SharkBite Race Summaries

“Oxygen Tank if Needed” by Reid Hyle

I never thought I’d see the day when a paddling race in Florida would be limited by a 250 participant insurance limit but that is what the Sharkbite Challenge has become. Rob and Karen being the grand ambassadors of the paddling have managed to get the support of lots of folks and created the ultimate event to kick of the racing season on the east coast.

This year I figured on stiff competition, especially from Jesse Lishchuk. My plan was to do a little mini-peak since Jesse was preparing for USACK team trials later in the month and would have to train through Sharkbite. Usually I’d never peak for an April race but with no other event scheduled until late July I could do it. The edge would be needed based on the way Jesse was paddling at the end of his winter camp in Florida.

That plan failed. Chelsea and I both caught the crud two weeks before Sharkbite and were flat out sick with respiratory muck right up to race day. I almost called the hotel and cancelled the reservation but Chelsea wouldn’t let me. We’d been planning the weekend get-away for a long time and she said she’d paddle the 8 mile on her 11’ SUP if she had to carry an oxygen tank and I’d do the same in the ski. So that was that and we came over and had and awesome weekend enjoying the sun and Dunedin restaurants and breweries.

My race strategy was to avoid paddling really hard. I had done no intense paddling for two weeks and I didn’t want to shock my system with a flood of lactate so I lined up next to Jesse to catch a ride on his wash. That didn’t happen. I pulled him all the way to the two mile turn.  It was pretty much glassy flat but there was still some movement to the water and I used that to keep a good pace without red-lining; just kept the nose down as much as possible and surged whenever there was a little slope in my favor. That usually makes life harder for someone riding your side wave so I stuck with that. I managed the pull without any pain, just stayed smooth. At the turn I stopped to grab my pipe for a drink and let Jesse take the pull. He pulled for the next mile and I sat comfortably. Then he paused for something and I found myself pulling again. I don’t think pulling for 3 of the first 4 miles was good strategy but I felt pretty good anyway. As we approached the 4 mile turn the FWC Officer was yelling on his bullhorn something about restricted areas and turning around and I was momentarily confused. I thought he was talking to us so I took a line way off shore to go around him. A little extra distance but no harm since Jesse stayed on my wave for the detour.  Turns out the officer was talking to a walker on the beach that was in a construction zone.  That confusion out of the way, we made the 4 mile turn and I put Jesse on the pull again while I had a drink and some rest.

Reid Hyle, 2nd. Photo Liz Silva

I was pretty stoked after the turn to see Matt Wise dicing with Eric Mims. I paddled double with Matt in the 2013 Sharkbite when he was 16. He’s growing up and getting fast. Looked like a good race going on just behind Jesse and me. There were some big bunches of skis which looked like awesome racing in general and I did briefly think of the race-timers on the rocks having heartburn at the site of those tight groups.

I was feeling the heat in the second lap and I think Jesse was as well, although the small headwind for miles 5 and 6 did feel good. We dropped our stroke rate and started to play for the sprint at the end. We traded the lead a few times, had a drink or two, splashed water on ourselves, and tried to find a bump when one would come. Pretty relaxed.

Jesse started to put some pressure on the blade about 1000m from the finish. He didn’t really pick up the rating, just started speeding up. Nice and controlled. I knew I was in trouble then. He was looking professional. I held his wave until about 250m to go and then I gassed out and limped home a few boat lengths back. I wish I’d had a little more top end to make the finish more exciting but my lungs just weren’t all there and it turns out that I really need to put a weed guard on the boat as well. It’s awesome to see Jesse paddling that fast. I don’t know if I really challenged him but I tried my best.

Jesse Lishchuk, 1st, Photo Liz Silva

All in all, it wasn’t a bad outing. I felt like it could have been a tad faster with cooler weather, a healthy me, and no weeds on the rudder at the end but it was an honest effort. It was nice not paddling alone for the whole race and it was flat out exhilarating to make the 2 mile turn and see the Gulf of Mexico completely covered with paddlers. Add to that, the water up by the north turn was gin clear which made for good viewing of finned wildlife. I finally have a shark siting during the Sharkbite race.

Karen and Rob at Awards

Results

https://paddleguru.com/races/sharkbitechallenge2015

Big New England crowd including Mark Ceconi and Steve Delgaudio in tandem. Chuck Conley and Bruce Gipson on left.Photo Liz Silva

Race Summary by Chip Hipgrave

The 12th Annual Shark Bite Challenge is a spectacularly organized event in the Gulf waters off of Honeymoon Island State Park, Florida. The event was capped at 250 competitors challenging themselves over several distances and in a wide variety of craft including OC6, OC1, prone boards, SUP, sea kayaks and of course surfski’s. This is the largest event of its kind on the east coast. The event also attracted athletes from all over the country to the promised warmth of a Florida Spring where I had a chance to catch up with friends I’d not seen for years, meet Facebook friends in person and make plenty of new ones. Most importantly, I also had a chance to enjoy some sun, sand and downtime with my beautiful wife.

Cooling down after a hot one. Photo Liz Silva

After a day exploring Tampa Bay, including the surprisingly well done Weedon Island State Preserve, it was game time. Lining up next to many of the best paddlers I know (and many I didn’t), added an air of intensity I’d not felt this season. Right from the starting gun I knew I was in trouble. I’ve always struggled to race to my potential in hot weather and with a fast start and jockeying for position already underway at the pointy end of the pack, I quickly realized this was going to be a personal battle to manage the intense heat. My heart rate monitor was telling me the same thing. Six minutes into the race my heart rate hit its event peak of 191bpm, which is ludicrously high for me.

By the 2 mile buoy, the two race favorites of Reid Hyle and Jesse Lishchuk had broken away and where engaged in there own duel that would last all the way to the finish. Our chasing group of 4 boats had an international flavor with an unknown South African, Matt Wise (AUS), Eric Mims (USA) and myself (GBR). But I was struggling as was the South African and before the 4 mile buoy we’d both dropped off.

As we turned the 4 mile buoy a light head wind had set in and some small, playful countering swells had developed to help us along. I instantly felt cooler, my stroke rate went up, the speed went up and I started working every single bump I could find to close what had become a 10 boat gap to Mims (USA) and Wise (AUS). I worked everything I could find and took a deeper water line and to my pleasant surprise, I had closed the gap and was back into the group by the 6 mile buoy.

For the next mile or more I did nothing but focus on the stern of Matt Wise (AUS) paddling an Epic V10L with Eric Mims (USA) in his Epic V12 in front of him. It was clear we were going to have a sprint finish. With a half mile to go I made a move around Wise and sandwiched myself between him and Mims. Eric and I have been dueling it out over the last few years and we know each others strengths and weaknesses very well. Consequently the shenanigans started about 400 yards out when Mims picked up the pace. Matt Wise and I were able to respond but at 250 yards Eric kick hard again … really hard. Wise’s broke and I tried to stay on Mims wake for as long as possible but it wasn’t good enough. I fell off his wake and limped to the finish for 4th place behind (3rd) Eric Mims, (2nd) Reid Hyle (Stellar SES)and (1st) Jesse Lishchuk(Think Uno Max).

It had been a heck of a race. My poor performance in the crazy Florida heat reminded me that I have a problem that I need to figure out. But being able to pull back the 10 boat gap back to Eric Mims whom I regard as one of the best ocean paddlers I know, really gave me a sense of accomplishment I know I can build on this coming season.

The Shark Bite Challenge is an amazing event that every ocean paddler needs to put on their bucket list. It is incredibly well organized and capped at 250 competitors only because of insurance constraints. If they can lift that ceiling, this event will blow up to be even more significant than it already is.