After spending the night on Friday, I woke up early Saturday to catch some waves with team members Will, Gracie, Hailey, Dylan, Lina, and Milla, who were staying at the hotel. After that we headed down to the race! It was a good race to compete in because it featured a lot of buoy turns for the team to practice with, and it was short so it didn't take too much away from surfing! All of the kids had a great time and as always, enjoyed spending time together. Some team members, like Connor, really stepped up and I'm blown away by their progress.
The team had a quick lunch and headed down to the beach for some more waves! We were helped by Girard Middleton, Kieran Grant, and my assistant surf coach Izzi Gomez! Each coach took 3 kids so everyone got fairly individual attention. It was a blast to get out on the water together! The future of SUP in Florida is bright.
On Sunday I got to race in the Elite 7 Mile off of Cocoa Beach. We lined up on the beach before the wind kicked in and I got a great start out through the surf! From there I worked my way upwind and cruised back downwind a couple minutes clear of the next female competitor. It was a great race for me! I was stoked to win first.
Now time to prepare for my next adventure--a spring break trip to Maui!
Huge thanks to my sponsors, Ocean CREST Alliance, Quickblade Paddles, Suncoast Surf Shop, Mi Ola Surf, Sweet Waterwear, Bark Paddleboards, SUP Race Fins, and Coach Mike's Training Center.
