Ta-Hoe Nalu 2013

Ta-Hoe Nalu Stand Up Paddle Festival 2013

Last week my friend Holly from Alaska joined me for what’s touted to be the world’s longest running and oldest stand up paddle festival in Kings Beach, CA. Ta-Hoe Nalu is a weekend full of paddleboard races, family-friendly fun in the sun, and is THE event of the year for much of the SUP community around North Lake Tahoe. Out of all the races I’ve been to this year, Ta-Hoe Nalu definitely had a “festival” feel to it and was a wonderful opportunity to spend a weekend partying at the beach catching up with friends.

World Record Breaking SUP Yoga on Day 1

Men’s Elite Survivor Race on Day 2

Originally we had planned to attend just one day, on Sunday, to participate in the 4 mile open race, but when news came via social media that an attempt would be made to set the world record for most people doing stand up paddleboard yoga on Saturday, we just had to be there! Roxy Outdoor Fitness ambassador Gillian Gibree led the “class” and it was quite a sight indeed- several hundred paddlers (not all of them yogis) standing on their boards, paddles raised high in the air.

Gameday

On Sunday, we participated in the 4 mile race which took us from Kings Beach, across the Nevada state line, past the (in)famous Cal Neva resort/casino and former Rat Pack hangout, into Crystal Bay. Then after a buoy turn, it was back out around the point and back into California. It wasn’t until after the race that I realized that is was the first time I’ve crossed state lines on a surfboard. The scenery was surreal and the water was a shade of blue that I’ve only seen in Hawaii, and well, a few other places around Lake Tahoe. As truly beautiful as the course was, the real highlight of the race however was the great group of people out there participating. One guy was racing with his 1-year old daughter on the board with him, there were people of all ages (7-66) and abilities, and even though we were supposed to be in a competitive racing environment, I chatted it up with a couple new friends I met along the way.

First Place Women’s SUPSurf Category

In addition to two wonderful days spent in the “Alpine Caribbean”, as one of my friends likes to call it, Holly (first time SUP racer) and I brought home some bling for finishing 1st and 2nd in our age group/board category. This was probably my last race of the season once I start traveling again next week, but I had so much fun that I’m already looking forward to next year. As much as I love getting out in the world, I feel truly blessed to have all of this going on in my backyard at home and am truly glad I took a lot of the summer off to enjoy it. If you ever find yourself around Kings Beach or the North Shore of Lake Tahoe in mid-August, and are looking to try something new, grab a paddle, hop on a board and come join us!