The 1st Annual Stand 4 Something (SUP 4 Cancer) kicked off with 30+ mph winds, big swell, and strong currents in the Columbia River for 30 competitors on Sunday. The 8-mile downwinder started at Viento State Park and finished at the Hood River Event Site, with hundreds of windsurfers, kiters, and one large island in the middle.

Competitors started standing in knee-deep water with their boards in lines of two and three.  At the start, competitors jumped on their boards and took off. Leaders opted to follow the shoreline over riding the swell, hoping for the eddy push.

The Start of the race.

Karen Wrenn took the lead for most of the race until the last 1 1/2 mile stretch when racers had to make a risky decision of paddling the longer starboard side (inside shoreline) of Well’s Island or the more direct port side (in the Columbia River current) of the island. Karen took the outside, while co-leaders Doug Hopkins (Amundson SUP) and Mark Ribkoff took the inside of the island.

Mark Ribkoff, on what seems to be a solo session of the race in the beautiful Columbia Gorge.

At the finish line all competitors had to carry their boards about 10 feet up to a grassy area, then run up across the Full Sail finish line with their paddle. The SUP 4 Cancer finish was tight down to the hundredth of the second.

Doug Hopkins takes a sneak back to check his lead.

Approaching the shoreline Doug Hopkins had the lead, Karen Wrenn was in 2nd, and Mark Ribkoff in 3rd place.  A slight board fumble from Karen Wrenn when she came out of the water moved her into 3rd place as she and Mark ran up to the finish line.  The finish was tight with Doug Hopkins coming in first at 1:26:07, Mark Ribkoff a close 1:27:05 and Karen Wrenn a snug 1:27:06 behind Mark.

Mark Ribkoff and Karen Wrenn race it out for 2nd and 3rd at the SUP Endurance Race

The top 3 finishers

Complete Results:

Overall:
1st – Doug Hopkins, 1:26:47
2nd – Mark Ribkoff, 1:27:05
3rd – Karen Wrenn, 1:27:06

Men:
1st – Doug Hopkins, 1:26:47
2nd – Mark Ribkoff, 1:27:05
3rd – Rod Parmenter, 1:28

Women:
1st – Karen Wrenn, 1:27:06
2nd – Keely Kelleher 1:40:53
3rd – Victoria Hopkins 1:44:19

Overall Times:
1:26:47 – Doug Hopkins
1:27:05 – Mark Ribkoff
1:27:06 – Karen Wrenn
1:28 – Rod Parmenter
1:30:16 – Steve Gates
1:30:22 – Dave Hazenboom
1:40:40 – Cyril Burguiere
1:40:53 – Keely Kelleher
1:44:01 – Rick Graves
1:44:03 – Tom Hanny
1:44:19 – Victoria Hopkins
1:44:57 – John Wrenn
1:45:20 – Jeff Bigler
1:45:51 – Jeff Castleberry
1:46:06 – Glen Mulvey
1:46:11 – Rob Dies
1:48:00 – Heidi Ribkoff
1:49:08 – Becky Bishopp
1:54:58 – Tatiana Lensenn
1:59:15 – Lori Capra
2:02:46 – Kelly Watermeyer
2:06:27 – Pam Galvin
2:06:46  – Stacey Castleberry
2:15:35 – Audrey Davis
2:16:00 – Tee Wolf
2:16:25 – Kevin Francis
2:18:04 – Jessica Peterson