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What an extraordinary paddling event and display of camaraderie, athleticism and exuberance. Kevin Woodin’s Perspective  Photos by George Campbell The early start of the 10 miler was followed up by the noontime start of the 5K (3.1 miles), and last was the 200 meter sprint. It was a blast paddling on the all around surf stand up paddle board (SUP).  Photos by George Campbell 10 miles + 3.1 miles on a Surf SUP? Yes, why not. We need to understand, we can, and should, be our best no matter the type of craft we're paddling. Many get confused because we make conclusions about what is and isn't fast, and what is and isn't performance worthy. Some of us tend to form similar conclusions about ourselves. SMILES 4 MILES! It's all about paddling your own race. Surf SUPs are not just for paddling in the ocean and surfing waves. I was fortunate to have the right conditions for the 10 miler that gave me a bit of advantage over some of the narrower 14' race boards. I honestly didn't expect that to happen. I embraced whatever the environment threw at me. Paddling well in any/all conditions comes down to the paddlers skills and the type of craft they're most comfortable paddling in those varying conditions. And for those that also paddled in all three events, congratulations on your extraordinary accomplishments. I believe the journey is more important than the destination. The small things are the big things. Everyone should feel included and this is what our paddling community needs.  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell Set the context for a joyful and exuberant YOU.  Photos by George Campbell The easiest way we can find our tribe is by moving towards self-actualization rather than self-image actualization. I only hope that together we search within ourselves for honest self-expression. Let us stress less about the things and focus more on Life. As I get older, having this mindset allows me to focus more on who I am now and not be so hard on comparing myself to who I was. I know this will ring true for so many other athletes that are facing their own unforeseeable lessons of Life. I encourage everyone to read the book 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck' by Mark Manson. Life is all about embracing the aging process and being comfortable with being different and caring about something more important than adversity. There's a lot of people out there struggling to stay in the game without falling victim to their own physical and mental tethers. Continue to engage in playfulness. Continue to hone your WHY so you can find your way. Don't wait for someone else to be kind first. Don't wait for better circumstances or for someone to change. Just be kind to yourself and others, because you never know how much you or someone needs it. That's all I'm doing to try and enjoy this extraordinary Life. GRATITUDE is the best attitude, KINDNESS is bliss, and EMPATHY is the best trajectory.  Photos by George Campbell Congratulations to everyone that came out to engage in playfulness together. “When you find your tribe, love them hard", this is something you can only truly experience by being here. Special thank yous go out to @Danny Smith, @Karren Watson, @Paddling Paradise staff, @Manuela Woodin, @Pattie Kelly, @Tim Pflieger, and @George Campbell for all your efforts in organizing this amazing event. Check out all the amazing super high resolution photos taken by @George Campbell. Click here  George Campbell 10 Mile Distance Event RecapPaddling the surf sup was super rewarding. The level of mental and physical effort to keep moving forward challenged me. It takes a strong mindset to paddle a surf SUP board, with limited glide, into headwinds for several miles. You just have to remember that you'll always lose first to your mind and then the body follows. I'm grateful for my years of endurance running that callused my mind for times like these. The down winder portion was worth the uphill struggle. The surf sup performed amazingly well catching most of the bumps. I didn’t expect it to outperform some of the 14’ race boards like it did. Big shoutout to all the paddlers that accomplished this distance event. And another shoutout to @GSCampbell, our photographer extraordinaire, for driving over to the turnaround point to capture so many wonderful pictures, and also showcasing some of our amazing local wildlife.  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell 5K(3.1 miles) Distance Event RecapA wonderful 3 loop course made this event so much more engaging for spectators, paddlers could cheer on fellow paddlers, and I even gave out some high fives 🖐️ for power 💥 ups in the 3rd and final lap when you knew everyone was paddling hard for the finish.  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell  Photos by George Campbell 200 Meter Sprint Event RecapGo left! No, your other left! 😂. There was a little confusion on the left or was it the right side dock finish. It was still a blast to go all out. And we loved it so much we decided to do it twice ✌️. So 400 meters then? LOL. I decided to demo the SIC XRS 14' x 22" race board but it was still no match for Kat P and Mark Hewitt. And even slow on my Second attempt, LOL. Click the results above to see the details.  Photos by George Campbell So what's next?SUP Games 2 on February 4th. SUP Games 2 on February 4th. I'm looking forward to this, especially now that we've opened it up to include 14' and under race SUPs in a separate division. How will it go? Who will show up? For details and registration click here To see the full list of SUP Games, 10 Event Series, this year, Click here 
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