The 2013/14 Whole Foods Paddle Racing Series kicked off the season with a Polka!

Yes that's right Lederhosen, Brat's, and Polka Music were the order of business for race #1 of the Whole Foods Market San Rafael Paddle Racing Series.(pictured Bruce Wallters foreground Adrianna Baca behind - all photos credited Ron Steinau) FULL RESULTS AT BOTTOM.

Oktoberfest was of course the theme so it was a happy crowd of racers that saw the Marin Brew Co Keg awaiting them for the après racing party. Thanks Marin Brew Co! Pre-race however was all about hydration and that was served up by series sponsor Hint Water. And what better to chase that Brew Co Pint down than with than a Yummy Mamie's Pie. Folks remember to support the businesses that support our sport!

On to the racing action and it was the 2 mile short course and 6 mile long course around the Marin Islands that were the center of the day's action. With Prone Paddleboards, Stand Up Paddleboards, Kayaks, Outrigger Canoes, Surfski's, & Surfing SUP's on the line it was a ménage of forward facing paddlers charging out to race on San Francisco Bay.

On the short course side of the action some impressive performances were turned it by first time paddlers. Dave Hook and Julie Pappas took second and third place respectively in their first ever race! Sarah Cary did the same in the Surfboard class – Nice work Sarah. Paddle of the day on the short course honors go to Haakon Hoyer Nielsen whose 32:41 time set him up for first place win for the juniors and 4th place overall. Keep your eye on Haakon. Bluerush's Stephen Pugh took top honors winning the short course outright in a 30 minute 40 second effort. Kris Muller killed it on the short course – Lederhosen (check), Surfboard (check), First Place (check). For the ladies Shelly Hamilton was the class of the field but it was by no means an easy win with Jennifer Hamilton just 16 seconds back in second place. Riley Hurd took down the top spot for the men's 14 footers. (pictured at right Emily Mathews - love the name of the boat!)

Over on the long course it was Les Scanlan's OC1 (pictured below) locked in battle with the Surfski of Gary Allen for the top slot as the two battled down the canal. Scanlan was up for the challenge however as the two were the only paddlers to break the one hour mark. Bojan Bernard took the win in the 14ft division with Ben Sarazzin doing likewise for the 12'6" division. Jen Fuller, Madeleine King, and Leigh Claxton went 1, 2, 3 for the ladies while Junior Shane Rathle took home the top spot for the Juniors.

The finish line battle between the two top prone paddlers, Bryan Thomas and Charlie Banfield, was one for the ages. The two were locked stroke for stroke all the way from the Marin Islands, and as they charged towards the finish line the two were separated by mere inches after 6 miles of paddling. Banfield took the actual win by a nose but a race committee adjustment awarded the trophy too Thomas due to a shorter board length.

Phil Snell took the win for the Surfboard Class our favorite division. Paddle of the day for the long course went to River City Paddler Helen Gallagher (pictured above) who not only took 3rd overall in the OC1 class she did so in a blistering time of 1:05:46; Awesome job Helen! Honorable mention for paddle of the day has to go to Holly Jackson who tackled the long course for her second time ever paddling. Not second time racing but second time paddling – tack on first place in the women's 14ft sup and you have a wow performance!

The Un-announced costume contest was also tightly contested. However when you put 3 Mullers in Lederhosen (Marissa, Kris, and Leah pictured above) you polka away with the win. Emily Mathews alongside Bruce Walters, and our own Cort Larned had to settle for being just off the podium.

The 2014 Paddle Racing season looks to be a busy one. There is good news however with a new site hitting the Wire in SUP Currents. The site is dedicated to attempting to herd the cats (aka race Organizers) and making navigating the Nor Cal SUP scene much easier for paddlers. Check Out SUP Currents Click Here.

Thanks has to also go out to the San Rafael Police department, and Mark Heedon in particular, for their on the water support . We can't forget all the great work by Captain Ron Steinau for all the fantastic photos! You can see Captain Ron's entire photo gallery in the link below. (pictured above SUP racer Jean Rathle chose right and Craig Woodyatt chose left to round the islands). Also a big thanks to all the volunteers who pitched in to help. A special thanks to Drew Testwuide and his paddle tour boat the Barbary Ghost for the on the water safety support. If you are looking for a paddle adventure look no further than a Barbary Ghost Paddle tour with Captain Drew. Click here for more information on SUP/Kayak Boat supported tours. One more round of applause for race sponsors Whole Foods Market San Rafael, Marin Brew Co, Mamie's Pies, and Hint Water. A final shout out to Aaron at Sawyer Paddles and Alon at Focus SUP Hawaii for setting up a free demo for the racers. Thanks again to everyone who pitched in - we could not do it without you!

PHOTO GALLERY

Check Out Racer Jean Rathle's GPS tracks from the long course!

Complete Results