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Sports

Deep Creek Restaurant Hosts Stand Up Paddle Board Race

More than 60 paddlers participate in race as widely growing water sport catches on locally.

The waters surrounding Deep Creek Restaurant were filled with paddlers standing on their boards Sunday for the third race held by Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Annapolis. The stand up paddle race more than β€”a sign that local interest in the water sport is growing.

Stand up paddle boarding is not new, with origins in coastal and beach communities, especially on the west coast and Hawaii. The wave has made it locally to creeks and rivers along the Chesapeake Bay as more recreational and competitive paddlers spread the word.

With Deep Creek as the backdrop for this event, stand up paddlers competed in either a recreational 2.5-mile course out of Deep Creek into the Magothy to Lake Placid and back, or a 5-mile elite course that ran the aforementioned course twice.

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The race conditions on Deep Creek were rippled water with a slight breeze. However, once in the Magothy River, conditions changed to very breezy with 2-foot-high waves, making the course varied andΒ challenging.

There were three classes to compete in depending on the board length of 12 feet, 12 feet 6 inches, or 14 feet. While there were no age brackets, there were men’s and women’s divisions.

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The length, width and shape of boards differ depending on the conditions they will be used on and look like oversized surf boards. Some boards are built for stability, some for speed and some combine a bit of both.Β 

Many supportive family members and friends descended upon Deep Creek Restaurant to cheer on the paddlers. Like many spectators, neighbor to the restaurant, Clyde McGowan was curious. While it's more common to see kayakers, it’s not every day that you see someone standing on the water and paddling.Β 

McGowan decided β€œhe may have to try it,” which is what most people say after seeing a paddle boarder or chatting with someone who has been on a board.

A driving force behind the paddle boarding movement in our areaΒ has beenΒ SUP Annapolis, the race coordinator. They have been instrumental in promoting the sport both recreationally and competitively. They take the time to guide newcomers through the first paddle boarding experience with rentals, private or group lessons upon request, and will even come to you with all the gear and experience. Even if you’re an experienced paddle boarder, their philosophy is that they will let you "try it before you buy it" to ensure that you are purchasing the board that you want or need.

Race sponsors, Annapolis Canoe and Kayak in Eastport, are also promoters of paddle boarding. Besides selling and renting canoes and kayaks, they also sell and rent a variety of paddle boards. They hold a Tuesday evening paddle board outing on the waters of Annapolis harbor that encourages paddle board owners to get together as well as a venue for those new to the activity to rent a paddle board, learn some basic instruction and to be around others who thoroughly enjoy it. For those wanting to rent a board for the Tuesday outing led by Jamie Horrigan, manager, or Dave Young, owner, reservations are required because they fill up quickly.

Deep Creek Restaurant owner Rene Hundemann may have gone for a paddle around the creek after the race had she not been so busy serving up food and drink specials like the β€œorange crush” for the race participants and spectators alike.

Paddle boarder racer Chris Sperry has participated in a number of other races held in Maryland.Β 

β€œNo matter where I have gone, the environment has always been welcoming and friendly, even from the superstars of the paddle boarding community,” Sperry said.

Racers came from up and down the east coast. Anne and Bill Gassett from Virginia Beach, VA, brought their nephew, Cory, of Jacksonville, FL, to participate as a family. Originally outrigger canoers, the Gassetts made the transition to paddle boarding more than four years ago and explained that paddle boarding is also growing in popularity in Virginia Beach. About 25 percent of the racers were not local and came from areas as far away as Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York.

Passion about paddle boarding is the recurring theme among those who have tried it and decided they loved it. This was no different for Ben Butterwei, SUP Annapolis founder. Butterwei had his first experience with paddle boardingΒ four years ago while in Dewey Beach, DE, paddling out past the ocean surf. He was instantly hooked and the next summer, he recruited friends and family to include brothers, Josiah and Aaron Wolf, and Butterwei’s sister and brother-in-law, Jenny and Frank Groshek, to form the SUP Annapolis company.

Butterwei also heads the Annapolis Chapter of SUP Cleanup, an organization of paddle boarders doing their part to keep the waterways that they enjoy paddling clean of debris and trash. Once a month, the Annapolis Chapter gathers and paddles around Spa Creek and the surrounding waters collecting trash that has littered the harbor to preserve the appearance as well as remove items that might otherwise be detrimental to our area’s fish and wildlife.

Butterwei participated in the race and completed the 5-mile course but not without the help of friends and family toΒ assist withΒ tasksΒ such as manning the registration tables and scorekeeping. Butterwei’s father, Dennis, piloted the safety boat. The trophies were even handmade of wood by friend and fellow racer, Brad Lewis.

Results from the race were as follows (complete results can be viewedΒ on the attached PDF file).

Men’s 14-Foot Board Elite 5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Bill Gassett
  • 2nd Place: Neil Macindoe
  • 3rd Place: Sandy Deeley

Men’s 12-Foot-6-Inch Board Elite 5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Jeremiah Lyons
  • 2nd Place: Brad Lewis
  • 3rd Place: Ben Butterwei

Men’s 12-Foot Board Elite 5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Jeff Schmit
  • 2nd Place: William Grant
  • 3rd Place: Christopher Garliss

Women’s 12-Foot-6-Inch Board Elite 5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Anne Gassett
  • 2nd Place: Beth Deeley
  • 3rd Place: Kate Dowling

Men’s 12-Foot Board Rec 2.5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Ron Gassard
  • 2nd Place: Greg Webster
  • 3rd Place: Steve Lykudis

Women’s 12-Foot-6-Inch Board and under Rec 2.5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Dawn Ehman
  • 2nd Place: Pam Bader
  • 3rd Place: Morgan Wilson

Men’s 12-Foot-6-Inch Board Rec 2.5 Mile

  • 1st Place: Brian Barton
  • 2nd Place: Rick LaCuesta
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