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Trreennddss || Peeooppllee || Cuullttuurree || Haappppeenniinnggss beachbites
by Cole Dittmer
photography by Allison Potter
Events
Be Brave, Take a Cold Stroke
The Fifth Annual Cold Stroke Classic will test the
hardiness of paddlers from near and far as they
paddle against the cold winds and currents in the
waterway around Harbor Island.
In past years, race founder and Coastal Urge owner, Jeoffrey
Nathan, says there have been snow dustings, ice-covered docks
and gusting 30 mph winds. Nevertheless, the local diehard paddleboarders
and those venturing from as far away as Portugal
come together every year to partake in the Cold Stroke Classic.
“They like the camaraderie and the friends and relationships
they’ve made,” Nathan says of the event. “It is not so much that
it is a challenging race because it is just around Harbor Island
… it’s all about the lifestyle — having a pack of friends that you
train with, and looking forward to something in the winter —
because it really is in the middle of the offseason for standup
paddleboarding.”
This year’s Cold Stroke Classic is planned for Saturday,
January 19, and paddlers can register for either the 3.5- or
7-mile race. Both races will begin and end at the host site, the
Blockade Runner Beach Resort.
All proceeds benefit SUP Cleanup, a nonprofit started by
Nathan with organized standup paddleboard cleanup events to
collect litter from the area’s waterways and islands.
To register, visit www.coldstrokeclassic.com
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM