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
