For those who didn’t make it out to Castaic, here’s what you missed: near-perfect race conditions (a little heat, but plenty of hydration handled that), calm winds, strong competition, and even stronger results. This team entered three events and brought home three medals: Gold in Women’s, Bronze in Competitive Mixed, and Bronze in Community Mixed. A clean sweep.
The weekend wasn’t just about racing—it was a full team effort on and off the water. Special shoutout to Barb for organizing the seating charts, printing them out, and making sure each paddler was in the loop. Her guidance throughout the day kept things smooth and on track.
Skylar, Roberta, and Cathy were the anchors of a short-handed squad, each racing in all nine events—most of them only finding this out at 7:30 AM Saturday morning. They stepped up without hesitation and delivered. Skylar also took on the task of tracking race results and keeping the team headed to the right heats, a job that requires sharp focus under pressure.
The crew got crucial support from free agents Kira, who jumped in as a paddler, and young Jonathan, who kept the rhythm going as a drummer in a few divisions. Both made solid contributions that didn’t go unnoticed.
Tommy arrived early to grab a prime shaded spot under the trees (complete with picnic tables), while Neddy made sure every base was covered—from paddle wrangling to table setup to adjusting seats. And Liz came through with cold towels that hit the spot after hot races.
Big thanks go out to every paddler who showed up and made it happen, to Captain Kathryn for her steady leadership, and to Jeannette for sharpening the team’s skills out on the water.
