Report and Results 2013 Dillon Challenge SUP RacAugust 4, 2013 The Highest SUP Race in the World 9,100 ft. By Kathy & Carl Selles You could not have asked for a more beautiful mountain morning for the Third Annual Dillon Challenge SUP Race. The day dawned crisp and clear, light steam rising off the lake, no wind and only a few wispy clouds in the sky. As the sun came up over the mountains, rowers and SUPers arrived early to prepare, pick up their bibs, and check in for on-site registration. The day warmed quickly, and by 10 am the volunteers were dressed in shorts and T shirts, juggling for the shady spots. This event is put on by the Frisco Rowing Club, with Joann Stolen as race director. There is an extensive network of scullers who come to participate. The club provided bagels, juice, and coffee on the deck of the Island Grill. The club volunteers are a dedicated bunch who give up their weekend to do timing, organizing, tabulating, boater safety, and provide oodles of food both before and after the race. This is in addition to all the preliminary work that must be done to arrange a race venue such as this. Carl and I came up Saturday afternoon to assist with registration, and help with the SUP portion of documenting race results. This year there were 35 paddlers, 22 males and 13 females, compared to 23 total in 2012. This is the first year that wet suits are not officially required by the Dillon Lake Recreation Board. There had been a long standing rule prohibiting contact with the water due to concerns for quality of the Denver drinking water, and for hypothermia in the very cold water of Dillon Reservoir. The water treatment plant has been modernized, however, the board still had concerns for safety. The first year for the SUP event was 2011, a 2.5 Mile race only, and the eleven paddlers were required to wear wet suits. Many suffered overheating and dehydration, creating a generally unpleasant experience. Last fall, several SUPers including Ace, Carl, Kathy, the Boardworks rep, and Joanne Stolen from Frisco Rowing, attended a board meeting to make a presentation asking the board to end the wet suit requirement. The SUPers explained the sport of standup paddling, brought equipment to demonstrate the sturdiness of inflatable SUPs, and showed safety equipment that paddlers use including inflatable PFD’s. The board was receptive to the information, and after further study, and consultation with their lawyers, the rule was rescinded. The rowers began their races quite early, and completed all of their events on the lake first, so the SUP start was pushed to 9am. This gave everyone time to warm up on the lake, greeting old friends and meeting new ones. Someone eventually announced that SUPers needed to get moving, as the starting line was a mile up the lake! SUPers paddled out on the lake to a pontoon boat where the timers and race officials were stationed. The 6-mile race started 9:04 am. There were 19 racers on every type of board for this race, 15 men, and 4 women. The signal sounded telling SUPers to dig in and take off. Nineteen racers can create a fair amount of turbulence at the start, so there was definitely some choppiness to the water. The 6-mile course traveled up the lake, around a point, up the Blue River inlet channel, around a buoy, and retraced the route back to the pontoon. The 2.5 Mile Race began a few minutes later, traveling 1.25 miles to a large buoy and back. Mike Crenshaw, age 59, on a 14’ Boardworks RB, finished the 6 Mile Race first overall in a blistering time of 1:03.17, setting a new course record and beating the 2012 time of Alex Mauer, 25, (on a 14’ Rogue Outlaw RB), by one minute and 30 seconds. Kelsa Gabehart, 33, finished the Women’s 6-Mile Race first overall paddling a 12’6 Bark/Comp RB with a screaming time of 1:08.58, setting a new women’s overall record for fastest time, board category, and age group, beating last year’s winner, Cory Stead, 37, 12’6 RB, by eighteen minutes and 11 seconds. Rob Ortell, 58, took first overall in the Men’s 2.5 Mile Race on a 12’6 IB Starboard/Astrotour , with a time of 33:40, setting a board and age group record for the inflatable race board category. Katharine Noll, 55, finished the Women’s 2.5 Mile Race on a 12’6 RB Boardworks M&M with a time of 35:06, setting a record for her age group in this board category, only one about minute behind last year’s overall winner, 14 yr old Olphelia Bryan. Julianne Bracket, 19, the youngest paddler, took second overall and first in her age group finishing at 1:10.12 in the Women’s 6-Mile, racing a 14’RB Amandson . Carl Selles, 66, the oldest paddler, came in eighth overall and first in his age group racing a 14’RB Kalui Kai with a time of 1:12.23. Other paddlers of note: Cathy Steines, 44, from Mt Vernon, Iowa, was in Summit County on vacation. She noticed the registration event on Friday evening, and came and asked about the race. We directed her to rent from Ten Mile Kayaks in Frisco. She showed up the next morning with a 12’6 SB, Raven, and participated in the 2.5 mile race. She took first place in the 12’6 Stock Board Category and the 40 to 49 Age group, setting a new record of 43 minutes and 11 seconds. A member of the Frisco Rowing Club, Tonia Williamson, 45, donned a grass skirt and a flower lei to show her enthusiasm, and participated in the 2.5 Mile Race. She won the women’s 12’6 Inflatable Racing Board category on a Hala /Nass, with a time of 44:15 and won the 40 to 49 age group in that category and set a record for this new board category. Frisco Rowing Club awarded medals to the first three male and female finishers in each race. In addition, Colorado SUP Racing Club provided each participant with a certificate documenting their achievement for this race. The complete results for the 2013 race, including overall times, board categories and age divisions, are included as an attachment with this email. Check the web site for previous years’ race results coloradosupracingclub. Carl posts results from those SUP races where results are published and made available. The 2013 Dillon Challenge was winding down around 12:30, just about the time the weather was winding up. Storm clouds were moving in, the wind was picking up, and the temperature was dropping. Perfect timing for the perfect race day. Copyright Kathy Selles &Carl Selles
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 02:02:39 +0000
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