Race Recap: Carolina Cup 2021
It had been 100 days since the last Carolina Cup SUP race when paddlers from around the country - actually, the world - descended on Wrightsville Beach last week for this much anticipated event. Typically the Carolina Cup kicks off our race season in April, but after multiple COVID delays, this year’s race concluded it. This also meant that a November race was a lot different than what we were used to in the springtime, despite this being our 6th year racing the course. And boy did Mother Nature test us all. Gale force winds. King Tide. A nor’easter. She threw it all at us.
We were fortunate to have a small contingent of some of our closest paddling friends and Team Filthy Flamingo members to share a vaxxed house with and this year especially, it felt good to be wrapped up in the support of others. Here’s a recap of our races and the event.
Meredith’s Race
I made the decision a few week’s back to change my registration from the 10k Money Island race to the 5k Harbor Island one. The 2020 race was supposed to have been my first year competing in Money Island, and quite frankly, it’s time for me to step up to its challenge. But, I’m not sorry I made this swap given Saturday’s epic conditions. Why did I step down to a shorter course? After a year of no racing I’ve only been competing in short distance races, and while I had good intentions to train for the 10k, I simply ran out of time and felt ill prepared. Then came the forecast for race day and I breathed a sigh of relief over my decision.
Despite the wild conditions on Saturday I had a really good race. I had a brand new, more stable Flying Fish race board, my start was strong, and I was determined to use my river and wind knowledge to conquer the conditions. During the first upwind leg I was in one of the top three overall spots and that just motivated me even more. But, I made a really dumb mistake after making it under the last bridge before my first turn (which I had to prone paddle to even fit underneath), and this started to cost me some spots. What did I mess up? I was too focused on this one leg of the race that I didn’t think ahead to pivot to a new strategy for the next one, which was filled with uncoordinated side chop and stiff side winds. Because of this, I didn’t set myself up for success and when a swell knocked me into the water, flipped my board on top of my head, and completely submerged me, I was left in a terrible spot on the course and I had to fight to stay safely away from the docks. From there, it was a battle to get to the downwind leg of the race with paddlers everywhere, including myself, struggling to even paddle on their knees.
I wish I could give a better analysis of my race to truly understand how I battled back to a 4th place overall finish and a 1st place spot on the podium in the 18-49 division. But honestly, the rest of the race was a bit of an out-of-body experience. And I know I’m not the only one who felt that way. The tides made the course virtually unrecognizable and the cold left my hands in claw-like forms that too easily slipped off my paddle. It was like paddling in a foggy dream. So what was it? Maybe it’s the valuable lesson I learned during the top half of the race. Maybe the women I passed in the last half had burned all their energy early on. Hell, maybe it was the power braids my friend Julie gave me the night before, which I swear give me supernatural powers.
All I know is that when I crossed the finish line to people cheering for me I was a ball of emotional energy and had a hard time controlling the tears. Again, I know I’m not the only one who felt that way.
Scott’s Race
This was a race of many firsts. Sure it was the first time I raced in these kinds of conditions. But it was also the first time I raced in a rain coat or a wetsuit for that matter. The first time I’ve ever jumped into a shower post-race with all of my clothes on.
I’m sure I’ve said this before but this race really reinforced for me the importance of racing your own race. Stick with your strategy and don’t second guess yourself.
I made some good decisions in my strategy on race morning. Particularly, in the final upwind leg I chose to stay on the left side of the channel when everyone else went up the right side. I knew the winds were tracking more northwesterly and this would save me some time and energy. While this was a good choice, I definitely could have executed it better. Mainly, I should have waited to cross over to the right side closer to the finish line. I underestimated the power of the wind when I did cross over. It was a slog and I ended up losing ground.
I usually don’t like firsts on a race course. I always try to put into place what I’ve already practiced. Firsts in a race can be detrimental. Thankfully, the firsts I tried this time around really saved my skin - literally. In fact, I actually left Meredith’s race start to run back to our house to grab my raincoat, which I hadn’t planned to wear. I stuffed it in the handles of my board and later put it on right before the last upwind grind, soaking wet from my previous falls. These were lucky choices I made, though I’d still recommend avoiding firsts at any given race.
I usually like to see stronger results from myself, but honestly, I’m happy with my performance given the conditions and my lack of training at the end of the season. That’s another valuable lesson learned. You can’t stop training just because the season is winding down and you have only one more race to go. I got complacent.
Another lesson from this race: it’s not often I get to paddle with a friend for most of the course, and having my prone buddy Bernie by my side on and off for more than 6 miles helped physically and emotionally.
We’re so proud of every racer who lined up at the start on Saturday or who decided that morning that it wasn’t the right thing for them to do. We know this race left people feeling high highs and low lows - and frankly, everywhere in between. No matter where you fall on the spectrum or what goals you achieved or didn’t, you’re winners in our eyes.
We also have to give a giant shout out to Team Filthy Flamingos for conquering their courses. We can’t speak for anyone else’s experiences in lead up to the event or day-of, but we hope you’ll share lessons learned in the comments. What we can say is that we’re so proud of each of you. We loved screaming words of encouragement over the howling winds , cheering for you as you crossed the finish line, and hooting and hollering as you stepped onto the podium yourselves.
As racers, we should always be grateful for the people behind the scenes at these events - from the race directors and volunteers, to the emcees and the support crews. It takes a lot of work to pull off these kinds of events, and with the wild conditions we had, we’ve been reflecting extra hard on the tough decisions organizers had to make to keep everyone safe on Saturday.
A lot was different at the Carolina Cup this year, but so much remained the same - the comradery, the stoke, the excitement to be on the water together. The Filthy Flamingos definitely made it a point to maximize our time in Wrightsville despite the conditions.
We’d love to hear from other Carolina Cup racers. Sound off in the comments!
