Justin & Sienna's Yukon River Quest Adventure

Justin Schaay is a local Charleston ocean athlete who paddles and surfs our local waters. He owns the Charleston area Epic Kayaks dealership (check out surfskicharleston.com). He can provide invaluable advice, demos, lessons, and get you set up on the right equipment. Justin also organizes group paddles in the area sometimes including a Saturday morning loop around Sullivan's Island and Thursday evenings at the Wappoo Boat Landing. Other paddle craft besides surf skis, such as outrigger canoes and stand up paddle boards, are encouraged to join as well (everyone responsible for their own safety plan). Follow the "Surfski & Paddle Charleston" Facebook Group for group paddle announcements.

Justin also works as an Expedition guide for Quark Expeditions on their Antarctica trips primarily as the SUP guide, also runs paddle support, and is a safety driver. These Quark Antarctica expeditions typically start off in Ushuaia, South America and head across the Drake Channel to the Antarctic peninsula, then move around that area exploring and offering landings, zodiac cruises and paddle adventures.

He has many years of experience in long distance paddle races and events all over the world including participating in the M2O (Molokai to Oahu) downwind race on SUP, the Watertribe Everglades Challenge 300 miles Tampa to Key Largo on SUP and the Watertribe North Carolina Challenge on a Windsurfer, the Devils Isle Challenge on Bermuda, the Dusi Canoe Marathon in South Africa, and the Chattajack31 long distance race event in Chattanooga multiple times on SUP and surfski.

Justin has recently included his teenage daughter, Sienna, on some of these adventures sharing a double kayak with her in the Seventy 48 race in Seattle, the Chattajack 31, and most recently the Yukon River Quest race in Alaska.

The Yukon River Quest race recap below was written by Sienna Schaay. All pictures & captions provided by Justin Schaay, unless where otherwise noted. A big thank you to both Justin and Sienna for their contributions to the Charleston Ocean Athletes Journal:

The Yukon River Quest (YRQ) proved to be quite the race, especially with this years added challenge of high flood waters. There was a debate going on about whether or not the race would run which after the long journey we made would have been very disappointing. The YRQ is a 444 mile/715 kilometer endurance race from Whitehorse to Dawson City down the Yukon River. A variety of solo and teams compete in the race including sups, kayaks, canoes and voyagers. The race takes anywhere from 39 hours (the new race record) to 70 hours to complete. It started the morning of June 22nd in 2 different heats. There are also 10 hours of mandatory rest which racers split between 2 different campgrounds. Due to some of the stormier weather and the added struggles of a high water year 40% of teams did not end up finishing. Although everyone who even attempted deserves lots of praise.

Pre start in Whitehorse - you start in a park and run down to the river.

We arrived in Whitehorse almost a week before the race started to finalize all of our gear and test out the new boat we were to be paddling. Up until the Friday before the race, we actually had no boat due to some major shipping delays. Luckily the shipment came in and we got to test out our race boat. Due to my short legs being unable to reach the foot pedals in the back of the boat, I swapped into the front seat in which I had never sat before. This change required some adjusting, but everything worked out well and I didn’t have my dad's head blocking my beautiful views of the Yukon River.

Sienna & Justin - photo by @Schaienfotografie

The day before the race all of the racers were sat down and given a presentation on the major risks we would face during this race. The major one was this year's high water that made it very hard to find places to stop along the river. Then came Wednesday, the official start day where racers were lined up 400 meters from the start and told to run down to our boats.

Views along the way - a real mix of weather but overall pretty good apart from a couple of storms.

The race itself was quite the adventure. We encountered multiple thunderstorms and even watched a tree get struck by lightning while out on the water. We successfully made it through the ripping Five Finger rapids and the Lake Laberge which seemed to last an eternity. On the first night we were even rewarded with a beautiful sunset, although the Yukon is known for their “Midnight Sun” meaning the sunlight truly never disappears.

Once we had made the first two legs from the start to Carmacks and then from Carmacks to Minto, we were faced with the final leg of the race, which definitely proved to be the hardest. We were warned that due to flood waters there would be little chance of stopping on this last leg from Minto to the finish which was approximately 300 km long and took us roughly 20 hours to complete. We definitely struggled in the early morning hours after leaving at 11:30pm for this final leg. We turned on our speaker and played some music to try keep us awake. We welcomed any passing boat hoping for a chance to chat and even tried “sleep paddling”. The navigation during this part also became quite tricky because of the impressively large size of the river and multiple channels to choose from. My Dad’s favorite question was “Sienna what’s around the corner? Answer: Another corner! Fortunately we had some good company on this last leg and were joined by SUP paddler Lincoln Dews which helps lift one’s spirits.

After what felt like the longest home stretch we finally made it to the finish line in the old fashioned mining town of Dawson City. We congratulated our fellow finishers and had a great awards ceremony.

Scenes around Dawson

My dad and I, known as team SchaayVentures, paddled a double kayak and finished the race in 47 hours and 39 minutes. We placed 1st in the mixed K2, 4th in K2s and 18th overall. I was this year's youngest racer as well. We had quite the adventure and made many new friends along the way.

Sienna's swollen hands and Justin's blisters

At the finish in Dawson

Shoutout to Epic paddlers Chris Lightbound and Stephen Ball for the company and encouragement on the lake and for their brave efforts to help rescue another paddler.

Cheers,

Team SchaayVentures

Winging It

You have probably seen them while walking along the local beaches. Those colorful half circles moving along the ocean’s white capped glimmering surface. Hold on a minute. The person holding that half circle seems to be levitating above the water’s surface. What in the world is that? You are witnessing a new revolution in ocean watersports. These water men and women are taking advantage of recent innovative advancements in foil and sail/kite technology. It is called wing surfing, winging or wing foiling. Or the apropos “wing dingers.” Take your pick. It is the newest and fastest growing water sport in the world.

Dave Cavanaugh wing surfing a wave at Isle of Palms

CAN YOU DO IT?

In speaking to some of the local wingers, it is clear this is a very approachable sport for anyone to try and take up as a new outdoor activity. Many of the wing foiling folks that you see at our local beaches have a kitesurfing or windsurfing background, sometimes both. However, Force Kite & Wake shop owner Stan Radev says you do not have to have kiting or windsurfing experience. Radev adds that it helps a little bit, but he estimates 80% of the winging packages purchased are by the person that just wants to pick up a new sport or thinks that it looks cool. Local winger David Ryerson learned to wing foil as the sport was just getting started here two years ago. He did not have surfing or kitesurfing experience and said “it is the most fun I have ever had in my life. For me, it is the most incredible feeling…a very healthy addiction.”

David Ryerson luffing the wing on a nice wave

While it is an approachable sport for anyone, Radev says most people who are coming from sailing or kiteboarding backgrounds also go through a learning curve. “It’s harder than it looks…so you need to go through the proper steps.” Radev says lessons are best because “it will short cut a lot of the corners.” Ryerson agrees, adding that if any of this sounds intimidating, the wing course is highly recommended. Sealand Adventure Sports shop owner, Scott Hyland adds that "wing surfing is less intimidating for most people. It has more access to water since long kite lines in kitesurfing can be restrictive on where you launch. As you progress, you can really charge the waves."

Dave Cavanaugh is loyal to the foil - he's a very skilled kiteboarding foiler, SUP surf foiler, and wing foiler

Force Kite & Wake Instructor Michael Brandon says winging is so approachable you can purchase your own gear and go out and learn by yourself. Winging does not require a foil as you can use a wing on a simple stand-up paddle board or floaty windsurf board. That is the easiest and safest way for beginners to learn this new sport. Brandon also recommends taking lessons because that provides the fastest learning curve. Both Force Kite & Wake and Sealand Adventure Sports started providing winging lessons this year.

Brandon says it usually takes 3 separate lessons to get up and going on the foil using the wind to power the wing. The first lesson is to teach basic wing handling on the beach, then get on the water with a stand-up paddle board using the wing to get the feel of the mechanics of the wing generating power. The second lesson is to learn how to get up on a foil, by using electronic foil board technology, also known as E-foils. This is the easiest and best way to get the feel of how a foil board behaves underneath your feet. Plus, the size of the E-foil board closely resembles the size of a wing board. The third lesson puts it all together on the water with the wing and the wing foil board.

David Ryerson doesn't have a windsurfing or kitesurfing background. Now look at him.

Radev emphasized safety, to approach it the right way, and to choose the proper gear. He added that it is quite easy to take the wrong approach, buy the wrong equipment, and not like the sport if you do not get the proper guidance by local knowledgeable people. Without the proper knowledge in any ocean water sport, emergencies can happen quickly. Take Charleston’s notorious fast moving tidal currents for example. Radev says it helps to know what kind of board and wing work best in your local waters, where to go winging and in what conditions so you do not get yourself in trouble.

Dave Cavanaugh loves to ride the ocean swells

A LITTLE HISTORY

Attempts at launching winging as a new sport have occurred before. The aptly named Wind Weapon was first introduced by Tom Magruder in the mid 1980s in the Columbia River Gorge area near Hood River, Oregon. Search “wind weapon” on YouTube to see that early invention in action. However, modern wind sport board foils had not been developed at that time, and the sport never really took off. Fast forward to 2011 when Tony Logosz, also in Hood River, took what Magruder had done and worked on more development. However, Logosz felt it was still not quite ready for prime time. When board foiling technology improved soon after that, he began to see the possibilities of the combination and knew user adoption would soon take off. In 2019 within a couple of weeks of each other, Robby Naish introduced the Wing-Surfer through his Naish brand and Logosz, through his company Slingshot, introduced the SlingWing. More sail wing and wing specific board introductions followed soon after from other companies.

David Ryerson heading back out through the wave zone

WINDSURFING & KITESURFING EXPLAINED

Explaining winging and wing foiling first requires some background on the other two related wind powered water sports. For the uninitiated, windsurfing is best simply described as a surfboard powered by a sail connected to the board that the sailor holds on to, using the sail's boom handle. Kitesurfing is best simply described as a small surfboard or wakeboard powered by a kite with long strings that the rider holds on to, via a handle where the strings are attached. Both ocean wind sport endeavors have unique differences and advantages depending on who you talk to.

Dave Cavanaugh, in his happy place

SIMPLIFY

Winging simplifies things. It provides the sail power in the wind but is not attached to the board like windsurfing and it is not attached to strings like kitesurfing. Radev says, “it’s a very small foot print and is more sustainable to gusty winds.” The wing is lightweight with inflatable leading edges and a single inflatable center strut that provides the rigid stability in the wind. The rider can hold them using a boom or handles on the center strut. This enables beginners to learn a new wind sport more quickly and with less effort. It also allows advanced riders to surf ocean swells on the foil while “luffing,” the term for letting the wing fly out in a neutral position in the wind.

unidentified winger at the 2022 Fort2Battery race in the Charleston Harbor

THE FOIL

Adding a foil to any water sport introduces another dimension and increased difficulty all to itself. Both windsurfing and kitesurfing have incorporated foil technology in recent years to add a different sensation and feel out on the water. One can ride in more places with less wind. There are now foils on surfboards as well. The foil consists of a front wing and a smaller rear wing connected by a strut. The strut is attached to a mast, which is attached to where a rear fin would normally be located at the underneath rear of the board.

Think of a foil wing as an airplane wing. As the water rushes over the front and rear foil wing, these foil wings act like an airplane wing and create lift under water. This lift brings the board out of the water and now the rider is levitating while moving forward at various speeds. Normal surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing gives you the feel and sensation of the board on the water and you can feel everything the water’s surface is doing underneath you. Adding the foil makes you feel like a pelican stealthily gliding over the surface of the water. Like floating on clouds.

Steven Wiggs inspires us all as he is one of the older generation watermen and he recently learned to wing foil

HOW ABOUT CHARLESTON?

There are notoriously windy spots around the world such as Hood River Oregon, Cape Hatteras NC, and Capetown South Africa to name a few. Charleston’s local beaches are known for its mostly user-friendly wind. Wind speeds here usually average 15-20+mph, which is a perfect range for learning to wing. Charleston beaches are also known for less than perfect waves. You will not find Pipeline or Jaws here, but you will find small 1-3 foot surf that is also perfect for wing foiling.

Ryerson says “coastal Charleston is epic for water and wind driven sports like winging, and our community is super friendly and helpful. Conditions are perfect for beginners to intermediate and advanced riders…beautiful beaches, soft sugar sand, flat water shoals, gentle to larger head height rolling swells and the harbor for those more daring. Depending on weather, tides, wind direction, wave height and water and air temperature, there are many beautiful spots to enjoy.”

David Ryerson gliding with the pelicans over the surface of the water

LETS GO WINGING

Sealand Adventure Sports' Hyland says "I believe the industry thought that more paddle boarders would convert to wingers but that's simply not the case. More and more kiteboarders are starting to convert to wing surfing. It's like a hybrid between windsurfing and kiteboarding." Force Kite & Wake's Brandon says that although kitesurfing is still immensely popular in the Charleston area, winging is growing rapidly. He estimates their shop is seeing twice the interest they saw last year. Force Kite & Wake's Radev predicts that in a couple of years, you will see just as many wingers on the water as you see kiters.

If you are walking along the beaches and see the wingers out there doing their thing, now you know what it is all about. Perhaps you have the itch to learn the newest and fastest growing water sport. Perhaps you’ve watched our local low country pelicans glide so gracefully over the ocean’s surface and always wanted to know what that felt like. So get out there, visit the local shops, take a lesson, and just “wing it.”

David Ryerson luffing his wing and foiling on a nice ocean swell

Where to locally get winging lessons and purchase gear:

Force Kite and Wake

1405 Ben Sawyer Boulevard, #100

Mount Pleasant, SC

(843) 329-3004

Sealand Adventure Sports

2120 Middle Street

Sullivan’s Island, SC

(843) 330-8156

David Ryerson outside the Isle of Palms pier

Welcome to Charleston Ocean Athletes

Whether you are a Charleston local or from somewhere else, thank you for being here. Charleston has an amazing array of outdoor activities to enjoy, most of it centered around the ocean and surrounding waterways. It seems there are a lot of Charleston specific travel and food websites, blogs, and Instagram pages but I don't see anything that showcases and celebrates the local Charleston area ocean athlete and their favorite sports. This website and its corresponding social media channels will help fill that gap by focusing on all disciplines of surf, wind, paddle, and foil sports, with a "ride everything" ethos.

Why the name "Charleston Ocean Athletes"?

Charleston - is no longer a secret. It is a world famous and world class small city visited by thousands daily. Its been named the top city in the world to visit in the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine readers poll for 10 years in a row. The rate of people moving into the Charleston area the last 10 years has grown significantly. People around the world know Charleston. We love Charleston and our focus in this case is the Charleston area.

Ocean - our playground and our backyard. There are different communities and cultures within all these great sports but the ocean is the one common tie that binds us all together. We respect the ocean and have a healthy fear of it. The ocean has a way of humbling us in the best way possible. Everyone here knows you can't defeat the ocean, you can only go with its flow. The ocean heals us and is our sanctuary.

Athletes - I tossed around some different third names, such as "life", "league", and "sports". In the end, I felt those other names would be associated with different meanings. Plus, I felt like not enough credit is given to the people who play in the ocean in these different sports. They are truly athletes in the real sense of the word. It takes guts, discipline, patience, humility, and a lot of practice to be skilled in any of the surf, wind, paddle, and foil sports. There will be a focus on the sports themselves as well as the athletes. This deserves to be celebrated and provide inspiration to others.

Charleston has a thriving community of people who take advantage of the saltwater playground. There has been a long standing sailing community and surfing community in the Holy City and surrounding area. From these two thriving groups, newer sports have emerged over the years - windsurfing, then kitesurfing, with both having recently incorporated foiling into their mix. And now wing foiling is emerging. The paddle sports have grown significantly in the last 15 years with stand up paddling, prone paddle boarding, outrigger canoes, and surf skis. We want to bring all these watermen & waterwomen communities together, share what they're excited about, and inspire others.

Many of these sports aren't familiar to most residents and visitors, so we will also create awareness and educate people on what they're pointing at when they're walking the beaches or watching the harbor. This website is a celebration of all these sports, their offshoots and how their respective athletes play in our local waters.

We'll try not to limit ourselves. Who knows...perhaps there will be some wakeboarding, sailing and swimming content as well. We will showcase everyone from the pro to the weekend warrior, and men/women/kids of all ages. While focusing on local, we may also include a local who travels to interesting places to do their ocean sport (or ways they cross train such as biking, etc). We also want to partner with local photographers, businesses and events that are relevant to local ocean sports and athletes.

I was a part timer in the Charleston area for 7 years and am now a full time resident. All during this time, the people here have been great...friendly and inclusive. I didn't want to create Charleston Ocean Athletes if there wasn't any local interest or local support. I surveyed 42 local Charleston area ocean athletes and asked them what they thought of this vision and would they be supportive of it. The response was a resounding "Yes"! So here we go.

Finally, I want to emphasize the Charleston Ocean Athletes mission: To share experiences, to inspire others, and to celebrate it. So check out the different pages on this site by reviewing the menu at the top, and please follow us on all the social media channels (see icons at upper or lower right side of this page). If you're posting something on social media relevant to our mission and vision, please be sure to tag us on social media and use hashtag #charlestonoceanathletes.

We would love others to submit content by sharing articles and essays, photos, videos, event reports, etc. This includes the talented surf and ocean photographers that are out there...we would love to share your work. I'm open to ideas and suggestions on how to make this site and its associated social media channels better. And if there's a local business out there relevant to this brand and mission, we would love to hear from you about some potential partnership possibilities. Email us your ideas and contributions at waterturtlemedia@gmail.com.

May there always be sand in your shorts and wind in your hair.

See ya' on the water, Mac