On Downwinding: You’re Not Surfing
Most paddlers learn to think about downwind paddling in terms of waves. You catch a wave, you ride the wave, and you look for the next wave. Wash, rinse, repeat. That model works well enough [...]
On Training: Stress and Adaptation
Nothing in training happens without stress. In the absence of a stressor, our system remains exactly as it is. But stress alone is not improvement, and in an ocean environment, misunderstanding that difference is one [...]
On Racing: Starting Right
Most races are decided long before the first buoy or the first run. They begin in the final minutes before the start, when paddlers are already spending physical, mental, and emotional energy, whether they realize [...]
Blackburn Challenge to host 2026 National Championships
The American Canoe Association has selected the Cape Ann Rowing Club's Blackburn Challenge as the host venue for the 2026 USA Canoe Ocean Racing National Championships, placing one of America’s most iconic open-water races at [...]
USA Surfski Paddlers @ 2025 ICF COR World Championships
The 2025 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing (COR) World Championships were held in Durban, South Africa this past October. Worlds is the pinnacle international competition for surfski paddlers all over the world, in addition to World Cups [...]
Latest News
Essex River Race: Timing Glitch
Although it's theoretically possible that a team of mathematicians, horologists, and astronomers could work through the byzantine calculations necessary to predict the exact date of the Essex River Race, I prefer to rely on the time-tested folk adage: If Bob Capellini is standing on your porch holding a half-dozen home-made pizzas, [...]
Run of the Charles: History Repeats
While a few masochistic hold-outs still suffer through the longer 19 and 9 mile courses of the Run of the Charles, the more portage-averse of us have settled into the 6 mile race like a long-lost shoe. With 30+ surfskis participating, this would be the largest ever junior ROTC enrollment. The [...]
Run of the Charles 2017
14th Place-Fun Getting There. This years race had the largest turnout of surfskis ever for the 6 mile race(32). A few years ago I added it to the SurfskiRacing.com Race Series that increased attendance along with the fact many of us that previously did the 19 mile, 6 portage race, was [...]
Sharkbite Challenge 2017
Fun in the Sun: Sharkbite, Family Vacation For a few years I had wanted to attend the Sharkbite Challenge in Dunedin, Florida. Many of my New England paddling friends had done it and had a wonderful time. So last year, 2016, I made the trek down as part of the Stellar [...]
Narrow River Race: Young Guns
Although the Snow Row is technically the first race of the New England season, it's more of a novelty act than a true race - the juggling pig of the surfski world. The real action would start with the Narrow River Race, co-chaired by Wesley and Tim. After being pushed one [...]
Snow Row: Brain Freeze
You can't legitimately call yourself a misguided idiot unless you've participated in at least one open-water winter surfski race. And for those of us in New England, the Snow Row checks all of the necessary boxes. Winter. Open-water. Jam-packed with people with little or no sense of self-preservation. Sponsored by the [...]
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