By Logan Harle
Intern
With temperatures predicted in the mid 40s on Saturday, the weather will feel like the dead of winter. But for 120 standup paddleboard racers in Wrightsville Beach on Jan. 23 for the eighth annual Cold Stroke Classic, what they lack in warmth, they’ll make up with fun.
This year’s event has boosted attendance by 20 percent over 2015, which event organizer Katie Elzer-Peters said is because of the race’s lighthearted atmosphere that acknowledges every competitor.
“The thing about our race is that we don’t have fancy trophies. We have really nice prizes for every single person who races and I don’t think there is any other paddle race that does that,” Elzer-Peters said. “At this race you can sign up and know that you are going to have a great time with friends and you are going to leave with a cool prize and that they will have called your name, even if you finish last.”
The Cold Stroke Classic was started by Jeoffrey Nathan as a family-friendly event that gives paddleboarders an activity for the sport’s offseason.
“What good is a paddleboard when it’s hanging in the garage?” said Nathan, race director and co-owner of Coastal Urge, which sponsors the race. “We started this race eight years ago to keep people on the water during the winter.”
In addition to the prizes for every finisher, the race also features $8,000 in cash prizes for the elite and 3.5 mile recreational races. But Elzer-Peters says that is not the main reason people come. The race collects donations for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which raises money to fund research to fight childhood cancers.
“The contestants come from all up and down the East Coast to have fun, see old friends and make new ones,” Elzer-Peters said.
The paddlers start the race at the Blockade Runner at 10 a.m. on the resort’s sound side beach, where they will circle the 3 and one-half mile loop around Harbor Island. Recreational racers will circle the island once while elite racers will travel the course twice. Elzer-Peters said organizers chose this course because it gives the competitors easier access to the safety patrol.
“As a winter race, we are definitely concerned about safety and that is a course so that if someone has a problem at any time they can get out and be on land and be around people and safety patrol,” Elzer-Peters said.
The organizers have added to the Friday night pre-party, as the pig pickin’ feast has been expanded to add more family activities, including hula hoopers, live music and a bounce house. Elzer-Peters said they started this pre-party event because there are many contestants that travel and would be staying overnight. She said the event is like a family reunion and that her favorite part is seeing previous contestants come back.
“It’s so fun because we all haven’t seen each other since October or November when the season ends. It is such a fun community event, it’s not super serious, people aren’t really stressed out. We get so excited when we start seeing the boards rolling into town on top of cars,” Elzer-Peters said.
For more information or to register, visit www.coldstrokeclassic.com
