By Rafferty Waterson
Staff Writer
On Aug. 27th at 6 a.m., paddlers from across the world competed in a Southern California
tradition; the Catalina Classic is a 32-mile long paddle board race that starts at Isthmus Cove
and finishes at the Manhattan Beach Pier.
There are two different races in the Classic: the A Stock Class race, in which paddlers compete
on 12-foot boards, and the Unlimited Class Race, in which paddlers use 19-foot boards.
Participants had their own boat that follows them throughout the race. This year, there were 109
initial entrees and 100 official participants, filling the maximum number of possible spots
available. The winner of this year’s Stock Class race was Costa alumni Shane Gallas, who
completed the race in 6 hours, 58 minutes and 49 seconds.
“This was my first time doing the Classic, but I’ve been doing shorter paddle races since I was a
little kid,” said Gallas. “[I started] as a junior lifeguard, and then continued when I became an
L.A. County Lifeguard at 19 [years old].”
Mira Costa alumni Brian Kingston finished the race in 45th place, with a time of 8 hours, 36
minutes and 32 seconds. According to Kingston, he has been racing the Classic for the past 14
years.
“[This race] a right of passage for anyone who considers themselves a waterman,” said
Kingston. “I grew up here doing junior guard’s at Marine [Street] surfing [in] local contests. Some
friends started to do the race, and I decided to go for it [too]. The [racing] community is so
special, welcoming, and fun. They make it all worth it every year.”
Mira Costa alumni Tobin Ellis competed in his 8th Classic this year. According to Ellis, he grew
up in Manhattan Beach and was inspired by legendary watermen Greg Noil and Dale Velzy.
“The wave of emotion that hits you is something that keeps you coming back to it,” said Ellis. “It
is unique and a feeling not replicated by any other personal achievement I have experienced.
During the race, I must have told myself 500 times that I am never doing it again. As soon as my
feet hit the shore, I was already thinking about doing it next year.”
Participants must complete the race in under nine hours, but finishing times range from five to
nine hours. Participants train all year long to build their endurance and strength in order to
compete in the Classic, according to Kingston.
“You can’t do this race off the couch,” said Kingston. “It will eat you alive. You have to put in the
time and miles.”
Hermosa Beach local and Mira Costa alumni Jay Russell competed in his 18th classic this year.
He is also a local fitness instructor and, according to Russell, he loves all things active.
“How one trains for the Catalina Classic [is] very similar to how a runner would for a marathon.”
said Russell. “The only difference is that most runners will run year around, where paddlers
preparing for the Catalina are on a more seasonal schedule. Most paddlers paddle three to five
times a week, usually with longer paddles scheduled for the weekends.”
According to Kingston, every year the athletes have to deal with harsh conditions such as
injuries, currents, riptides, heavy winds and swells. This year, the wind and conditions were
predicted to be the worst conditions yet, according to Russell.
“Conditions this year were awful,” said Kingston. “We saw some wind in the forecast, but there
is always weather in the channel. Right off the bat, we had westerly winds pounding us and
making the ocean feel like a washing machine. We had an opposing current around Palos
Verdes, stronger than normal in that area. Sunday was more of a mental challenge than a
physical one for me.”
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