One of the most challenging SUP races in the world is around the isle of Bermuda. When we think of Bermuda we might conjure up images of white sand beaches, rum cocktails, and a lot of relaxing. For these SUP paddlers, they showed up to race some of the most challenging and beautiful waters in the world. This recap of the event will make you want to get out and train, or at least go visit Bermuda.
FINDING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS AT BERMUDA’S PREMIER PADDLE RACE
It was still dark at the start line of the 2017 Devil's Isle Challenge. Headlamp rays wafted above the check-in table like beams of miniature UFOs casting a dreamy mood for the pre-race hustle. A modest handful of brave endurance athletes hovered around the beach, somber silhouettes prepping their boards and alternating sips of Carbo Pro with coffee. The humid morning air clung with anticipation that felt thick enough to chew. Wind whipped the palm fronds above the beach. If it weren't so dark, we would have seen whitecaps writhing outside the shelter of Snorkel Park. Twenty-five knots howling from the south was hardly the forecast we had hoped for--especially after flying halfway across the world for an endurance race around Bermuda.
