The road to the Sharkbite Challenge was a long one this time around. As a competitive SUP racer living on the Gulf Coast, I eagerly look forward to open water races and was excited to race the Sharkbite Challenge in 2016. I had participated in the event for several years and improved each time. However, high winds and waves forced the cancellation of the 2016 Sharkbite Challenge on race day. Fast forward to 2017 and the over one year long build up.
The forecast for 2017 called for very windy conditions and 3-4′ seas, but the race wasn’t called off. On race morning, a few friends texted me, asking if I could bring them some Three Brothers race boards because their boards wouldn’t handle the open water swells. I agreed and loaded up. Come race time two of my three friends decided they would use the boards they had brought and the other would use one of mine.
I had to skip the pre-race meeting but had competed here before so I wasn’t overly concerned. On the starting line, I ran into a Three Brothers boards owner and started a conversation. Partway through our conversation, he uttered “go,” I continued my sentence, and again he uttered “GO!” It was then I felt a rush of boards around me. I had just missed the start of the race and was 5 seconds behind. Not a tremendous time deficit, but enough I would miss the lead pack to the first buoy. Hence, dropping me in the large pack of racers working their way through the whitewater and chop left behind by the lead pack.
After rounding the first turn, I headed directly upwind on the long straight. I began to improve my position, passing racers and moving into the lead group. Upwind training is crucial for open water racing, and I felt confident in the 15+ mph winds and rough seas. The Three Brothers Racer kept me steady and in control. During a race, many thoughts cross my mind, but I let them float away. This helps me settle into a comfortable rhythm. I’ve found that in rough seas, muscle memory and the subconscious mind keep me on the board. This allows me to stay fast without overthinking each movement. Without upwind and downwind training, you miss out on valuable skills. These skills are essential for handling challenging conditions like the ones I faced today.
Reaching the turnaround buoy, I had the wind at my back and made the decision to moderately downwind on the way back. This allowed me to conserve energy for the return upwind lap. Moderate downwinding is relative, I wasn’t expending a lot of energy however I was able to string together bumps well enough to better my position several places on the return. Having ample rocker for a displacement hull the Three Brothers Racer downwinds exceptionally well. I spotted the pack of racers still heading upwind to the turnaround as I downwinded back. I encouraged my friends, letting them know they’d be downwinding soon too.
As I neared the last turn, I asked a fellow racer in an outrigger canoe if he planned to go wide on the turn. He told me we had reached the end of the race and to head into the timing booth. I was pleased to hear this news but realized I would have conserved energy if I had known earlier it was the last lap. In racing, you often don’t know your position until you cross the finish line. That’s why it’s important to keep pushing without overexerting yourself. You have to manage your energy until the very end.
Upon shore I found out I had not only won my age bracket but was the first 12’6 board through the course taking the overall. This was really great news and I really owe the win to the fast and stable Three Brothers boards Racer. My buddy on the other Three Brothers Racer took 3rd, a great day for us.
