The Key West Paddleboard Classic is a great race in an amazingly fun location. If you’ve been to Key West you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t been to Key West then trust me, you’ve got to go. The race is a challenge, but it’s a fun challenge. There is always a strong field, the water is warm and because you’re paddling around the island the conditions change every 20 minutes or so which keeps it interesting. It’s a 12-mile race which is on the long side, particularly if you’ve done the Carolina Cup the week before, but Key West’s 12 miles are psychologically and physically a lot easier than Carolina’s 13. That said, it has its challenges. It’s hot and humid, it can get really windy, and if the wind is blowing the right way it can get really rough.
Tip
1 – Inspect the course before the race and STAY RIGHT
This tip is pretty much a rule for me. In general, if you’ve got the time to inspect a race course before racing you absolutely should. If you don’t have time to inspect the entire course then inspect the trickier parts of it. Fortunately, unlike Carolina there aren’t things like shore break, inlets and sections with lots of sandbars that you have to worry about at Key West. For me the big reason to inspect the course at Key West is to get familiar with the sight lines in order to pick the most direct course around the island when racing. Last year I got lost when I was leading heading into the harbor. Having not done the race before and only arriving the day before I had no time to check out the course. Although I studied the map and paid attention at the racers meeting, having never done the course before and chasing some fun bumps, I got way off course and only realized that when a friendly motor boat sped over, asked if I was in the race, and told me where I had to go.
This tip is pretty much a rule for me. In general, if you’ve got the time to inspect a race course before racing you absolutely should. If you don’t have time to inspect the entire course then inspect the trickier parts of it. Fortunately, unlike Carolina there aren’t things like shore break, inlets and sections with lots of sandbars that you have to worry about at Key West. For me the big reason to inspect the course at Key West is to get familiar with the sight lines in order to pick the most direct course around the island when racing. Last year I got lost when I was leading heading into the harbor. Having not done the race before and only arriving the day before I had no time to check out the course. Although I studied the map and paid attention at the racers meeting, having never done the course before and chasing some fun bumps, I got way off course and only realized that when a friendly motor boat sped over, asked if I was in the race, and told me where I had to go.
Water start off Higg’s Beach
This is pretty straightforward, however if
it is a south wind like last year it will be choppy. Last year there were some great bumps to ride
as we headed east towards the harbor.
Turn
north into the harbor
As I recall it’s a little rocky as you make
to the turn into the harbor, but if you don’t get super close to the shore here
you’ll be fine. I figure I was about 10
feet from the shore and was a little concerned that I was too close once I had
chosen that line, but it turned out to be okay.
If you’re conservative you may want to be a little farther out. If you’re bolder you can try the line I chose
but I wouldn’t get any closer. I just
don’t think the risk is worth the reward.
As we got into the harbor last year the south wind was at our backs
kicking up great, fast moving bumps two to three feet high. If the wind is the same this year there’ll be
some fun here. Last year I stayed in the
middle and caught bump after bump.
Unfortunately I got farther and farther away from the right turn you
have to make into the channel that goes under Fleming Key Bridge and into the gulf. If you’ve got bumps to ride here, catch as
many as you can but stay close to the right shore so you can tuck into the
channel quickly when you reach it. I
figure I had to do an extra half-mile or so at this point last year. If the wind is coming from the north or the
east you’ll want to hug the right shore anyway to avoid the wind so you’ll be in
good shape when you reach the channel.
You should be aware that “hugging the right shore” might actually mean
tucking up against a giant cruise ship, but you get the idea.
Gulf
of Mexico
This is the north side of the island. The channel you traverse to enter the gulf is only about 500m long and last year it was the flattest, most sheltered part of the course. I don’t recall any tide in the channel last year, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be tide there this year. Use your GPS and check your speed here. Even if you don’t see any signs of current on the surface of the water, you should be able to tell from your speed pretty quickly whether or not there is a current. If there is and it’s with you then stay in the middle. If it’s against you hug the right shore which is a concrete wall.
This is the north side of the island. The channel you traverse to enter the gulf is only about 500m long and last year it was the flattest, most sheltered part of the course. I don’t recall any tide in the channel last year, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be tide there this year. Use your GPS and check your speed here. Even if you don’t see any signs of current on the surface of the water, you should be able to tell from your speed pretty quickly whether or not there is a current. If there is and it’s with you then stay in the middle. If it’s against you hug the right shore which is a concrete wall.
Once you’re in the gulf it is going to get
choppy simply because it’s more open. A
south wind won’t be challenging, just small wind chop. A north wind could be much choppier and an
east wind will be a headwind. Either
way, this part of the race is a slog.
When you exit the channel you kind of have to turn left a bit and head
towards the left side of the island you’ll see ahead of you. You can get pretty close to the island
without it getting too shallow, which you’ll want to do in a south wind to get
shelter.
Rounding the island you’ll want to aim for
Cow Key Channel, which you can’t see for the longest time. This is always a confusing part of the race
for me. I’ve done this section three
times now – once in the Classic and twice in a smaller race the Lazy Dogs host in
late January – and I always want to go further left than I should. The confusing thing is that there are boats
moored there that make it look like a channel, but you want to stay a little
more right.
As you get closer you’ll start to see Cow Key Channel and eventually a bridge you want to go under. There are some condo like buildings on the right bank at the start of the channel. This area was really tidal last year with strong currents against us. In that scenario you’ll want to hug the shore except that this is the one area on the course that is full of sandbars. If you are going to inspect any section of the course I suggest this be it. The great thing is you can just drop your board in at the Lazy Dog Paddle shack that is right at the bridge here and then easily check the area out. I’d actually focus more on the stretch from Lazy Dog out into the ocean, as that is where most of the sandbars are. Know how close you can get to the shore as you turn the corner at the Key West airport without getting grounded out or hitting your paddle on the bottom.
Back
into the ocean
As you round the bend to the right by the
airport you’ll be coming back into open water.
Last year this area was crazy, as the wind had picked up during the time
we were on the backside of the island and the waves had built. The bounce backs off the break wall here were
insane.
Once you’re fully into the ocean you’ll see
a pier in front of you. Aim for the end
of it as the finish at Higg’s Beach is just past it. When you round the end of the pier you’ll
have about 500m of paddling left. The
finish is a beach finish so you’ll have to hit the beach, jump off your board
and run through the finish.
Tip 2 – Drink fluids
This race is hot and humid. I drank a ton of water on the course last
year and though I usually hit the beach with a fair amount of water left in my
1.5-liter pack, last year I was almost dry.
Test your hydration system before the race and test out any mixes you
use before the race as well.
Tip
3 – Use a stable board, or at least have one on standby
This course could be entirely flat if
there’s no wind. If that’s the cast then
a 24-inch rocket might be in order.
However, if it is windy and choppy, and in particular if the wind is
from the south, you’ll want a more stable board. Last year I borrowed a 30-inch Bark custom
from Mike Metzger simply because I couldn’t get my own board down from
Canada. It turned out to be an excellent
choice for the conditions. I was super
stable on it in all the slop and mess in the ocean and able to pick out lots of
great rides and it didn’t seem a whole lot slower than my 27-inch Bark in the
flats. Unfortunately I saw a lot of
people on narrow boards really struggling trying to get to the beach at the end
of the ocean leg, and heard a lot of stories after the race from frustrated
paddlers who didn’t have much fun in the ocean leg. That’s really a shame because if it is windy
and you’ve got the right board you should be having a ton of fun.
Tip
4 – Wait till Saturday night to party
I’ve travelled a lot over the years and
haven’t been to many places that are quite as much fun as Key West. I’m a pretty disciplined guy but I have to
remind myself when I go there to behave the night before the race and save it
for the night after. You’ll be able to
grab a great dinner after the registration the night before the race, but try
to wait till Saturday night before taking full advantage of what the island has
to offer.
This is a hard, challenging race that gives
you a great sense of satisfaction upon completion. It can be a lot of fun if you’re prepared and
a long, frustrating slog if you’re not.
Fortunately the level of preparation required to enjoy yourself out
there isn’t too extreme and I think that just about everyone should be able to
have a blast. The tips I’ve provided
here will go a long way towards making your race both fun and successful if you
incorporate them into your race plan.
Sadly, I’ll be coaching in Gainesville,
Georgia this year at the National Team Selection Trials instead of on the
starting line with you at Higg’s Beach.
I certainly love my new job, but it was a real disappointment when I
realized I wasn’t going to be able to do this race this year. So…if you’re going, have fun for me!
