2019 Race Season Recap
And just like that, the 2019 race season has come to a close for us. We know there are plenty of races we could travel to and compete in, but here in the Mid-Atlantic, it’s basically a wrap.
On one hand, we’re happy to have a break in our season. Year-round racing sounds a little fatiguing, plus we’ve got snow to look forward to and (hopefully) months of snowboarding.
On the other hand, the change of season is always a little melancholy. We love the race community and our paths just don’t cross with everyone’s in the fall and winter.
As always, it was a fun and fast summer. As the SUP race scene continues to evolve we’re always amazed at how much has changed (and what hasn’t) since we first started competing 7+ years ago. Here are four areas we’re reflecting on:
The number of races.
In some instances we’re seeing the number of local races decrease and missing some of the old school ones like Battle on the Bay and the Surf Swap in Ocean City, MD. Yet, there are still new races popping up here and there, like this year’s Race Around St. George. We think this is a general reflection on the fluidity of any up-and-coming sport. Plus organizing a race is really tough work. We’re amazed by the amount of work race directors take on (on the side, we might add) to put on a great event. Juggling competing priorities and balancing business needs and life in general is an art form.
The competitors.
What hasn’t slowed down? The number of racers flocking to events! In fact, it seems like each race we attended grew in participation this year, and that’s so cool to see. What feels a little different is the pressure we watch people put on themselves at these races, especially the newcomers, some of whom we’ve heard express trepidation about racing in the first place because of the competitiveness on the courses. While there seem to be less and less high stakes at each race, we’re noticing more self-imposed pressure to win. Maybe that’s the natural evolution of things, and maybe we were the same way when we first emerged on the SUP race scene. In fact, we know we were. But we’re feeling good about how we’re approaching races these days, which leads us to…
Our outlook.
We like how we’re feeling about our racing right now. This season we approached each race with no expectations or anticipation of our performance. There might be fewer podium finishes, but there’s also a lot less anxiety and ton more fun. And we’ve discovered that we can still hold our own out there while living more in the moment and in the experience. Winning naturally feels good. And we’re certainly going to celebrate when it happens, as everyone should. We just don’t put all of our stock or stoke in those wins anymore. Plus it was Fin’s first full season of racing and it’s been a huge highlight for us. We generally have to rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to paddle with him!
What’s next.
We’re looking forward to our next season on the slopes and savoring that time together. But, the SUP season is always peeking just around the corner and we’re taking advantage of some 2020 planning, which will include a board class change for both of us. Yep, you heard it here; We’re changing board classes to 14’ next year. Why the switch up? We’ll cover that in an upcoming blog post, so stay tuned. That being said, we have two professionally maintained 12’6 race boards for sale. Hit us up if you’re interested!
We’d love to hear about your race season this year. Favorite memories, fun races, biggest accomplishments, lessons learned, what you’re looking forward to next - comment below!
For a comprehensive look at the season, check out our 2019 race recaps:
