SUP 4 Men's Health Expedition: Vancouver to Victoria powered by Duracell and Simon Whitfield.

the route

photo by Blue Giraffe Photo

Simon: glad you are part of the SUP community and thank you for being the creator of this beautiful expedition. We experienced it all from baby seals on boards, to side chop, strong currents, sun, rain, delicious healthy fresh foods, blisters, good conversations, some water time for some of us, boats, waves, calmness, beautiful sunsets, campfires.... and the list goes on. The pacific north west delivered it all and I loved everyone bit of it.

If you asked any one of us on the trip why and how we got to be on this trip... The typical answer was through Simon. Simon, a Canadian sport hero, a retired triathlete and now new to the sport of SUP. He brought together 10 other paddlers (his friends) to paddle across the Georgia Straight/Salish Seas from Downtown Vancouver to Downtown Victoria. Paddling this distance across these waters is not an easy feat for the most elite of paddlers and a pretty darn amazing feat for those who don't stand up paddle all that much. Our group members have some pretty amazing backgrounds not only in SUP but in life as well. Some of the backgrounds of people on the trip included: Olympic Gold medalists, pro triathletes, top level swimmers, people who rowed across the Atlantic, world champions, people who had accomplished other amazing adventures on SUPs and or other sports and just a pretty unbelievable group of people all around. It was too cool to come together to promote Canadian's Men Health and complete an amazing paddling journey.

Below I will share aspects of my experience throughout the journey... I am sure each paddler experienced different magical moments, hardships, and expectations.

Photo By Rory McGarry

I knew it would be difficult, but for some reason I wasn't too worried about the trip with all the great planning, safety, boats, and support surrounding us. Lyle, Aaron, Louise and Rory were all on the support boat that would follow us and ensure our safety throughout the trip.

photo by Rory McGarry & Adrien Sala

Day 1 was going to be the toughest day, with the big crossing, the longest distances, and strongest currents. It indeed was the most difficult day: 12 hours, 70km, max currents with and against us, side chop, etc etc... It was also the first time the 11 of us were all paddling together. So, a big day with many paddlers we had never paddled with before. Challenges would arise.
We had our send off form First Beach on English Bay at 5am. The water was calm and the temps perfect. We got across to Point Grey quickly and efficiently and it was here where we took our first break before the BIG crossing. Things were looking good, everyone was on track and together. We were all excited and in good spirits and ready to get the crossing done before winds and currents would make it more challenging. We were aiming for Dionisio Point on Galiano Island. I have to say I was happy to have the support boat with us, with all the boat traffic, it could be a very scary place to be all on your own. The safety boat was able to make calls to other boats to let them know we were there paddling across the shipping lanes. The current was on our side for half of the crossing but the westerly winds gave us a pretty steady side chop. We were all feeling the effects of paddling mostly on our left sides but with strong minds and the desire to keep moving we were making good ground. Everyone did such an amazing job of bunkering down and dealing with the conditions, enjoying the fact we were doing something very special that few few people ever do. For me, it was too cool to paddle this crossing as I have taken endless ferries across and always wondered what it would be like to paddle across. Here I was in the midst of paddling across on a SUP! I was happy to be wearing my 7mm booties as others who were barefoot were starting to feel the effects of the cool water. As we crossed the water temps decreased all the way to Victoria. Unfortunately for me, my hands started to blister throughout the crossing which is new for me (I rarely blister). My blistered hands proved to be slightly annoying for the remainder of the trip, it would cause me some discomfort and therefore affect different parts of my upper body as I was adjusting my grip to avoid the pain in my hands. It was the worst at the beginning and after breaks but once I was into the rhythm of it I my mind would forget about them for a little bit at a time. We made it to the tip of Galiano by noon. Here we took a well deserved lunch break before taking on Porlier Pass. We didn't see any wildlife throughout our crossing but it was pretty beautiful to look right, left, forward and backwards. We truly live in a very beautiful part of the world. After looking at the strong currents of Polier Pass and wondering if any of us could paddle through it with boils, rocks, and crazy currents, Mike Darbyshire was the only one that managed to paddle the pass at max current of 8.2 knots against us. It was crazy to see close up how the boils were forming and the quickness of the current. I just stood there and watched it for awhile, amazed. Jack also explored the currents on his prone board but could not punch through to the other side. The rest of us hiked around the point to skip past the worst of the currents. What the next 4 hours would entail was frankly pretty heart wrentching and mentally difficult... We paddled so hard against such a strong current that we were making very little ground at 2km/hour. The current was fierce and our muscles getting tired. We all paddled close to shore but still the effects of the current were very strong. The last 20km along the coast of Galiano were tough going and we really had to dig deep inside of us both physically and mentally to push through and make it to Montague Harbour in good time. Luckily we made it to Montague Harbour with smiles on our faces and with plenty of light left. We enjoyed our accomplishments in good company and with delicious foods that was prepared for us:) The sunset was grand and then it was off to bed, my brain and body were ready for some rest and a good sleep!

photo by Rory McGarry & Adrien Sala

photo by Rory McGarry & Adrien Sala

Day 2
After a killer of a sleep, I was ready to conquer day 2. I love those sleeps where your body and mind are so tired you just fall directly into a deep and delicious sleep. Once awake ont his beautiful morning, we enjoyed an amazing breakfast of fruit, coffee, and an unbelievable egg sandwhich. After breakfast it was all about getting ourselves onto the water for a 9am departure but first we had to haul the boards back down the trail and stairs to the water and bags back on the boat. The weather was warm and calm which made for a nice start to the day. Our first crossing from Montague Harbour on Galiano to Prevost Island was easy and calm and beautiful. I couldn't stop looking around and just taking in the beauty of the islands and ocean. It was a very calming and freeing feeling as I paddled and just took it all in. As we passed Prevost Island the winds started to pick up as weheaded alongside Salt Spring to the tip of Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring. Boat traffic increased a little and we could see the ferries out in front. We continued on past Portland Island and a bunch of smaller islands where among them Jack had the amazing luck of having a baby seal jump onto his paddleboard. He didn't touch it but let it enjoy the board before he dipped his board back in the water so the baby seal could continue his journey and join the rest of its family in the water. We stopped for lunch and a little break in the sun with the view of Sidney town in the foreground. Post lunch the crossing over to Vancouver Island was a little intense with lots of boat traffic, waves, wind and current...but we made it. It was a couple more hours of following the coast line to our next camp site at Island View Beach. It was pretty easy paddling from there on. At Island View Beach we were greeted by the Men's Health and Fantan folks who showed us to our campsite. We enjoyed some time to relax in the sun, chat, and eat some amazing and delicious food before heading to bed nice and early. Another tough BUT too amazing day at the office:)

photo by Rory McGarry & Adrien Sala

photo by Rory McGarry & Adrien Sala

Day 3. We all agreed that our pririty was to make it to Victoria Harbour in a safe manner on this last day of our expedition. In order to achieve this we had to all agree to leave earlier than the original plan in order to beat the predicted high winds and potentially bad weather. So a 4am breakfast, 4:30am bags to the beach and 5am departure was the plan. It rained throughout the night but at the critical moments of getting up and getting breakfast the rain had ceased for a little bit. Our breakfast of egg, bacon wraps and coffee was perfect. We all dressed a little warmer on this rainy, cool morning with neoprene, toques, booties, and gloves. We were pretty eager to get on the water and start paddling as the predicted winds were going to make the paddle a tough one. The paddle to the first major point was pretty rough, it was a whole lot of side chop and one needed to just push through to get to the point. Once we rounded the corner LUCK was on our side as the conditions actually got better instead of tougher. We happily paddled passed the Discovery islands and then past Trial islands and onto Clover Point. At Clover Point we expected the toughest conditions but our timing was perfect as we cruised past way ahead of schedule. We eventually rounded the Harbour walls and that was it, we stuck together as we cruised into Victoria harbour to meet the few fans and workers that managed to get there 5 hours before our scheduled arrival. We were greeted with signs, coffee, and hugs. It was perfect.

Photo By Blue Giraffe Photo

photo by Blue Giraffe Photo

Photo by Brian Raymer

What an unbelievable experience with some pretty amazing paddlers and for a great cause too. Thank you to Simon for the invite, the other paddlers for the company, CMH, Fantan, and all of those that helped make this trip happen with such success.


Check out dontchangemuch.ca and Canadian's Men Health Foundation for ideas of making small changes to ensure a long healthy life.

Photo by Brian Raymer

The amazing paddlers:
Simon Whitfield
Duff Gibson
Yannick Michaud
Morgan Hoesterey
Lina Augaitis
Markus Pukonen
George Pisek
Jack Bark
Roch Frey
Chad Guenter
Mike Darbyshire


THANK YOU:
Lyle Berzins: Boat Captain
Erin Bradely: Boat Captain
Heather Lejeune: Project Manager, Fantan
Tina Rogers :Communications and Events Manager, CMHF
Kirsten Ovstaas: Course Coordinator
Matthew Traynor : Volunteer Site Assistant
Campbell Kearns: Chef
Rory McGarry: Videographer
Duracell, Edge Energy Foods, Fantan Group, Men's Health Foundation

THANK YOU TO MY SPONSORS:
Thank you SIC for the board: the 14ft Bullet V2 was great.
WernerPaddles and Nikki Rekman Sales for the paddles (Small Grand Prix paddle)
SeasonFive ( Kiowa hoody, barrier capris, crystal tank) and Kokatat (Hydrus 3L Tempest Pants with socks -  Tropos, otter jacket) for the perfect things to wear,
Clifbar,  Feed the Machine for the nutrition
OnItPro, Ryders Eyewear, Surffur, Larry Allison Fins, the added extras that make the paddle that much sweeter
Crossfit Vancouver,Ultimate Potential, Olympus Movement and Mobility,
Kalavida Surf Shop, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak,

photo by Rory McGarry

live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina

Carolina Cup: a difference of seconds

Me at Wrightsville beach sunset

As the race date was getting closer and closer to being real the race seemed to be getter bigger and bigger. When I first signed up for the race it was big but not HUGE.... Carolina Cup turned out to be HUGE.

My schedule has been super fun but a little crazy with the time changes and flights everywhere. I love every moment (well the moments when I am not sick...). I love the adventure, the new places, the new people, the paddling, and the camaraderie. I am truly living my dream, I can't believe it.... and I have so many, too many people to thank for their support and positive vibes. THANK YOU!

The plane ride... I flew  to North Carolina with my board. Not ideal but I needed it in Abu Dhabi and before. No time to ship. United Airlines is usually really good with boards so that's why I chose to fly with United. We had never wrapped my board so well before. it was bomber or so I thought...
I arrived into Raleigh with a huge hole through the bag and the foam of my board. I also met my good friend who I hadn't seen for about 3 years at the airport. We headed straight down to baggage services to report the damage. I thought the damage was the nose of the board. I didn't take the time to open the entire board up right there at baggage as it would have taken time and effort we didn't really have and I couldn't see that there was any other obvious damage. I was bummed about what I thought the damage was but knew it would be okay with some minor repair work. I got to spend just less then 24 hours with good friends Marg and Andy, we rode bikes, ate good food, and caught up on life. It was just grand.

Plane destroyed board... this isnt even half of it... more to come

Me, Andy and Marg at their cute house in Raleigh

On Wednesday Danny from Werner came to get me and we drove down to the coast. It is about 2.5 hour drive... It was really great to catch up with Danny and John from Werner as I really don't see them very often at all. They are great folks and I am so proud to be a part of such a good group of people at Werner paddles, and they make stellar paddles... so double win!

Some pics of my broken board 

sad

When we finally made it to the coast and found the SIC house... I was dying to get out for a quick paddle. I thought it would be a quick fix on the nose of my board and off I would go.. When I opened up my board a shock wave fired throughout my entire body... I could not believe my eyes.. My board was pretty destroyed... garrett the amazing rep calmed me down and took me and my board to the closest shop Carolina Paddleboard Co and they hooked us up with Chris from Glass Roots Surf Boards. Chris performed some magic... Lucky, lucky girl I am. After I calmed down for a bit,  I enjoyed a great dinner at Tower 7 with Danny and John from Werner. Tower 7 is an awesome mexican joint and I would recommend to anybody... it was packed solid every night!

Me at the Werner tent..pre race photo: Shelby

Werner Ladies

Fiona and I on the Werner Boat Photo: John with Werner

Thursday and Friday were difficult for me, waiting for my news from my board, stressing about not getting to practice on it, stressing about lots of things... I was a stressball period... ha.. looking back its funny because I think having a broken board getting repaired that I couldn't paddle actually forced me to rest and not over think or over paddle before the race. I am a little crazy when it comes to resting... it is so bloody hard for me to do. Even though I know it is necessary it feels wrong. Georges, Braly and I went out for a paddle on Thursday (I was on the x12pro). We checked out part of the course which was awesome. I also got the lucky opportunity to go on a boat twice! Once with SIC and once with Werner. This course is so technical with many different types of water, current, tides, sand bars, etc etc it definitely helps to check out the course. ALSO, I just love being on boats and the waterways in Wrightsville are pretty darn cool. Boats are almost as common as cars... you can get to so many places by boat... So I mostly just loved the freedom feeling of the boat... yAY!

SIC boat ride... it was cold photo:Braly Joy

Friday was a big demo day for the industry folk... it was nice to walk around and see folks I knew and meet new people as well. I tried to rest and relax, but its difficult... so i tried to read, be on my computer, talk to ppl, and just try not to stress as much as I could. The day before the race is always hard for me... waiting game... but nice to relax too! Friday night I was part of the pro athlete poster signing... it was my first ever... pretty sweet feeling helping to inspire others... I was nervous at first, I felt like I didn't belong... The experience of being a pro is still so knew for me! After the signing team SIC went out for dinner... I had fajitas.. delicious!

The Pros that were part of the poster signing

Pros  Poster signing photo: distressed mullet

Canada in the house (Larry, me, Simon) Photo: Erin F.M.

Saturday: race day! 13 miles of ocean, flat, current, tides, shallow, deep, waves, side chop, etc etc etc...
My board was fixed.. it had the speedy white stripe across the nose...I was anxious to get out and practice on it.. I put the Larry Allison Hybrid Gladiator fin on it for some extra stability and it was perfect... felt fast under my feet. I applied my pre race OnIt Pro for quicker glides and wax on my werner paddle.. Applying Onit Pro is also a time where I can bond with board and sort of meditate. I also made sure I had all of my race liquid and food ready. Thank you Feed the Machine for products like Nuun, Multivitamins and more. I also started using Vitargo for pre race and post race fuel... I also remembered my good pre race warm up routine thanks to Ultimate Potential...

The start was a beach start... I am nervous before the race start but once we line up my mind goes blank and I am just waiting for the start gun. Once the gun is shot and we are off it is race mode for me.... I had an okay start and was  4th place going into the flats. The girls started behind the men and we quickly were able to catch and pass some of the slower men... which is great but sometimes a little annoying as we are not allowed to draft them so sometimes tough to get through and by them without adjusting our course too much. We were also on a shorter board length than the men so by default we are slower then men. About a third of the way into the course I caught Sonni. We stuck together for a bit but I was feeling hungry and good so decided to make a move to catch Jenny out in second. Somehow I managed to catch her and from there we worked together to try and reel in Annabel who was in first place. We had a tricky section getting out of the inlet with breaking waves, shallow sand bars and moving current... I managed to stay on top of my board and then we had about 4 miles left on the ocean. I knew Jenny was stronger than me on the ocean and I was surprised when I was able to keep up with her.. we were neck and neck working hard with the side chop and all.... and then all of sudden there was Annabel... not that far in front of us... we were closing the gap... My heart was flickering with excitement. I was trying to stay calm as the worst thing I could do was fall off my board or something of that nature. I had a little surge of energy and got in front of Jenny... My board felt really great. I was shocked at where I was in this race... Top three and anything could happen.. ME, side by side the fastest girls in the world... AHHHH... We rounded the last buoy and it was a straight shot into the beach... It was too short of a section to catch Annabel and to my disappointment Jenny caught a wave that i didn't and glided right past me... So 3rd place is where I came in BUT 11 seconds behind Annabel and 5 seconds behind Jenny!!!!!!! Bittersweet ending to a long 13 mile race. I am happy though... This race created a hunger and motivation that is increasing after each race...

right before start.. concentrating photo credit Shelby

me racing photo credit: Shelby

me behind sonni 1/3 through race

women start photo cerdit Lizi Ruiz

coming into finish photo: Lizi Ruiz

Celebrations by all.. Sonni on team SIC was 4th, Georges was 2nd for the men, the rec guys were all on the podium. Kelsa from Werner was 6th and Fiona 8th... Proud of my teammates

Podium me, Annabel, Jenny photo credit Lizi Ruiz

 Sunday was packing up and heading home time..... I got back to San Clemente at 2am...whoa... long day..Now it is off to Nicaragua for the ISA World Championships

Team SIC Sonni, me and George

I am learning from every race and enjoying the people I meet and the places I see. Living my dream!

    I want to take a moment to thank some special people I have met in the last 5 weeks here in SoCal and beyond....the list is long because I am surrounded by some pretty amazing people... feeling blessed. I haven't really thanked these people enough. There are many people helping me everyday and you know who you are...and THANK YOU! Ryan from Foundation Fitness San Clementewho has one of the coolest gyms I have been to with a positive vibe that is infectious to anyone who walks through the doors. Thank you for your time, your knowledge, your push and expertise and your impeccable ability to read me. Mike Eisert and The Paddle Academy team for the early morning SUP workouts on the water and your efforts and help off the water. Your knowledge, enthusiasm and good nature has provided me with added confidence. Garrett SIC rep for helping me with my broken board and just our team in general in North Carolina at Carolina Cup.... Chris at Glass Roots Surf Boards for working all day and late nights to fix my board and have it in amazing shape for Carolina Cup. Vitargo for hooking us up with magic. AlsoPaul Romero at Ultimate Potential for the amazing confidence boosting talks and knowledge about training and nutrition... Braly Joy and SIC MAUI for the unbelievable support. I could not ask for a better board company. Sonni Hönscheid and Georges Cronsteadt for being awesome teammates and killer athletes.. Andrew Dye for being the best hubby and best friend a person can have... Werner Paddles for the support and making damn good paddles, Onit Pro for the faith and the product, Season Five for making me feel and look amazing, Larry Allison Fins for ensuring I got the tools I need in any condition, Crossfit Vancouver for allowing me to be a part of the community and train to get strong and powerful, Kalavida Surf shop for the support from my homeland, Nikki Rekman Sales, Pro Lite, and everyone sending positive vibes, notes, hugs, and congratulations you keep me going and push me to keep training and racing hard.... it is a team effort... I am one lucky chica. The SUP community never ceases to amaze me! I love being part of such a great sport!

photo credit: Shelby

Results here at SUPracer.com

live, love, laugh,...DREAM! 

lina

A note on training, family, and friends: Adventures from Warm Water to Cold Water

Check out this interview with Outdoor Vancouver. Thanks!
http://www.outdoorvancouver.ca/lina-augaitis-interview-sup/

A big thanks to SIC Maui, Werner, Nikki Rekman Sales, Ryders Eyewear, OnIt Pro, Surffur,  Ultimate Potential, Feed The Machine, Pro-Lite, Larry Allison Fins, and Crossfit Vancouver helping me make it happen!

Following Mexico, as I was riding a little high from my win, from surfing, from spending time with my amazing SIC team and the excitement of seeing my family and Andrew in Florida.
So my family has been vacationing in Florida for the last 19 years. This was the 5th time I have been able to join them. It was a special one as we had 4 generations of Augaitis present and it was my first time meeting my new nephew Lukas. I loved spending time with my niece and nephews, my sisters, my dad, my grandma, and Andrew! We ate ice cream, saw dolphins, built sand castles, swam, went for walks, and had all sorts of general silliness going on.

selfie on the beach  bombed by ASta and Kief 

Andrew and I photo: Asta

The weather was interesting down there with sunny days, colder nights, some rain, and lots of wind for a couple of days. Lucky SUP paddlers tend to like wind:) I took full advantage of the wind. I hooked up with Bailey Rosen from Florida where we scored a fun downwind session as well as an in and out of surf session. On the calmer days I paddled with Andrew and got to get my family on the boards as well. On my last day two good friends I met from my time in Ft Myers/Miami came up for the day and we paddled a lot, found some little sand bar breaks to play on, had great food and a general great time! Thanks for coming up Robin and Bill! It's so amazing all the wonderful people I am meeting from around the world. Our SUP community is beautiful!


I am lucky to have such a loving family. Its hard living so far away but it does make the times we see each other so darn special.

Amazing 4 generations of Augaitis 

My days on Treasure island were spent running on the beach, SUPin, swimming, and chilling with the fam...

Tofino!

walking home after orning session photo by Karly Cox

I came home and had less then 24 hrs to unpack and repack for a cold water surf trip with friends. I have been spending my time here surfing, beach running, doing yoga, and some crosstraining workouts.. We have a sweet house right on the beach. Everyone is stoked to get out and surf and have a good time. I am excited that I am getting opportunities to get out in waves these days:) I have been paddling the SIC 9.9 Recon surf SUP board and been paddling with my Werner Nitro blade.
I love our local SUP/paddling crew....

morning session photo by Karly Cox

live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina

The first two months: ..A positive transition

I thought I would be sitting around twiddling my thumbs trying to think of things to do with my new found time...WRONG! I am so busy I can't even get through my daily lists.

A little update on racing
  I had two international events since I decided to take SUP to the next level. My first was Puerto Rico: Paddle Royal. I managed to win, get noticed, meet lots of great athletes, essentially it was my initiation to the scene. I was on a pretty huge high. I also got to spend a week training in St Thomas with new friends and really great paddlers Gail, Eric, and Jaecey.
  At Orange Bowl in Florida. I experienced a new kind of pressure, the pressure that comes with expectations. The pre race interview, the fact that people were telling me I would win, the feeling to need and want to win for more than just myself were all aspects of a new type of pre race mentality. I was also on a new board(SIC X12 Pro) which thankfully rocked it!
  Soon, the season really begins and expectations will be greater from me and others and performances will be crucial. I am really looking forward to it all but am aware that it won't be a walk in the park, in fact far from it:)

Werner Paddles and SIC board Photo by Robin Blaine

On training
What I did not realize is that settling into a routine doesn't really happen. Feb will be the month that I will be at home for the longest period of time for quite some time. Currently the water is frigid and SUPin is a little timid and very chilly. I am spending much of my time at the gym I know and love (Crossfit), doing yoga with Andrew, and cross training with my mtn bike and running shoes on some of the sweetest trails in the world. I hope to get some more powder turns in or even get on my skinny skis before I head out of town for a bit but I am at the mercy of mother nature at the moment.  It is pretty great though to be able to get out with my hubby and friends. Soon, I will have to find ways to be creative and flexible in order to achieve the level of training I would like while away from home. I am confident I will find strategies that will work for me as I have some really great support with Ultimate Potential.

Wearing Virus Intl tank top Photo by Tucker Sherman

On Business skills
I have a lot to learn in this department, luckily I am eager and ready. I never paid a lot of attention to the business world and here I am in the middle of it. Yes, as an athlete I very much deal with a lot of the business aspect of the sport. I have much to learn in this area like branding, marketing, and social media for example. I am enjoying the learning curve and feel like these new skills can only help me in future endeavors.
I will be updating my blog(maybe creating a website:)). I am excited to learn more about creating a website and be more proficient on the technical side of the web.
I thought I was doing a good job where social media was concerned. I have learned I am only touching on the surface of the multitude of avenues I could take in social media.

On Life skills
Cooking and baking were never my fortes. I got off the hook in the past but now that I am working from 'home' I have to do my share of providing and with that comes more of the home duties and that includes cooking, baking, and groceries. I am looking forward to learning more about nutrition and its effects on my performance. It is something I have never focused any attention to.

I really dislike driving. There is something about it that just doesn't fit with me and causes me much stress. In the past (and still do but to a lesser extent) I have done many ridiculous things to avoid driving. I have mostly bike commuted an exorbitant amount of kms with lots of luggage just so I didn't have to sit behind the wheel. I am now 'forced' to drive in order to train proficiently and accomplish daily goals that otherwise would be unrealistic on a bike. I can now back out of our parking space(this sound ridiculous but is a huge deal to me...), drive fairly comfortably and do basic car things. YAY!Dont get me wrong I will always choose to bike commute over drive but at least now its not such a battle.
A little update on livin' the dream.

live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina