Stand Up For Healthy Communities

The New River Gorge Stand Up Paddle Board Race powered by Active Southern West Virginia

Active Southern West Virginia’s mission is to increase opportunity for physical activity. With an executive director who has a life long passion for paddle sports, it is easy to see the connection between the world’s fastest growing paddle sport, SUP, and the mission to increase access in southern West Virginia. This year the New River Gorge SUP Race offered multiple races to appeal to a wide variety of abilities; Youth, Attainment, and Downriver.

Youth Stand Up Paddle Board Race

The day started with the Youth SUP Race, West Virginia’s first kids paddle board race! Racers were pre-approved to paddle in either category; “All By Myself” or “Parent on Board”. The course began at the upper beach at Fayette Station, DJ Zeke provided motivational tunes, and the little racers were off heading upstream to a large buoy and back to the start line. It was an exciting 7 minutes!

The Attainment SUP Race

The second race of the day, the Attainment Race, offered an intermediate skill course where paddlers race upstream against the river’s current, around the large boulders in the class 1 rapid Thread the Needle, and return to the start line. The most exciting part being the mass start where the chop of 45 paddles jostles each racer as they try to gain ground on those around them.

Multi-person SUP called the Beast
The Downriver SUP Race

West Virginia’s only whitewater stand up paddle boarding race. This year the river levels cooperated to include the challenging Fayette Station rapid in the third race event of the day, the Downriver Race. This is where true paddle board athletes shine. Ian Smith, owner of SurfSup Adventures and founder of First Waves, and Christian Shaw, founder of Plastic Tides, lead the pack of racers through the first whitewater. Spectators cheered as 45 racers got tossed in multiple directions passing and getting passed.

Ian Smith followed by Christian Shaw
Downriver Finish Line
What is Means for West Virginia

It was a day for the WV history books. This group of paddlers continues to grow every year by encouraging their friends and families to be active with them. It takes face to face invitations to help others try new activities. Active Southern West Virginia works every day to provide free outdoor physical activity programs year round. Check this webpage calendar for the next program you can attend with your family; www.activeswv.org/calendar.

Proceeds from this SUP race are donated to the Fayette County 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club where gear and outings are provided to get local high schoolers biking, climbing, paddling, skiing, hiking, and appreciating their backyard recreation.

This event is made possible by the passionate volunteers; Glenda Crawford, Brian Good, Brad Scott, Rocco, Jeff Shields, Vince Nicolau, and Zeke Smith.

Amazing photos provided by; Carl Galie, Deb Stipa, Candace Evans, Brent Lewis, Kate Armentrout, and Vince Nicolau.

Additional event photos here.

Sponsors
Race Results
 Youth Race
1Kalila Hames
2Delaney Hames
3Evan Nicolau

 

 Attainment Men Attainment Female
    
1Christian Shaw Meghan Roberts
2Ian Smith Wendy Scott
3Jonah Logan Anne Katino Linn

 

 Down River Down River
1Christian Shaw Wendy Scott
2Ian Smith Jill Martin
3Trey Knight Laura Palin

 

ParticipantRacer NumberAttainmentDown RiverOverall
Cameron Satterfield1211700.342140.253840.59
Ian Smith711331.191153.352484.54
Jack Nelson901449.911240.312690.22
Keith Peck1082209.21 2209.21
Travis Hames1251434.862246.663681.52
Meghan Roberts151524.74 1524.74
Joe Jett46 1926.361926.36
Melanie Seiler Hames921615.252228.763844.01
Christian Shaw1391323.631139.032462.66
Garrett Napier1231937.392143.994081.38
Jill Martin262553.161825.84378.96
John (Trey) Knight431346.091158.582504.67
Laura Palin1191942.691833.123775.81
Gideon Casto1141732.431338.53070.93
Wendy Scott1421703.31603.883307.18
Jimbo Navy11320591757.193816.19
Juan (GMO) Loria9114031228.442631.44
Hilary Nicolau1321954.11 1954.11
Landen Napier771705.071455.743160.81
Anne Katona Linn1001759.44 1759.44
Jason Kopp291417.161217.152634.31
Evan Young1221544.742005.013549.75
Randy Fisher301529.33 1529.33
Andy Hinton751712.671356.193068.86
Roger Hager571903.36 1903.36
Sabrina Pringle1162144.89 2144.89
Dominque Williams1031745.421332.763078.18
Jonah Logan801336.761234.472571.23
Mark Palladino1091932.34 1932.34
Haley Satterfield1102137.492207.454344.94
Elizabeth Davis NRS Group441805.641406.793212.43
Andy Warwick1281736.461416.563153.02
Peter Quigley471621.551422.283043.83
Ethan Quigley971343.31519.162862.46
Tom Samples991624.321556.013180.33