Latest News
Nationals: Open Test
Editors Note: 2026 Nationals is hosted in collaboration with the Blackburn Challenge. Register today at capeannrowingclub.com! Every edition of Nationals is a distinct test, shaped by its own water, its own wind, its own current. No two competitions are the same, even at the same venue. One year the wind could [...]
Narrow River Race 2026-Big Turnout
After a long cold, wet, snowy, windy winter, spring is on its way exemplified by a 60 degree temperature with sunny skis for this year's Narrow River Race hosted by Tim Dywer. The turnout was excellent with surfskis, out riggers, rowing craft all human powered by putting a blade in the [...]
On Racing: Drafting Ethics
Drafting is one of the defining features of surfski racing, and also one of the least openly discussed. Everyone does it. Few talk about where the lines are. The result is a quiet tension between what is allowed, what is smart, and what feels right on the water. From a rules [...]
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 the center of next year’s ocean racing calendar. Long known as the “Boston Marathon” of open-water [...]
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 and (for us) Pan American Continental Championships. The venues for these international competitions are fantastic -- [...]
2025 Bay State Games 6 mile Paddle Race
I was not sure what to expect for the Bay State Games 6 miler, except it was only an hour ride from my house, a triangle course of roughly six miles and hosted by Matt Drayer, surfski paddler of this site and more. For this article I did a quick query [...]
Surfski Reviews
Looking for an ocean ski? Check out the surfski comparison chart!
New 2016 Stellar SEL 2G Surf Ski-12 year Quest is Over!
My surfski career started out much like my kayak career. In the early 1990's I bought my first boat, a new plastic P & H Capella that served me well for a year. Then I wanted something lighter and faster and progressed to a 55 lb Nigel Dennis Greenlander Pro [...]
Mako 6 Fiberglass Review – by Wesley Echols
The glass Mako 6 comes in at 37 pounds. The weight difference between the glass version and the carbon version is substantial. The glass version, like most other same model skis in different layups, handles similarly but the heavier layups tend to dampen the overall feeling of the ski. So [...]
Think Evo 3 Ultimate Surfski Review
Think about it! I did my first review of the original Evo review in 2009, my review of the Think Evo 2 back in June, 2014 which you can see at the end of this review. 2009 Evo Review In 2017 the Think Evo 3, (Length: 20′ 6″ (625 cm), [...]
NK Rapido Surf Ski Review at 40 miles
Review by Wesley Echols Intro I got my NK Rapido, Carbon Lite layup(Green Tip) at the Run of the Charles Race in Boston, Massachusetts on April 27th, 2026. I had previously paddled the Storm for about 20 minutes and more recently the lastest version of the Nitro at the 2026 [...]
Think UNO Review – by Wesley Echols
Special thanks to Mark Ceconi who has edited all my reviews. First Impressions: I first paddled the Uno on the ultra flat Charles River back in April 2009 (see clip), thinking to myself; “There is no way I will be able to paddle this in the ocean.” I did not [...]