Under the late summer sun on Sunday morning, more than 80 kayakers and paddleboarders, accompanied by families and friends — and an occasional pet — gathered at Little Bridge on Joseph Sylvia State Beach for the 37th annual Island Spirit Kayak and Paddleboard race.
The 2.4-mile race benefits Friends of Sengekontacket (FOS), a local non-profit dedicated to protecting the pond’s environment and barrier beach. Funds raised go toward environmental initiatives like beach cleanups, dune grass planting, and oyster cultivation to reduce nitrogen in the pond.
Racers started the paddle from the ocean side of State Beach, and with a supporting downwind breeze, they proceeded toward and under the famous Jaws Bridge. Racers then turned back toward Little Bridge for the final stretch along smooth Sengekontacket waters.
“The weather was amazing, we’re all here raising money for Friends of Sengekontacket,” said Chick Stapleton, organizer for the race and founder of Island Spirit Kayak. “All the paddlers out here appreciate the water and love it and they’re here to help support that and it’s really incredible. It’s a good group of people.”
Longtime reigning champion and Islander Dana Gaines took first place for the 37th consecutive year, along with his duo-partner in paddling Phil Warner who’s been racing with Gaines for 21 years. The two completed the race with a time of 25:25, just a few minutes shy of their 19-minute record. The duo, who rode in a wooden kayak crafted by Warner, were confident in their ability.
“I was one of the founders,” said Gaines after the race. “This is the longest boat in the fleet, and length equals speed, so it’s a fast boat. We do a 20 mile race around Cape Ann every year so we’re pretty confident.”
Not only did the duo paddle around State Beach in near record time, but they also paddled back to Falmouth together later in the day.
“It’s just fun to see it still draws a good crowd,” said Gaines. “It’s been going on for, getting close to 40 years now, and we’re still having new people and a lot of young people and that’s really fun to see.”
“I used to cycle and run and everything but [kayaking], it’s just, I can do this forever, and that’s what’s so cool about it,” added Warner.
For Stapleton, the race not only shows the spirit of the Islands community, but it also shows the community’s commitment to the environment.
“It just shows an appreciation for the environment. [We’re] a group of people who live here, who care about keeping our beaches clean, [reducing] nitrogen, and shell fishing, and that’s kind of the heart of the Island,” said Stapleton. “Kayaking is a leave-no-trace experience, so to be able to do that for the environment is a double whammy.”
A couple highlights from the day for Stapleton was the return of one of the founders of the race, John Moore, who hadn’t paddled in the event in 10-years. She was also able to get her family into the race, with her son stopping mid-race to jump off the Jaws Bridge, then continuing to finish the race.
For placements, Kian Stapleton, 12, led the youth division with a time of 36:34, while Dick Clark, 83, claimed the senior title in 29:27. Bridget Dunnigan and Roger Williams won the dog category in 37:07. James Nelson topped the prone division at 43:30. In stand-up paddleboarding, Maggie Bucci (37:20) and Tucker Cosgrove (32:07) took first for women and men. Dana Gaines and Phil Warner led the double sea kayak category with 25:25, while Karen and Nelson Giannakolpoulos won the double sit-on-top in 41:30. Linda Trude (31:11) and Zachary Thorson (31:00) secured first in the single sit-on-top divisions for women and men. Pam Browning (30:41) and Michael Smalley (29:15) won the single sea kayak categories. John Moore earned the Island Spirit Award with a time of 31:26.
“It’s just the phenomenal job that Chick Stapleton does,” said Gaines, after their first place finish. “Putting this together and keeping it going, and her very energetic, youthful crew is just great. And of course, Friends of Sengekontacket, they have lots of volunteers too, so it’s a great team effort.”