infected by the surfski virus – The Culebra Challenge

 
Trying out an epic V10
 
 
 
The internet connects the world…and occassionally can bring a highly infectious virus to your own house…
 
 
I got infected with the surfski virus just three weeks ago by watching some great videos on youtube — sent to me by  a kayak-crazy journalist from New York …he actually planned just to write some stuff about my NZ-trip…and happened to be a passionate surfski paddler, too.
 
At the same time I met Mr. Surf Ski Oscar Chalupsky — the 11-time Molokai winner. He was happy to show me the nuances of the forward stroke (see last post, 4 weeks ago)…On flatwater the surf ski didn’t thrill me but in the bumps, well, I’m rather attracted to the rough stuff!
  
Anyway, after meeting Oscar and trying out the Epic 18x  as a possible boat for my next big expedition, I paid a visit to Alex Craven from Oarsport, the German epic distributor in Hamburg, in order to try out one of these tippy surfskis by myself!

I tried to squeezed myself in the epic V10 — ouch! — but felt my hip bones needed a bit more room to breathe…Luckily when I sat in the wider (and more stable) epic V10 sport I felt instantly more comfi.

After just 30 minutes of paddling up and down on the Dove Elbe’s flatwater was enough to get me hooked…and, even better, Alex suggested that I take a demo V10 Sport home! Thanks to Alex, Oscar and Greg from Epic!
 
My first test paddle took place on the freezing Baltic Sea’s: Wind waves at force 5-6 gave me some more confidence on that unstable craft but, burr, my feet were as cold as the ice cream in my shop. Hey, it was February…but who cares!!! I’ll just dress better next time as I already have a vision of *THIS* boat on the big blue sea…..
 
 
 
On a solo training run off San Juan harbour entrance, I decided I should be gracious and left this huge cruise ship go before me. Earlier, I was passed by a pod of 15 dolphins, and a large sea turtle who, I think, said hello…
 
 
 
…joining the Culebra Race in Puerto Rico!
 
Call me spontaneous or call me crazy but just one week before trying a surf ski for the first time I decided to participate in the Culebra Challenge, a 35 km open ocean crossing in Puerto Rico. Thanks to the kind-hearted nature of race director Harry Negron who fit me in at the last minute!
  
Before the race I did six training runs – each about 2 hrs but with very little downwind practice. Nevertheless, my confidence to survive on race day in this new craft grew day by day. I braced hard at times but at least I didn’t fell off…
 

Joe and I checking out the skis in the hotel lagoon.

 

Great to have the help of good friends! Thanks to the Puerto Rican strong local paddlers Harry Negron, Federico Muskus, Jaime Ponce, Anitza Villalobos and Hector Cartagena, who helped me on the ski the first days, and thanks to Joe Glickman and to Greg Barton from team Epic to take good care of me!

 

 

Greg, Joe and I were preparing our GPS’s with the position of the final destination of the race on the Puerto Rico main island.

 

Waiting for the ferry to Culebra: Greg Barton, Anitza Villalobos, Joe Glickman

 

part of team epic on the ferry…it was actually so bumpy we each had our weak moments with seasickness…

 

 A happy vacation transportation to the breakfast…Greg Barton, myself, Joe Glickman, Anitza Villalobos, Federico Muskus, Jaime Ponce, Harry Negron

 

 tropical felings…

 

a fine line-up of shark fins…
 

 

Race start

Greg Barton with the no. 1, I was no. 13, right besides Puerto Rico’s fastest female sprinter Anitza Villalobos in the first orange ski. I managed to stay on her wake on the flat water, but on the rough stuff she slowly pulled away…hey, she is hoping to qualify for the Olympics in Beijing! Anitza, who is a great, strong girl, finished the 24-mile course 5 min ahead of me in 3hrs 38 min.

 

group pic after the award’s ceremony

 

There are also interesting postings about results and more pics of the event on Greg’s blog and on surfski.info

It was a great race and one of the best spontaneous decisions in my life. No time like the PRESENT! Who knows where it will take me to in future! And I would love to be back next year.

Surfski paddling and racing on the open ocean is super fun, exciting and challenging – just what I needed after my long solo New Zealand trip. Chasing a field of 20 strong men and (only…) one strong woman across the open ocean will make me a more powerful, faster and balanced expedition sea kayaker, too…

I hope to join more races, and whoever likes to try the ski when I’m travelling to symposiums with my van, is more than welcome!

 

 This is where my dreams will continue for now…

 

I stored my ski on the ceiling of my living room, as my backyard boat shed is spacious but too short…Plus it looks good under a 4 m x 2,50 m world map…

2 comments on “infected by the surfski virus – The Culebra Challenge

Hi Freya,
you have the measure of crazyness, that I adore, the measure of
intelligence and reason to survive and the measure of power to realise and bring it to an happy end.
Ich drücke dir die Daumen dazu! When you come back, I´ll invite you for a visit in our house in the bavarian alps.
Günter

Scott Lovrien

Freya!!

Congrats on following your dreams and not only going with the flow – but creating your own at the same time!! I have been one of the dreamers you mention that wished but follow their dreams – but now – I am heading over to get my first surfski at the Mayor’s Cup Race in NYC this month. Hope to see you there if you aren’t out conquering another part of this beautiful world!! Aufwiedersehen!!! -Scott

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