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!!!