EDITOR’S NOTE: We requested Canadian paddler and Paddle Monster athlete Kirsty MacMillan to share her experiences competing on the Toronto Indoor Boat Present race lately. Right here is her recap. Cowl photograph: Jeff Holubeshen
In the event you’re in search of a very distinctive Stand Up Paddleboard race in the midst of a Canadian winter when it’s often -10C outside… the Toronto Indoor Boat Present race is for you! Held on this planet’s largest indoor water pool, it’s a enjoyable stuffed day of SUP racing that has so many advantages. It’s an effective way to assist your group showcase our sport and the ability it takes to paddle with nice approach and velocity. Smack dab in the midst of the winter blues it’s one of the simplest ways to reconnect with paddling mates that you just won’t in any other case see till summer season. And it’s also a enjoyable method to gauge how your off season coaching goes (or an excellent reminder to get at it)! For many who aren’t into winter paddling and have a drysuit, this race is a enjoyable probability to get on the water for a day.
Picture: Jeff Holubeshen
I arrived at Exhibition Place in Toronto early Saturday morning feeling unusually mild… I solely needed to deliver my paddle and PFD. The race organized by Northline Sports activities and in addition sponsored by Starboard was offering everybody with model new high of the road Starboard Airline 12’6 inflatable boards to race on. We had a fast probability to get on the water to check out the board earlier than the race heats began at 10:00. All racers wanted to have some expertise as there have been restricted spots obtainable, and every race had a course set out that was 3 laps of the lake across the wakeboard options and included at the very least 5 buoy turns. There have been 3 heats of males and a couple of heats of ladies racing, adopted by semifinals and finals. The heats have been unfold out via the day as there have been different water actions occurring as properly, which was good to provide everybody a little bit of a relaxation earlier than the subsequent race.
Picture: Jordan-na Belle-Isle
The “Indoor Lake” because it’s known as is definitely a hockey rink that the farm group for the Toronto Maple Leafs play on, crammed with ice chilly water straight from Lake Ontario. So there are many seats within the stands for everybody to hang around and watch different races occurring! It’s a variety of enjoyable to have the ability to see the whole race occur and to cheer everybody on! It’s greatest to enter this race with a enjoyable perspective and never too severe… with a brief course and so many buoy turns in a small area, something can occur.
The relay races have been the massive hit of the day… everybody liked it! We had 3 groups of 6 paddlers, a mixture of women and men, and every particular person did 1 lap of the course. It was pure enjoyable to cheer one another on with no stress of feeling like a “race” in any respect. The gang liked watching it too because it was really easy to see the entire course.
Picture: Melissa Warner
Massive thanks to Steve Martin, Glen Buchanan, sponsors Northline Sports activities, Starboard, Toronto Windsurfing Membership and the Toronto Indoor Boat Present for all of your work placing this occasion collectively. Hugh Wilson is there yearly utilizing his nice actor-voice and MC’s the races to assist clarify what’s occurring to spectators. This distinctive race has been operating since 2017 (minus the covid years that we will not speak about) and for those who’re comfy paddling on a board I extremely advocate popping out subsequent 12 months to provide it a attempt!
Picture: Jeff Holubeshen
