Paddle Bender June1, 2013

The following is a note about the Paddle Bender, the next race in the SouthEast Paddlesports Series. Let's support this great effort. Thanks, John and Karen, for all your hard work.

Hey everybody,

 
After kicking off our paddle sport series in Charleston, SC and Jacksonville, FL in April we are now gearing up for the 3rd event in mid-state South Carolina.  On June 1st we are holding the 2nd annual paddle sport event at Dreher Island State Park.  This event is open to kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards.  

Some of you have already signed up, but if you have not please considering registering today. 

 

WE WILL NOT HAVE RACE DAY REGISTRATION THIS YEAR, so you will need to preregister online or by mail.  Instructions for either option are available atwww.paddlebender.org.  What we have to offer:
 

- a great cause (all net proceeds go to Carolina Wildlife Care)

- 4 and 8 mile courses open to all ability levels (over half of participants are casual paddlers)

- Z93.1 "The Lake" will be broadcasting live and serving as emcee for the event.

- an excellent group of raffle prizes from our 14 sponsors, well over $1000 in value

- unique awards to more categories than you can shake a stick at

- meal included from Mathias Sandwich Shop (pasta bake)

- athletic wicking t-shirt (gauranteed only for the first 100 registrants)

- fun course and great spectator viewing area

- live animals from Carolina Wildlife Care will be visiting the event site (that's a hit with both kids and adults).  CWC rehabilitates and releases injured wildlife.  They do all work without any government funding and almost entirely with volunteer efforts 24 hours per day.

- great deals on hotels for anyone traveling in from out of town.  (Take advantage of those now.  Some deals are not gauranteed after May 5.)

Please consider participating, volunteering, or we could probably squeeze you in yet for sponsorship if your business or employer would like to get involved.  Please check out our list of sponsors.  We greatly appreciate them all. 

I'll be on 107.9 FM  at 9:30 am this coming Tue for the program called "Healthier Lexington".  A representative from CWC and I will be disussing their service and the upcoming paddle event.

Please let me know if you have any questions and feel free to like Paddle Bender on Facebook.

That is all, thanks for reading.  Now please take 2 minutes to sign up for the Paddle Bender! :-)

 

John Wellens

Paddle Bender

paddlebender@gmail.com

www.paddlebender.org

www.facebook.com/paddlebender

www.sepseries.org

www.twitter.com/sepseries

Charleston Patriot Challenge

THE PATRIOT CHALLENGE IS APRIL 13!!!! See below for info from the Southeast Paddle Sport  Series director. Lots of fun in Charleston! C'mon, Savannah/Tybee. Let's support this great series.

** It’s time NOW to register for the Patriot Challenge **

Secure your spot this weekend.  The late registration fee will kick in soon.

Registration for Patriot Challenge:

- available online at http://www.active.com/outdoors/charleston-sc/the-patriot-challenge-2013

- or attached is a mail in registration form if you prefer that.

There are three and six mile course options. The Patriot Challenge is the week before the East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival (formerly East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival which is held on April 19-21). There are many classes being held the week prior to the Festival so paddlesport lovers will benefit by coming to the Challenge.

Simply by participating in the Patriot challenge you will be entered to win valuable prizes - including an Epic Kayak, kayak and SUP paddles and many more wonderful prizes - over $3,000 total. Your BIB number is your entry for drawings. There is nothing that compares to paddling out into Charleston Harbor.

Get involved in the Southeast Paddle Sport Championship which kicks off with races in Charleston, SC and Jacksonville, FL. Aside from individual race competition you can 1) Compete for series awards in your category for either short or long distance courses and/or 2) Earn points toward raffle tickets at our year end banquet just for participating in series events. Five raffle tickets per event completed!

The Southeast Paddle Sport Series: Learn more here - www.sepseries.org

First up for the 2013 series -- Charleston Patriot Challenge, Sat, April 13

 

Series schedule:

April 13 - Charleston, SC -- www.charlestonpatriotchallenge.org

April 27 - Jacksonville, FL -- www.rivercitychallenge.org

June 1st - Dreher Island State Park, SC -- www.paddlebender.org

Sept  7 - Tybee Island, GA -- http://tybeekayakrace.blogspot.com/

Nov 2 - Hunting Island State Park, SC -- www.paddlefestsc.org

We hope to see y'all at these amazing events! 

Happy paddling everybody.

2013 Tybee Sea Kayak Races

Happy 2013, Everyone! Even before changes to the rest of the blog can be made, we want to post the date for this year's Kayak Races at Tybee:  SEPTEMBER 7, 2013.  Hope we will see all of you here. More info, updated forms, and so on will begin to appear (as if by magic?) in the next couple of months.
Happy Winter :)

Race Results

CONGRATULATIONS to all our racers. Thank you for participating. This was the biggest year yet with 34 competitors in the Little Tybee Challenge, 29 competitors in the Tybee River Race with an additional 9 casual paddlers in the River Race, and 8 competitors in the Gold Sponsors Race Across the River for a grand total of 80 participants overall.

Big thanks to our sponsors, especially Title sponsor Fortune Recycling and Platinum sponsor Tybee Island Tourism Council. We will post final funds raised in the near future, but we raised at least $13,000 plus for the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.
Thank you also to our many wonderful volunteers. This event could not happen without those wonderful volunteers.

Congratulations to Donna Drake, the winner of the Perception Sound donated by Half-Moon Outfitters. When we called her, she said "I'm the happiest woman in Savannah today!"

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT!!!!

Race day almost here

Thank you for all the support from our sponsors and volunteers in helping to make this event possible. We are excited about the funds raised for the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.

And thank you to all the participants getting ready for the races. We have lots of pre-registrants and lots of pledges from others that they will be here. The weather looks good. It's going to be a great day for a kayak race!!

Check out this site to support 4 friends - all Atlanta businessmen - participating in the November "Kayak for the Coast" to raise funds for  Save Georgia’s Coast and to create awareness about coastal pollution and alterations, and the need to preserve the future of Georgia's marshes and wetlands. We hear that 3 of them will be participating in the Tybee races.
http://www.save-georgias-coast.org/kayaking-for-the-georgia-coast.html

Two weeks to Tybee race day!

We're closing in on race day! Save money by registering early (postmark Sept. 5) - there's still time. And pass the word to all the racers and paddlers you know. For those who are not so interested in racing, remember you can be a casual paddler.
And tell the Stand Up Paddleboarders, too. We added an SUP category for the first time.
Please check out all of our fabulous sponsors! Thank you thank you thank you to our sponsors!
See below about the next event in the Paddlesport Championship Series (We're the race after the one below in this series).

THE NEXT EVENT IN THE PADDLESPORT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IS THE PADDLE BENDER AT DREHER ISLAND STATE PARK, SC.  THE FUN BEGINS SEPTEMBER EIGHTH.  PLEASE VISIT

http://www.paddlebender.net/index.html

 TO LEARN MORE.  THIS INAUGURAL EVENT WELCOMES KAYAKS, CANOES AND SUPs TO THE BEAUTIFUL WATERS OF LAKE MURRAY.  CASUAL PADDLERS AS WELL AS PARTICIPANTS IN THE SERIES ARE ALL INVITED.  

Paddle Savannah SUP Splash Race

Check out the 2nd Annual Paddle Savannah SUP Splash Race on Saturday, August 18, 9:00 a.m. at Delegal Marina at the Landings on Skidaway Island, Savannah. There are 2 race courses, a 3 mile and a 6 mile, with several Stand Up Paddleboard categories and also a kayak category.  Race director, Pat Brooks, encourages SUPers and kayakers to come out and enjoy the competition and the beautiful setting.
You should pre-register on-line. The pre-race party is on Friday 4:30 - 9.
This is a WPA sanctioned event.
For more info, go to www.supsplashrace.com/savannah-2012
Sounds like fun!!