Sept. 27 will see the second running of a nifty new Chicago race: the Shoreline Marathon. For the first time, the lovely local emerald waters are host to an easy-to-enter boat race. A lot of boat culture is relatively elite. Paddlesport is affordable and simple. I suppose the only simpler local water event would be an open water swim along the shore. That would be cool and I hope they have such a thing, but it’s gotta be a bit less picturesque for the participants as well as the fans. Anyway…
There are 3 events in one: a short corporate relay, a moderate 8-mile intermediate event, and a full 25-mile marathon. There’s a huge cash prize-list, too.
It’s neat to see that open water kayak racing is finally catching on in the USA—in the Midwest in particular—we have worldclass open water but it’s rarely showcased in paddlesport. This kind of racing has been big elsewhere around the world for decades. They use light, long and super-narrow surfskis or sea kayaks that are likewise far speedier than usual. These boats go really fast yet they can handle quite severe weather/wave conditions. What fun!
I note that the leading racing surfski and sea kayak is the Epic brand, built by Greg Barton, a Michigan native, Gold Medalist, and brother-in-law of my local pal Tom Cannon. It’s said that once a paddle buff even sits in an Epic they’re hooked. Check em out: www.epickayaks.com
https://www.chicagoshorelinemarathon.com/
