Adam Buckley, 34, of Hermosa Beach won the 37th Annual Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race for the second time in three years and in only his third time competing in the race. The 32-mile race from Two Harbors on Catalina Island to the Manhattan Beach pier, held Sunday, August 26, had 77 finishers.
Buckley was on a record setting pace until he reached the R10 Buoy, a mile off of Palos Verdes and eight miles from the finish. There, a south moving current slowed the pace. The record of 5:2:02 two seconds was set by lifeguard and firefighter Tim Gair in 1999. Buckley finished in 5:11:44. Sean Richardson, 51, of Palos Verdes, winner of the 2003 Classic, finished second, in 5:19:22. Donald Mirallie, of Sand Diego, was third in 5:25:10.
Buckley built such a comfortable, early lead that just before reaching the R-10 buoy, he passed the lead boat, Body Glove’s Disappearance.
His strategy, he said, was to start fast to put a gap between himself and the paddlers behind him. “It’s a good way to discourage the competition,” he said.
For the first time, the Classic included the minimum five women competitors required for a women’s division. Kelsey O’Donnell of Palos Verdes finished first among the seven women, in 6:18:28. DJ O’Brien, of Redondo Beach, was second in 6:28:32. Aimee Spector, of Redondo, was third in 6:32:05.
Steve Shlens won the stock division with a time of 5:56:03. Rodney Ellis was second in stock in 6:03:27. Jack Bark, of Palos Verdes, was third in 6:06:34. Bark was first in the stock division of the Molokai Channel Paddleboard Race last month.
First-year Race Director Francziska Steagall planted herself on the shore to greet paddlers with Hawaiian leis at the end of the race. “Watching the paddlers finish is an amazing thing,” she said. “You could just see the emotion, families are so proud, the paddlers have a sense of accomplishment that brings tears to your eyes.”
For full coverage of the race, pick up Beach magazine on Sept. 13. ER
The Catalina Classic 2012 Race Results
Overall Finish Time Last First M/F Class
1 5:11:44 BUCKLEY ADAM M U
2 5:19:22 RICHARDSON SEAN M U
3 5:25:10 MIRALLIE DONALD M U
4 5:26:11 ROBINSON TOD M U
5 5:28:34 HURSTY PETER M U
6 5:29:10 FIRST MAX M U
7 5:31:39 FREY ROCH M U
8 5:32:35 CHARLTON BERT M U
9 5:36:24 MILLER JAY M U
10 5:38:57 CHEVALIER MATHIEU M U
11 5:40:40 EICHELBERGER ROBB M U
12 5:50:33 LOREN GEORGE M U
13 5:52:29 RUSHER SCOTT M U
14 5:53:25 ENDER DANNY M U
15 5:55:28 DIDINGER WILL M U
16 5:56:03 SHLENS STEVE M S
17 5:57:00 WEEMS DOUGLAS M U
18 5:59:22 WALLS MATT M U
19 6:00:13 DIENER BEN M U
20 6:01:30 CALDWELL RENO M U
21 6:02:37 ROMYN JOHN M U
22 6:03:27 ELLIS RODNEY M S
23 6:03:41 SHIKIYA STEVE M U
24 6:05:16 LOREN JON M U
25 6:05:26 CORNIC ALBAN M U
26 6:06:34 BARK JACK M S
27 6:13:02 SCOUTON CONRAD M U
28 6:16:12 ELLIS TOBIN M U
29 6:16:34 EHRHARD RON M U
30 6:17:07 SCHECKMAN JAY M S
31 6:18:28 O’DONNELL KELSEY F S
32 6:18:50 BARBOSA EDWARD M U
33 6:21:25 KINGSTON BRIAN M U
34 6:23:46 BINGHAM BRANT M U
35 6:24:09 ANNIS CASEY M U
36 6:24:34 MARSOLEK TUFFER M S
37 6:24:44 RESH TYLER M S
38 6:25:46 BEDNARK DARRELL M U
39 6:26:32 URUBURU GREG M S
40 6:27:18 BATES AUSTIN M S
41 6:27:48 STEPHENS JORDAN M S
42 6:28:32 O’BRIEN DJ F S
43 6:29:05 STREETER MATT M U
44 6:29:09 DEBOER SCOTT M U
45 6:29:57 PHELPS ROBERT M U
46 6:31:15 BARK JOE M U
47 6:32:05 SPECTOR AIMEE F S
48 6:32:50 BUCKLEY GREGG M U
49 6:34:24 O’REILLY DICKIE M U
50 6:34:49 RUBIN GAVIN M U
51 6:35:26 AMBROSI JO F S
52 6:35:55 MEISTRELL DALEY M U
53 6:37:45 TOMLIN GARY M U
54 6:39:52 LUNDY FRANK M U
55 6:40:58 HORTON TOM M U
56 6:41:12 OSTEN AARON M S
57 6:41:51 KNIGHT BETH F S
58 6:44:40 BATES DAN M U
59 6:45:17 GROSVENOR JEREMY M S
60 6:48:57 MEISTRELL JAMIE M U
61 6:49:35 SMITH DOUGLAS M S
62 6:52:03 AMBROSE PHIL M U
63 6:52:14 COMPAS STEVE M U
64 6:58:46 CODY KEVIN M U
65 7:00:54 JONES MICHAEL M U
66 7:04:45 THURMOND ROBERT M S
67 7:05:03 BARK GEMMA F S
68 7:05:40 FURNISS JUSTIN M U
69 7:08:09 NEWSOME JOSHUA M U
70 7:08:54 CAMBRA KIMO M U
71 7:09:09 BIRZNIEKS DAVID M U
72 7:09:23 CHRISTOPHER ANDREW M U
73 7:11:00 RIDDLE ALISON F S
74 7:11:27 MEYLAN ROBERT M U
75 7:16:40 WELLS BERT M U
76 8:10:50 MATHESON MARK M U
77 8:13:32 CAMPS CHUCK M U
