All of a sudden, it seems, Sarasota has a paddle boarding season. The first of five local events, the Siesta Key Classic, is this Saturday. It should draw dozens of elite paddlers and hundreds of beginners and fans.
“This is the fastest-growing sport on the planet,” says Abe Uccello, the Sarasota real estate agent running the races. “It’s got incredible core fitness and it’s fun. People love being out on the water.” Stand-up paddle boarding — SUP, for short — has become more and more popular over the last decade. What were once specialty boards now sell at department stores. Those extra-long paddles no longer look so strange. More people are paddling and more paddlers are racing.
The Siesta Key Classic will have a 12-mile endurance race for elite paddlers and a 3-mile fun race for enthusiasts. There will be demonstrations and clinics for newcomers to the sport.
“A beginner can easily do the 3-mile event,” Uccello says. “Just take your time.”
Benderson May 4
On May 4, the Water Monkey Challenge will visit Benderson Park off I-75. The rowing venue will offer sea paddlers a change of pace.
“The great thing about this — there’s a lot of great things — is that the flatter the water, the better,” says Chase Kosterlitz, a professional paddler from St. Pete. “In fact, that’s how we’re promoting the event: ‘We guarantee flat water.’<TH>“
Paddle boarding will be part of a fitness weekend that features a 5K race and triathlon. Lots of people will get a look at the new watersport at Benderson Park.
“The other thing is that it’s very spectator-friendly,” Kosterlitz says. “We’ll be doing laps around the lake, so people will be able to follow the whole race.” For more information, visit watermonkeyshop.com.
Summer series
Once paddlers get their feet wet this spring, they can start training for the Sarasota SUP Series.
Dates are June 22, Aug. 24 and Oct. 12. Rob Alfieri, who runs SUP Sarasota, is a paddler who’s watched the sport grow. They key to its appeal, he thinks, is visibility.
“You can see everything,” he says. “The perspective is on a board rather than in a kayak.”
When Alfieri worked with boarding races near Tampa Bay, he always thought Sarasota was a prettier place to paddle. Now people are coming around.
“We’re two years behind St. Pete,” he says, “but we’re catching up really quickly.”
For more information, visit sup-sarasota.com.
