. Some paddlers switched boards because this event brought together a wide range of all around class board brands, shapes, and sizes to choose from. All the connectedness and conversations were truly amazing. The fun was just non stop until the very end.
Event results here

A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in making this years event possible.
Event organizers: Danny Smith, Karren Watson, and Mitch Varnes.
Event support and volunteers: JD Smith, Daniel Patala, Pattie Kelley, Jeri Bergen, Manuela Woodin, Leah Cortez, Sharon Robinson, Anastasia McCauley, Vicky Stanevich, and Cyndy Seifert.
Business partners: Paddling Paradise, Paddle Sports League (PSL), Fin Box Lock, Sunshine State Games presented by Amazon, and Smooth Running.

SUP Life encourages people to fall in love with the uncomfortable space of growth, development, and reward together. With ease, placement, togetherness, and inclusivity, we hone our skills of power, stamina, paced effort, balance, flexibility, strength, and allow movement to reward the body, mind, emotions, and Life energies. We need to create a positive energy in our community that enriches and informs our body and mind of knowledge and feed our energetic and emotional wellbeing. Together in Nature we can find sanity and purpose in witnessing the beauty around us, and participating with that beauty through engaging in our curiosity, wonder, and playfulness. With ease and placement, let's make more of this fun happen together!

WHEN YOU FIND YOUR TRIBE, LOVE THEM HARD!

2023 All Around Board Class Event Series COMING SOON!
We are already hard at work planning a series of 10 events for 2023. We want to work with other organizers to host multiple locations. The format remains the same, but we'll add a half-that for the new paddlers. Get ready to share more good vibes!
​
Paddle Sports League Facebook Page
Paddle Sports League Events

Appreciate all the Love, Love all the support,
Kevin

The power and control of everything you are is right there in every breath.
BE KIND to YOURSELF!
Avoid negative labels!
YOU ARE STRONG!
YOU GOT THIS!

❤️
#LIVEITBEAWESOME

Originally submitted by Blueline Surf and Paddle race director and instructor, Jeremie Vaine
Photo credit: Lisa Bee

Those smiling little faces on the front of the board, splashing, playing and laughing are adorable. They also add the exclamation point on the aspect of fun. These little ones help encourage people to join, just by showing that anyone can join Tuesday Night Race League (TNRL) and have a blast while doing so. 

TNRL is for everyone, no matter your age or ability level. We love to have you bring the kids to ride along, or maybe the pup. Paddle with a few friends to catch up, paddle as a workout or test yourself as a competitive racer.

It does not stop there, as all paddle crafts are welcome to join in. You can just sit in the water and float if that’s how you want to participate. 

Here in Jupiter, Florida, we have an amazing community that has been instrumental in growing the attendance by sharing their version with others. The paddlers from the Ocean Rescue have encouraged others to join in adding to our prone and surfski numbers. Palm Beach Outrigger Club has been helping to spread the word, increasing the amount of canoes. The crew at Flying Fish has done the same, bringing their team as well as many of their customers and future customers to TNRL.

On the water, we try our best to have courses that cater to everyone that heads out, and for the people at Guanabanas watching. The start of the paddle is structured in a way that allows each person to experience their paddle in the way they like, while being a part of the group. The paddlers get to choose their distances, 1, 3 and 4 miles. Everyone paddles together on the same course, and returns back to the start for a buoy turn, adding some excitement for those watching along. 

After the paddle the night is not over, our great friends at Guanabanas host the post paddle social. Guanabanas is an outdoor restaurant that is situated amongst numerous palm trees and tiki huts adding that Island feel and paddle vibe. 

Included in the entry fee, $10 with your own craft, $20 with a rental, a ticket is provided for a beverage. This season Kona Brewing and Costa Tequila sponsored TNRL, providing beverages for the paddlers. You do not have to indulge in the beverages, but you may want to take a look at Guanabanas menu and surely not miss the stories from the paddle as the camaraderie aspect is in full swing even if you just have a glass of cold water.  

At TNRL there are no awards and we try our best to capture everyone's time and post it in our Facebook group for those that are interested. We are very fortunate that our friend, who is an amazing photographer, captures the night for the paddlers. You may have seen her photos as they are shared throughout social media, the moment they come out. Leisa M. Bee changes her perspective each week and captures her aspect of the night. Helping everyone share the fun of Tuesday Nights with friends far and near. 

Our weekly community paddle has grown and last year we added a Winter Saturday series and this year we will be expanding it! 

Starting on October 4th we will move to one Saturday per month. The first one will be on October 29th, knowing this community, costumes will be part of the day. In November we are hosting our first Turkey Day Paddle on November 24th. The remaining winter dates will be added soon. But for those Tuesday Night enthusiasts, don't worry we will start back on Tuesday Night in March of 2023.

We would love to have you join one of our paddles if you are in the Jupiter area. But if not feel free to join our Facebook Community Page and follow along. 

Rodgers and Hammerstein Never Saw This Coming

• By Harrison Withers

  How did we get to Oklahoma?

  It was early March and snow still blanketed much of the northern hemisphere. Russia had invaded Ukraine just a few weeks earlier. The world of sport scrambled to move or cancel any event that was to take place in Russia. The International Canoe Federation was in a tough spot, the Canoe Sprint Super Cup and 3^rd event in the SUP World Cup was scheduled to take place in Moscow, just a few weeks before the World SUP Championships in Gdynia, Poland.

  The ICF made the best decision possible and made the obvious choice to move the event to Oklahoma. 

  That’s right, Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain, and the wavin’ wheat, can sure smell sweet, when the wind comes right behind the rain…

  Careful examination of the rest of the lyrics did not reveal any mention of Paddling, SUP, or even water beyond the aforementioned rain. However, as it turns out, Oklahoma is known as a top destination for rowing, in fact it’s been an official US Olympic/Paralympic training site since 2009. There was also previously a Super Cup event at the facility in 2021. Having been there before, it was a safe bet for the ICF. There’s also a ton to like about the race location, Riversport OKC is a publicly funded gleaming concrete and glass facility with 3 boathouses, a 4-story finishing tower, and a state-of-the-art whitewater center. In addition to that, it also most has an amusement park feel with climbing walls, zip lines, and even surf and ski simulators. Most paddlers, myself included, would seriously visit his place on vacation even if the SUP carnival wasn’t in town.

  A Plan Takes Shape

  So the ICF knew Oklahoma, but Oklahoma didn’t know what’s SUP. But all that was about to change. The ICF tapped SUP veteran and Riversport OKC Lifestyle Director Brent Allen, and USA SUP’s Kristin Thomas to pull together a world class SUP competition in less than 6 months. Even with a world class facility, there was a lot to overcome, not least of all how do you get enough athletes to go to the middle of the country in August to a place that’s known for its 100^oF plus temperatures. And how do you get race boards to a location in the middle of the country where SUP is an unknown quantity, and the nearest dealer is in Kansas?

  Somehow, someway, not only did they get boards there, but also managed to get 45 paddlers there including some of the fastest men and women in the world. Of course, a $10k prize purse didn’t hurt for those who could expect to partake in it. Had the paddle world realized what kind of a world-class event this was, the numbers would have been much higher.

  The World Paddlesport Festival is Born

  The whole event was dubbed “The World Paddlesport Festival” and really consisted of three events: ICF Canoe and Kayak Super Cup, ICF SUP World Cup Event #3, and Red Bull Rapids which was a build your own boat and see if it makes down the rapids in one piece while wearing a costume type event. Within the SUP event there were three types of racing available; Sprints, Technical, and Distance and one registration price got you into all three. The net effect is that folks who wouldn’t normally do things like sprints, like the author, found themselves expanding their horizons. Racing took place over three days with qualifiers for sprints and technical races on Friday, finals for sprints and technical on Saturday, and the distance race on Sunday.

  As a participant, the fact that this was not going to be a “typical” US paddle event started at registration, The process was painless, the packet was clean and tidy, the swag was of great quality, but the real difference was after you checked in you were ushered in front of a green screen where you picture was taken and all participants recorded a 15 second motion video to be used in the live broadcast quality live stream.  You read that right, it wasn’t ON TV, but it was live on YouTube with full graphics and Commentary by Brent Allen and guests. As a competitor, it was super cool to watch the stream, learn from your mistakes and see your name up in lights. Head on over to the Planet Canoe channel on YouTube and check it out for yourself. 

  Friday

  Friday morning started with the 300M sprint qualifiers. The canoes and kayaks went first and then the SUP’s got going about 10:30am. Sprint heats were run like clockwork with a sprint race starting every 7-8 minutes. Everyone knew what order and what lane they were in in advance and the whole thing ran super-smooth. This is really where the ICF shined. They know how to do this kind of racing. The starter got people lined up incredibly efficiently and sounded the horn. The lanes were perfectly straight and picture perfect just like you’d see in the Olympics. The finish line featured photo finish technology. The top 2 finishers passed on to the Semi Finals, 3-5 went to the quarter finals and the rest were eliminated.

  Connor Baxter displayed his usual sprint dominance with Daniel Hasulyo in the first heat of Open Men. The Jakes of Portwood and Graham cleaned up the second heat. Eri Tenorio edged out Bodie Van Allmen in the third. Sprint canoeist Ian Ross crossed over and made a valiant effort.

  In the first round of the Women’s open, Katniss Paris upset Kim Barnes by .02 of a second in the first heat. In the second heat, sprint canoeist Ten Kusaka decided to try her hand on a stand up and took the top spot followed by Jennifer James. The third heat featured April Zilg followed by Juliette Duhaime.

  The Men’s Master class (45+) was hotly contested all weekend starting with the first of three heats won by Alex Sandler with Aleksy Synkov getting the pass to the semis. Flying fish riders John Batson lead founder John Meskauskas in the second heat. Bryan Block lead Brenden Sweetman in the third.

  Onto the quarterfinals, top two advanced with the remainder eliminated. Steve Miller and Josh Smart added themselves to the Semi Finals in Open Men, Tracy Hines and Katherine Wallace in Open Women, and James Nickerson and Morris Pallet in Men’s Masters.

  After the Quarterfinals were complete, the course was reconfigured for the technical heats.  5 buoys were set in a star-pattern, with three lefts and two rights covering just shy of 700M. For this race organizers decided to use pneumatic gates that rose above the water. Competitors would nose in to the gate tripping a sensor letting the starter know they where in position. The gates would then drop allowing the race to begin.  Since the gate were really intended to be used for sprint lane racing it spaced the competitors out fairly wide, putting those in the outside lanes further from the first buoy than those in the middle lanes. That’s something that will have to be looked at for future events. As with the sprints, the top 2 from each heat advanced directly to the semi finals with finisher 3-5 going to a quarter final.

  Men’s Open advancers were Jake Portwood over Bodie Von Allmen, Connor Baxter over Eri Tenorio, and Daniel Hasulyo over Jake Graham. Women’s Open feature Katniss Paris over Tracy Hines, Kimberly Barnes over Juliette Duhaime, and April Zilg over Jennifer James. The Men’s Masters featured John Batson once again over John Meskauskas, James Nickerson over Adam Pollock, and Michael Schweitz over Karl Eugster.

  Quarterfinal advancers were Miller/Smart in Open Men, McCoy/Wallace in Open Women, and Block/Paillet in Masters.

  Racing was done for the day just after 2pm giving participants a chance to rest up before Friday night’s World Party which featured food and drink, and Olympic style flag parade, and local riders demoing their skills on the facilities surf simulator. The evening was capped off with a full-scale fireworks show, but with racing the next day, the crowd had thinned by the grand finale. Regardless, it was and impressive party and personally I enjoyed watching the younger world cup athletes from different countries “interact”.

  Saturday

  Saturday morning got started with the Sprint Semi-Finals. Once again, the top 2 finishers from each heat advanced, this time to “Final A” with the remainder passing to a consolation round dubbed “Final B”. In Men’s Open Baxter/Von Allmen and Portwood/Hasulyo advanced. Zilg/Paris and Barnes/Duhaime for the Ladies. Meskauskas/Sandler and Batson/Block in Masters.

  In the end of the Sprint Competition John Batson stood atop the Master’s podium flanked by Bryan Block and John Meskauskas. April Zilg dominated while Katniss Paris just edged out Kim Barnes. Connor Baxter continued his sprint dominance with Daniel Hasulyo and Jake Portwood rounding out the podium in Men’s Open.

  After conclusion of the Sprints, the technical Semi-Finals were up, once again, top to finishers went to “Final A”, with the remainder of each heat placed in the “Final B” consolation race.

  The first heat saw Eri Tenorio and Jake Portwood advance to the Final A along with second heat top finishers Connor Baxter and Daniel Hasulyo. Juliette Duhaime bested Katniss Paris and Zilg finished ahead of Barnes to set up the women’s Final A. In the Men’s Masters John Batson continued his winning was with Adam Pollack in tow. John Meskauskas and Bryan Block finished out the lineup for the finals.

  Other events then took center stage including kayak and canoe relay races and the Red Bull build your own boat and try-not-to-die-in-it contest.  Also known as the Red Bull Rapids, the event featured watercraft of dubious construction and dubious materials piloted by persons of dubious experience levels while wearing costumes the matched the aforementioned dubious watercraft launched down a pretty serious looking set of man-made rapids designed to test the heartiest of whitewater enthusiasts. A large crowd of locals were on hand to witness the event, and while the first few participants were entertaining, the author choose to remove himself from the almost 100-degree heat until the evening race schedule.

  You read that right, evening race schedule. This place has lights! In addition to canoe and kayak finals, the SUP Technical Finals were scheduled for the evening session. Quite a few locals lined the riverbanks with lawn chairs and were active if not fascinated by the SUP competition. The Men’s Masters was first up where John Batson once again captured the top prize, John Meskauskas and Brian Block swapped positions on the podium from the sprints. For the Women, April Zilg once again took top billing followed By Juliette Duhaime and Kim Barnes. In the Men’s Open division, Connor Baxter once again found his way too the top, along with Jake Portwood and Eri Tenorio. More fireworks ensued…literally. The fireworks bill alone for this event had to be more than the revenue for most major US races. This included a blast as the winner crossed the finish line. Someone probably should have warned poor April Zilg who was the first to receive the salute and looked as though she might have had a small coronary infraction.

  Sunday

  Sunday morning was dedicated to the distance race, and while it was the main event for most participants, it kind of had the distinct feeling of something that was happening after-the-fact. Seems most of the kayak and canoe folks had either slept in or gone home. It was breezy, enough to present a little challenge, but not enough to make it a struggle. The unique sprint race-oriented location limited the course options and in the end a course was set consisting of one longer lap and two shorter laps adding up to a total of just over 8k. There was some grumbling about the shorter distance than usual, but organizers had to play with the cards they were dealt. The water start consisted of two waves, men and women. 

  For the Men’s open it was all Daniel Haysulyo, who broke away and finished almost a full two minutes ahead of Bodie Von Allmen. Eri Tenorio was a mere 6 seconds behind Bodie and for the first time in the weekend, Conner Baxter found himself on the outside looking in.

  The Men’s Master’s class was no slouching affair with John Batson making a clean sweep of the weekend. While he was first in-class, he was also 6^th over-all. All of this left perennial bridesmaid John Meskauskas in 2^nd. Kevin Sampson was able to put himself on a podium for the first time in the weekend placing third. Two-time medalist on the weekend Bryan Block was edged off the podium by about 5 seconds. The entire Master’s field completed the distance in just over one hour, making for close competition from front to back. Which makes the author feel less bad about his last place finish.

  In the women’s open division, Kim Barnes dug deep and put the hurt on April Zilg preventing a gold medal shutout. In one of the more exciting finishes on the weekend, Katniss Paris charged the finish with Juliette Duhaime in hot pursuit. The photo finish showed a less than 2 second margin.

  For this first time of the weekend, there were enough women to have a Master Class race which was won handily by Linda McCoy, with Veronica Sosa claiming the silver medal.

  Awards were watched from the water by most astride their boards, in exhaustion, or shock, or just disbelief that it was all over. Speaking only for myself, having the distance race be a little shorter was welcome after two prior days of paddling. It felt nice to dangle my feet in the water and offer my congratulations to some of the fastest paddlers in our sport.

  The Afterglow

  It’s been a couple days since most if not all of us have returned to our homes, a lucky few find themselves frantically preparing for Gydnia. Poland just about a week from now. Despite life moving on, there is a lasting buzz in the SUP community about OKC. The IFC did a lot of things right:

• ·       Awesome location
• ·       Solid and well-organized all-business around registration, heats, and lane assignments
• ·       Super sucessful multi discipline format
• ·       Major event atmosphere with Olympians and Olympic hopefuls
• ·       Cross-over appeal for athletes and spectators
• ·       Night racing with a real amount of spectators

As for the things that could be improved on, that’s a conversation better left to the competitors and the IFC. If you’re reading this article, and you weren’t in OKC, then there is no reason to publicly throw shade. One exception, I really wish someone would have told me about sandburs before I walked 15 feet across the grass in bare feet to get my board. I’m still trying to get a few of those things out.

One thing is for certain, a new standard has been set for what constitutes “good”, and we have been subject to a preview of what SUP competition is going to look like on the world stage. I’m not sure we need as many fireworks, but most everything else represents an elevation of our sport in positive ways.

Results for all the events can be found here.

The following race report is filed by Bruce Barry, a long-time West Coast SUP racer and downwinder, windsurfer and foiler who currently resides in the Seattle area of the USA SUP Northwest Region.

2022 SIC Gorge Challenge Downwind Race – The Agony and the Ecstasy

First questions first:  how windy was it and how did it compare to “big” gorge days?     It was windy enough and utterly beyond most forecasts.  In fact with all the forecast models available none really caught the day prior to the race (windy Friday) and even Saturday morning between the forecasts and the morning gradients I was not expecting the level of wind we had for the race.  At the skippers meeting I was telling people to expect solid 20’s with gusts in the 30’s, instead we had solid 30’s with a few qusts to 40.  Forecasts aside, the visuals on the drive from Hood River to Viento dispelled any doubt, it was going to be windy.  

Taking a detailed look at the wind graphs from Viento, Swell City/Hatchery, and the Event Site we could summarize by saying that during race time it was a fairly consistent 30mph with a few gusts to 40.  And of course there were points along the course with some fairly big holes from the bit of SW cant to the wind and I found two of them by staying closer to the Oregon side hoping for current relief.    From a race day standpoint it probably was the windiest of the Naish/SIC series of the 11 races so far, the first race oh so many years ago was also quite windy at the start but it fizzled by the end.    

From a “big” day standpoint it was nowhere near the intensity of the 2018 Gorge Downwind Champs nor was it anything remotely like I would consider a “big” day based on my years of experience on the river.   For me a pretty big day is when I chose to wear a true life jacket, not the inflatable type.  A big day is both life jacket and helmet.   There have been a few of those. So for those with a fair amount of skill the 30ish average with a few gusts to 40 was just setting the table for a great ride.   40 gusting 50 plus begins to be a somewhat sobering experience. Kind of fun, but with a lot of potential for disaster.   

That being said, the wind velocity did pose some interesting challenges for many.  First off, the tool underfoot.   The problem with the course is that it has significant and generally predictable changes in bumpiness and waves along the course that favor very different board types.  While the first mile off Viento can be quite windy, the water is generally flatter and favors a more race (all-water not flat water) oriented board- SIC RS/Allstar/NSP Carolina, etc.   With the amount of wind we had during the race miles 2-6 generally favored more downwind specific boards like the SIC Bullet, etc., – my weird little custom SIC DW 14 absolutely reveled over this part of the course and was quite fast, just up to the last ¾ of a mile where the bumps subsided a bit favoring flatter rockered all-water type race boards.  I talked to several people on Allstars and similar who got to take a lot of water breaks mid course.  Simply put, the narrower or fatter tailed boards all water race boards either lost just a bit of stability or had too much power off the tail leading to river enforced cooldowns.    But this is a common problem with this race – choosing DW specific or race board.  Because of space constraints my son-in-law had to choose just one board for his trip to Hood River, and based on my recommendation Wednesday with it looking like a potentially very light air race brought his Allstar rather than his DW specific SIC Bullet.  Way to go dad -hahahaha.   In any event, a 10-20 mph forecast is going to favor all-water race boards of various widths.   And narrower will always be faster, as long as you can stay on top.  Even with the wind conditions for this race the more talented folks on the all-water boards were a bit quicker overall.  Spencer Lazzar was first in the open on a 14x21.5 SIC RS, I was 7^th overall in the open and likely the first in on a true DW board as I know that at least 4 of the 6 people ahead of me were on all-water boards.    Fins themselves are another perspective and I keep being surprised by the difference in DW performance between the pretty serviceable stock fins on my SIC’s and the stability and controlled afforded by an aftermarket addition like the Black Project Maliko.  Huge difference, and the faster you are going and the more mixed up the chop and swell conditions the more noticeable it becomes.  

As just noted, over and above the board choice is the level of experience.   The river can be fairly unforgiving for the unprepared or unskilled.   There were lots of strong paddlers who did not have the best race placement this year based on board use, but they still got down the river just fine with some screaming fast drops although at times a bit wet.   There were others that despite the very obvious conditions, may have made a better call by simply letting this one go by and catching the next race in conditions better suited to their abilities.  Again, it was very obvious from the beach that this would be a challenge for the lessor skilled. 

So to summarize, from a statistical standpoint and looking just at gorge race days, it was pretty windy.   An absolute blast for some and a real problem for others.   The Agony and The Ecstasy.  Somehow I don’t think I can claim coming up with that particular wording.  

Next up for those interested:  what was the fastest line down the river?  Golly gee but I give on that one, except for the last ¾ mile.   With the strong current many including me seemed to think the Oregon side was favored and I trended that way.  Bob Rueter trended a bit further inside of me towards Oregon and did great for awhile but slowly faded back, so I think I was probably in a bit more wind closer to the middle which overcame the current advantage.  A bit east of Mitchell Point life was looking good for me as I couldn’t see any green shirts ahead of me, I could no longer hear Spencer hooting and hollering so I assumed I had pulled ahead, and Marius Lina and I kept trading places – anytime I can even see Marius in a race means I am doing well.   But Spencer and Gregg Leion trended middle to slightly Washington and while I thought I was clear ahead of both I was stunned at the mid channel red buoy to find them on my left peripheral vision coming up on the Washington side and slowly working ahead as I was caught in a lull.  Yes Virginia, for the unlucky there were lulls to be found.   Both got well ahead of me at Split Rocks/Ruthton Point, but then on the Wells Island expressway I ducked pretty tight into Oregon with a direct line from Split Rocks to Wells Island and my little needle nose board settled nicely into the shallows and short waves and I had my fastest miles of the race on this current reduced stretch.  By the east end of Wells Island I had caught up to Gregg who had stayed just a bit more Washington side, and was literally drafting him as we entered the flats east of Wells.   At which point I made a tactical decision based on my earlier in the week runs that proved wrong by going deep inside the Wells kimchee bowl hoping to ride the usually blasting SW winds out to the finish line.  Except I paddled straight into a lull.   Gregg and Marius got safely ahead and such is racing.   So sometimes the Oregon side was faster and sometimes the middle was faster.  Learned a lot there, right on.   And speaking of conundrums we follow below……

And no question about what the best line was can be safely answered without understanding what in the world happened with the Pro Men and Pro Women, and Open Women’s groups that started 30 and then 20 minutes ahead of the Open Men.  Comparing times, the first 14 men in the Open BEAT CONNOR BAXTER???  And all the Pro Women finished in an impossible less than 40 minutes which has to be a Race Committee error.  But the fastest Open Women who started with the Pro Women finished in a likewise hard to believe WAY LONGER time than almost all of the men.   Neither the pictures nor the wind graphs give much of a clue.  Did these folks go around BOUY 32 and then have a nasty beam on paddle for 1 mile?   Was the Race Committee timing somehow off but in different directions for these 3 groups?  For the Open Men – I know the timing was right as it was within a minute of what my watch recorded.   Could the current have changed that drastically in 30 minutes.   Was there a huge mid river lull that the recording stations didn’t capture?   I would love someone to fill me in.  I will say that just prior to the Mens Open start I was at the east pin end and heard the starter remark that the safety boat was saying the Pro Men were getting the biggest waves they had ever seen in the history of this race.  Quite the mystery here.   But I am all ears to theories.

So another great DW race is history, and this time with the added dimensions of all the different foiling craft and boats.   Great racing.  May the force be with you.

Bruce Barry       7/27/22

A few pics follow. 

The first below shows me 1 second from Ecstasy.   Joel Yang on the safety/photo boat caught me balanced on the tip of a wave, figuring out my line,  and one single stroke away from dropping into the biggest bomb of my race.  You can kind of get an idea of the elevation by simply looking at the much lower water level behind me. 

Next up is a good view of my custom 14x24 SIC.  22#, around 225 liters of flotation, no flotation in the forward third of the board, and fairly flat with the rocker achieved simply by shaving foam off the forward bottom.   This board is an absolute rocket if you can keep the nose skimming the water ahead for 14’ of drive and then moving back quickly (I mean really quickly) to avoid playing lawn darts on the drop in.  Of course in the flats as this shows it rapidly becomes a 12’6” or so, whatever competitive gains I make need to happen before the flats at the E end of Wells Island. 

Finally, the day after.  Viento on Sunday in 10mph winds.  Even in light air another very addicting kind of rush.