home . I imagine army boot camp is similar : You ’ ll have been broken down and built back up in a stronger form if you reach the end . An ultra will probably change your life without getting too spiritual , especially one of the multi-day odysseys such as Yukon or the 11 Cities .
Most paddlers do these races just to finish , and it ’ s like a bucket list on steroids . I completed the Yukon River Quest dead last ( and barely within the cut-off time ), yet I felt like a hero . And that ’ s why I love the ultras : It doesn ’ t matter if there are 10 or 500 paddlers on the start line ; it ’ s still an interesting race because every paddler brings their own story to the adventure .
But while the personal achievement is something epic , I feel the real bonus of doing an ultra is the camaraderie . If you paddle that far with a group of fellow fanatics , you ’ re bound to make some lifelong friends . The ultras do have a special atmosphere , especially in the 11 Cities !
Are there particular paddlers who deserve special mention as having ‘ that story ’ behind them ? You can ’ t write any story about the ultras without mentioning Bart de Zwart . He was the pioneer in so many ways . Not just racing – he ’ s won the 11 Cities four times along with the Yukon , Great Glen and several others – but also that whole other side of ultra-marathon paddling : solo adventures and crossings . Years ago , Bart paddled the length of the Hawaiian Islands ( unsupported ) without touching land . He carried a week ’ s worth of food and water and slept on his board at night . It was so intense that I believe nobody has attempted it since . He also paddled across the Tahitian islands , along the coast of Greenland and did a full ‘ non-stop ’ version of the 11 City Tour before that was an official race . Bart also showed that endurance racing is more about true mental stamina than peak physical fitness – he would paddle away from guys half his age without breaking a sweat .
Special mention goes to Anne-Marie Reichmann , who founded the 11 City Tour in 2009 after completing a solo test-run in late 2008 . That was just a month after the first-ever Battle of the Paddle (‘ year zero ’ in terms of our sport ) – to say she was ahead of her time would be a massive understatement . Women have been eternally under-represented in our sport ( I ’ m as guilty as anyone ), so I think it ’ s a great storyline that ultra-marathon SUP racing was essentially invented by ‘ a girl ’.
There are so many paddlers that deserve special mention , but I think it ’ s interesting the only time stand up paddling has been in every major media outlet was when Chris British completed his transatlantic SUP crossing . Similarly , Casper Steinfath ’ s adventures ( such as paddling Denmark- Norway ) have received far more recognition than his world titles . I believe the ultras transcend the boundaries of storytelling and can break through the ceiling that niche sports such as SUP often face in their quest for exposure .
What would be your go-to first endurance race for those new to this if travel and expense was no issue to them ? I ’ d start with a one- or two-day race and see if you catch the bug or not ( I think you will !). The Great Glen Challenge up in Scotland is worthy of any bucket list for its location alone . However , any half-decent paddler could finish something
Bart de Zwart – Yukon River Quest , 2019 . Photo : Kelli Surritte (@ perfectnegatives )
Bruno and Daniel Hasulyo – SUP11 Islands , 2019 . Photo : Christopher Parker