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2017 DPD report
Reivers Dustin
12/02/17 #22268
I had programmed for early arrival, but the race start was delayed a bit so I got there early and got racer #1. At least I was first paddler on dry land. More SUP's than I'm used to seeing, a few came down across the border. Chris D. and some others. Bob P. and Daryl were supposed to come down but they got askaird and chickend out. Greg B. showed up and had a pretty good battle with team Nelson. Heather and Brandon opened their Christmas present early: a fast double ski from DJ. Talking to Greg after, he said Nelsons gapped him bad on the way out around Pass Island. He worked hard and reeled them in, but our discussion was interrupted and I never heard who finished ahead. Nicholas was in the mix until Greg found a way to close in on Nelsons.
The start was delayed but everyone howled during pre-race meeting so it was moved 15 minutes earlier. Another little curve-ball was race director said anyone who wanted to extra lap Pass Island would be credited 10 minutes and get extra bling. I was thinking about it, but at decision time I was hammered flat in the current. But lots of the big dogs did it. Greg, Nelsons, Nicholas, Chris D., Jamie, not sure who else. Our local Think rep, Jamie, was having a good day until his boat jumped a foot sideways in a water boil. Several of us saw it happen, but quick as a blink he was up paddling as if he meant to do it. Even with the warning a lot of us were slapping water in that stretch. Josh, Jamie and Nicholas diced a bit around the last island run, by then they were above my pay bracket and I don't know the finish order.
I had a bad-ass throw down with The Dunc. He started stronger so I paced, then cut inside around the first island and got an edge. We closed on Josh for a while, but I strayed into some current and Josh found his rhythm. Then Duncan saw where I was getting headed by current and snuck ahead. This monkey business kept going back and forth several times. I crawled by Duncan along Pass, but messed up halfway to Strawberry island. Duncan got too wide at Strawberry and I jumped him. Then I almost dumped over in the turn at Strawberry and Duncan climbed on my tail. I pulled a little in the fast run back to Pass (we were clocking 9.5mph through here). After running the chute by Pass Island I got wobbly in the whirlpools (like plenty of others did), but then I got back mid channel and gapped Duncan maybe 50 yards. I thought the door was closed, but dangit. I went too far south coming back from deception Island and played around in a rip current while Duncan reeled me back in. We had an aorta blowout drag race to the finish and he got me. Maybe I'll have to finally quit the beer and cherios for breakfast.
Good post race food, big warm tent for everyone. Along with the curve-ball of having an optional extra lap around Pass Island, the race director asked if people liked the idea of going for hard core current. Not just waiting for dead slack for everyone. It was plenty edgy today I confess. One thing he mentioned was pre-qualifying for the race if they do the hard core thing. I hung around hoping to win some bling in the raffle, but gave up at 4:30. There was a ton of schwag. Since the crowd thinned out there might have been a lot of folks who went home loaded up.
rd
Brandon Nelson
12/03/17 #22270
Awesome write-up Reivers. Here's a quick addition from Heather's and my perspective:
FUNNEST. RACE. EVER!!!
Heather and I started with Greg Barton, Nicholas Cryder and Jamie Klein – the 3 lead singles – and tracked along with them to the first turn around Deception Island – then the fun began!
The race started about 15 minutes after high tide so there was stronger-than-past-years' current, and route-finding would be *critical*! We chose the tight-to-the-island inside line and got out in front, climbing up the eddy all the way to Pass Island.
There was an option to do a full circle around Pass Island which would the race director said would automatically discount 10 minutes off your total time, so we did that (in five minutes) and were back in front of the rest of the field again before we reached Strawberry Island, the halfway point.
Having rounded Strawberry, we were with the current and were just ripping downstream hitting 12 mph. At that point Greg B. reeled us in and stayed beside us on our draft all the way through the pass to the final turn back around Deception Island. In the end he beat us by a minute or so, and more power to that absolute ROCKSTAR of surfskiing!!! He is so freaking impressive.
But we took a strong 2nd overall and were just giddy – still are!!!
Thank you RedBull for sponsoring and Outdoor Adventure Center – and all the volunteers and safety boaters who made it happen! Thank you DJ for the Fenn Elite S tandem. WOW, what a boat! And mostly, thank you to Heather for being so freaking AMAZING to race with!!! :)))
