This weekend around 100 boats will be paddling to Catalina Island out of Newport Beach, California and back. The women race there Saturday and the men race back on Sunday. This may seem crazy to most people considering the channel is about 27 miles wide and takes anywhere from 3 and half hours to six hours to cross over but to paddlers this is what we consider fun! This is not done with the same six paddlers the whole race. This is a 9 man race and a pretty big one at that, for California anyway.
This is one of my favorite races of the year, even though it is the most trying. I prefer to not have to look at the island for those 5 hours and prefer to look at fog but with this glorious heat wave I think we will be looking at island that never gets closer, even when you are a half hour away. At least with the warm weather it will not be so painful to jump in the colder ocean water to make a change.
A change? Right, we do actually switch people in and out of the boat because who wants to paddle for 5 hours in the same seat. Every 20 minutes or so a change is made where 1 to 3 paddlers jump in the water off a motor and wait as the canoe passes by. Which at this boat 1 to 3 paddlers jump off the other side while the paddlers in the water get into the canoe. The paddlers who just bailed out of the boat are now on the motor boat for about 10 to 20 minutes far a break and then it happens all over again.
Now you may think we are even more crazy jumping in and out of the ocean, dodging boats, barges, waves and whatever else comes our way out at sea but again we think this is all good fun. I guess that is what makes this sport so special. People ask me what they heck are we doing out here??? Teamwork? Yes. Exercise? Definitely Yes. What else?
Being one with the ocean, paddling through all the shit to the other side, to accomplish something that not only challenges you but is far bigger than you. To paddle is to move forward or IMUA (which is our team name), that is why we are all out there is to move forward and you get a little bit farther, a little bit faster and gain a whole ton of experience every season.
Catalina is the grand finale and we go out with a bang to reward ourselves for all the hard work over the past year. Catalina is goal at the end of the road, the goal accomplished, the end to a great year and the next step to move forward.
Good luck to all those racing on Saturday and Sunday!
Said to be where the mountains meet the sea. A gorgeous harbor surrounded by green covered mountains. Close to both the beach and the snow for lots of fun year round. Also home of the Camden Hills State Park with great hiking.
This is Maine's largest city and it also sits on a peninsula, right next to Casco Bay. Great sites to see are the Arts District, East End - Angela Adams, West End - the houses, and South Portland - Portland Headlight (said to be the most photographed lighthouse in the state!).
