Intracoastal SUP CUP

Posted May 21, 2010 in Blog

After a long flight back from Wilmington, North Carolina it is nice to be home in Portland. Wilmington is a really interesting place full of history and the people are truly an example of “Southern Hospitality”. I was back in Wilmington earlier this year in January for the Cold Stroke Classic and there was a huge difference in temperature this time around. In January we were racing in wetsuits, booties and gloves. This time at the SUP CUP bikinis and a sunburn instead of frostburn.

I arrived Thursday evening and was picked up by the town car from the Blockade Runner where I was staying. All the events for the weekend were based out of the hotel.  It was my second stay at the Blockade Runner and I would recommend it to anyone going to Wilmington.  The hotel is clean, nice and the staff are all very friendly.  The location is amazing.  On one side of the hotel your view is the Intracoastal Highway with lots of boats and an amazing sunset. The sun doesn’t disappear into the ocean like it does on the West coast. So the sunsets are best from the side of the hotel I was staying. The other side of the hotel is beach front.  The beach is big, beautiful and full of shells.  On Friday morning I woke up and had a complimentary breakfast that they serve every morning and went for a walk along the beach.  Part of my mission was to check out the jetty and open ocean part of the paddle I would be doing on Saturday.  I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to paddle it so I wanted to mentally have an idea of what it looked like.

At 2:00 on Friday I taught a race clinic on the Intracoastal Hwy side.  There was a great turnout of about 20-25 paddlers that had signed up.  Everyone showed up ready to learn something new.  Big smiles on faces and all level of paddlers.  I did my best to give tips to everyone – from the first timers to racers looking for some extra tips to make them faster.  The wind kicked in making for a bit more challenging conditions of keeping the group together.  For part of the clinic I became a water rancher corralling my SUPers back to shore. Everyone did great though and ended with an even bigger smile than they had brought to begin with.

The pre-race dinner was next on the agenda and was held in one of the Blockade Runner’s banquet rooms.  There was pasta, salads and bread to get everyone carbo loaded for the race.  People were chatting and excited for the next day’s races.  Peter Trow was a guest presenter from Cambria, California and showed a slide show with some of his favorite spots to SUP Surf and an amazing trip he was recently on to the Galapagos Islands. After the presentation there was a surprise for us outside, a fire dancer!    He dazzled us with his flames and had everyone dancing by the end.  He was a great performer and it was the perfect way to end the night and head to bed.

Race day!  I opened my curtains in my room which overlooked the start of the race to see what the conditions were looking like.  The flags were blowing!  I knew I was in for a windy race.  I headed across the street to get everything ready and listen to the race meeting.  They were sending the Elite racers off first because we were doing a 7 mile out and back and the open race was doing 3 1/2.  So, out in to the water to get warmed up and try to get the nerves out.  Finally the count down and we were off.  The wind was blowing head on and a bit over our right shoulder which meant we had to paddle for 3 1/2 miles on our left side.  Occasionally I would get a few paddles on my right side which felt like such a relief, but then having to make up for it again on the left. The journey out to the buoy, past the jetty, out in the open ocean was grueling.  Most of us were on race boards and having a tough time balancing through the windy side chop and swells.  The buoy seemed so far away!  Turning the buoy was a huge relief and some fun swells to help glide you back into and through the jetty.  Heading back toward the finish now in the Intracoastal Hwy again, the wind seemed to back off now that it was at our backs, unfortunately.  I felt good though, and pushed it hard to the very end.  I was happy with my first place finish.

It was time to head back across the street to the Ocean side and check the conditions for the Waterman’s Challenge which I was also to be competing in.  The Waterman’s Challenge was a course set up for a leg of kiteboarding or windsurfing, standup paddling and swimming.  I was going to windsurf it because I hadn’t had time to get my kiting together.  I was contemplating what to do for a number of reasons.  I was exhausted from the race I had just done and looking at how the buoys were set up I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make the upwind buoys windsurfing without tacking a million times, it was definitely set up for kiting.  Once I found out that I was going to be the only girl doing the race it made it a lot easier to decide to sit it out.  Also, when I was headed out to do a test run windsurfing I saw a fin and something big and grey cruise right by in front of me…a reoccurring theme for me – see video It was probably a dolphin this time, but it was quite big and seemed to be going in a straight line.  It was enough for me to head right back in and call it quits.  When I came back, others had seen it too.  I told them that I was so tired that I didn’t think I had it in me to fight off a shark.  They totally understood.  It was a great spectator event and I was happy watching from shore.  Next year it is going to be open for all competitors.  This year it was an invite only because they wanted to see how it would go off.

Everyone packed up from the beach and headed back to the Blockade Runner for the awards.  Both of the events I have been to that Coastal Urge has put on I have been impressed with the awards.  Coastal Urge makes sure that everyone that has competed goes home with something and they are all great prizes!  Congratulations to Coastal Urge for another successful and well run event.  I will definitely be back.