This up coming week end is the Stand Up Paddle board event of the year in the Bay Area, the Battle of The Bay. The event will take place at McNears Beach in San Rafael California on October 29th 2011. McNears Beach Park is set in a beautiful sheltered cove with facilities include a swimming pool, snack bar, sand volleyball courts, several group picnic and newly renovated tennis courts. The sandy bay side beach offers a fun, safe place for general beach recreation and super easy carry-in boat access for SUP and Prone Paddleboards.
The annual Sea Trek Regatta and Paddle-a-thon is a chance for the Bay Area paddling community to share in a fun and challenging day of paddling on San Francisco Bay and raise money for Environmental Traveling Companions’ (ETC) accessible outdoor adventure programs. Come join us on Saturday October 15th for the West Coast’s largest, most popular, and definitely most fun sea kayaking event of the year. The Regatta is open to sea kayakers, stand-up paddlers, outriggers, and other paddling boats.
With a variety of race classes and courses, the Regatta and Paddle-a-thon is perfect for paddlers looking to race competitively as well as those who are just looking for a spirited paddling event to support a great cause!
Once again, we will be holding the Paddle-a-thon concurrently with theRegatta! The Paddle-a-thon is much like a walk-a-thon only on water. Paddlers of all abilities are encouraged to recruit family, friends and colleagues to sponsor their paddling miles and in turn support accessible adventures for people with disabilities and inner-city youth.
GREAT prizes awarded at all levels, including kayak gear and ETC swag.
EVERYBODY who raises $3000 or more wins a kayak trip in Baja! (Airfare not included).
Raise the following amounts and you win:
$300- everything with the Registration Fee plus a single boat rental for the race, lip balm, and entry to one pre-event paddling clinic (Aug 24 or Sept 14; limited space, register early!).
$500- everything with the Registration Fee plus a double boat rental, lip balm, ETC water bottle & Chico Bag, and entry to one pre-event paddling clinic. For this fundraising level, doubles partners can each raise $250 (for a total of $500) to qualify for free registration and a double boat rental.
$1000- everything with the Registration Fee plus a boat rental for the race, and a kayaking gear bag.
$3000 everything with the Registration Fee plus a boat rental for the race and a Free kayak trip in Baja!
All event proceeds go to support Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC), a Bay Area nonprofit organization providing accessible outdoor adventures for people with disabilities and disadvantaged youth since 1972.
Help keep paddling adventures accessible to people of all abilities by registering for the Paddle-a-thon or sponsoring a paddler! Registration is now open. Please click (on the left) to register or call for more information.
September 10th, the 3rd annual Marin SUP race at Mc Nears Beach Park in San Rafael. Last year this race started the SUP season in Marin County and the Bay Area. The event also launched the SUP racing career of local elite racers Jen Fuller and Benjamin Sarrazin.
The $10 Marin County Park entry fee includes the race entrance fee as well. Awards and an informal BBQ to follow co-sponsored by Marin County Parks and Surfrider Foundation Marin. Any minor prizes or swag donated will be coordinated with a mention of the donation sponsor at the brief award ceremony. This event is geared toward creating awareness of access to Marin County beaches and waterways and to the benefits of promoting their sustainability.
The Almost 4th of July Decker Loop SUP Race, that You Don’t Want To Miss. Join us on Sherman Island near Rio Vista for a fun Decker Island loop race. 6 miles for the pros or a 2 mile short course for the families and novice. Nice crowd, friendly atmosphere and BBQ.
Hosted SUP Happy Hour at Covewater in Santa Cruz this Thursday with the world’s top female paddler, Candice Appleby! Stop by Covewater Paddle Surf Thursday eve (6-7) for pupus, beverages, and a talk with three-time Battle of the Paddle champion and female SUP ambassador Candice Apppleby and last year’s Jay Race winner, Anthony Vela! Registration for the Jay Race and Covewater Classic available as well. More info in the link below.
This was my first introduction to SUP racing last year; and to date it is still one of the best race I have attended. Great course, beautiful scenery, challenging conditions, nice folks and an amazing barbecue at the end. Last year Scott barbecued some wonderful Oysters on the beach in Stinson. The Shore to Shore paddlerace, SUP& paddleboards is back June 18th. Any types of boards welcome, bring your leash.
Race starts 9am
Pre-register at livewatersurfshop.com
Registration begins on site at7:30am
Shuttle service begins 7:00am
Deep in the heart of Sonoma, the Russian River winds its way through breath-taking scenery from Lake Mendocino to the Pacific Ocean. This spring, the heat is being turned-up with the launch of the Great Russian River Race.
The Russian River has a rich history in hosting river events, dating back to 1908. In this tradition, Russian Riverkeeper, River’s Edge and Sonoma County Regional Parks Department will host the inaugural Great Russian River Race.
What’s Happening
On May 7th, the Great Russian River Race will attract some of the world’s top canoeing and kayaking athletes, local adventurers, social paddlers and corporate teams to race in two separate events.
Advanced and expert paddlers will compete in a class II, 15-mile Bridge-to-Bridge Race from the Alexander Valley Bridge. Intermediate and corporate team paddlers will do battle over the 5-mile Rio Lindo Race, starting north of Healdsburg.
The respective races will finish at the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge, welcomed by the River Race Party. Over $5,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to the winners at the Race Cup Ceremony.
Who Should Enter
The emphasis of the Great Russian River Race is on adventure, competition and fun. Competitors and spectators will have the opportunity to participate in a world class sporting event, while enjoying the surroundings of one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world.
Athletes may use their own kayaks, canoes and surfskis or rent from River’s Edge Kayak and Canoe, the professional outfitter that will manage the river operations, safety and logistics.
Saturday the 16th of April, Bluerush boardsports and supthebay.com are organizing the first Marin county downwind SUP race from Horseshoe Bay to Bluerush in Sausalito via Belvedere point (green buoy). The course is about 4.5 miles long, and it should take 45′ for the fastest paddlers. Open to 12.6″, 14″, unlimited and prone. That day the tide will be pushing us towards Belvedere and Tiburon. A fun and maybe challenging course depending on the conditions.
• Meet at 9am in front of the coast guard station for registration
• 9.45am safety briefing
• 10am mass start
Leash required and PFDs for novice. Call or email Bluerush or supthebay.com for more information.
This will be the 1/4 Century event of Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival, scheduled for March 18th-20th 2011. It is so auspicious that we have decided to change the name to the Santa Cruz PaddleFest to better embrace the other paddle powered sports that have joined us in surfing the energy of Santa Cruz . In keeping with tradition, the PaddleFest will hold the largest paddle powered surf contest in the world, held at the internationally acclaimed break of Steamer Lane. Last year the finals were electric with smooth and glassy 15 footers with every world champion athlete in all our major categories competing against a local favorite-local knowledge won 2 out of 3. , the penultimate partier from Costa Rica , is challenging us to have an appropriate bash for this signature 25th Anniversary.
To crown this event we will include a Stand-up Paddle Race put on by SurfTech, plus we will have parties every night culminating in a Saturday night extravaganza at our towns Ballroom, the Boardwalk Coconut Grove, orchestrated by Canoe & Kayak/SUP magazines. We have taken on Toca’s challenge and are planning on the event of the century. Continue Reading
The Wavechaser Series have been happening for many years in the Bay Area with races taking place from Santa Cruz, to Redwood City or Fort Baker. Wavechaser series are fairly competitive races for Surf Skiers (kayak) or Outrigger paddlers (canoe). The paddlers are usually given the choice between two courses: a short 5 mile course with easy to moderate paddling conditions or a long course 10-15 mile with hard to difficult paddling conditions. The great thing about the Wavechaser series is that now more and more SUP are showing up to race. Last weekend in Sausalito, about 15 SUP raced a 5-mile course from the SeaTrek beach in Sausalito to Yellow Bluff (the last point before the Golden Gate). The conditions were flat and easy with a slow moving current to Yellow Bluff and some stronger currents and waves to manage at the buoy turn.
The sunny and warm conditions made the event very welcoming and fun for many participants. A few paddlers in the SUP race had only paddle a handful number of times.
Next event will be taking place in Oakland and San Francisco, February 19-20, 2011 for the annual double header!
Winners of the day: Carter Johnson, Graham Weerts, Benjamin Sarrazin, Allan Romero, Lisa Phares, Judy Jansen, David Brom, Dye/ Peronetto, Kristen Podolak, Charlie&Linda Banfield, Mike Ng…
