It has been over a year and a half since the kids competed in SUP racing. All racing events were shut down for 2020 so the kids continued to practice and wait...and wait...and wait for their next opportunity to stand on the starting line again. This last weekend the state of Jalisco Surfing Federation held its State Championships. The kids were invited through their Team coach who is a Jalisco Surfing Federation member to attend the event.
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| The Eco Sport loaded and ready to leave. |
Ashley was in the States so it was up to the kids and I to pack up and head south for the 5 hour drive. It was the first time I had been away from Sayulita since August 2019 due to COVID and the first time I had gone on the road with only the kids since we arrived in Mexico.
The three day event was held in Barra de Navidad. The kids would compete in three events over the course of the long weekend. We stayed along a canal system that led out to the protected bay and beach so the the kids could put their boards in the water near the house rental and paddle over to the competition that was going to take place in the area of the town's malecon and jetty. Pretty cool to be able to paddle over to race.
Barra de Navidad was quite a bit different than Sayulita. Much quieter, really clean, fewer cars, few vendors/performers and very pedestrian friendly. The downtown area had wide sidewalks, legitimate one way traffic and we never had to dodge motos delivering tortillas or 10 year olds driving golf carts. Yes, it was super nice but it did lack Sayulita's energy and vibe. It was a nice change of pace for a few days but it made us appreciate our home a bit more.
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| Trace charging during the Sprint event. |
The kids were competition rusty and nervous as they arrived for the day one sprint competition. Upon arrival it was clear that it was a small event as far as racer numbers and we even recognized several competitors from other racing and surfing events we had attended in Mexico. It was clear that Trace and Alex were two of the most experienced racers in the competition with just a couple of exceptions. As soon as the horn sounded for the first race it was clear to most everyone as well that these two were a little bit different.
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| Alex pulls away during the sprints. |
The kids had only a little competition and won their divisions easily. A good start and after a short intermission it was on to the other side of the town's malecon for more open water and the Technical race. The juniors would race first for 2 laps with 3 turns each lap and then the adults would race 4 laps with 3 turns each lap. Alex would race with the adult women's Open division.
The Technical race is fun to watch as competitors navigate turns, waves and each other during the event and lead changes are common. Trace was up first and is his strength. Make turns, ride waves, sprint and then repeat. Trace loves it. After the first lap the other competitors started to make mistakes while Trace paddled clean and finished well ahead of the 2nd place paddler.
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| Alex outrunning her coach to the finish. |
Sunburned and exhausted that would be all for the day and we would have to wait until morning to hear if the surf was good enough to run wave events or if the long distance event would be bumped up one day from the originally scheduled last day of competition.
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| Alex approaching her turn to head back out for more kilometers. |
At 8am the event organizers met and the updated event schedule was announced. Race day! So, the kids headed off through the canals to the distance race. The morning was beautiful, winds calm and the water was flat. Conditions that were so much different than what we are accustomed to in Sayulita and it allowed for some fast paddling. It would be a group start and the kids sluggishly got on the starting line still tired from a full day in the sun the day before. Trace would be racing a little over 8K and Alex a little over 12K.
Just a beautiful morning to be on the water or near it. Lacking any real competition the kids cruised to first place finishes in their events. Trace actually like the conditions so much he even considered going out for an additional lap so his sister couldn't say she paddled more than he did that day.
So that was the event. The next morning we got an early start to beat the end of the weekend traffic headed north. The change in the schedule for the distance event cancelled out a "rest day" for us where I had hoped to walk around town a bit and explore. We will have to return and perhaps do just that in the future.
So glad the kids received the invite to compete and we thank the Jalisco SUP Community. Considering they were guests, not members of the Jalisco Federation and not even Mexican everyone was super nice, welcoming and complimentary of the kid's paddling skills. Of course they blew some folks away with their Spanish language abilities since they were not exactly what they appeared to be when they arrived at the competition. Their results didn't compromise anyone's pursuit of qualifying as a Jalisco representative for the National event in the fall so their presence just really raised the level of competition for the event and opened a few eyes as far as what needs to be done to elevate Jalisco's place in Mexico's SUP development. The final Jalisco results and point system will be tabulated for only Jalisco Federation members without Alex and Trace's results.
Some folks were very curious about the paddles and boards the kids used and some even took them out to test drive. Spreading the stoke! Hopefully the trend towards more small races continues into summer and and the kids can be on the water racing again.
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| Alex sharing her gear with new friends. |
