October Roundup

Posted on 10/21/2015 by BT

In case you’ve been napping–FarAndAWey has been on the move for the last few weeks, traveling, working, and catching a few late-fall waves; but, a few posts are up, or forthcoming, and they’ll make your day a smooth ride.

We had to wait until almost the end of summer, but the swells showed up and DST was there to make a statement about getting out there…everyday if you can.
FAAW got lost in Baja…and that’s a good thing.
Got a front row seat to maybe one of the most difficult Catalina Classic Paddleboard Marathons in history–which is still difficult to write about (full post forthcoming).
Laguna Aquathon did not happen, except for those that did not listen. It was the longest swim (4-5 miles) of any year I can remember, we missed the mid-day cocktail stop, and we still had more fun than can be expected for a six-hour tour of SoCal’s most beautiful beaches.
Thought it would be super fun to race the second annual West End Loop Race, which it was if you didn’t actually race, but rather paddled with your friends, jumped in the water, and didn’t take yourself too seriously (full post forthcoming).
DST ponied up a new short flick with his buddy and made a bonafide announcement that he is ready to charge larger surf in this great Dog Town Session that is dirty, nasty, and awesome.

Last Minute Talks

Posted on 08/28/2015 by BT

Great afternoon talking to our paddler, Reno Caldwell, making arrangements for food, hydration, board transportation, and the smallest little details of strategy. It’s painful to know so much about the race; it’s more painful to watch someone doing the pre-race dance.

Way Too Dangerous

Posted on 08/24/2015 by BT

There are 107 paddlers entered in this year’s Catalina Classic Marathon Paddleboard Race, Sunday, August 30th. That means that there are also 107 people that can’t do any of the following:

take out the trash (way too dangerous)
do dishes (“I might cut my finger”)
get in the sun (“I will have enough of it come Sunday”)
relax or sit still
workout (“I am a machine…let’s just get to this”)
not fixate on the weather (seriously, could it get any hotter in the week before the race?)
enjoy a meal or an adult beverage (oh, they can, but IF THEY DO…well, let’s just say they will consider the wisdom of their actions later…)
not feel that they have made a huge mistake in their training regimen in the third week of December, 2014
call their buddies to make sure they are all feeling exactly the same thing
be a little bit emboldened in the knowledge that they are a very small, elite group of distance athletes, about to make history–no Timex clocks, no fancy gear, no cheering supporters along the way–solo, gutsy, committed

They are massively impressive. They are prone paddleboarders of the highest order. Respect.

2015 Catalina Classic Marathon Paddleboard Race (prequel)

Posted on 08/20/2015 by BT

“The Redondo Rocket”

The 2015 running of the Catalina Classic Marathon Paddleboard race is upon us and it is looking to be a slug-fest. Anything can change in a few weeks, but it’s hard not to notice that the prevailing weather pattern has been hot and humid. Add to that the fact that there has been almost no swell and you have a recipe for an ‘all arms’ race of epic proportions.

The completely stacked roster of paddlers is also impressive in every way. The entire field is exceptionally fit and seem to have taken advantage of the temperate conditions in winter to hammer their training programs—sprints, distance days, group paddles, and a notable number of fast races with some spectacular results. It. Is. On.

Drumming up excitement for this year’s running is not hard. Our hammer, once again, is Reno “The Redondo Rocket” Caldwell, and we have big expectations for him. I’m not going to say what those expectations are (it’s kind of like a banana on a boat, if you know what I mean), but I will say that The Rough House, skippered by inimitable Mark Urkov will be working overtime to support, push, cajole, and, if needed, ‘aggressively encourage’ Reno to give it all has.

The race is nothing short of epic, so it is worth giving a recap of last year’s outstanding effort (read more). Oh, one more thing, this event could not go off without the dedication of a few selfless paddlers (who forgo racing), the volunteers, and, importantly, the sponsors who make it happen over a long weekend. Check out the history of the race, updates, and images from the race at the links below.

Catalina Classic Facebook page
@farandawey (for weekend pics and race-day-updates)
Catalina Classic Website (for a final list of paddler entries)

–BT