CSC4 in Lumina News

by Tyler Roberts
Thursday, January 19, 2012
article from Luminanews.com

As Wrightsville Beach moves into the dead of winter, local paddlers are shaking the dust off of their standup paddleboards for the 4th annual Cold Stroke Classic hosted by Coastal Urge.

The Cold Stroke Classic has become somewhat of a tradition for local paddlers. It is one of the only winter races on the East Coast and attracts a large number of local and out-of-town paddlers; however, the Cold Stroke Classic has remained largely a grassroots race aimed at fun rather than funds, explained Jeoffrey Nathan, co-owner of Coastal Urge.

The first race held in 2009 attracted only a small group of paddlers. Nathan said that the store had sold many standup paddleboards just before the colder months and created the tournament to give paddlers something to look forward to during the winter.

“We wanted to keep the boards out of the garage and on the water,” he said.

Since then, the Cold Stroke Classic has evolved to include a number of event sponsors and daylong activities with live music and an awards ceremony. Nathan anticipates 75 to 100 people to take the plunge on Saturday,
Jan. 21.

Even though the Cold Stroke Classic has experienced growth in recent years, Nathan stressed that the race has retained an atmosphere that is inviting to all paddlers.

“It is more about going back to the roots and why they got together originally to go paddleboarding,” he said, “and that was to make friends, have a family activity and to have something they could do with other people.”

Paddlers can compete in either the recreational division or the elite division. Both courses will begin and end on the sound side of the Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Paddlers will circle around the perimeter of Harbor Island; recreational paddlers once, elite paddlers twice.

New to the Cold Stroke Classic in 2012 is a sprint race. Elite racers will have the chance to prove their paddling prowess by not only competing on the 7-mile tract around Harbor Island, but also challenging each other to a dead sprint. Depending on water and weather conditions, the sprint course will be 25 to 50 meters in length.

“We are doing the sprints because now people are coming to spectate the paddleboard races,” Nathan said, explaining that the sprints will be more exciting to watch.

The sprint will be conducted in rounds with eliminations. The last paddlers standing will be crowned the Cold Stroke Classic king and queen.

The day will conclude with live music and food for competitors and family.

“It will just be a real fun day for everyone to get outside,” Nathan said.

Interested paddlers can register for the Cold Stroke Classic online at www.coldstrokeclassic.com. Registration costs are $35 for the recreational division and $55 for the elite division with cash prizes for each.