Gorge Paddle Challenge 2023
A weekend of proud moments, tough racing, community, and big smiles
Fiona Friday Funday! Jennifer Gulizia photo
This past weekend, the Gorge Paddle Challenge celebrated it’s 12th year. Since the beginning, the Gorge Paddle Challenge has always been about competitive racing, community engagement, youth progression, and having fun celebrating the world class conditions of Hood River, Oregon. I was 14 years old when I first raced in the Gorge Paddle Challenge. It was 2011, and my first year learning to stand up paddle board on the Big Winds Junior Elite Team.
Steve Gates, the owner of Big Winds, the Head Coach on the Big Winds JET Team, organized and planned this race. The idea was to always combine a downwind race on the world famous Viento Downwind Run with a course race. Professional paddlers from every corner of the globe descended on Hood River for more than just a weekend of racing, they came here for an experience. Over the years, paddlers continued to extend their trip, and it wasn’t uncommon for paddlers to come and stay for 3-4 weeks in the summertime. This is a big testament to the race and the community of Hood River, because typically if you go to a Stand Up Paddle Race, you arrive on a Thursday and leave right after the race on a Sunday or Monday.
In 2013, the Gorge Paddle Challenge was the most competitive race in the world. What was unique about this race is that it acknowledges the most consistent and well rounded athlete by combining the times between the downwind race and the course race for an overall trophy, which had never been done before. At the time, I was 16 years old and entered the Elite Race for only the second time in my life. I placed second in the downwind race on the first day and fourth in the course the following day. We were not sure who won the overall trophy that year, but knew the timing between myself and Candice Appleby was extremely tight. In the men’s race, the time difference was about 1.5 minutes. In the women’s division it was only 6 seconds. When Steve announced that I had won the overall trophy, the entire beach erupted in cheer. Not only had I won my first professional Stand Up Paddle Race, but I had also won in my home town, in front of my family, friends and teammates. This race showed me that I had potential in Stand Up Paddling and launched me into the world of professional sports.
Fast forward to the Gorge Paddle Challenge in 2023, times have changed, the event has morphed, but we are still here in Hood River racing! Steve is unfortunately no longer with us, but thanks to the incredible Gates Family, they are continuing to host this race in his honor. The Big Winds JET Team, where I learned to paddle, still is in full force today but now as a program of Wylde Wind & Water, the nonprofit I founded to teach kids about water sports and water safety education, and new classes like Wing Foiling and SUP Foiling have come to the start line.
The weekend kicked off on Friday with a free kids event called Fiona Friday Funday! The incredible team at Wylde Wind & Water worked hard to put together an epic two hour program for the kids in our community. We had 75 kids participate and all of the kids received goody bags including water safety information, free ice cream gift certificates, whistles, and games. Every kid got the opportunity to meet with the SIC Pro Team and get on the water with both Wylde Wind & Water and Team SIC. Everybody went paddling, did a few races, smiled big, and overall had a blast. Big thank you to our Wylde Wind & Water staff and volunteers for making this day a success, along with Columbia Gorge Toyota who sponsored this event and hosted a raffle for the kids. No, a car wasn’t raffled off ;)
Jennifer Gulizia Photos
Saturday was the downwind race from Viento to the Hood River Waterfront Park. In years past, the Elite Women started first. It was exciting because that meant the women were the first to cross the finish line, but it also meant we didn't get to see the other races. This year we started together with the elite men and we started after all of the SUP Open divisions. For me, this was so cool because so many of our Wylde Wind & Water JET Team paddlers and parents raced in the downwind race and it meant I got to cheer on everybody from the water as I paddled down the course.
The conditions were lighter than normal for the downwind race, but the bumps were still amazing! It took a bit more effort to catch each bump, making the race more tiring, but when you caught a bump, it had the typical Viento Run glide. Despite our small women’s elite fleet, it was stacked. Four out of the eight women have world titles including, Candice Appleby, Seychelle Webster, Jade Howson, and myself! I knew from this stacked line-up, it was going to be an intense weekend.
Bob Stawiki / Iwasphotographed Photos
I got a gap from the rest of the fleet and settled into my own pace. After about a kilometer, I had a decent gap and focused on catching every little bump, not matter how big or how small. About half way through the race, I caught up to the first open and junior paddlers on our JET Team. To me, this was one of the best parts of the weekend, cheering on our young paddlers from the water! Then, a few meters later, I caught up to my aunt and uncle who were also racing. I couldn’t help but smile. I crossed the finish line in first place and all of our young DEVO (development) Team, including parents, family, and friends were there cheering. This is what this race is all about, community on and off the water.
Jennifer Gulizia & Petar Marshall Photos
Sunday was the course racing day. We woke up to white caps galore! This happens when you have a wind dependent race. Sometimes the forecast changes and you never know what you are going to get! I think everybody would have loved to have more wind on Saturday, but it is what it is! 23 of our young JET and DEVO Team paddlers raced this year and I am so proud of each and every one of them for their hard work and determination. It was blowing about 15-20knots during the Groms and Super Groms race and these young paddlers didn’t let up for one moment. Each paddler dug deep and found some incredible sort of motivation to make it around their one lap course. It was inspirational to see. Following the Groms and Super Groms race was the Junior Women and Open Women’s Course race. Right before the start, the wind picked up another five knots and it was an absolute grind. Every single paddler finished the race and somehow finished with a smile! Incredible!! Next was the Junior Boys and Open Men’s Course race. Thankfully the wind backed off just slightly, giving the boys a challenge, but making it a lot more manageable. Two of our coaches, Charlie Hooper (Former JET Team member) and Gregg Leion (long time coach) also raced in this race and each won 3rd respectively in their divisions!
Like I said for the Viento Run, the level of racers was stacked, despite having a small field. I knew the course race was going to be challenging, but after watching all of the kids charge all morning, I knew I could give it my best just like they did! I got a good start and was in the lead for ¾ of the first lap. Coming into the infamous ‘W’, Juliette Duhaime, Candice Appleby and I were neck and neck. Candice decided to take her Super Lap first and in split-second decisions, I decided not to. A Super Lap allows you to cut off part of the race course, making the race shorter. You can pick when to take your Super Lap, but you can only take it once it the race. I passed Juliette on the second lap and when it was my turn to take the Super Lap, Candice and I basically came together at the exact same time. The final lap was a complete sprint. I gave it everything I had, but I knew I was fatigued. Candice was about a board length in front of me. My upwind buoy turn was a little slow and that gave her the perfect opportunity to open the gap a little wider. I had energy left for two surges, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. I finished in second place, and I am super proud of that! Because of this result, I won the overall title at the Gorge Paddle Challenge for the 7th time.
Petar Marshall Photos
The weekend wasn’t over just yet.. Since Wing Foiling has exploded, naturally the Gorge Paddle Challenge adapted to include Wing Foiling, with both a downwind and course race division. I wasn’t able to compete in the downwind race on saturday because of the SUP race, but I could compete in the course race! We raced three windward-leeward course races which consisted of three laps each race. The first start was a bit chaotic, but afterwards everybody settled in and we understood the system. I am super pleased with the way I sailed and ended up winning all three Wing Foil Course Races and the Wing Foil Pro Course race title.
Bob Stawiki / Iwasphotographed Photo
All in all, such an incredible weekend. It was super positive for me professionally to be able to win the downwind sup race, finish second in the sup course race, to win the wing foil pro race and win my 7th Overall Gorge Paddle Challenge Award. Personally, It was an honor to see so many Wylde Wind & Water team paddlers compete, support one another, and bring community to the central focus of this weekend, just like Steve had done many years ago.
Thank you to everybody, near and far who came out and participated in this event this year. I hope to see you all next year!
Equipment used this weekend:
Starboard SUP 14’ x 20.5 All Star
Starboard SUP Lima Paddle s40 Medium Blade
Black Project SUP Tiger Fin
FreeWing Pro 5m Wing
Starboard SUP 4’7 TakeOff
Mikeslab Foil
