A Floating Paddle Parade and Relay Race
Blog Contributed by Blueline Surf & Paddle Co.
Photos by Brian Hall
On Saturday, May 18th, the intracoastal waterways of South Florida came alive with the Floating Paddle Parade and Relay Race, called Race the Tide. The event spanned 25 miles, where participants surfed, paddled, and celebrated, beginning at TideHouse in Stuart and concluding at Guanabanas in Jupiter.
Nineteen teams joined the relay, each accompanied by an escort boat. As they paddled and surfed south along the intracoastal, teams stopped at four checkpoints to collect playing cards, gradually building a poker hand, which was revealed at the awards ceremony. Themed costumes added to the fun, with participants dressed as Charlie’s Angels, Fruit of the Loom, Let’s Get Physical, Aloha Vibes, Taurus, and more, and competed for the coveted Best in Show award.
Upon arriving at Guanabanas, paddlers made their way to the stage to receive completion medals. The celebration continued with beers from Blue Point Brewing and a delicious buffet provided by Guanabanas. At 1:30 pm, the excitement shifted to a putting contest open to everyone, including restaurant patrons, with a grand prize of a golf bag from Scales Gear.
The awards ceremony kicked off with the Fastest Paddlers, with two teams arriving under 3 hours. After receiving their awards, they revealed their hands and picked a fifth card. Next, the Best in Show contest saw a tie between Fruit of the Loom and Let’s Get Physical. Despite two audience votes, the tie persisted, leading to a draw of the fifth card. Fruit of the Loom emerged victorious with the highest card.
The highlight of the ceremony was the Golden Paddler award. This year, it went to a paddler who heroically found a boat and captain at the last minute for her team, embodying the spirit of the award. She proudly wore the Golden Paddle for the awards, and her team joined her on stage to celebrate and receive their fifth card.
As the remaining team captains received their final card, a few teams, unable to maintain their poker faces, were eager to reveal their hands. After three teams proudly held their cards up, one team quietly stepped forward and flipped over a four of a kind, solidifying the winners of the Poker Run.
The first annual Race the Tide delivered a fun filled day, and next year we are aiming for a repeat! We hope you can join us for the 2025 Race the Tide. Dates will be announced shortly.
Here is a link to more photos from the event taken by Brian Hall of Iris Outdoors Co.
