The Race to Alaska, its organizers boast, “is a stupid worth doing.” Indeed. It’s 750 miles of self-supported, coldwater boating from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, passage however you want—sail, paddle, row—so long as there’s no engine, outside help, or supply drops involved. “It’s like the Iditarod, on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear,” they write.
The R2AK crew spices its communications liberally with humor—the better to drown out the bitterness of looming Type 2 or 3 fun, perhaps—and here’s their official competitor description for the 2017 entry of Karl Kruger, who tackled the R2AK on a stand-up paddleboard.
Team Name: Heart of Gold
Team Members: Karl Kruger
Hometown: Orcas Island, Washington, USA
Race vessel: Custom (and reinforced) Bark Stand-up Paddle Board
LOA: 19′
Human propulsion: The ol’ SUP paddle
“…And there is a guy on a paddleboard” is the kill move that rounds out most
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