15th Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial Paddleboard Race – June 18, 2016
We are proud of USA Team Racer Keith McConnaughay for winning the 15th Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial Paddleboard Race!
1st – Keith McConnaughey 1:58:07 (F-ONE 14′ Race Pro)
2nd – Stephen Sinkus 2:00:29
3rd – Marius Linda 2:01:53
4th – Joe Naholowa’a 2:02:24 (F-ONE 14′ Race Pro)
5th – Grant McFadyen 2:07:15
Keith has been training hard all season, and hard work pays off! Keith was paddling the F-One Pro Race 14’ x 24.5” SUP. After the race we caught up with Keith to ask him a few questions and to congratulate him on his WIN!
Learn More about the F-One Race Pro SUP.
Interview with Covewater SUP’s Keith McConnaughey:
“To finally be able to say I won the Jay race is my greatest accomplishment in paddling. Thanks so much to everyone for the continued support, Duke Brouwer and the Jay Moriarity Foundation for putting in so much time and effort making this mine and many peoples favorite event of the year! And a special shout-out to a guy who was greatly missed today and has inspired and taught many in the world of paddling not only on the water but off as well. He’s known as the gorilla in some circles, and today I channeled my inner orangutan just for you buddy! See you on the water soon Charlie A Banfield Jr.!” – Keith
How long have you been competing in SUP Racing?
I did my first SUP race in 2013, and did some races for fun in 2014 but started training more seriously going into the summer race season last year.
How many years have been competing in the Jay Race, and how does it feel to win?
This was my second year competing in the Jay Race, although I had been to the event the 2 previous years unable to paddle due to injury. I got third place last year which was great but to be able to win at an event like the Jay feels awesome! living in Santa Cruz the Jay is the biggest and most important event of the year, so to be able to bring the win back to Santa Cruz is pretty special.You are riding the 2016 F-One Race Pro Series SUP Boards; how have they been performing for you, and which board were you using for the Jay Race?
These boards are killer! for rough water and downwind the new design with the rounded nose and step rail on the front works great, super forgiving and has to be the most stable 26″ wide board I’ve paddled, I paddled the 26″ for the davenport downwinder this year and it surfs like a dream. I paddled the 24.5″ wide pro-race for the Jay this year, there was a bit of bump mixed in but was a fairly flat race so the narrower width really helped give me great glide per stroke in the flatter conditions where there wasn’t too much help from the wind or swell.What is your strong side? Do you switch during races and, if so, how often?
I would say I am stronger on my right side but to do well in these races and even just general paddling becoming comfortable and confident on both sides is very important. You do switch sides while paddling, how often is very dependent on conditions, if you’ve got wind blowing from your side you could end up paddling 40 strokes on one side but in nice calm conditions your technique can dictate how often you need to switch sides.What are your future goals and dreams related to stand up paddling?
To do this as long as possible! racing is one of the most fun things you can do on a paddleboard, it’s fun and a great way to immerse yourself in this great community. My future goals are just trying to make it to as many races and events as I can, especially to some of the bigger events like the Carolina Cup, the gorge, Olukai etc. I’d like to be able to race against the best to push myself and see where I stack up !Any upcoming races on the schedule?
The next race on the calendar is race number 2 of the Tahoe cup series, “Watermans Paddle Jam” , a fun race out of Jay Wilds shop “Watermans Landing” in North Lake Tahoe, phenomenal venue and a super fun event ! after that will be the Tahoe Nalu on August 13th and 14th.Do you have any advice for first time SUP racers?
Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Racing should be fun, enjoy being on the water competing against friends. The most important thing someone can do to better themselves as racers is Slow down! people get very caught up with trying to paddle at a very high rate thinking it’s going to make them faster, any paddle sport; prone, sup, outrigger, surfski all involve a knowledge of proper technique to excel, it’s all about feel. don’t worry about trying to go out every day and hammer the water, slow down and think about how to make everything one smooth movement. That’s just my two cents!
More info and Race Results: www.facebook.com/JayRace2016/
Learn More about the F-One Race Pro SUP.