Race Recap: Race Around St. George Island 2019

Last weekend we traveled to Southern Maryland for a brand new race organized by PAC Paddlesports. The long course circumnavigated St. George Island and had paddlers in both the St. Mary’s and Potomac Rivers.

It was exciting to see a new race pop up on the calendar this year, especially since many of our local ones have scaled back. The newness was also just refreshing. The organizers and racers were laid back and it reminded us of the beginning of our "racing careers" (air quotes here because, lol, we're all amateurs) when everything was just a little more chill.

We're switching it up for this race recap, reporting out on each other's experience at this new event.

Meredith’s Race - by Scott

I can’t imagine the feeling of going to a race and not racing - it’s never happened to me. But this is the second time Mer’s had to put her racing on hold because of her shoulder dislocations. I imagine it must suck.

I was bummed for her, but having her help at the end of my race was incredibly helpful. The physical assistance was key - I was so bad off at the end of my race that I couldn’t have loaded my board without her help. But it was also her attitude - positive and upbeat. The low key nature of this race probably helped her mood (I’m sure there was more FOMO sitting out of the 2017 Carolina Cup), but I was impressed with how she approached the whole situation.

Not only was she helpful to me, but she carried other racers’ phones and sunglasses and took care of Fin in the heat of the day.

Scott’s Race - by Meredith

Being the paddle sherpa at this race meant that I could actually watch most of the race starts and finishes, and could cheer for Scott at the back half of his race. Watching him paddle, I could immediately tell he was hurting. In the last month, this was the second race he’s competed in after towing someone for safety reasons. I’m certain he was exhausted and his back sore - I could see it in his paddle stroke.

Despite that, he was still easy to spot on the water because of the lines he picked. I’m always impressed that he can keep such clear focus and keep up with many of the 14s, even when he’s not feeling 100%.

If I wasn’t sure how he was feeling by watching him race, I certainly knew it when he finished the course and couldn’t hang around to cheer other people in. That’s usually not our style, but I think the community was understanding this time around.

Would we recommend this race? 100%. But we hope that as it grows it doesn’t lose its local vibe. The race season already feels like it’s winding down, but we still have a few more fun events we’re looking forward to and we’re on the lookout for other new races to pop up around the area. Know of any good ones? Comment below to share with the community!