Introduction
The Waterman Challenge Paddleboard Race is a challenging open ocean prone paddleboard race. The course is approximately 15 statute miles down the coast of San Diego from local waterman landmarks Swamis (Encinitas) to Windansea (La Jolla). The race's original intent was simple, a paddleboard race by paddlers for paddlers. The Waterman has no financial sponsors, the proceeds from one year's race go to pay for the next year. The donation was $40 for many years but has been raised to $60 to cover costs of permits and insurance that are now required by the city of Encinitas.
Course Records
Unlimited Don Miralle 2:05:40
Stock Tom Duryea 2:17:22
Fourteen Jay Scheckman 2:17:14
Kapuna Tony Hotchkiss 2:10:04
Women Jane Cairns 2:31:32
Race History
The race was founded in 1996 by City Lifeguard Tony Bixby and was originally called the "La Jolla Paddleboard Race, a Waterman's Challenge." The race was held around the 4th of July weekend and was designed to evaluate the paddler's fitness and to measure training progress for the Catalina Classic. The original course was approximately 16 miles and therefore half the distance of the Classic. The paddler could evaluate their fitness and determine how much more distance training was required before the August Catalina Classic race date. From the start at Swamis, the course traveled south parallel to the coast around a small dory at the end of Scripps Pier and then continued hugging the La Jolla coast to a beach finish at Simmons Beach, Windansea. Tony continued as Race Director until 1999.
Chad Feiler inherited the race in 2000 and made a series of logistical changes. The course was modified, removing the dory pass at Scripps Pier, and made a straight line from Swamis to Windansea. A water start and finish were also implemented. The race name was changed to "Waterman Challenge Paddleboard Race". Jon Loren joined as co-director. Chad and Jon managed all aspects of the race as co-directors from 2000 through 2010. In 2011 the race was transferred to Geoffrey Page.
Race Lore
The Waterman's list of winners includes many impressive names, many of whom went on to win their respective divisions at the Catalina Classic the same year. (see the Virtual Perpetual Trophy on the results page) No talk about the Waterman's race history would be complete without mentioning the great Brian Zeller. After Dan Mann won the inaugural race in 1996, Zeller dominated the UL class, winning the next 8 of 9 years and setting a course record in 2001 that would not be broken for 12 years. The incredible glassy down-current conditions that year produced all the course records in the other classes that still stand to this day as well. 2003, the worst year for conditions, had heavy south wind and current, along with windswell and fog. The lucky few that happened to paddle close to shore were spared the current, but those who chose the normal line had a long day. Only Zeller finished in under 3 hrs. To quote Jon Loren, "That's why it's called the Waterman Challenge and not the Lollipop Sightseeing Tour."
2013's race will be remembered for the year that the UL course record was set by Don Miralle with a little help from his friend. The course was very fast with glassy, sunny conditions. When Don got to the finish boat he commented that he had felt a little push from behind, like a bump, when he was approaching La Jolla Cove. We joked with him that he probably hit some kelp or scared a seal. But to our surprise the next day the lifeguards closed La Jolla Shores due to a White Shark sighting. To Don's credit, even if it appears he got an unfair advantage it turns out that the finish boat that year was parked farther south than normal, making his course record time of 2:05:40 totally legit.
(more to come)
