Sayulita JR SUP Team - Pacific Paddle Games 2018 - Part 3

Sunday was the final day of competition and we were able to arrive at the beach a little later than Saturday.  The day's race would be the "technical" race where the racers basically sprint one lap of 1.4 miles around several stationary buoys navigating swell and waves along the way.

The course was essentially the same as last year so the kids were well prepared.  Alex' group was up after a few races so she sat on the beach with her helmet on and waited with butterflies in her stomach.  Again, Jade Howson appeared and wished her new friends from Sayulita good luck and provided some hometown advice to Alex.  Super cool of her to take time from her JR Pro pre-race prep to encourage some of the kids on our team.

Alex gets some advice from Jade Howson.

Minutes later Alex was on the starting line with several of the girls she met during the previous day's race and they were off!  The wave conditions had mellowed a bit but there were still moments where large sets came through.  Fortunately for Alex' group the race began during a lull in the surf and they paddled off to the first buoy.

Alex begins her technical race.  Black helmet on the right.

During this time Trace had been on the beach waiting with his best buddy and team mate, Kolbi.  Jade gave our boys a brief "pep-talk" and soon after the they were off!

Trace and Kolbi get ready for their start. 11 and under boys and girls all raced in a single group but placed separately.

After the kids were in the water we had a few minutes to move over towards the finish line and grab the binoculars to be able to see the race progress a bit better.  The race is a fast one of only one lap but part of it far from the beach and we tried to locate Alex in her group.  We spotted her in second place and not far behind the leader.  And, she was actually closing on her!!!  Whaaaaat!!!?  The swell had picked up a bit and we could see the racers moving parallel to the beach between the large rolling walls of water.  The leader made the 180 degree turn to head to the final buoy turn and Alex was now right behind her.  Things got a bit crazy from there as her coaches, other parents and friends of both girls began yelling unheard encouragement from the beach.

They made the last buoy side by side and both looked to grab a wave in to the beach and the finish line.  Super exciting and the group of parents around us watching the race began to buzz!!  Alex and the other girl picked up the same wave but Alex was trying to ride it where the wave was a bit steeper than where the other girl was at.  She tried like crazy to hold onto it but it was just too much wave with such a long board and she went down as the other girl rode a smaller less steep section of the wave all the way to the beach.  Ughhhh!!  So much fun to watch the hard fought contest between the two girls.  Alex collected herself and was able to catch a wave finishing only 30 seconds behind her in second place.

Traces contest was less of a nail biter with a whole lot less drama but was also really fun to watch.  He knew his buddy, Kolbi, was going to blow the doors off the competition so he had his eye on the next fastest boy in his group who was just 30 seconds faster than him the previous day bumping Trace to 3rd.

We picked up Trace with the binoculars as he made the second to last turn heading to the last bouy to  pick up a wave to the beach.  11 year old boys with helmets on look so similar at a distance so it was hard to figure out just who was who.  The boy who he wanted to beat this race was able to grab a wave ahead of Trace and rode it all the way to the beach to foil Trace's plans for second place.  Trace grabbed a wave too and finished third just 25 seconds behind.

The awards ceremony followed and it was fantastic to once again see the kids hard work and dedication pay off standing on the podium.  During the weekend our team brought home 11 medals!  We loved hearing the commentators say "From Sayulita" as each one of the kids received their medals.  The coaches and parents were so proud of the team and how they got after it with energy, skill and sportsmanship.

The Elite Team!

Once again, our team from this year made it's mark on the Pacific Paddle Games.  Our group of kids put it all out there on the water in tough conditions that even challenged the pros and did it with skill, class and a smile.  It was hard not to notice the team from Sayulita was in the water and doing well.

One of the biggest things to happen over the weekend was a donation of a handful of 12'6" race boards from The Paddle Academy SUP race program. Their program picked up a sponsorship from SICMaui and the loaner boards they let our team borrow for the weekend's event were just taking up space in storage unused.  Amazing and super generous!  Several of our Elite Team kids have received the attention from Brawner Boards and received a discount to purchase their own 12'6" race boards to train with in Sayulita but much of the kid's group trains with the older 11' boards.  So, with the addition of the donated boards the Elite Team may be able to come close to all be training on real race sized boards for the first time ever when the boards arrive later this winter!!

So, second year at the Pacific Paddle Games.  What did we learn?

-Our team is prepared.  Training in variable conditions is to our team's benefit.  You could see a difference in competitors, including the pros.  Some were comfortable in surf and some were not.

-Our team really likes to have fun but competes at a high level too and supports each other.

-The announcers can actually pronounce "Ostrowski"...most of the time.

-SUP pros continue to be so supportive and always give back to the kids.  

-It is great to meet new kids with the same interests in other places.

-Our program is unique.  We now know of and met a couple other kid supportive programs out there but there are few like our program in small town Mexico.  Fun to meet parents from other programs too.

-I am not sure if other SUP kids know what to make of our team from Sayulita.  I watched kids around them during the weekend's parties and events and it was interesting. All of them are Spanish and English speaking but most are sun bleached blonde. All are physically very fit thanks to their training and ocean lifestyle.  They all have ocean skills, compete hard and are composed under pressure.  They are always having fun no matter if they are at beach, competing, having dinner, traveling or at a pre-race party and it is noticeable. They are kids being kids and the youngest member on the team can hang out with the oldest kid.  The team has a positive energy and it is contagious. I am not sure all this is the norm so I feel like our group is special.

-SUP racing, like other sports, takes money.  Gear, travel, lodging, logistics and other expenses really add up to be able to attend races.  Our team of 30-40 kids practices weekly on essentially smaller recreational boards that are getting tired and constantly need repairs and many kids who could travel cannot with the costs involved.  If anyone out there wants to help support the team in any way or may know some who could contact the The Sayulita JR SUP Team here or drop us a message via the blog.

Some of the kids applaud at the SUP The Mag Awards party.  Photo by SUP The Mag.

Sayulita JR SUP Team - Pacific Paddle Games 2018 - Part 2

Before sunrise another team dad and I took the kids down to the beach for check-in for the event.  The kids love this part since it is a lot like Christmas with a all the SUP related swag they get.  T-shirts, jersey's, bags, stickers, energy drinks etc.  We were early which made for a short wait in line and a little less stress leading up to the morning's race.  Once checked-in and the kids were able to just chill out and focus on the long distance race just a little bit later.

Pre race briefing. Photo by SUP The Mag.

The race, just like last year, would be a water start and be 6 miles long. No surprises like last year when we were supposed to race only 3 miles and the organizers doubled the distance for the youth competitors at the very last minute.  We were thankful for having accurate information this year.  The professionals and more experienced racers would head out first with the youth competitors heading out last.  The surf continued to be strong as the swell grew waves pounded the beach.  Fortunately for some of the racers they only needed to contend with the surf one time when they were on the way in to the finish line.

With the pros already started, the Open class waits to begin while the youth sit waiting.

From the jetty behind the next wave of racers. Photo by SUP The Mag.

 Just like last year the kids received their pre race briefing, grabbed their boards, paddles, water and headed out to the starting line beyond the surf break.  Thankfully there was a pause in the wave action and our racers were able to get out for their race without dealing with waves and burning up precious energy.

All the kids headed off into the water confident of what to expect this year.  The coaches and parents assumed their position on the beach and waited.  The racers would paddle 1.5 miles out to a turn buoy and come back to complete one lap.  They would do this twice completing the 6 mile distance so they would be out of range to keep track of for about half an hour, be visible again at the half way point and at the finish. The race began and so did the waves once again.  The race followed the coast line so the ocean swell was coming in sideways to their race direction.  It was big enough that the racers actually disappeared between swells and some racers with less ocean experience even opted to paddle on their knees.

As the kids approached the half way point they had to make a turn in front of our location on the beach.  With our handy binoculars we were able to identify and point out each kid as they made the turn to the coaches and other parents.  The idea was for the kids to stay grouped together drafting to conserve energy but the conditions immediately spread the kids out and they made their way the best they could individually.

SUP Parents.

Close to an hour passed by and we could begin to see the colored jerseys our kids were wearing approaching the final turn buoy and hopefully find a wave to ride all the way to the beach.  We picked out Trace from the crowd and he grabbed a wave but was a little toward the tail of his board and went down.  He recovered quickly and surfed to the beach like a pro and after briefly getting tangled in his leash he sped to the finish line to finish 3rd in his group.

Trace surfs to the beach during the PPG2018 long distance race.

Just a half minute behind him was Alex.  She too caught a wave early but was able ride it to the beach without falling in.  This has always been a weak point in Alex' racing but she was totally solid this day and finished 2nd in her class.

All the kids finished the race battling the tough conditions and everyone was happy about the results.  Our ocean kids adapted really well to the waves and it showed.  Once all the competitors were off the water it was awards time.  We were so happy to see the kids on the podium receiving their medals.  They both had goals and worked hard this year and to see them come home with something for the effort was pretty special.  Trace was determined to podium and was super happy to share the stage with his best friend and teammate, Kolbi.  Alex has almost always finished behind her other girl teammates and would come home after practice frustrated that she was not getting credit for her hard work from some other girls on the team.  In the last year she has grown physically and improved so much on the water it was fantastic for her to go out and finally earn respect for her skills from her team and other competitors.  She was fired up and determined for this weekend's races and it was awesome to see.  Super proud of both of our racers.

Trace with buddy, Kolbi, center.

 The day concluded with some preliminary races for the next day's events so the team got off the beach early and planned to meet up at the house we rented for dinner.  Again, the kids get along really well and they were all happy to hang out at dinner, playing on the Wii computer game console and watching a movie.  To bed early for everyone and off to the beach the next day for the technical race.  The first day was a success and everyone knew the team from Sayulita was in the mix this year!

The kids playing tennis on the Wii.

Team dinner.

Sayulita JR SUP Team - Pacific Paddle Games 2018 - Part 1

Once again members the Sayulita JR SUP Team traveled north to the 2018 Pacific Paddle Games.  This is the second year the JR SUP Team has represented Sayulita at the biggest SUP racing competition of the year.  One year older, one year more experienced and one year stronger.  10 racers between the ages of 9 and 16 years old competed from our program from the Super Grom division up to the JR Pros division.  Last year, the team's participation was a last minute scramble to sign up and get to Dana Point California to compete.  This year the dates were on the calendar months ahead of time so the kids were focused, ready and determined to improve on last year's results.

Waiting with other Team parents, the Cawrses, for our flights in the PVR airport

We flew into LAX to stay the night before driving south to Dana Point.  We were also waiting for our friends, the Cawrses, to arrive who we were sharing a car and house with.  Just a few days prior to our departure we found out that the house that we reserved had actually been double booked and we had to scramble to find another house to rent.  That bump in the road averted we were ready to drive south on Thursday morning.  Well, not so fast. We had a large SUV rented through Turo that was big enough to haul the kid's borrowed 12'6" race boards and still carry two families and gear to and from the beach for four days.  The first car fell through so we tracked down another.  That one also fell through and we thought we might not even get to Dana Point to practice with the team later that day.  After securing a car with Turo on our 3rd attempt we had our minivan and made our way south to check into the 2nd rental house and meet up with the team in our 3rd car rental.  Whew! No worries, if there is one thing living in Mexico has taught us is to roll with the situation and make the best of it.  Ok.  Honestly, I was not all that calm about it but it all worked out in the end.  Hated to see the kids stress too.  They had more important things to be paying attention to than transportation and lodging logistics that were falling apart.

Thursday afternoon practice at Doheny Beach in small surf.

Having made it to the beach and meeting up with the team the kids were anxious to get on their borrowed boards from the local SUP race program, The Paddle Academy.  Our team trains on tired 11' race SUPs.  The boards accommodate a variety of ages and abilities.  During the race, however, the boards they would be using were 12' 6" which is a common race class size..  The kids handled the size increase very well last year but this year there was an unexpected twist.  Waves.  A storm that was well out to sea was pushing in massive surf into the California coast.  10'+ just days before we arrived.  So, the kids not only needed to paddle a much larger board they had little familiarity with but also be expected to navigate big wave conditions, surf these boards to and from the beach, around buoys and against competition.  No joke!

Coach Bicho and Trace discuss waves while Ashley and Coach Shelby talk about other things.

Practice was great with lots of energy and I think the kids and the parents finally relaxed a bit. Last year there was a bit of "smack talking" out in the water with the local Paddle Academy kids SUP race program protecting their turf but this year the kids were practicing at different points on the beach so our team moved about with few concerns like that and mixed in with some pros like Olivia Piana,  Sey Chelle and even cornered a few pros out of the water for a quick photo like Danny Ching and Candice Appleby.

Trace and his good buddies hanging out with one of SUPs best, Danny Ching.

The team with the legend, Candice Appleby.

After a busy day the practice wrapped up and kids were relaxed and stoked to have had a board on the water for an hour or so.  This particular group of kids gets along pretty well so it was great to see the oldest and youngest members of the group able to hang out and support each other.  

Coaches Bicho and Shelby and the Team.

Thursday evening was time for the pre-event parties.  The team was invited to two parties the first night.  One invite came from the coach of the local SUP race program, The Paddle Academy.  It was a cookout in the park just steps away from where the kids practiced.  The other a event was hosted by Brawner Boards, a local California custom surf board manufacturer who has taken an interest in talent from Mexico.  Damien, the owner, actually attended our practice on Thursday and visits Sayulita occasionally and is a familiar face.  He was also responsible for supplying us boards last year at the same event.

The other dad we traveled with, John, and I took our kids to make a showing at both events while the moms, Ashley and Amy, decided to cocktail back at the house.  The Paddle Academy event was already winding down when we arrived so we thanked our host, Coach Mike Eishert, for the invitation and went down the beach a ways to a local restaurant to attend the Brawner Boards event.  Before we left Alex made introductions with a girl member of the The Paddle Academy who she met through Instagram.  The meeting was brief since she was on her way home but it was great for Alex to break the ice with another teen girl who had a similar interest who she would see on the starting line during the weekend.  

                                     

We arrived at the Brawner party and the place was packed with locals, pros and all kinds of folks stoked for the weekend competition.  There was a large buffet and Damien made sure we headed that way once he saw us arrive.  Part of the team was already there and to my surprise they were chatting it up with one of the most promising teen paddlers in the US. Local 16 year old SUP athlete, Jade Howson.  Jade represented the USA at the ISA SUP World Championships in 2017 and will again this year in China.  Pretty cool to see kids being kids just hanging out together.  I forget that some of these World Class athletes are really only a couple years older than our kids plus I think she found our team fun to hang out with.

Trace exchanging Instagram account information with Jade Howson. 

The next practice day was Friday and the big waves arrived.  Big enough to make some of the kids decide that practicing that day just was not going to happen.  Where some of our kids saw something scary, others saw some FUN to be had.  Some competitors do not or are not able to train in an ocean environment.  Our kids are ocean kids and their skills in the waves were apparent as soon as they paddled out to test the water that day.  A couple of kids stayed on the beach and a couple did not even get out past the break but Alex and Trace charged out determined to get out and ride one of these monsters back in.  I was very impressed with Alex.  She desired the challenge, went after it and did great.  Trace loves waves and surfing so him paddling out with his teammates to grab a wave was predictable.  Super tough conditions for everyone out there..

"Overhead" conditions at Doheny Beach

In the first video below you can see Trace who is the second kid to the beach.  The video below that shows Alex.  Keep in mind that the boards the kids are on and that you see flying around behind them from fallen riders are 12'6" to 14' long.  It can give you a bit more perspective on just how big the surf is.  Yes, they were practicing with helmets on since they were required for youth competitors for the technical race.  The kid's timing and wave selection was good so they did not get the biggest set waves to try and ride.

The day's practice was short since the coaches did not want the kids burned up in the challenging conditions.  Tomorrow was game time.  But first, another party.  Coach Shelby told us the team had been invited to a party given by one of the parents of The Paddle Academy.  The dad of this family also has some ties to the SIC surf brand.  When we walked in it was obvious that we WERE the party.  Were we early?  There was really no one else there so the team made itself at home in a strange but lovely(and we were sure expensive) house.  Slowly some people did filter in wondering who the pack of kids was on the back patio having a good time all by themselves.  During the party we met parents from a SUP JR race program from North Carolina that we knew a little bit about.  The Wrightsville Beach Jr Elite SUP Team.  They brought 2 or 3 racers with them this year. Friendly folks and it was nice to meet other parents who were also far from home.

A dinner buffet was set out with lots of pizza and pasta as more and more people arrived so we started to blend in a bit more.  The team met up again with their newly adopted member, Jade Howson.  She sat down and happily joined the group.  Our team get along well, likes to laugh, has positive energy and obviously likes to have a good time.  I honestly think she really liked having a different group to hang out with and was drawn to that.  She took some photos with the team, played whatever game the kids were playing and soon it was time to head home.  Again,  we thanked our hosts and went home for the night.  The next morning was registration and the long distance event.

The Sayulita JR SUP Team At The Pacific Paddle Games 2017 - Part 3

Part 3 of 3.  Read Part 2 HERE.

The last day of competition arrived and we woke up early to overcast skies.  It was actually pretty chilly as far as some of us were concerned though a nice break from the jungle heat and humidity.

Brrr.  Ozzy and Sonia, Habana's mom

The kids(and parents) were weary but were ready for their next challenge.  The "Long Distance" race.  The race would be 3 miles for the youth or so we thought.  The Pros and "Open" divisions would be paddling 6 miles so the kids had been training for that shorter distance at home.  Boards again were brought to the beach and the kids went off to attend the pre-race briefing.

Pre distance race

The race would be a staggered water start.  In other words, the race would start in the water and different divisions would start at different times.  The kids would be in the last group.  The important piece of information was that the kids would be racing 6 miles and not the original 3 miles they had trained for.  We are not sure why they changed this moments before the race but again, there were lots of kids looking around a bit shocked at the last moment new information.  Many of our kids decided not to paddle with or even bring water to race with since the race would be short.  We were now worried that they would get dehydrated going the extra distance.  The kids were just worried if they had the energy to complete the race.

Long Distance Race Map - 2 Laps

After the meeting the kids kind of stumbled around as they soaked in the announcement that they would go twice the distance that they thought they would.  Racers were called to the start line which would be along a jetty at one side of the venue.  There would be 400 racers out there waiting to begin the race

Trace and Ozzy contemplating the 6 mile effort coming up

With 400 paddlers all in the water it made the beach very quiet.  Once the kids paddled off to the starting area it quickly began to be impossible to follow them in such a crowd.  Once again, I failed to bring my binoculars so we were really only able to see the kids when they came close to the beach to make their first lap turn where we were looking for them cheering them on.

Can you pick out Trace and Alex?  We can't either.

Traffic Jam at the beginning of the "Open" division race

The Team had a pre-race strategy early on and stayed together for a while but broke off into smaller groups as the race developed.  Alex and Trace stayed close for most of the race.

Alex center with Trace just off her left shoulder.

During the second lap the wind and water chop began to get worse but the kids all pushed through and made it to the finish line.  The 6 mile race in a field of 400 paddlers was in the books.

Alex runs to the finish line.

Trace paddles to the beach

Just like that the kids had completed their competition.  Everyone got big hugs from family and coaches after making it to the beach and we listened to kid stories from their experiences in the water which was really fun too.  Our kids have never competed at an event of this scale and we think they handled it amazingly.

The rest of the last day we were able to watch all the Pros compete in the Technical Race Semi-finals and Finals.  The kids could finally switch off, kick back and just do kid's stuff.  Our group all sat together near the finish line and were able to see all the big name compete and come across the finish line.  There were awards giving to those who finished top three in their respective divisions.  During the awards the announcers and race director gave our program and coaches a big "Thank you" for making the effort to come from such distance to compete.  It felt good that we were noticed and I can tell you that we were most certainly heard during the weekend.  Let's just say people attending the race knew we were there and where we were from.

Our weekend was not quiet done yet.  We still had the challenge of getting from LAX back to Mexico.  Once we were on the plane, Ashley would be leaving us to head back Atlanta.  We left Dana Point super early to avoid LA traffic and had no idea if we would even make the flight in time.  Not only did we make it but we succeeded in getting on the flight flying "standby" and ended up sitting first class on the way home.  A great way to end a most awesome weekend!  

Alex, Trace and Coach Bicho on their devices in LAX

Was the travel, time and expense worth it?  Absolutely!  The kids and the families involved will talk about this one for a while.  We all want to return next year and do it all over again.  We want more kids to attend if possible so fundraising and applications for travel documents will begin early.  This first experience will help us plan for future trips to this event.  The coaches even mentioned a trip someday to the east coast USA to compete in a similar event to the Pacific Paddle Games.  For now, it is back to practice as usual and push to be better each week and welcome new paddlers to the program. Looking forward to the kid's first inter-team contest next month.

The Sayulita JR SUP Team At The Pacific Paddle Games 2017 - Part 2

This is Part 2 of 3.  Read Part 1 here.

We got up the next day, had breakfast at the hotel and headed out for practice #2.  It was obvious when the kids hit the water they were getting accustomed to their borrowed equipment for the competition.  The kids train on 11' SUP race boards here in Sayulita.  They were required to race on 12'6" boards for the competition.  Not an easy task to be on a totally different piece of equipment and then asked to compete.  Some of the kids were actually liking the new boards since they actually were a bit lighter and faster than their training SUPs.

SUP Parents at practice

By this time some of the competitors were beginning to show up and you could see the number of boards in the water start to grow.  There is a local SUP racing program, The Paddle Academy, that also had a team of kids the same age as our group.  With more kid aged competitors in the water and you could see them starting to look over their shoulders a bit checking on the competition.  To the kid's surprise there was a little bit of "smack" talking in the water as the local youth members of The Paddle Academy paddled in the waves along side our Team. "There is always that one kid" Trace likes to say and he is right. This took our kids a little off guard since they envisioned their American counterparts as comrades of sorts and not rivals.  They had never competed against anyone but their friends back in Mexico and did not expect this different kind of reception.  I grew up playing team sports and now surf so there is always a little of this so I guess I should not have surprised.

Coach Shelby with "Baby on Board"...get it?

Saturday arrived and the first day of competition was here.  The kids would be competing in what is called a "Technical" race.  This involves paddling around a course and making turns around inflatable buoys.  The kids would be competing in two different age groups so we would be able to see them race at different times.  We signed in early and the kids received their competitor numbers, racer jerseys, and a big bag full of swag.  It was like Christmas SUP style.  They were pretty stoked about that.

Shortly after sign in we got together and brought the boards to the beach.  On the way, we ran into the same group of local kids from The Paddle Academy who said a few words to our group in the water the previous day. Fortunately, our coaches and their coach are friends and this was the perfect time for the two groups to introduce themselves to each other.  After introductions and some laughs they did some warm ups  and stretching as a one large group.  This was absolutely great and one of my favorite moments of the weekend.  The kids should be making connections with kids just like them with a similar passion.  I know this meet up with The Paddle Academy made our kids more comfortable knowing that this group was just a bunch of kids just like them.  Several of them were at their first competition too and just as nervous as our kids.  Truth be told we would really like to host members of this group to come down and paddle with our Team here in Sayulita.  Their coach was already talking about the idea.  It would be super fun I think.

The Sayulita JR SUP Team meets The Paddle Academy kids.

The time came for all the kids to get their pre-race briefing and the kids went over to listen to the Race Director.  Fortunately the inter-squad competitions the kids raced in back in Sayulita were very similar to what they would experience here.  Our coaches are former pros so they set things up for the kid's race events in a similar format.

This was the time our team received their first bit of unsettling news.  Every competitor was required to race with a helmet on.  We all looked at each other saying "WTF"?  How come we did not know?  Did we miss something?  It became clear just by looking around that around 2/3 of the the kids and parents attending the pre-race meeting were saying the same thing we were.  The kids had to race on unfamiliar equipment and now would be wearing protective headgear that they had never used before.  The first heat was quickly outfitted with helmets and sent off and then next group begged, borrowed and stole any helmet they could find.  Fortunately, many kids who had come with helmets were willing to share.  We, and many others, were not happy about the unexpected requirement for the racers.  We could have come prepared had we known and it gave our kids one more thing to think about moments before their first competition.

No smiles before the race.  Game faces.

Alex would be up first and competing with her two teammates, Ava and Habana.  There were many 12-14 year old girls including a fierce team from Spain.

Alex getting ready.  Center of photo.

On the starting line.  Alex in white helmet to the right of the photo.

Trace was up next.  He was fitted with a red helmet that barely fit him and we didn't have time to even adjust it properly.  He was in the same group as one of his best friends, Kolbi.  A kid who was racing right next to him paddled with The Paddle Academy and was at his first competition.  He was so nervous he looked like he might throw up.  His parents introduced him to Trace since Trace looked pretty calm about the whole thing hoping it would help their son calm down a bit.

Trace in the center with red helmet starts strong with buddy, Kolbi, in the green helmet.

Trace in the red helmet

Trace was involved in one of the more exciting finishes of the youth division as he and another paddler got to the beach at the same time and raced up the sand to the finish line.  The other racer beat him by a few hundredths of a second.

Race a couple miles, paddle to the beach, jump off your board and still run to the finish line.

All the kids were smiling at the end of the morning and they were able to relax and enjoy some of the Pro races watching many of the athletes we met just two days before.  The Team was taking a group photo after their races were over and Candice Appleby recognized our group from the awards event and jumped in to join the shot.

Candice Appleby joins the photo.

The end of day one concluded with hamburgers in the park and adult beverages served secretly out of the RV Headquarters.  Everyone was happy, full and tired.  Another day of competition the next day.  Part 3 soon.