Paddlers Prepare to Trek 32 Miles

Imagine crossing 32 miles of open ocean with your back and shoulder muscles serving as your only engine against crashing waves. That's exactly what 88 paddleboarders will attempt on Sunday in the 35th annual Catalina Classic.  

The paddlers will take off in a race from the Isthmus of Catalina Island to the sandy shores of the Manhattan Beach pier at 6 a.m.

Competitors either kneel or lie flat on their paddleboards as they use nothing more than upper body strength to propel forward in the race that is divided into two divisions: unlimited and stock. 

The unlimited division is for boards weighing more than 20 pounds.  The stock division is for boards less than 20 pounds, and 12 feet in length.

The top paddlers will expect to finish the race in about five hours, but finishing time will be largely dependent on weather conditions. To ensure each racer's safety, a personal escort boat will assist every paddler.  

"I'm really excited for the race, but I'm also really nervous," said South Bay resident Max First, 20, who will be competing in the men's stock division at his first classic on Sunday. "I've always dreamt about doing the race but it was never something I really thought I would do until this summer."

Paddlers will follow the same course that has been used since the race's founding in 1955 by former Los Angeles County lifeguard Bob Hogan.

"My friend [who has completed the event] said the first 22 miles fly by, but it's the last 10 miles that are by far the hardest," said First, who paddled 45 miles in the past two weeks for training.

After dangerous gale conditions canceled the 1961 race, the classic took a 20-year hiatus as enthusiasm for paddleboarding dwindled and the popularity of surfing exploded. 

County lifeguards Buddy Bohn and Gibby Gibson brought the race back to a field of only 10 paddlers in 1982. But the event has been held every year since, and grew exponentially since its revival. 

Companies such as Body Glove, Maui Jim, Bark Paddleboards, Honolua Surf Co., and Bud Light are sponsoring this year's race. And athletes from France, Canada, Australia, and the East Coast will be joining local athletes in the competition. 

Last year's unlimited division and overall champion Tyler Anderson will return to defend his title, along with 2009 Molokai stock champ Eric Abbott.  South Bay paddleboard shaper and two-time overall champion Joe Bark also returns for his 27th Catalina Classic. 

Paddlers raised more than $75,000 for charities Ocean of Hope, The Jimmy Miller Foundation and The ALS Foundation last year. Racers will be supporting these charities again on Sunday.