On September 26th 2020, Ocean Ambassador Chris Hopkinson became the 1st person to SUP all 200+ miles of the Chesapeake Bay. Starboard are incredibly proud to have supported Chris on this expedition, raising awareness and more than $180K in donations for the Oyster Recovery Partnership.
And this year Chris is inviting you to join him for the 2021 Chesapeake bay paddle!
Chris Hopkinson Completing The Very First Chesapeake Bay Paddle in 2020.
Get Involved!
Chris has made the exciting decision to bring the Bay Paddle back in 2021, only this time as an epic, 200+ mile team relay.
Teams from all over are forming to embark on this incredible journey and support Chesapeake Bay.
In addition to Oyster Recovery, this year’s paddle will also support the Chesapeake Conservancy. An organisation aiming to designate the Bay as a National Park.
Staff from the Conservancy and Oyster Recovery have created a team and will be paddling along.
A team of local teachers, veterans from the Valhalla Sailing Project, a group of local River Keepers are also joining the fun.
To join a team, create a team, support or learn more go to www.baypaddle.org
More about the Chesapeake Bay Paddle
To get a real feel for the experience of paddling down worlds 3rd largest estuary, we think it needs to be read in Chris’ own words:
I had no dreams, goals or a bucket list ambition about paddling the Bay. In fact, I’m not even a great paddler.
I learned, through a science project with my then 12-year-old daughter, that a single adult oyster can filter 50 gallons of water per day! And that the Chesapeake’s oyster population is down 99%. You can imagine the impact the oyster reduction has had on the health of the Bay.
I decided t draw attention to the importance of oysters by SUPing all 200+ miles of Bay and helping raise money for Oyster Recovery Partnership.
People told me I was crazy, I’m 47 and wake up injured, so I’m not exactly in my prime. They told me to prepare my concession speech. They said I’d done enough even before the paddle began because of the amount of publicity and the $180k+ in donations.
I ignored all of it and set out on my first leg of the paddle on September 18th, 2020 in Havre de Grace, MD, where the Chesapeake Bay starts. I experienced winds of 15+ knots, swells of 2-4 feet and a twenty degree drop in air temperatures. And that was day 1!
I fought through that day and 8 more like it. I experienced more wind and waves, sunburn and hypothermia, physical and mental exhaustion.
But I also experienced paddling with bald eagles. I saw spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I paddled in remote areas and felt like an explorer discovering uncharted waters.
And to top it all off, a pod of dolphins breached the water, jumped around and dove under my board less than a mile from the finish!
It was a journey I’ll never forget and something I want others to experience.
Chris Hopkinson
If you want to find out more or keep updated then check out the Bay Paddle Facebook and Instagram Pages!
