The International Surf Festival’s two paddleboard races attracted over 200 competitors this past weekend. Paddlers ranged from elites to kids accompanied by their moms and dads. Among the kid and dad paddlers were Kalani Nelson, 10 and his brother Kai, 8. They paddled in Sunday morning’s Velzy Stevens Paddleboard Championship alongside dad Eric, a Los Angeles County Lifeguard. The race, from the Manhattan Pier to the Hermosa Pier precedes the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim, which goes in the reverse direction. This year’s swim was dedicated to the Nelson boys’ grandfather Eddie Nelson, who competed in the Surf Festival swim for over four decades. He died at age 76, shortly after collapsing at the finish of last year’s swim.
The Velzy Stevens race is named after pioneer surfer Dale Velzy and former pro surfer Terry Stevens. This year’s paddle was dedicated to Stevens’ daughter Jennifer Stevens. She was paddling for the first time since being seriously wounded during the mass shooting last December at the San Bernardino Environmental Services Department. A fellow worker Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malek killed 14 people and wounded 21 in the deadliest mass shooting in California history.
Lifeguard Max First, winner of the previous day’s Riviera Mexican Bar and Grill R10 eight mile race finished first in 16:26. First raced an unlimited, prone board. Stand-up paddler and Mira Costa sophomore Ryland Hart was the first stand-up paddler to finish and second over all, in a time of 17:24. Hart paddles for Lanakila coach and world champion Danny Ching’s SUP team 404.
Stand-up paddler Bailey Rosen was the first women finisher, in a time of 19:43, followed by Tamara Lentz in a time of 20:46. Megan Seth was the first woman prone finisher, in a time of 22:43.
On Saturday, the Riviera Mexican Grill R10 Paddleboard Race was held under the umbrella of the International Surf Festival for the first time in the race’s 19 year history. The open ocean race goes from Torrance Beach, out four miles to the R10 buoy off of Palos Verdes and back to Torrance Beach.
Los Angeles County lifeguard Max First won the R10 race in 1:17:32. First placed 11th in the previous week’s Molokai race and won the Catalina Classic in 2014.
First took an early lead over his training partner Robert Parucha, who finished second in 1:19:15. George Loren, who finished 20th at Molokai, was third, in 1:28:11. Reno Caldwell, who finished seventh at Molokai in the stock relay division, won the 14 foot prone division in 1:28:48. The stock prone division was won by Bryce Miller, who teamed with lifeguard Mike Murphy to place 5th in the relay division at the Molokai race
Many of the festival’s paddlers at both races sported board stickers and temporary tattoos that read “Live like Eddie.” ER
