June gloom be damned, there was a pretty good turnout last weekend at the Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race and Ocean Festival. I biked up the beachfront bike path to catch the final race of the day, a 4-person relay. Prior to the event I went up on the pier, where a stage was set up for live music and beneath the rumble of roller coasters visitors perused a makeshift museum featuring antique photographs, classic paddleboards and several original Zephyr skateboards designed by Jeff Ho. Anyone from the area or who’s seen “Dogtown and Z-boys” would have been impressed. The race was fun to watch and it was good to tune up my action photography chops, having spent more time shooting portraits lately than anything featuring running, jumping, skipping or what have you. Paddleboarding is something I haven’t tried, as I’m still trying to get the hang of longboarding, but I’d like to give it a go one of these days. It certainly looks like a good way to stay in shape, as you’ll see after the jump. Paddleboarding apparently became popular back in the 1940’s and has seen a resurgence in recent years. I’ve definitely noticed an increase in the three years I’ve been here. Anyone in the area this time next year should definitely check this event out. One thing I was also reminded of was that, just because it’s overcast as far as the eye can see, it doesn’t mean you can’t get sunburned if you’re out on the beach for several hours. I now have the farmer’s tan to prove it. Lesson learned. Of course, I probably said that last time.
