MISSOULA - Elite and recreational-level paddleboarders met up at McCormick Park after a 4.6-mile race down the Clark Fork River.
“We have this every year it’s a fundraiser for Watershed Education, Missoula Food Bank a couple others — and we have it every year. It’s just a fun event for the city of Missoula to come out and race their paddleboards down the river, said Kory Mytty with Windermere Real Estate.
The Windermere SUP Cup race in Missoula brings people in from across the country — and even from Canada — for a timed stand-up paddleboard race for various prizes including a new board.
Travis Prewitt one of the elite paddlers says this race offers something other paddleboard races do not.
“The river just adds you know the rapids the wave, Brennan’s Wave, and there were a couple of really top paddlers come down from Canada to race who will probably be first and second but even they have trouble with the drop.”
Prewitt turns 72 years old in two weeks and travels across the country for various paddleboard races. At his age, he has chosen paddle boarding as a way to keep himself standing.
“The number one cause of hospitalization for people over 65 in the country is falling down, and there’s nothing better than paddle boarding, I think, to get a full body workout and maintain your balance. I really hope more older people will take up the sport and get into the competitive aspect of it because it’s a great community as you can see here today.”
You can donate to the SUP Cup at https://www.paddlesignup.com/Race/MT/Missoula/SUPmissoula
