The  Red Bull Heavy Water event of the APP World Tour was a test of resilience that demanded every bit of skill, determination for all the competitors.

We all had been looking forward to this event with great anticipation after last year‘s event was cancelled because the swell did not meet the max height standards. Early in the holding period the green light (GO!) was called. It was time for athletes from all corners of the world to make their way to San Francisco for the world’s most dangerous and most diverse SUP Race. With 3 days to make it to SF, Connor and I got on a plane together from Maui to settle in and get some prep time. We had over 2 weeks training together every day at Ocean Beach last year in preparation for this event, so we were still feeling confident in our comfort and preparation in this wild event through San Francisco’s heavy water and Ocean Beaches pounding surf.

On race day Connor Baxter, Kody Kerbox, Riggs Napoleon and I made our way from Cort Larned’s house to the event site. The weather was looking really nice, too nice. it was flat with not a breath of wind. We didn’t get to take a look at Ocean Beach, but there at the start it was calm and starting to look like another flat water distance grind. The event started quite a bit late as we had to wait for Coast Guard approval to start. By this time the fog rolled in thick, the temperature dropped, the wind filled in and the currents were starting to get wild! Now it was starting to look a bit more like “Heavy Water” conditions! Ironically, once it got really ugly and rough, The Coast Guard gave us the thumbs up and we were off.

Starting from Crissy Field in the heart of SF on the coast, we paddled towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Navigating the currents played a role immediately, and the packs of racers split into 3 trains. the leading train took the straight line on the outside and the 2nd train, which I was leading, along with the 3rd train, were hugging the coast and riding the ebbing tide. We gained ground on the leading pack despite potentially covering more ground. By the time we approached Fort Point, the wave that breaks under the Golden Gate Bridge, we were closing the gap!

At this point we caught our first glimpse of the surf and swell. Breaking from around the corner of Fort Point the waves were over head on the sets and wrapping around the corner of the pier. This was just alongside our course to the next buoy. Many athletes took the safe route and played it wide. But I knew after my training with Connor and David Wells that the current flushed parallel to the bridge and would push athletes away from the next mark. I hugged it right despite having to go straight up and over a steep set. I broke away from my train at this point and started pulling ahead on my own, especially after I turned that mark and caught a nice wave under the bridge and back through Fort Point to our last turn exiting the bay.

From here it was back to a grind, but the water was much rougher from here on to Ocean Beach. I was fortunate enough to read the water appropriately and take the local knowledge from David Wells and continued to hug the next bay before rounding our last point and turning into our surf race section to finish it off at Ocean Beach. I gained over 200 yards on the pack and felt a lot more confident the closer I got to the surf. For most of these racers the surf was what was getting them nervous and on edge. For me, it was the long distance flat water grind!

Coming around that last point the fog got so thick for a bit that I couldn’t even see any of the competitors, any land formation or any boat. It was more than eerie. Just as confusion and slight anxiety started to hit me, one of the water safety guys came up on jet ski. Coincidentally, it was Matt Becker, one of our best friends and big wave chargers from California. I was so grateful to see him and get advice on which direction I should head. He said, “keep going that way, eventually you’ll see rocks and waves pop out of the fog, you’ll be close to an area you don’t want to be in at that point and then turn out to sea to your right!” Well, I guess that’s encouraging!

Making it to the last left turn outside OB was such a relief. I was so grateful to end up where I was after such a long and brutal flat water paddle which is not necessarily my expertise

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