Virtual Race Series | SUP Prone Kayak OC
Hey folks
I wasn’t going to do this again but here I am. I like the motivation to do my intervals in the boring dirty calgary water. So after tonight’s training I did a 500 for fun. Too long for a sprint but a good distance to feel like puking.
Anyways I love watching everyone go hard so keep up the hard work.
Aloha
SupBruddah
What fun it is to paddle the ocean blue! This is what sisters do at 5:30am. A fair current on the way back to our starting point.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/11143946116
PacificPearl
So calm and beautiful. Very little current.
Jeannie Johns
What a beautiful part of any day!
PacificPearl
500 m , 4:20 -First time doing sprints. Loving this way to challenge myself and be apart of the community.
Jeannie
Helluva season paddlers! The schedule got very, very busy late in the season and many of you pushed through right to the end. Congratulations to everyone that posted times this year, and especially to those that completed all events!
Here’s the draw for September, picked randomly from everyone who submitted results in the month. We’ll also send out a little something for everyone that completed all 2022 events…
Rally Beer Co. beers: Ariel Amaral
Infinity SUP swag: Megan Cynowa
Probably the toughest challenge of the year, with 4 x 15 km paddles spread out over three days. It was certainly a tough one to pull off both physically and logistically. So, here is the full top ten, with everyone deserving mad credit:
Check out the Race Reports section to see first-hand accounts of the action. Incredible efforts!
Three other races wrapped up at the end of September. Check out the final results:
Paddle Battle final results
Downwind Cup final results
Sprint 2000m final results
All individual race results flow into the 2022 national rankings. Danielle Holdsworth topped the female national ranking this year, with a dedicated and strong performance! Here is your top five… love seeing Ontario, Quebec and Alberta all represented!
In the men’s group, congrats to Ryan Blake who’s consistent effort through the year earned him the national title. Two Quebec paddlers were close behind in a tight battle…
Bittersweet feels starting the last event for the 2022 season of Canadian Paddle League. Grateful for this annual challenge to push me and get me out on the water early each weekend but exhausted and bored of paddling on the local water.
This paddle was last Sunday but I needed time to collect my thoughts before posting.
It was a fantastic day – crisp air, sun had just risen and flat water. I was the only one out on the water for most of the 12k. Absolutely no wind and a body of water too small for a point to point. It was a reflective paddle – I pushed myself for some intervals and also jut paddled rhythmically to soak it all in. Time was not a consideration for me – it was more about completing the goal – get in all the events and finish with a sense of accomplishment and smile. And, that I did!
Successful completion and looking forward to better planning the events for 2023 that will bring me to race on different bodies of water throughout Colorado for the Canadian Paddle League Endurance Challenge AND recruit some more people to do it with me!!!
Thank you all for another great season – it was fun reading everyone’s race reports and seeing their social posts. I admire you all!
ChrisGrackWilson
1st paddle after the 110! Huge congrats to Ryan Blake for signing up last minute and racing a great race and finishing strong! Great to see a CPL paddler pushing those limits at River X. That monster 72 km paddle on Simcoe last year did well for this race !!
I have a 300 meter ski course in front of my launch and another nav buoy another 300 m away for a V course 5km on the V course with more then enough turns finished off with an 1km sprint to finish the race. Had some waves along the way crossing the boat wake that was cutting thru MY course haha!!
I was hoping for wind the weekend cannot see any for a downwind run and time is running out might be first race I can’t complete ruining the 3 year steak dammit. I ll be looking for wind all week long haha.
Great year to every paddler taking part can’t wait to see what next year brings everyone in this great community…
MustokaPaddler
I looked at this Endurance Challenge with both intimidation and excitement. This would be my biggest physical challenge of the year but also one that would take a great deal of time; during a summer where I was already struggling with balancing everything in my life. With an inflatable non-race board, I was not confident that I could put in the hours necessary to get this one done. But, stubbornness and intrigue in my capabilities made me push myself more than I thought I could.
Day 1 – This one a treated like a normal Saturday out on the water. I chose the local reservoir near my house – I have spent countless hours paddling on. It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze. I thought it would be two laps but quickly learned that was not enough. Kept paddling the buoys until I hit the 15k. I struggled with preventing my feet from falling asleep. I was happy with the time – always happy to hear my watch say “Distance Complete!”.
Day 2 – I didn’t have the time in the weekend to drive the hour to the larger reservoir, so I stayed at my local water. I also knew that I was not going to be able to come back for the second 15k of the day later that afternoon, so it was going to be a 30k morning. The fear of boredom set in pretty quickly… the water was glass so no challenge to keep the mind alert. The sunrise was beautiful, and the birds and fish were out in force. I was pleased with my first 15k. After a thirty minute refuel, I set out for 15k #2. This one was harder, my back hurt and the water was crowded with boaters and casual SUPers and it was HOT – Colorado is experiencing another heat wave – almost 100 degrees by 11 am and the sun was brutal. Halfway through I wanted to quit – I wanted to be out of the sun and away from people. It took a long mental talk with myself to force me to push through; I was not crazy with the time, but proud that I got through it.
Day 3 – Out on the same reservoir, about thirty minutes earlier, though mentally not excited for more of the same route. I paddled into a beautiful sunrise – this re-energized me and pushed my through. The water was like glass the whole time but it got hot fast! I was able to finish strong and sprint the last 1.5k.
I will cherish the lessons I learned about myself this weekend. I am grateful to live so close to water on which I can paddle. My calloused hands will remind me of my accomplishments all week. And, the high five and kudos of admiration I got from my teen daughter when I finished this challenge will be ingrained in my soul forever.
Maybe I will have a race board before 2023 League starts back up! I am in awe of the times you all are putting in! Congrats to all who took this big one on! You are all my inspiration!
https://www.strava.com/activities/7748956414
https://www.strava.com/activities/7754143007
https://www.strava.com/activities/7755561727
https://www.strava.com/activities/7759324279
ChrisGrackWilson
The last weekend the schedule and the weather would allow I decided to take the leap and commit to the Endurance Championship! UGH! What a grind, but so glad I did it! The smoke blew in the heat warnings were still out but the WIND stayed away for the most part! Had people having their morning coffee timing my laps and cheering me on which was kind of fun! This has been a season of big paddles so seemed fitting to complete the challenge! Had to copy Robyn Bell (my fierce paddle buddy otherwise known as HELLZ BELLZ) with her pictures to celebrate each leg down!!
Jana Miceli