Maybe if you’ve been really good this year, Santa will surprise you with a new standup paddleboard! Then there will be no excuse for not entering the season’s premier watersport competition, the Cold Stroke Classic! With a cash purse of $1,250 for elite athletes and $5,000 in prizes for recreational paddlers, it’s an enticing event!
Join watersports enthusiasts on Saturday, January 17th for the 7th Annual Cold Stroke Classic. The Blockade Runner Beach Resort is graciously hosting the event, and is looking forward to welcoming SUP participants from up and down the Eastern Seaboard. The headlining sponsor is local business, Coastal Urge.
The race will offer two options: a Recreational Division and an Elite Division. For both divisions the board lengths are:
- Men’s and Women’s 12’6″ and Under
- Men’s Only 14′
Registration for the 3.5-mile long Rec Division is $55 and $25 for kids 14 and under. For the 7-mile Elite course, paddlers can register for $75.
On the morning of the 17th, participants will convene at 9:30 am at the Blockade Runner for a pre-race meeting to discuss the course and safety. The race will begin at 10 am sharp. Please note that all paddlers must either wear a PFD during the event or have one that is accessible with their onboard gear.
Racers will put in on the Banks Channel side of the resort. From there, they will head slightly south before heading west towards Seapath Towers and the Intracoastal Waterway, where they will then turn sharply to the right, and head north. The 3.5-mile course continues, passing under the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge, then eastward by Channel Walk. The home stretch turns back to the south and passes under two more bridges. The race ends back where it started at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort. See a map of the course, and registration details here: http://www.coldstrokeclassic.com/race—event-info.html
Proceeds from the event will benefit the organization, SUP Cleanup. Founded in 2009 by the owners of Coastal Urge, it is an international nonprofit whose goal is to, “rid the oceans, beaches and spoil island of trash and debris that washes up or gets left behind.” The group cleans areas that are only accessible by boat or SUP.