Without a doubt the most prestigious outrigger event in all of California, the Catalina Crossing is the US Championship race. Paddlers from all over the world travel to participate, and certainly from all over our great state.
We thought back to our experiences, and reached out to a few veteran Catalina Channel crossers who shared with us some tips for the first time crosser, as well as reminders for those who are doing the race a second, third, or thirtieth time. Enjoy...and we encourage you to share your tips in the comments as well (because we know there are more)!
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Catalina Crossing Outrigger Race Tips
Race Recap - NorCal Juniors Come to Oceanside
Cali Paddler welcomes back NorCal Junior Paddler Ruthie as she shares with us her recent race experience in Oceanside. -CP"...I was in unfamiliar waters and had to read the water to feel how the canoe was going to react. Every race has its own meaning; they all won't be the same. They each have their own special moments...I am looking forward to all the adventures we all have ahead of us. The paddling journey is endless. Great things happen when they are most unexpected.."
Cali Paddler Explorations - Lake Gregory
Cali Paddler is stoked to continue its exploration and mapping of amazing places in our state to paddle. We welcome back Team Writer Bret Warner as he explores this alpine lake in Southern California the mountains ... come paddle Lake Gregory!
Located in the town of Crestline, which is about halfway between Silverwood Lake and Lake Arrowhead, Lake Gregory is the quintessential peaceful mountain lake. The majority of the shore is lined with trees, which adds to the mountain aesthetic, and also severely cuts down on the wind. No Motor boats are allowed so the elusive glassy water you see on magazine covers and Facebook/Instagram is a consistent reality here. In addition everyone just seems stoked to be out playing in the mountains; just walking out to the water the good mood of everyone is infectious.
Another One for the Books - Kula Anela Race Recap
Cali Paddler is honored to share this contribution from Priscilla Tran of Ke Kai O'Uhane after her recent race at Kula Anela (Angel Island) in San Francisco Bay. Enjoy being seat 1 with her in this awesome recap.“So, who is gonna be our seat 1 for the race?”
All eyes are pointed towards me and finally someone spoke up and said, “You are.”
I heard myself say, “Ok,” but on the inside I was screaming, “Why me! Why! Why! Why! What if I don’t do well enough for my crew? What if I’m not strong enough for this?”
CP Exploration - The Gorge - Columbia River
While we love to focus attention on local California waters, we are equally excited when Cali Paddlers breach the borders of other states and explore. Thank you Maggie Adams of Blue Paddle SUP for sharing with us your recent experience paddling the Gorge on the Columbia River! time to add this experience to our bucket list!
Is the Wind Blowing?
Is it going to be windy tomorrow? That seems to be the question of the day when you are in Hood River, OR. On our first trek down to the river it was blowing, or “nuking.” Nuking = A very windy day! There were at least a 100 kiteboarders & windsurfers on the water. Usually when I paddle board, I don’t want it to be windy. It makes the water choppy, and I get tired when I have to paddle against it. But we were at the Columbia River to learn how to downwind on our stand up paddle boards, and compete in the Naish Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge. For a downwinder on the Columbia River you need a West wind. Conditions are best when wind gusts are 20-30 kts.
Elements of Recovery - A Na Pali Bucket List Story
Little did I know that a chance to paddle in a race I have dreamed about doing for 6 years would come along. And that I would be able to resume a paddling addiction that had been threatened in the year prior due to injury.
An Australian Perspective of the California Paddle Scene
Cali Paddlers are lucky to have such a great state to paddle in and we tend to make friends with folks who come from far away places to enjoy our waters and paddle alongside us. Ever wonder what they enjoy most about it here? First impressions, and funny tales? We reached out to our friend 'Aussie Steve' from Melbourne to hear his take on things here and remind us of some qualities about our home state and community. Enjoy!
CP: Steve tell us how you ended up coming and paddling in California.
Man that’s such a cool story and it goes to show the power and importance of putting yourself out there and making yourself open and available to interaction with other humans.
Race Recap - Big Bear PaddleFest - Girls-SUPing & Camping!
Cali Paddler is stoked to be able to share this story from Maggie Adams of Blue Paddle SUP who recently went up to Big Bear PaddleFest and got to enjoy the race and the surrounding package. Check it out!
How many girls do you know want to go camping and SUP racing?! Well I know several who did at the Big Bear PaddleFest. This race is held annually on Big Bear Lake in Big Bear Lake, California. This year was a very meaningful & emotional race for several of us because we had recently lost our good paddle friend Ray Noose to cancer. He attempted to do the 20K race last year, but they had to cancel it do to stormy conditions.
Cali Paddler Explorations - Del Monte Beach Monterey
Cali Paddler is stoked to continue its exploration and mapping of amazing places in our state to paddle. We welcome back Team Writer Bret Warner as he explores this gem in Monterey Bay...Del Monte Beach
The first place I ever paddled was Del Monte Beach right in front of Monterey Bay Kayaks. OK, that’s actually not true, it was on the Rogue river in an inflatable kayak, but my dad and I loved it so much we signed up for an Intro to Sea Kayaking class the day we got home. At ten years old, I had no idea what a special place I was getting to paddle. It is protected from surf so knowing how to launch and land in the surf is not a requisite for paddling there. I know that some of us salivate with desire at launching/landing/playing/cavorting in the surf, but sometimes you need the calm start as well. It is also solidly in a Marine Sanctuary so seeing seals, sea lions and sea otters is a regularity and not an anomaly. Also, if the wind picks up it will almost assuredly be at your back once you turn around, and you can hug the coast enough on the way out that paddling upwind won’t affect you too adversely.
Race Recap: First time to Tahoe and to do a Standup Paddle Race
Cali Paddler welcomes Team Writer Tiffany who took a trip to South Lake Tahoe to see what racing on this famous location was like. Altitude. Fresh Water. Fun crowd. AMAZING scenery. If you weren't there, see what you missed. If you were, well, relive it!
As I headed up to Lake Tahoe in the early hours of the morning - 4:15am to be exact - on the day before the first Tahoe Sup Series race of 2016, all I could think of was the lakes majestic blue and green waters. I had only been to Tahoe with my parents when I was maybe eight, so this in many ways was my first time getting to experience Tahoe. For those who have made the 8-10 hour drive you know it’s a long one but so worth it. Side note – it’s a crap shoot trying to drive there in the summer as many highways have construction going on to repair the roads from the winter and wild fires can be an issue causing long delays and/or detours.
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