Race Recap: B'More SUP Cup 2019

Last weekend we headed up to Dundalk, MD for what was probably our last big race of the 2019 season. The B'More SUP Cup is always one of our favorites because it's all about the community. B'More SUP owner Jessie Benson puts on a great event with three different course offerings, but there are no awards or cash prizes - it's just about having fun and getting on the water. What's not to love about that?! As usual, we paddled different race courses and had different experiences. Here's our recap of the day.

Meredith’s Race

I paddled the 2.5 mile course with Fin. Racing with our four-legged friend has honestly been the highlight of my summer. Blame it on my shoulder dislocation, the oppressive heat, or a number of other things - but my competitive drive has been pretty minimal this year. And I'm 100% okay with that. Paddling with Fin has given me an excuse to just go at the speed my body wants to and has even reinvigorated my desire to wake up early on the weekend to slog though a race. He's an amazing companion off the water and I've loved bringing him along for these rides. And, after a season of phoning it in a little and showing up just for the community, I'm feeling a little more motivated to train harder and perform at a better level next year. I've already got my eyes set on a new board for 2020, so that's probably helping a little bit, too.

Scott’s Race

This race felt like getting the gang back together. It was great to see so many OG racers at this event. Jessie always does a great job bringing the SUP community together for a low-stakes event that she somehow always makes new and exciting. The 5 mile course she put together had us battling the wind through 11 different buoy turns/course direction changes. Don’t forget that tide that had us concentrating on our course and staying on a good heading. For a so-called fun race this was plenty challenging compared to some other local races - so kudos to Jessie for the fun, environmental and technical tests!

We’re a little sad to see the end of our race season in sight. Every year, this community of paddlers becomes a community of friends. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, there’s really no other race community like this.

Luckily, despite a dwindling number of races, we still have some exciting SUP events coming up, including a volunteer stint at Chattajack (be on the lookout for us - we’ll be cheering for you at the finish line!) and a whitewater clinic we’re hosting for B’More SUP on Sunday, September 8. Interested in joining? Learn more about the event and sign up here!