Attention Lake Martin paddle boarders – or those who might want to be:

– there is a free paddle board race at Anchor Bay Marina on Saturday, June 30, 2012!  Anchor Bay Marina, Lake Martin Dock Company, Harbor Docks Grill, Benton’s Grading and Paving, along with Lake Martin Voice Realty, are sponsors. We are really excited to bring a little race to the lake.

Castaway Island Paddle Board Race Details:

When: 10:00 AM on June 30, 2012 (registration starts at 8:30 AM).

Where: Anchor Bay Marina – Lake Martin, 2001 Castaway Island Road, Eclectic, AL 36024

Cost: FREE  (contrary to the ad in Lake Magazine, we worked it out so there’s no charge!)

Registration: 3 ways:

1. CLICK HERE to fill out an online form, or
2. Go by Anchor Bay Marina or Lake Martin Dock Company
3. Walk up at 8:30 on race day, fill out a form or print this one and bring it before race time

Course: We will start on the sandy beach and paddle in a 1/3 mile triangle towards Kowaliga Bay and back.

Distance:  This will depend on who signs up, but we are planning a 1/3 mile Sprint Race and a 1 mile Race.

Gear: Bring your own paddle board (any type or size), paddle, PFD (aka life jacket, required by AL Marine Patrol), hydration, and any other water safety gear that you need.

Spectators: They have cleared out the point going out to the big water, so if you plan to just watch, register anyway, let us know you’re coming, and bring some chairs and refreshments and hang out to cheer!

After Party: Everyone is invited back to Harbor Docks Grill for the after race party.  It’s all within easy walking distance of Anchor Bay Marina and the race site.

Parking: Signs will be up race day, but there probably will be more room to park if you come by car.  We’d love you to come by boat, too, but there is a limited amount of boat slips available.

If you have never paddle boarded before, it would be a good time to come try one out. Paddle boarding, aka Stand Up Paddling (SUP) is super popular on the coast and increasingly so here at Lake Martin.

This race is the brainchild of Sharon Johnston of Lake Martin Dock Company. Sharon caught SUP fever when visiting the Destin area a couple of years ago. She fell in love with a local paddle board company named BOTE, owned by Magda and Corey Cooper. She ended up buying a board and loving it so much that she wanted to help bring the sport to Lake Martin. Sharon is an enthusiastic person, so she figured the next logical step was to become a dealer for BOTE Boards here at Lake Martin.

This race is an extension of that same passion – a love for the sport and a desire to help spread it here at Lake Martin. Following that theme, the race will be free to anyone that would like to come. We do ask that you register by CLICKING HERE and filling out the form so we can know how many to expect!

Speaking of RSVPs, without Anchor Bay’s sponsorship and volunteering the spot, we wouldn’t have a place to race! Anchor Bay has areas to park cars and boats, but if you could let us know how you plan to arrive;  that will help us plan for parking. Mike and Linda Sharman at Anchor Bay have been so gracious to hop into the spirit of the event and will be great hosts, I know.

Goals Are Safety And Fun

Our #1 goal is that everyone be safe. We have registered with the Alabama Marine Police to make sure they approve of everything. Our #2 goal is for everyone to have fun. This will not be a super serious, high testosterone, Iron Man / Ninja Warrior race. I’m sure there will be some paddlers that will race very hard and want to win, but again, we are just happy to get together with fellow and potential paddlers. This is what this race is about.

If you have never tried a paddle board, this would be a great time to try. A few representatives from Lake Martin Dock will have BOTE Boards that you can demo. Make sure to mention the “John Coley discount” :)! If you wanted to buy one there, I’m sure they wouldn’t object, but again, that isn’t what this is all about.