SUP Dog

Event Date: September 2013

This past Sunday I took part in the first annual SUP Dog race.  The event was hosted by Kananaskis Outfitters, a gear rental shop located in Kananaskis Village and owned by a friend, and former co-worker.  It was a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) race with a twist; you had to have a dog on your board the whole time.  All of the proceeds raised from the race were going to Friends of Kananaskis Country for trail repairs/replacement due to the floods.  It was shaping up to be a lot of fun for a great cause!

Promotional poster for the race featuring Claude and his dog Vasco

As you can see from the above picture, the race was actually supposed to take place on Barrier Lake in Kananaskis Country, but the wind was howling the morning of the race so the venue was changed to Wedge Pond in Spray Valley Provincial Park, which is part of Kananaskis Country.  This was a welcome change because it would have been really tough battling the whitecaps on Barrier Lake.  It was also quite chilly (about 5°C) that day so swimming wouldn't have been very much fun with the wind blowing like it was.  We even got a bit of light snow that morning!

Wedge Pond

Jeff, Kloe, Rome, and I trying to stay warm before the race!

Kloe anxiously waiting for the race to begin

More pre-race pictures

Due to the weather the turn-out wasn't as large as originally expected, but that didn't stop us from having a great time.  The race was going to be done in two different heats; women and men.  The three women and their dogs were up first.

Starting the race!

Up next it was the four men and their furry companions!

Lining up at the starting point.  I think the guy to my right was cheating since he was only using half a dog!

Rome and I waiting to get started

On your marks, get set, GO!

Jeff and Kloe with Claude and Vasco close behind

Finishing strong, but trying to avoid falling in!

Thankfully Rome didn't knock me into the water!  In fact I think everyone that competed managed to stay dry.  It was way too cold to go for a swim and I probably wouldn't ever get Rome back on the board if she ended up going for an icy dip!

It was a tight race for second place between Jeff and I, but I ended up finishing just before him!

Jeff and I accepting our prizes from Claude and Michelle

Even though it was cold outside, everyone seemed to have a great time.  I am already looking forward to next year's event, which is supposed to be held in the summer instead of the fall!  I'll definitely be back for another shot at the crown, but I think they need to have separate dog weight classes to even things up a bit!!