Stand Up Paddle Racing: Butch's 2 Cents

I've said it before, the best part of maintaining the blog are the people who populate this little corner of the internet. There's all kinds of interesting characters in the stand up paddle world who drop by every now and then. Every so often, you'll speak out. Sometimes your comments are constructive, sometimes they're abrasive, sometimes you're in agreement with me and other times it seems like a restraining order might be a good call. 

One of the more frequent contributors is a guy named Butch. Butch sends me all kinds of stuff: photos, opinions and lots of good advice. I think Butch even sent me the never before published Gerry Lopez photos in Indo- we kept those on the hush-hush, didn't we Butch? Butch doesn't sugar coat things, he's a straight up kind of guy. If Butch thinks something is lame, he'll tell you. If you think you're bitchen, Butch will bring you back down to earth. The guy has been involved in stand up paddling and racing since this whole thing started. He's an excellent resource and a colorful character, I'm glad he's chosen to participate on the site. Yesterday, after reading my second Everyman Racer piece Butch sent me some of his own advice. He calls it his 2 cents, check it out:

Mickey Munoz on the left, Butch on the right... check the Primo Hat. He must be an Everyman Racer.

Butch's 2 Cents

I'm concur with your criteria, except # 2. I always think I might have a heart attack running up the beach. And I don't know how you can do anything but stay working as hard as you can.  

Here's how I pick the one to pass, about 4 or so miles into it, there always seems to be one or two people that are just ahead. These are guys you have been with the whole race. Don't choose the one that is 20 yards ahead, you want the ones that are a two or three boards lengths away. I always wait until the very last part of the race. Wait until you're close to the finish and then go completely nuts! Go into the perfect stroke, maybe start screaming on the pull, just go berserk.  

Here's a start tip, on the beach or a water start, line up behind the fastest guys. The ones you know are going to be in the top ten, they will always clear a path, always. You won't be able to stay with them long, but as you know- the starts are crucial and that first twenty yards means a lot. Here's what I do, I focus on the tail of the fast guy's board.  

One more thing, no Mister Nice Guy shit. They don't call it a race for nothing. If you get a chance to snake someone at a mark, you do it, you bang rails, just keep powering, get mean!  You can be all buddy-buddy at the end when your having those beers!  Unlike sail boat racing they have not come up with a bunch of rules, not yet anyway. It's pretty much a free for all out there, especially the starts and going around marks. When you round those marks, go in a little wide and then cut as close to it as you dare. You want to line up your cut so your are heading right toward the next mark.   

There's some great advice in there. My favorite? "no Mister Nice Guy shit.". And to that, I totally agree. At the Battle of the Paddle in the Open Event, if I saw a hole at a mark I just barged right in. I know I was wreaking havoc but like Butch says, "They don't call it racing for nothing". Thanks Butch! 

The Everyman Racer: My three criteria for a successfully completed SUP race

Here are my three criteria for a successful race. If I pull these off, I drive home with a smile on my face even if I've watched the whole thing from the middle of the pack and finished ten minutes behind the leaders (once again, how can they be that fast?).

1. Beat the guy in front of me. If you're an Everyman Racer like me, there will always be somebody in front of you. I make it my goal to pass at least one person in front of me. I try to gauge when to make my move and I try to keep something in reserve for that final push. When the time comes, I sell out and give it my all to catch and pass that paddler.

Frequently, I'm the one who gets left behind. At the Hennessey's International Championships I was following an older gentleman on a custom Hobie, carbon fiber raceboard. It was one of those Darth Vader looking race-needles with the weird looking canoe bow (yeah, the high end board should have been the first indication that this guy was no chump). I was thinking, I'll just hang out here ten yards back and then pass him around the next bend. Wrong. That guy, who was paddling so casually it looked like he was falling asleep, kicked it into another gear and just smoked me.

When that happens, I just find the closest pack of paddlers, fall in with them and look for the guy paddling the inflatable pool toy.

2. Finish exhausted (give it your full effort). I don't want to finish the race feeling good- I want to feel like I've given it my all. I want to do the best I can. This Saturday, at the Becky Stuart Memorial in Oceanside I almost blew groceries onto my feet trying to pass the guy in front of me. He was wickedly fast, phenomenally strong and had an iron will- he would not break. He was also sixty five years old. He just laughed when I found out he was more than twenty years older than me. He said, "Now I don't feel so bad". I may have crossed the line thirty seconds before him- but he definitely won.

3. Learn something. I always try to stay alert, to look around, to notice things. I want to learn and I want to improve while I'm out there. At the Battle of the Paddle, I learned something about my stroke (heck no, I'm not going to tell you... get out and do your Homework!) that's made me faster. It was an eye-opener. I watched a guy go by me- saw what he was doing, copied it and like that I was catching and passing people. Unfortunately, I possess a little bit more than the 3% body fat of my unwitting teacher and I couldn't maintain the stroke but, still, I learned from it. At the King's Race, I learned that drinking a bottle of Pinot the night before a race is not carbo-loading. I am now certain that it does not make you faster. In fact, you pretty much just want to die.

These are my three criteria and they've served me well. I've had a great time at every event I've entered. What do you strive to accomplish?

Stand Up Paddle Racing: My GPS set up Garmin Etrex Venture HC

A month ago I saw a little video bio of Hobie team racer Byron Kurt. Byron's biggest piece of advice was to mount a GPS on your board to see if what you're doing out on the water was really helping you to go faster. In fact, I remember that in a certain part of the clip he said that during a workout or race (I can't remember the exact quote) he's pretty much got his head down and his eyes on the GPS trying to give the board what it needs to keep his speed up. The logic of that struck me- so I went out and picked one up and have been using it for the past week's workouts. Here's my setup:

I choose the Garmin Etrex Venture HC. Why? Because it was cheap!

I went with the second cheapest, waterproof GPS that I could find. It's the Garmin etrex Venture HC. It works off of two double A batteries, has a color screen, a large number display (good for seeing your speed from the standing position) floats and is waterproof. I can't remember for sure but I think I paid somewhere between $100 and $120 dollars for mine and had it shipped overnight from the WalMart website. I read a couple reviews about the model and noticed that one of the eTrex's best qualities was  the ease of reading the display in full sunlight. That's obviously important for us stand up racers since we're generally creatures of the sun. 

This is what the unit looks like mounted on the board. Be sure you mount it far enough forward- you don't want it in the path of your blade as you swing it from one side to the other.

The next thing I had to do was purchase a mount. My friend, Kiwi, made a nice mount from plastic that he bought at Home Depot. He attached it to the board with industrial strength velcro- that's a great idea, you want to be able to remove the GPS from your board when you've got it on the racks or in a bag. I opted for a Garmin dashboard mount with a flat base that is stuck to the board/dash with an adhesive disk. Here's what it looks like:

The disk has a lock that keeps the GPS mount from popping off of it. I thought it was pretty cool, I purchased two of the disks, one for my new race board and another one for the dashboard of my truck... why not?

I've never used a GPS before so I'm sure that I'm not using this thing to it's full potential. But, so far, it's been super fun and informative to have it aboard. It's been great for getting the true distance for my route and for getting a look at how fast I'm really going (I'm not that speedy... my best average so far is 4.6 mph over the 4.5 mile course). Eventually, I'd like to use it to fine tune my stroke and for determining where I should be standing to keep the board in trim. Of course, this will take time. I'm still getting used to having the thing right in front of my face and I do find myself fixating on the ever changing numbers on the screen. Hopefully, with enough practice, I'll get them to change in my favor.

Stand Up Paddle Racing: Kiwi goes to the head of the class... Homework plus Extra Credit!

There's one central truth to stand up paddle racing- nothing prepares you like time on the water (TOW). Kiwi's been logging TOW racing hours for three years now and his work ethic has been paying off.  This summer race season, he earned podium finishes in his division at both the Hennessey's International Paddle Championships and the Battle of the Paddle. Want to get an idea of what he considers a quick paddle workout? Here's the Kiwi report for the paddle route that I call Homework: 

I got off a little early today and was eager to try out the Home Depot GPS holder that I put together yesterday. I loaded the Demon and headed up to your patch, thinking I would run into you doing your "homework". 

Kiwi's Stu Kenson Demon... locked and loaded.

There was no one around so I unloaded the board, turned on some Gangstarr and headed north into the 12-15 mph cold ass santa ana wind. I got to your turnaround and wanted a little more so I chugged my way up to "Sand Island". A little north of the island there's a pylon sticking out of the water, it looked like a cool turn around mark so I powered up to it. On my way there I noticed a Navy patrol boat idling towards me with flashing lights.  

Let the Homework begin... just start paddling north.

 I thought to myself, "I'll show them a drop tail turn at the mark.". Halfway to pulling it off I got caught by a gust and in I went. Bloody freezing when you're just wearing a pair of trunks and a race jersey. I popped up to see my board drifting away so I put my head down and swam for it, retrieving it after a short sprint. I grabbed the board, jumped up and away I went. Downwind was a blast. I angled out into the bay to get bigger runners and flew (that's what it felt like) back down to the beach. On the way back, several choppers buzzed me- they were probably wondering what the F?

Kiwi's Home Depot GPS mount.

Here's the data off my GPS: 

Total time up 54min- 3.8 miles

Total time down 41min -3.8 miles.

Top speed 8.5 mph

Average overall speed 4.81

Upwind speed 4.22 mph

The GPS never lies.

Didn't see you this time- maybe we'll run it another day? 

Kiwi

Next Race, next weekend! On-line sign up available NOW!

Get on it people- online sign up for the this race is up. Click here and get registered!

Early morning race in O-side harbor... let's do this thing! Rauber, Elmer, Flowers, Ranjo, Kiwi, Ferris... where you at?

River Delta Paddlers: Meet Captain Jack

One of the great things about carving out a little spot in the stand up paddle world is getting to meet the characters that inhabit the place. Captain Jack came to me with all kinds of insights into hull shapes, fluid dynamics and secret hoodoo-voodoo, mumbo-jumbo race stuff that I promised to keep on the hush-hush. I asked Captain Jack to pen his introduction to the p.net audience- this is what he sent me:

I live in a world of boats.  Friends call me ‘captain’, because I own a lot of boats.  My home on the water is surrounded by my boats and my neighbors’ boats.  The first time I saw a stand up paddle board, I knew it was for me.  The first time I paddled one, I knew I could do better.

SUP boards are small human powered boats.  Like sailboats, they are not accelerated enough to make them plane on top of the water.  The history of displacement design is primarily the evolution of sailboats.   My board shapes borrow from racing sailboats, kayaks, and the ‘big guns’ of the sixties.  The nose and tail are designed to track and make maximum use of the length of the board.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the bows of boats listening to the sound of the water at the entry point, and  watching water move around the hulls.  Surf board shapers are trying to think “boat”.  I am ‘boat’, surrounded by my personal boat yard and my shape shop for SUP.

Two of Jack's boards: 12'6" and 14"

I currently have blanks with cutaway forefoot (bow) or plumb bow.  Custom shapes, particularly bow and stern, will be developed for individual paddlers and waterways.   Good design comes from an exchange of ideas with the end user.  Talk to me about what you need in a board.

The Delta is as good as any inland paddling venue in the world!  We have 1000 miles of waterways with new experiences to be had at every turn.  Come paddle with me and get fitted for your new board.  

Jack Hanna, Hanna SUP

Hal@WayofWater.com

Suck it up and start paddling

More rain and wind and getting a little bit cold; a whole load of reasons not to get out there and lay down some miles. It doesn't help that my house is killer for rainy days. It's warm, comfy and we've got lots of nice, rainy day things like hot chocolate and Godzilla movies. So I really didn't want to do my "homework" (my code for the four mile course I plotted on the Bay side of Coronado Island) but the thought of coming in last at the next race (December 4th) is usually enough to get my ass moving. For the record, I'm okay with second to last.

Homework? Head north for 2.2 miles, U-turn at Fiddler's Cove, paddle past Crown Point Aquatic center and you're home. Easy- now get off your a#! and do it. 

Like to stand up paddle race? Here's a great site for race dates and information.

I just found this site- it's the best I've seen for stand up paddle race dates, registration and information. Cool to see all the winter race dates here in California- I've got a new Stamps stand up paddle race board on my horizon... getting stoked! Check out this site:

The Everyman Racer: "Not particularly lean, not particularly smart"

I'm not winning races but I'm improving. And that, to me, is pretty satisfying. In fact, it's been enough to keep me out paddling, practicing and planning for the next race, the next challenge (which just happens to be the Kings Race in La Jolla this Saturday). Now all this is very strange, especially if you know anything about me because, at heart, I'm a surfer. I LOVE riding waves. I'm finding, however, that all of the training I'm doing on the race board is making me a stronger, fitter wave rider. I've even dropped a couple pounds; making my trunks a little looser and my cutbacks a little tighter. I'm finding that surfing's good and racing's good, in the words of the ghetto-poet, MC Hammer, "(Hey) It's all good". Man, I totally agree.

I call myself the "everyman racer" because- in this game, I'm nothing special. No super genetics (no former Olympians or Mr. Universes in my family tree), not particularly lean, not particularly smart and definitely not able to focus a hundred percent of my time on training (full time job, full time mortgage... just like you). But I'm still having a blast and I've realized one thing- there's tremendous room for improvement. Even more, if you've got the will to practice and you take a minute to analyze your performances- you will get better- and that's fun.

Here's the first part of a quick little hit list of changes I've made that have helped me improve my racing results.

My first race, The Chainsaw Massacre, was a six mile run out to a channel marker and back. I'd borrowed a race board from Tim Stamps, practiced with it a grand total of four times and figured I'd give it a shot. Wow- what an eye opener. I was pretty slow finishing the course in 1:33. I had fun and I also had time to look around and check out what everybody else was doing that I wasn't. That brought about my first equipment change.

The Change: Longer paddle and bigger blade. I'd used my Kialoa Methane cut at 76". That short paddle, sweet as it is for surfing, wasn't letting me get the reach that I needed. I also noticed that faster paddlers were able to apply a whole lot more power to the blade than I was. I could turn that blade over quickly but I wasn't powering up to my full potential.

Photo: Kialoa Shaka Pu'u... one sweet paddle.

A quick trip to Emerald City (those guys are fully stocked with almost every paddle make you could imagine) corrected both problems. I picked up a full length Kialoa Shaka Pu'u. I chose the Shaka for a couple of reasons- the biggest being the shape and feel of the smaller diameter, oval shaft that Kialoa puts on their paddles. That shaft fits my hand perfect, feels silky smooth and is super strong. Plus, my surf paddle is a Kialoa Methane so grabbing the Pu'u (is that wrong?) felt like coming home. The second being that if Chuck can win on them- so can..... well, maybe I'll finish closer to the middle of the pack.

Photo: Kind of a strange angle- Kialoa Methane on the left and Shaka Pu'u on the right. The Methane blade is about ten square inches smaller in area than the Shaka Pu'u. I'm a huge fan of the Methane in the surf- switching up to the larger Pu'u wasn't too difficult- same ovalized shaft, bigger blade.

The Result:  I got a little faster! My second race was the six mile Pro Race at the Hennessey's International Championships I paddled the course in 1:28. My first race was a little longer than six miles so I can't claim that I took five minutes right off my time, but I do feel that just lengthening that paddle and picking up a slightly larger blade shaved off at least two minutes. A small change, but I'll take it!

Battle of the Paddle: Tips and Observations

1. The parking lot at Doheny State Beach get's filled up fast- get there early (there was a line by 5:45am) and follow somebody who knows (I caught sight of Infinity master shaper Steve Boehne's van as he was pulling in and followed him right to the sweetest spot on the lot- thanks Steve!).

2. The Elite race is gnarlier than you think. There was, for example, a turn buoy set inside the surf line ten feet from a concrete and rock jetty. Many racers were steam rolled by avalanches of carbon fiber raceboards tumbling at them in walls of whitewater- trapping them against the rocks and the jetty. Heavy. And highly amusing.

Photo: Way gnarlier than you think.... especially on the legs in and out through the surf zone. Here comes Kiwi (2nd Place, Mens Stock 40 - 49 Division in the Distance Race) looking for a safe place to ditch his board. 

3. Danny Ching is faster than you think (and the boards with his new label, 404, look GOOD).

4. Bring binoculars- stuff happens hundreds of yards away, you'll want to see it.

Photo: Binoculars would be good about right now. Here's the Elite field working its way through the far marks. The commentators were good but it would've been nice to scope out what was going on out there. Next year... JumboTron! 

5. If you're racing in this thing- practice paddling in and out through the surf. Believe me. 

6. Doho's got some fun waves- and I think this event is the one time where the whole beach is opened up to stando surfing. Get there early and sample some otherwise forbidden waves- and even better, demo one of the billion stand up boards that are there for you to try out.

7. Doho's also got the top .1% of the world's DNA walking around in bikinis- bring your sunglasses.

Photo: Lot's of great boards and paddles, waves and races to watch. 

8. Enter the Open Age-Group race. It's a fun race with limited exposure to the surf (you'll need to go out and in through it one time) and cool trophies if you happen to place in the top three of each division and age group. This year there were over 300 folks of all ages and abilities out paddling in the Open race- which means the chances that you'll be last (everybody's secret fear) are pretty low.

Photo: Here's my result... yep, that's me: John Ashley Ashley... guess who doesn't know how to correctly fill in the name fields on an application? But fifth in my age group for the surfboard class (out of 26) had me pretty stoked.

9. Gerry Lopez is probably one of the nicest surf-celebrities out there. If you only go to shake the man's hand and have a little chat, it's worth it. 

10. It's a long day- so bring a chair, some food and some water. Unless your upcoming race has got you so nervous food is the last thing on your mind. If that's the case, just sit back, enjoy the day and visualize yourself kicking some ass out there.

"All I want to do is T-Bone some expensive carbon fiber sh#t!".... Battle of the Paddle!

That quote heard on the beach at DogPatch today. By the way, there were all kinds of international paddle stars out surfing 'Patch this morning. And why not? It was sunny and glassy and there were even a couple waves to be had (chest high, fun).

That's a bikini and, yep, it's October- two of the nicer things in life: bikinis and warm water in October.

Coolest thing I saw were guys riding their stock race standos in and out through the surfline. And not just managing it either- they were actually turning the boards and making them work. Super cool. I don't think it's supposed to be too big tomorrow but I do think with a falling tide there will be potential for some chili con CARNAGE. I'll be racing the age division surfboard class four mile course on my first stand up board- a Sean Ordonez Big Red popout... and yes, I'll be looking to t-bone some sh#t.

Hennessey's International Paddling Championships: What A Day!

What a killer, stomach churning, shoulder burning, huffing and puffing, mad-scrambling... day! The Hennessey's race was straight-up awesome. The event was well organized, timely and most of all, super fun. Here's a hit list of my thoughts and experiences:

Photo: Early morning... check in, eat a Clif Bar, drink some water... try to keep the butterflies in check.

1. Practice pays off: Two weeks before the race (starting the day after the Chainsaw Massacre) I paddled four miles every day, timed, for two weeks. Man, am I glad I put in that water time! I was cashed out at the finish line- but coming around the last corner, I felt strong. Not strong enough to catch the guy on the Starboard race board in front of me (or Kevin- you little 25 year old dirtbag) but strong enough to finish six seconds behind Mr. Starboard, pass another competitor and fend off two fast guys on good looking yellow race boards. Practice is where it's at- and, with the Battle of the Paddle coming in five days, I'm back out there tomorrow!

2. I know where I suck the most: The start. The whole bust-out-of-the-gates-as-hard-as-you-can and fight your way to clear water madness has got me totally confounded. I lose seconds (probably minutes) handling the mixed up water right behind the fast guys- the water is so torn up by fifty competitors all paddling at top speed that I can't get into rhythm and I find myself just hacking along trying to get into some type of groove. It's the worst part of my whole game. Stamps and I are looking at some design changes to add a little more stability but really, it comes down to more practice, and a whole hell of a lot more conditioning- I need to explode off the line!

Photo: This is always a bad time for me. Check out the messy water in the back and the clean water out in front- next time, I'm out there in front!

3. I know where I suck... Part II: Man, I need to keep my head in the game. Especially if I have a strategy- which I did. Listen to this: Some of my really fast prone paddler friends clued me into the fast routes through the Bay- describing how the incoming tide swirls through the basin and telling me where to be. I'm coachable, I followed their advice, I was in the right spot and, to my amazement, I was doing pretty well on the first leg of the race. Problem is, I didn't verify if there were required buoys to follow on the course- I assumed (we all know about that word- right?) we just had to get to the turn around mark any way we could. So, when I found myself cutting a corner while everybody else was taking a twist in the bay to the left of a set buoy, I was suddenly in a bad position.

Photo: Here I come, digging for all I'm worth- I almost had that guy in front of me. How cool is it to hear your own name over the loudspeaker as you pound it in to the finish line? I'll tell you: It's extremely cool.

I had two choices: keep going and possibly get disqualified. Or, stop, turn ninety degrees and round the buoy- all the while watching eight or nine fellow competitors go zipping by me. I am sure I was the topic of a few post race conversations that started with, "Did you see that guy who had to backtrack the course around the buoy at the bridge... what the hell was he thinking!" Yep, that was me. I should have verified the course before paddling. That mistake probably cost me twenty or thirty seconds.

Last time (Chainsaw Massacre), it was the finish that snarled me up- this time it was the course that got me. Never again- I hope!


Check back for more race reminiscing!

Stand Up Paddle Racing: Kiwi's New Race Board... Stu Kenson Demon

Okay- I just dropped that name on it. I thought it fit- the thing looks evil to me. Kiwi's been waiting for this one: 12'6 x 26", 100% carbon, stupidly light and just in time for the Hennessey's race coming up this Saturday.  Test paddle is tomorrow morning and then we'll hook up in the evening for another run. Full report and more photos coming soon. Check it out:

Stand Up Paddle Racing: My Mistakes at the Chainsaw Massacre

A couple of shots from Saturday's race (thanks Coronado Mike and Liza):

Photo: Getting ready to start- I got trapped in the middle of the pack at the starting line and couldn't work myself over to where my friends were starting. When you paddle from the middle, you're boxed in and the water is choppy. Mistake #1: Don't start in the middle of the pack.

Photo: There was a little too much of a westerly head wind so I phoned my buddy the Admiral and had him move one of the Navy's newest multi-billion dollar wind blocks into place. It's good to have powerful friends.

Photo: Here's our finish. Notice I'm the most downwind guy there? That meant I had to paddle upwind to the buoy. Mistake #2: Pick a good line to the finish buoys.

Photo: See that kid in front of me- he was one of three people who passed me at upwind mark. I chased that kid all the way to the finish- unfortunately for me, he snagged a wave and rode it all the way to the beach. I farmed it on the next little bump and the board broached- throwing me off in front of millions of screaming fans (well, maybe not millions)- how embarrassing! But, that's racing- I guess.

Photo: Mistake #3: Once you're near the beach, ditch your board and sprint for the finish. Sting rays be damned! See that guy behind me (Dave?), well he actually finished in front of me because I was too worried about getting my kit all in order. Reminder: When the finish line is in site- don't stop moving forward.

Photo: Coronado Mike- bringing it home. When it all comes down to it, you're really racing against yourself. Your head says, "Why are you doing this to me" and you've got to say, "Just keep it moving!" while your body says, "I hate you".... now doesn't that sound fun?

So this is racing...

Wow. That was an eye opener for me. My impressions:

1. Racing is fun! Yes, I was absolutely spent by the time I reached the finish buoys and man, there were times when I just wanted to quit. Still, the thing was a blast, I'm definitely doing another one. In fact, I just filled out the registration form for the Hennessey's race two weeks from now.

2. I don't quite understand how the top finishers can be that fast. It's almost magical how quickly the strong paddlers distanced themselves from the field. I mean, weren't we all paddling in the same water, against the same wind, in the same direction? Huge respect to those guys and gals who have got this thing down.

Photo: Ten minutes before the start of the race I see this crawling on my board: So is that a bad sign? 

3. Even more respect to the prone racers. Mind blowing- that's all I can say about it really. There was a point in the race when I saw a neon green blur coming up beside me- I looked over, it was a woman absolutely cranking along on a stock class prone board. That gal was jamming- turning those arms over non-stop. I was able to keep up until we rounded the upwind buoy at the half way point- when she turned it down wind she was gone for good. Gnarly.

4. Racing is technical- you've got to know your board, the conditions, your level of conditioning and the route. A weakness in any part of that list will just add minutes to your final time and rob you of places in the final results. I was kind of shaky in all four areas- which is awesome because it leaves me tons of room for improvement.

Photo: My Imperial Beach teammates: Kiwi (who took 3rd in Stock SUP) and Kevin... stoked to have shared the day with them. 

5. It's fun to beat somebody. Even if you're way back in the pack- it's still fun to reel somebody in and crush them (next time, John, next time). While I didn't exactly crush anybody out there, I did keep right on the tails of a small pack of dudes half my age and if I hadn't blown it right at the finish things might have been just a little bit more satisfying.

6. Music and hydration are key- thankfully I had both.

7. The race community is a good one- really nice people, super positive and stoked to be there; especially if you're the one who remembered to bring the cooler full of cold beers.

And, man, those beers never tasted so good!

Racing is for jocks... so what am I doing?

Well, technically you're racing if you're up in the front kicking ass. I'll be somewhere in the back field making sure the bottom half of the curve is well represented- I guess you could call my style fast paddling not exactly racing. But I'm stoked- I've got a cool board to paddle (even though these race boards are damn tippy, they're still fun to paddle) and it'll be a cool little gathering practically in my backyard. Check out the board I'm paddling:

Photo: Stamps was super cool to let me borrow a race board (I'm on the yellow one)- she feels fast to me! Talk about light- I think this one is lighter than my surf stando.

The race is called the Chainsaw Massacre, it's a benefit for the Coronado Life Guards. The course is a 6.5 mile run out to the tip of Zuniga Jetty (the jetty at the mouth of the San Diego Harbor) and back. The start time is 10:30am and the hope is that we'll have westerly winds to push us back to the finish. I'll let you know how it all works out.

Jeremy Jones: 1st Race, 3rd Place on Stamps 12'6

Jeremy bought a board after seeing the three mile race around Naples a couple of months ago. I brokered the sale of a used 12'6 Stamps race board, Jeremy dropped me an email asking if QuickBlade made good paddles (yes) and that was the last I heard of him until yesterday. How cool is this? First race, third place in the Stock Division... I wonder how excited he is for the next one? Jeremy?

Photo: There he goes on the Green Flash- puttin' a bend into that QuickBlade- go get 'em Jeremy!

Photo: I've heard it's like the Tour de France, you want to run at the front because there's less of a chance of a collision to ruin your race. Here's Jeremy leading them out.

PADDLE ROYALE FEVER in BAJA

Hola amigos - Tim Hatler here, owner of Palapas Ventana in La Ventana, and organizer of the 5th annual La Ventana Classic that will this year feature the PADDLE ROYALE..

Well the water temp here in La Ventana is 85 degrees, weve got a yellowfin tuna bite that just went richter, great Pargo spearfishing, light NW winds starting to blow and tease the kites, and fun 4-6 foot surf on the pacific and East Cape...But something else is happening too..theres a buzz in the air about our PADDLE ROYALE SUP race in January....even the crustiest "Ive been surfing since before you were born" types have strapped shiny new SUP boards onto their rigs and are arriving in southern Baja and staring at Cerralvo Island offshore and thinking - I want to win that race!!

They are paddling the morning flat waters of the sea of cortez and training - getting ready for that late January day when the pangas will take them to the island and they will race 11 miles back to the La Ventana shores in the name of raising $$ for our local schools.. weve already got Isle Surfboards, PADDLESURF.NET, NAISH, and StandUp Paddle Sports as confirmed sponsors and are getting more every week. There will be great prizes including boards, cash and an expo where you can try the latest gear for free.

Watch out for IB's own KIWI, last years winner, hes a ringer and rumor has it hes been sighted at Lobster Shack on a training run to the Coronados

Come check out our Baja Paradise and paddle with me and John for a good cause this winter - Jan 21-24, 2010 ---see http://palapasventana.com/news_details.aspx?NewsId=4 for more details and signups coming soon!!

Baja Mexico: La Ventana Paddle Royal- 11 mile Island Crossing Race!

Coming soon! Make plans, build boards, load up yer rigs and head south... this is the one you DON'T want to miss. The scenery's right (pristine southern Baja islands, desert and sand), the water's right (mid 70's, super blue, early morning glass), the course is right (11 mile island crossing as well as sprint races with crowd pleasing beach run, dive-for-the-popsicle-stick finishes) and the cause is right (raise money for the schools of La Ventana).

Click here for a full report from last years event (check out how much money was raised for the local schools and see how it was spent)- be sure to check out the "special events" section!



But wait there's more! Cold Pacificos? Si! Margaritas frias? Si! Fish tacos? Si! The international airport in La Paz is only thirty minutes from the race course, book it, fly in and get to paddling. I'll be there for all five days of the festival- come have a beer with me. See you down south!

Southern Baja Stand Up Paddle Race: '09 La Ventana Classic and Kite Expo

Do this right now, pull out your calender and block out time in January, 2010. Believe me, you will want to be down in La Ventana (30 minutes from La Paz International Airport in Southern Baja California) for next year's La Ventana Classic and Kite Expo. Last week, Kiwi and I had a chance to participate in the Classic's stand up paddle events and I can tell you that there is no event in the stand up paddling world that comes close to this one for pure FUN!



Photo: I didn't get a chance to get these two out paddling- but there's always next year!

The Classic is a four day water sports festival conceived and organized by Tim Hatler, owner and proprietor of Palapas Ventana. The goal of the festival is to raise money for the renovation and development of the small town's elementary school. Last year, Tim was able to raise enough money to paint the school and build the students a new restroom. Before the new bathroom was built every student in the school had to share one toilet!



Photo: Start of the qualifier.

This year's Classic was the biggest in the event's four years of existence. The event drew every major kiteboarding company as well as top ranking kiteboarding pros and more than a hundred amateur kiteboard competitors. The beach was covered with the latest models of kites and boards, all available for demo. There were Pacifico Girls walking the beach and local folk dancers on the main stage. As expected, the beer tent was going off and was almost rivaled by the ice cold margaritas being served off the adjacent table. Mix in a DJ spinning thumping tunes and a professional emcee keeping the whole deal rolling and it was obvious that the Classic had grown up.



Photo: Hard to believe that the small beach in the back ground is almost ten miles away. Leg 1 of the qualifier with Kiwi leading the way.

Although the Big Air and Old School Trick contest were cool (two words to describe who dominated these events: Richman brothers... unreal) the Classic's real draw is the ten mile, Cerralvo Island to La Ventana race called "The Crossing". The ten mile channel crossing is completed by the pro riders in twenty five to thirty minutes of hardcore, pedal-to-the-metal racing. The amateur division can take an hour or more to pull it off. It's a radical event, definitely worth hanging around for, if only to see how exhausted these guys are when they come blowing across the finish line.



Photo: Stickered up.

This year, Tim asked me to organize a SUP race for the event. In addition, Tim needed me to hand out demo SUP boards and to give basic instruction to those looking to try out stand up paddling. Isle Surfboards, the only stand up company to sponsor the Classic, stoked us out by sending down four stand up boards and paddles for people to demo. I'm a stand up paddle freak so when I'm tasked with spreading the stoke, I take it seriously. I wanted to be sure that everyone got a shot at trying out their equipment. If you've paddled the Sea of Cortez than you can understand why stand up paddling has blown up down there. In the small town of La Ventana alone there are over twenty regular paddlers out every morning laying down tracks in the perfectly still water. The Classic brought out many more takers willing to demo Isle's SUP boards- I was happy to oblige them.



Photo: Next year, this photo will be taken from the island offshore, and these guys will be a lot more worn out at the end of it all.

The Classic is one of those events that has a rootsy, down-to-earth feel about it. If you've never raced before and you want to try it out in a low key environment, this is your event. The emphasis this year was on having fun and there were events for all skill levels of paddlers. The day I arrived Tim had just completed the buoy-to-buoy, "Chase Race". In this race competitors started at either end of a two buoy course and raced around the closely set buoys trying to lap each other. The race required skill, stamina- and that you wear a Mexican wrestling mask. Like I said, the emphasis was on fun.



Photo: What do you think, easy to breathe in that thing? Kent, trying to kill it before it kills him.

The big day came on the third morning of the contest. Conditions were perfect for the SUP course race. The morning brought us sunshine and perfectly flat, seventy degree water. The twenty two competitors were sent to race a three mile course with the top five men and women finishers moving on to the final event.



Photo: Women's Division Winners: 1st Cynbad Brown, 2nd Tonia Farman, 3rd Michelle Koff

I chose a sprint distance course because it keeps the racers in sight of the fans the whole distance and because three miles is a friendly enough distance to encourage new paddlers to participate. The final course was a half mile, three buoy course that had to be completed three times before sprinting for the beach finish line. Next year, the major SUP event will be a 10 mile SUP version of the Crossing. Stand up paddlers will race from Isla Cerralvo to La Ventana for a cash prize.



Photo: Men's Winners: 1st Mark "Kiwi" Field, 2nd Ozzie Lenzsch, 3rd Marco Pena

In the end Kiwi dominated the Men's field by winning both the qualifier and the final event, taking first place on a stock Isle Surfboards 12' x 30" stand up paddle board. Michelle Koff, the women's third place finisher also won on a stock Isle 11'6" stand up board, using one of Ernie Johnson's, Johnson Big Stick ply paddles.



Photo: Cranking it home, 3rd place Michelle Koff

With two contestants finishing first and third it seems that Isle's onto something for the stock paddle class. Are they the fastest on the water? The gauntlet has been thrown and it's unknown as to who in the stand up paddle racing word will accept the Paddle Crossing Challenge. The only way to find out is to come on back down next year and try your luck in the water. See you there!



Interested in supporting the 2010 La Ventana Classic? Contact Tim Hatler at www.palapasventana.com or email him: tim@palapasventana.com