Year: 2021
The Bridges of Essex County Race Summary
A small group of dedicated paddlers met in Danvers, MA for the final race of the New England season. Bill Kuklinski put together The Bridges of Essex County race a couple of weeks ago, gambling successfully that the field would be greeted with a glorious fall day rather than the bitter wind and cold that […]
Read More
Plum Beach Lighthouse Race Summary
For the past 4 years, the Plum Beach Lighthouse Race has marked the end of the New England ocean paddling season. With high winds forecast for its original date, race director Wesley Echols decided to extend the season by a day – shifting the race from Saturday to Sunday. The 8 mile out-and-back course starts […]
Read More
Essex River (Replacement) Race Summary
Although the official Essex River Race was cancelled, a group of dedicated surfski paddlers met on Saturday to hold an unofficial replacement on the standard course. With the generous permission of the town of Essex to use their launch facilities (thanks to Bill Kuklinski and Tom Lawler), 16 paddlers assembled on a pleasant October day. […]
Read More
Great Stone Dam Classic Summary
Although the Great Stone Dam Classic is held on the relatively placid waters of the Merrimack River, it never fails to attract a robust field of surfskis – the largest in New England for 2021. This past Sunday, 30 skis (along with assorted other kayaks, canoes, and SUPs) met at the Abe Bashara Boathouse for […]
Read More
Blackburn Challenge Summary
This past weekend saw 74 boats attempt the annual 19.6 mile circumnavigation of Cape Ann in the Blackburn Challenge. Among this fleet were 22 surfskis. Although the 2021 running of the race looked questionable at times due to COVID restrictions, the host Cape Ann Rowing Club (CARC) and the City of Gloucester ultimately settled on […]
Read More
Ride the Bull Race Summary
The regulation Ride the Bull course weaves back and forth at the south end of Conanicut Island, ensuring paddlers get a little bit of everything Narragansett Bay has to offer – ocean swell, refracted waves, heavy boat traffic, and bizarre tidal currents. On race day, however, race coordinator Wesley Echols was forced by fog to […]
Read More
Sakonnet Surfski Race Summary
As the first open water race of the season, the Sakonnet Surfski Race always draws a good field from New England and beyond. The “beyond” part was particularly well represented this year, with more than a third of the field coming from NY, NJ, or PA. Among those making the long trip from New Jersey […]
Read More