Year in Review 2013

Wow, it's unbelievable how fast 2013 has gone by. This year has certainly had its ups and downs, but I've learned so much and I'm happy with the progress I've made and the amazing places where I have been able to travel.

The first Florida SUP race of the year, Orange Bowl, is coming up again right after Surf Expo. It's one of my favorite races! Last year I surprised myself with a really strong race, 3rd behind Candice Appleby and Krisztina Zur, and a win in the sprints. I'm hoping to come back just as strong this year. I've been back training again since Paddle Royal, and I can't wait to get back out there and test myself. 

February was my first experience with traditional paddleboarding when I did a downwinder from Fort Desoto to Sarasota with the Bark team! It was really challenging, but excellent cross training and a great way to expand my knowledge as an ocean athlete. Soon after that I was off to Mexico for the Punta Sayulita Classic!! It was a fun event, even though through a series of improbable and unfortunate events I ended up with some pretty awful results. However, I assert that my experience in Sayulita made it possible for me to have a significantly more successful BOP. If the value of a trip is measured in experience gained, then it was arguably my most valuable trip of the year (well... except for Hawaii ;) ).

Speaking of Hawaii, that particular trip was made possible by what I like to refer to as my "Spring Racing Blitz". In April and May, I competed in the Sharkbite Challenge, Carolina Cup, Performance Paddling Jr Pro, Key West Classic, Paddle Against Cancer, Florida Cup, and Siesta Key Classic (where I came in 1st to score my free ticket to Hawaii!) It was absolutely exhausting. I had some great results, but I went a little overboard and ended up with shoulder problems, then elbow problems, as well as a fair amount of exhaustion. But I must say, it was a blast! I learned a lot in those 2 months about my own capabilities and how I'm going to handle my racing season this year. 

Finally Summer began! I started with the Naples Beach Paddlefest and then left with my family for a couple weeks in California for the Jay Race and Race the Lake of the Sky. At the Jay I discovered that I have exercise-induced asthma, leading to a last-place finish. But I was able to handle it and bounced back to have some great results at Race the Lake! Tahoe was incredible and it was so fun to hang out there for a week. I came back to Florida and prone paddled my way to first in the East Coast Championships. Straight after that, it was off to HAWAII!!! Those were probably the best two weeks of my life. I was lucky enough to arrive in time for a solid south swell and be able to say with some incredibly generous and hospitable friends. I became a far better surfer and the overall experience was absolutely invaluable. I loved Hawaii and can't wait to go back. Molokai 2014?? Who knows!

Shortly after Hawaii, it was time to go back to school. It's a little insane trying to balance being a full-time International Baccalaureate student (IB makes AP classes look easy) with being an elite stand up paddler. It's definitely not pretty, but I've managed to keep it together enough to make good grades and still be able to train and race and travel. The obstacles have made me stronger and I know that I'm keeping myself well-rounded and preparing for my future, whatever that may be.

The tension was building---it was nearly time for Battle of the Paddle, the biggest, most competitive race of the year. I hadn't been training due to my tendinitis pain and needless to say, I was incredibly nervous about just making it through the elimination heat. I surprised myself by placing 7th in my heat and, even though I didn't do so fantastic in the final, I'm happy with my result. The distance race went well too, I got to draft with 2 friends my age and placed first in my division!

BOP may be the climax of the SUP year, but I was far from done! By October, I was restless from not being able to train, and drowning in college apps. It was at the Fall Paddle Festival that I finally realized that the time to cultivate young stand up paddlers was now. So I launched the Florida Junior Stand Up Paddle team, a competition team of stand up paddling juniors in Florida. We had our first practice in November and we've had a couple more since then, and I could not be happier with how the kids are doing! The level of commitment and enthusiasm is through the roof and kids in the sport have nowhere to go but up.

My last race of the year was Paddle Royal in December. It's an excellent race and I had a fantastic time. I wrote about it below :) vvv After that the holiday season really picked up-and so did my training! I'm happy to be back on board (with a brand new beautiful board to boot), training with the kids team and concentrating on making 2014 the best year ever. 2014 will be the year I graduate, get accepted to college, leave home, take my racing to the next level, and, if all goes well, rule the world ;) But for now I'm just going to try and make it through the last of 2013.

Huge thanks to everyone who supports me, my sponsors; Quickblade, Maui Jim, Suncoast Surf Shop, Bark, Sweet Waterwear, and SUP Race Fins. Also to my biggest sponsor, my mom! But I can't forget everyone who supports me in small ways every day. My family, my friends, and everyone who encourages and roots for me. You all make all the time and effort worthwhile, thank you for being so awesome!

Have a happy New Year everyone!

xx Bailey

Paddle Royal

Happy Holidays everyone!

It's been a while since I updated this blog, December is always so busy! Luckily, now I'm on Christmas break and I have some time to reflect on this month, especially my awesome trip to Puerto Rico!

I'd been wanting to go to Paddle Royal for a while now, I love Puerto Rico and I've heard awesome things about that race. So as an early Christmas present, and because San Juan is so easy to get to from Tampa. So Thursday straight after school I left for the airport! I was pretty nervous about this race because I hadn't been able to train properly in a due my tendinitis problems. But I knew I was going to give it my all and have a great time. 

Saturday was the long distance race. The wind was cranking and the waves were big in the pass the race runs through as it circumvents San Juan. Personally, I was hoping that they would keep the course going through the more difficult waters, because it would rely less on fitness and training (which I didn't have a lot of at the time) and more on water skill. In the end, the Coast Guard forced the race to move to the inside, which was a challenge in itself! It was super windy and mega choppy, and going through the other pass, the waves were nearly triple overhead. 

The first half of the race I was doing great, racing just as I had been this summer when I was in good shape. But as soon as I turned back into the wind, everything caught up with me all at once. My tendinitis started flashing into my wrists, my asthma kicked in, and my straight-up lack of training  made the second half of the race miserable. I got passed by like 4 other girls, but pushed my way across the line to take 6th in the Pro class. 

It was a pretty awful race for me, but luckily, because of how Paddle Royal was set up, I could redeem myself in the sprint races. The long course counted as 2 points, and because I came in 6th, I had two 6s. But the 4 sprint races counted for 4 more points, and I could drop my lowest score. I came in 5th in all of the sprints against some really excellent Pro girls, putting me in 5th for the event! I was super happy to have good place in such a prestigious race, even if it was far from my best result. 

I had a fantastic time in Puerto Rico but soon enough it was time to go back home and catch up on homework! It was an incredible adventure and I was really looking forward to getting back to training this winter and starting 2014 right!

First FL Jr SUP Team Practices!

The first Florida Junior SUP Team Practice was such a success!! Most of the team was able to make it to St. Pete Beach for the inaugural practice, which was a blast!! Time was limited because the practice is the same day as the Pacifico Paddle Challenge in order to accommodate the kids and their parents, who come from all over Florida, but it was still really fun!

                                   

First all of the kids introduced themselves. Thankfully, there's a great age range of kids and everyone had someone their own age, and I was able to equally split the group into older kids and younger kids. We worked on race skills--starts, turns, and finishes. I think they all learned a lot from each other! The littler kids paid a lot of attention to the older ones, and they all watched and rooted for each other in the races. It was so awesome to see all the team members making bonds and having fun!

When it came to the race, all of the kids totally brought it. Tanner, a 12 y/o from Destin, won the overall rec race!! 15 year olds Taylor and Connor were third and first, respectively. The littler girls; Dekai, Lindsey, Lina, and Lucy had really strong races, and it's amazing to watch them take on these long, difficult courses. Dekai's sister Milla did the Elite race and kept up pretty well with some of the faster girls! I am super proud of them. They were so grateful to get their team shirts (with an awesome logo by Sharks Creative) and loved the goodie bags my mom and I made up! 

The next weekend I organized an impromptu practice at the Paddle Addict Poker Run with some of the local kids, including Lina Bowers and Lucy Allan. Lina and Lucy are two of the most dedicated 9-year-olds I have ever encountered. They train several times a week, and even to to race courses the day before and paddle the whole route to prepare for their race. Lina is more of a sprinter, while Lucy always sticks with one steady pace. As a result, they go back and forth as to who beats who in their races. But at the end of the day, they're always nothing but happy for the other girl. Lucy came to the practice, even though she had just arrived back in Florida the night before after her spot on the David Letterman Show doing dog tricks!! 

The Marstons came to the practice as well. Gracie and Hailey are 10-year-old twins who are great competitors to Lina and Lucy. Their brother Will is 12 and they're all solid paddlers and good kids. Everyone stayed together through the course and I worked with the kids on stroke the whole time. After, we even had another paddler direct us through SUP Yoga! Our next big team practice isn't until the Orange Bowl in January, but we should have some more mini practice in the meantime :) 

It's so rewarding to put my own interests aside and focus on helping others. It's given me a lot of perspective on what's really important in a world where so many little things are vying for my attention. I see this effort going far and reaching wide, and I'm so happy to be at the start of it!! 

FL Junior SUP Team

It was already mid-October, and I had been beached for nearly a month.

Leading up to the Battle of the Paddle at the end of September, I had trained and pushed through some pretty serious tendinitis in an effort to prepare for the biggest race of the year. By the end of that weekend, my condition was worse than it had ever been, but I had a nice long stretch of off-season to rest and try to heal my injury. This is harder than is sounds. No paddling, no surfing (even if there was waves to surf) and limited cross-training. 

But I must admit that the timing was rather impeccable. Fall of my senior year is crunch time, with huge reports, accelerated schoolwork and, of course, college apps! My number #1 choice for college is the University of California San Diego. It's got strong academics, a really cool campus layout, and it's walking distance from the beach! I'm applying to a couple other California schools and instate universities as well, but UCSD is definitely my dream.

Being off the water made me restless and bored, and that's the kind of situation that leads me to overly ambitious ideas. As a result, I decided to launch my latest (and hopefully greatest!) idea- the Florida Junior Stand Up Paddle Team. This is an idea that I've been sitting on for a while, but the time has never been quite right. It was at the Fall Paddle Festival this year that I finally realized that the time is now to capitalize on youth in stand up paddling. The Fall Paddle Festival was the first race I ever competed in. At the time, I was the only junior in any division. The following year, there was maybe 3 or 4 kids racing. But in 2013, there were several juniors in just the open and elite races, let alone the kids race! Several of these kids were making podium overall, not just in their age bracket. 

I saw all of this potential; good kids trying to make the most out of an adult-dominated sport. There was no strong infrastructure for them to relate to each other, no way to branch outside their own success and be part of a group experience with their peers. I realized that I was in the perfect position to change that and bring these kids together and start something awesome. I've been in their positions as a junior trying to learn the ropes of a new sport and navigate my way through the challenges that accompany undertaking such a challenge. Plus, I'm only 17 myself-kids listen to kids before they listen to adults telling them what to do. 

It's really important to me for people to understand the the FL Jr SUP Team is in no way exclusionary. Does it require an invitation? Commitment? Dedication? Yes, yes, and yes. But that being said, it's equal opportunity for all those who wish to join. All the kids have made SUP a real priority in their lives; training, surfing, and racing. My ultimate goal is for other kids entering paddling to look to the team members and aspire to be like them. I would love to encourage kids to take their paddling to the next level, and go for the team themselves. The roster is going to be updated frequently, but only those who show serious commitment to paddling will be included. 

As important as it is for the team members to be proficient paddlers, it's doubly important for them to be role models. All the kids on the team have good grades, are super nice, and show great sportsmanship. What more could I ask for?

Team Roster

Taylor Jalving, 15, Fort Meyers

Connor Rush, 14, Orlando

Milla Navarro, 14, Miami

Izzi Gomez, 13, Jupiter

Lindsey Geiger, 13, Satellite Beach

Will Marston, 12, Bradenton

Tanner Chechak, 12, Destin

Dekai Navarro, 11, Miami

Gracie Marston, 10, Bradenton

Hailey Marston, 10, Bradenton

Dylan Geiger, 10, Satellite Beach

Lina Bowers, 9, Clearwater

Lucy Allan, 9, Clearwater

Battle of the Paddle 2013

What an amazing whirlwind weekend I had!! Crazy to think that this time last week I was madly packing and worrying about the biggest race of the year-Battle of the Paddle! I left St. Pete on Wednesday night with excitement, ambition, and plenty of butterflies. But as I sit here now and reflect on the weekend, I must say that I’m pretty happy with how I did!

My mom and I arrived in California late Wednesday night at the Quickblade house in Dana Point. Just staying there was a cool experience in itself. My mom and were the only Americans, the other paddlers hailed from Italy, Spain, Denmark, Austria, and Canada!! It was so fun to spend time with such an international team.

Thursday morning I was up and ready to go! Quickblade Paddles booked a spot on the SUPConnect live show, so I drove down to San Diego with Sylvia and Gabriele, from Italy. Mark Athanacio from Florida joined us as well. It was so fun! Andre from SUPConnect asked me lots of good questions about my paddling and how I was passing it on to other kids. It was cool to see how things worked behind the scenes at SUPConnect. From there we drove to San Onofre State Beach for a SUP Session! It was windy, but the waves were fun and it was so great to get out on the water!! I hadn’t seen surf that big since Hawaii, so it was definitely good practice for the race on Saturday. I felt pretty confident in the waves, much more so than last year.

That night was the SUP Awards. It was an awesome ceremony and I had a ton of fun reconnecting with some great friends. Gerry Lopez gave an interesting speech, as did Laird Hamilton. I didn’t win any awards, but I honestly didn’t think that I would! There’s a lot of athletes that have been paddling longer, and frankly, deserve it more than I do. But I was stoked for a nomination and had a great time!!

Friday was practice, and more practice! I started the morning with an early session at Doheny catching waves on my race board. I was happy with my surfing, and it felt good to get some of the pre-race jitters out. From Doheny I paddled to Baby Beach for a Performance Paddling team practice. The kids on the team are absolutely awesome, and solid paddlers even at their young age. It was also fun to have a couple mini-competitions with kids my age, like Vanina Walsh and Giorgio and Izzi Gomez. They are so fun and I love being around them!!

We paddled pack to Doheny and I surfed a little while longer. After a quick pit stop at the QB house, I headed over to the Maui Jim dinner party!  They make the best glasses and always make sure I’m fed and happy at BOP J I went to bed early that night full of anticipation for the Elite race the next day.

It was race day. I arrived at the site early and had all of my gear ready to go. I even set my board up at the starting line almost an hour early so I knew I would have a good spot. I watched the heat before me go with my board hander Brett Huf, who gave me some great advice on the infamous Hammer Buoy. 

Finally it was time for my elimination heat. I had to be in the top 50% of female finishers to advance, and that's not easy in the most stacked race of the year. The horn went off earlier than it was supposed to, which was a shock to me and some of the other competitors. I got caught at the start because my friend Zane momentarily lost his board in the confusion. But he got right back up and I still managed to get an okay start! I put my head down and paddled hard for the whole heat. I was so nervous about making it through! At one point I was finishing a lap and I heard the announcers yell "Anyone that's not in yet is right on the bubble of making it to the next round--better hurry up!!" I panicked! It was only after that I realized that they were probably referring to the guys, because I finished 7th overall in my heat, easily advancing to the final!

I tried my best to rest up (in the fabulous Quickblade tent), but I was pretty spent. Still, I was happy just to be in the final!! At the start I was pretty in awe of the amazing field of Elite paddlers I was racing with. Funny enough, I got caught by another board at the start, so I fell in at almost last place. But I caught a lucky wave at the Hammer buoy and managed to make up some time. Through both my races I got super lucky at the buoys and coming in, and I didn't fall once! I definitely felt very confident in the smallish waves. I ended up as the 23rd female finisher. Not as good as I could've done; a lot of girls beat me who I almost always win against. But I was happy overall with the result and had a blast! 

The next day was the 10 mile distance race. Again, I was feeling pretty tired, but once I got out onto the course, I started feeling much better. Almost all of the female paddlers this year were on 14 foot boards, the new Elite class. I've never raced a 14', so I decided to stick with my 12'6. Pretty soon into the race I formed a draft train with Halie Harrison and Vanina Walsh. They are excellent paddlers and I think we made a great team! It's always fun to draft with people you know and like. Halie passed me at the end (I was beat), but we made good time and I was stoked! I was also relieved, it was my last race of the weekend :) It was a real pleasure to watch the kids race, I'm always so proud of those kids! Their perseverance and enthusiasm was matched by none. 

I was lucky enough to be able to spend an extra day in Cali thanks to my mom!! We spent the day surfing and hanging out at SanO. The waves were perfect and the company was prime. I even scored a new board, thanks to Candice Appleby! I was stoked to be able to take it home with me. That night I went to dinner with the Terrell family and some of my Quickblade teammates. I am so overwhelmed by their support. Quickblade not only makes the strongest, fastest, lightest paddles, but they go above and beyond to support me and make me feel like family. I don't know where I'd be without them <3

I am really grateful for everyone who supported me this weekend in big and small ways. My mom, Lizzie and Jim Terrell, Candice Appleby, the Hufs, the Gomezes, Vanina, Zane Schweitzer, the Trouts, Martin Lenny, Ashley Baxter--I could go on and on, these are just a few people who encourage me to be my best and chase my dreams. It means a lot to me, and it makes it fun for me to compete. I had an incredible weekend and a lot of success.

Now it's time for me to take a little break from paddling, my elbows and shoulders are really bothering me after this weekend. But I'll still be cross training and I'll be back on the wagon with paddling in no time! Hoping to head up to Tennessee to support some friends in the Chattajack, and maybe even go to Paddle Royale in December!! For now I'll be concentrating on school and healing up. I had an incredible time, and I'm so grateful for the support of all of my friends and sponsors. Can't wait for next year!!

Bailey

Battle of the Paddle--one week away!!

Wow—can’t believe that I am a week out from the biggest SUP race in the world. No contest, Battle of the Paddle is the most important and well-attended race in stand up paddle. Last year at BOP was an amazing experience for me. I made it through the elimination heat, which was a big deal for me. Only 25 girls make it through elimination into the Elite women’s final, so I was truly honored and so stoked to be rated among the top 25 women in the whole world!!

A lot has changed since last year. I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger as a paddler and as a surfer. Just thinking about where I was last year compared to this year, I realize that all of my experiences, failures, and travels have been leading up to this climax. But that’s not to say that I’m not nervous—really nervous!! Even though I’ve improved from last year, my competition has been getting better and better as well. I just managed to make finals last year, so I really have to be at the top of my game for 2013.

This is going to be extra difficult because I missed nearly a whole month of training in August because of severe tendinitis in my elbows. But I’ve been going through physical therapy and (thanks to my awesome coach Mike Metzger) I’m back on the wagon with my training! So I’ve been training, staying calm, keeping positive and hoping for the best.

Of course the race itself if the most important part, but I have to admit that I’m really excited for the SUP Awards, too! Last year I didn’t even get to attend, and this year I just had my fingers crossed hoping I could score an invite to go watch. But on the plane back from Tahoe, I got an email from Will Taylor at SUP Magazine—I was a nominee for SUP Woman of the Year!!

Battle of the Paddle is always the best place to connect with awesome paddlers from around the world. I’m really looking forward to getting back to SoCal and seeing friends. I’m also STOKED to be staying right in Dana Point at the Quickblade House!!! Quickblade does so much for me and I’m beyond grateful. Jim Terrell is one of the pioneers of paddle technology. The precision, quality, and innovation of Quickblade is unmatched, and it’s an excellent family business. They take such good care of me!!

The best thing about all of my supporters is that I know they have my back no matter how I do in a race. As long as I work really hard and leave everything out on the course, they're happy. And that makes me happy!! It means the world to me to know that win or lose, I still have a ton of support. Huge thanks to Quickblade, Maui Jim, Suncoast Surf Shop, Sweet Waterwear, Bark Paddleboards, SUP Race Fins, and Coach Mike's Training Center. And of course my #1 sponsor, my mom, along with all of my friends and family!!

It adds a whole extra layer of challenge when I have schoolwork to contend with. But most of my teachers are pretty flexible and I’m able to get some of my work done before I leave. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it every time to have such amazing experiences! 

Wish me luck,

Bailey

Hawaii Part 2

Week 2 in Hawaii was just as fun as the first!! I stayed most of the week with the Huf family, and there's no end to the fun stuff they think of!! I went on a training run with Cody Huf near their home in Kapolei. It was soo beautiful! There were tons of turtles and it was cool to see the west side of the island. Definitely not as fun to paddle flat water after a week of downwinding and surfing!

But I definitely had no shortage of time surfing!! We went out to Waikiki several times to surf Queens, Canoes, and Pops. But my favorite was White Plains! We happened to go out on a day where 5-0's, an adjacent break from White Plains, was firing. Definitely double overhead sets coming through!! Brett Huf helped me get into position on the best waves of my life. I definitely chickened out on a couple because they were so big, but I pushed myself to overcome any fear I had and took off on some huge and amazing waves. It was unforgettable! 

I also got to head up to the North Shore again, this time for some rock running! This time Sasha Ka'uhane joined us. I met Sasha at Battle of the Paddle last year. She's 11 years old, but she's an awesome surfer and so fun to spend time with! We drove over to Waimea Bay and got some awesome shots of me, Sasha, plus Cody and Brady Huf running underwater with the rocks! Later was Shave Ice, jumping off some rocks, and more fun on the North Shore. Definitely hope to have some footage coming soon!

The Hufs were awesome hosts. Cody was always up for a Hawaii Kai training run and morning Insanity videos--if I was awake!! They also asked Waikiki Beach Boy Alika Willis to take me out on the 6 man canoe!! I got to ride in the 6 man OC with a bunch of friends and surf some Wakiki waves at the Canoes beach break. It was so fun!! I've never canoe paddled before so it was an excellent change of pace and overall such a great experience. 

I happened to be on Oahu for the China Uemera's surf comp on Saturday. Just for fun I decided to compete!! It was cool to surf Queens with only a couple other girls out!! I accidentally missed my heat on Sunday (whoops) so obviously I didn't advance!! Honestly, I wasn't really going to advance anyways. The Hawaii girls are sooo much better than me hahaha!! But I understand that it's different when you can surf every day. I just went out to have fun and it was really cool to be at a Waikiki comp!

The Sunday before I left one of the biggest races in SUP took place -- the Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard Championships!! A lot of my friends and paddling superstars were competing, and I was lucky enough to be there in time to watch them finish! I waited with the Huf family over near China Walls, where the last leg of the race takes place. We got a front row seat to watch all of the paddlers come in!! When the first finishers started coming, we drove over to the finish line to see them paddle into the beach. It was incredible. These are some amazing athletes and it's a huge deal just to finish the Molokai! So lucky I got to see the finish. Definitely hoping to race it next year!

I got to spend my last night with the lovely Rivera family!! They are incredibly sweet and such a joy to be around. I picked up some last minute souvenirs for my family and it was time to leave. Way too soon, I was not ready to go, even though I definitely missed home and my fam. I'm already trying to think of ways to get back!! I learned so much and met a ton of cool people, but I have to admit it was great to get back home!

Next adventure-- SUP'nKids!!

xoxo Bailey

HAWAII!! Part 1

So back in April, I won a free round-trip ticket to Hawaii at the Siesta Key Classic. It expired within a year, but honestly I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to cash it in at all! Travelling from Florida to Hawaii is crazy expensive, so it would be too pricey to take my whole family, and my mom (who I usually travel with) can't leave my siblings at home for a couple weeks. But my mom finally found a way!! I flew over with my friends Brett and Cody Huf (the surf shop I work at carries their KM Boards) and stayed with a couple friends. It was the trip of a lifetime, absolutely incredible!! Here's how my first week went...

As soon as I arrived at baggage claim from a long day of travel, the Huf family as well as my friends the Rivera family were already there with leis in hand to welcome me to the Aloha state!! After saying a goodbye to the Hufs, I went back to the Rivera's house, where I would spend my first week. Mr. Dalbert Rivera has the coolest job as a diver for the Navy on the base in Honolulu. He and his super sweet wife Sully have 2 kids, Dalbert and Seachelle (coolest name). They all surf, which was super lucky for me!! Every day we got to check out a new spot and Dalbert(s) and Seachelle are really fun to go surf with :)

Because of the time change, It was only about 3 in the afternoon once I was settled in at the Riveras. I was super tired, but so stoked to finally be in Hawaii!! It only took a little bit of begging to convince them to take me surfing ;) I couldn't believe it, I was in the water at Waikiki fresh off the plane surfing Queens!! It was amazing to visit such a famous and iconic spot and surf a beautiful right hand break. At first I was really nervous. There are a TON of people in Waikiki, and I was afraid of dropping in on someone accidentally. But I met some really nice people and eventually got the hang of it. I was very careful to take off, but I still got the best waves of my life!!

Every day with the Riveras I woke up early and went surfing. We hit up spots like Queens, Pops, Old Mans, some breaks in Ala Moana, and Canoes. Because the Molokai to Oahu race was coming up, a lot of paddlers were in town training and preparing for the big race. It was awesome to see them as well as local Oahu friends like the Sweets!! Sean and Judy Sweet invited me and the Riveras to their house for dinner one night. It has the most killer view on Oahu--and the yummiest food!! 

I was mostly SUP Surfing, but I did get some training in!! On a Wednesday night I went with the Riveras, the Hufs, and my grommie friend Sasha Kau'hane to a mini race in Hawaii Kai. It started in flat water where the Canoe clubs practice and went out into the surf at Hawaii Kai. Of course it was really not a big deal race, but what was truly notable about it was how comfortable I felt surfing the race board. Living on the flat Gulf coast of Florida, I don't get nearly as much surfing in as I would like to, so waves have always been a weak point for me. Being able to surf a 12'6 race board in the sloppy Hawaii Kai waves was amazing!! I felt so much more control in the waves after just a few days of surfing in powerful Hawaii waters. 

One of my favorite activities with the Riveras was our trip up to the North Shore!! We drove past all of the famous, huge surf spots--super flat in the winter, of course. The North Shore is beautiful, and much more country than the south shore of the island. We paddled from Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay with the Alexiou family. It was a nice short paddle with crystal clear water and a couple of sea turtles! Once we got to Waimea, we hung out for a little while and jumped off the iconic Waimea Rock! 

Next up I got to hang out with Hawaii paddler Morgan Hoesterey! I went on a Hawaii Kai Downwind run with 2 of her friends and it was pretty amazing. Even though the bumps weren't as good as usual, it was way more powerful and different than anything I had encountered in Florida (or anywhere else for that matter), which meant that it was way more fun-and more difficult. It took a little bit of coaching for me to get the hang of catching and gliding on bumps, but once I got the hang of it, it was so fun!! But even without riding bumps, I was pulling my fastest mile times ever because the currents are so strong through that area. It only took me about an hour and a half going easy to pull off 8-9 miles!

Morgan also took me and Seachelle on an amazing hike at Manoa Falls. It was quite a climb to get up there, first through mud, then up tree roots, until it turned into a basically vertical climb up rocks and trees. I LOVED it!!! I'm nuts for rock climbing as well as climbing trees!! Seachelle (being quite younger than me) had a bit of a harder time, but Morgan and I were able to walk her thorough with motivating words like "waterfall". Once Seachelle learned there was a waterfall at the top, she pulled it together enough to make it all the way up. What a trooper! 

The next day was another great hike, this time to some really cool sea cliffs. It was incredible to watch the water smash against the rocks again and again, so strong and crazy powerful. It makes you realize just how endless and amazing the ocean really is, and make surfing and paddling all the more special because for a couple shining moments, you can work in conjunction with the biggest and strongest force on earth.

...And that was just week #1!!

Part 2 coming soon! Thanks for reading(: 

xx Bailey

East Coast Championships

This summer I was fortunate enough to score a trip to Hawaii!! I won a round-trip ticket back in April at the Siesta Key Classic, but I wasn't sure if I was going to get to use it because my mom didn't want me to go alone, and sending my whole family would have been very expensive. But luckily, my mom found a way to where she could send me alone!! But before I talk about Hawaii, I have to go into the East Coast Championships...

The week before the East Coast Championships, Brett and Cody Huf from KM Stand Up Paddleboards came visit and demo their boards. They came to Monday Night Paddle with their SUPs and spent the next couple days touring around Florida and taking care of their containers. On Friday, my family, the Hufs, and the Shens (Marc and his 6 y/o son Gabe) all caravaned to the East Coast Championships in Daytona Beach!! I decided to race it on a traditional paddleboard because I've been having tendinitis problems in my elbows and shoulders. Friday night I paddled out with Marc Shen and the Hufs for some practice on the little waves! My friends Dalton and Chris were already out on the water, and it was a fun mini session on my paddleboard.

The next day was the East Coast Championships race!! It was the most low-stress race ever for me, because there were no other paddleboard girls competing, only stand up paddlers. I cruised my way through the race at my own pace and spent the rest of the day playing on the water with friends. My brother raced, and my sister as well. I am so proud of them!

Then it was time for me to go home and get packed for my big trip!!! So exciting!!!

      

Lake Tahoe

If Santa Cruz was fun, than Lake Tahoe was incredible!! I made some great friends and had an awesome time. But before we headed over to Lake Tahoe, my family and I stopped for a night in San Francisco! It was rainy and COLD, but the city is super cool. We took a bus tour and got to see the major tourist sites like Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate. It was a lot of fun and a nice change in scenery.

The next day we were headed to Tahoe! On the way there we had to pick up my Grandma at the Sacramento airport. She was coming to vacation with us in Tahoe :) before we went to pick her up we had some time to kill, so my family and I made a pit stop--at the Jelly Belly Factory!! Hahaha, it was actually really fun and we got to pick up some candy to give to friends in Tahoe. We picked up my grandma (with another stop for In n Out Burger) and started our drive to South Lake Tahoe!

The very first thing we did when we arrived at the lake was go visit South Lake Tahoe SUP--the stand up paddle shop owned by the Brackett family. The Bracketts are awesome!! There's 10 kids, and they are all beyond nice and so fun to hang out with!! The best part--their shop was only 2 blocks from the house we were staying in, and from there a 3 minute walk to the beach! It's always sooo good to see the Brackett fam and their extended family. They were incredibly hospitable. The next day I went for an early morning paddle with Jenna and Janessa Brackett!! We detoured through a cool little creek and paddled over to a pine tree with an eagle nesting in it!! We saw the eagle fly away as a rainbow stretched ahead. It was truly beautiful and a little bit perfect :)

I spent the rest of the week paddling and hanging out with Jenna, Janessa, Josiah, and Joshua, as well as the Calvert family, Jay Wild, and more of the paddlers both local and from out of town coming in for the race. The lake is so beautiful!! It's crystal clear and really cold from the snowmelt. But the scenery is amazing and the people are so friendly. I spent my days paddling, trail running, and hanging out at El Dorado Beach. Every Wednesday, South Lake Tahoe SUP hosts a fun race! I decided to race it as a warmup for the big races that weekend. I scored first, stoked!! It was an awesome race, very exciting, and cool to compete with my friends.

By Friday a lot of the paddlers had come in for the race! After a warmup paddle with Candice Appleby and Anthony Vela (as well as Ka'lia Alexiou and her dad), we had a Performance Paddling team practice with all the kids in town for the race! Even though all the kids are younger than me and I feel kind of out of place, it's really nice to see all of the kids having fun. They are really fast and you can always count on them for friendly competition! Right after, there was something of a little sibling practice with the younger kids. But just as they were paddling out, it started to hail!! Some of the kids freaked out, but they still went on with the practice. It was pretty cool :)

Saturday was the Elite Race! It was a little over 5 mile, and a lot like the Wednesday night race course. I felt really good despite my asthma diagnosis, plus I was acclimated to the altitude, so I ended up in second!! After that, SUP Cross heats ran for the rest of the day! SUP Cross is like motocross, only everyone's on standup boards! It was really fun to watch! I competed, but unfortunately I fell off my board and couldn't catch back up, so I ended up in fourth. You never know what's going to happen in little races like that, so it's really exciting!

Sunday was the Distance Race, 14 miles from El Dorado Beach to Emerald Bay and back. It was so beautiful!! I got first, it was really awesome!! Next up was the relay races. I was on a team with 3 other Performance Paddling boys who are a little younger than me--Josiah, Nick, and Ian. We did all 3 relay races hahaha!! We won the kids, 4th in the amateur, and 3rd in pro!! It was a ton of fun. There was also an art contest for the kids, which my little sister won!! Riviera Paddlesurf is sending her a board with her custom artwork! She's stoked!!

Later that night, my mom and I went out to dinner with the Riviera team, Candice and Anthony, the Bracketts, the Calverts, the whole crew. It was one of the highlights of my trip. We all had a great time eating and laughing and celebrating an incredible weekend.

The next day it was time to fly home--nooo!! I was so sad to leave. Tahoe was one of the most fun trips of my year because of all the people I got to spend time with. I want to go baaack!!!!

The first week of July was restful before another week of volunteering before my biggest adventure yet--HAWAII!!