Yolo Board Winter Race Series

The four race series includes individual stand up paddleboard races held in various locales and highlighting the unique waterscape of the Tampa Bay area.

Stand Up Paddle Racers gather under a beautiful Florida sunshine for another paddle jousting match. Photo: Chad Jarae.

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – Stand Up Fitness, a multi-dimensional fitness and recreation business serving the St Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa Bay areas of Florida, announces details of the inaugural YOLO Board Winter Race Series, a four part series of stand up paddleboard (SUP) races that will be held monthly from November 2010 to March 2011.  The races will highlight the varying bodies of water found in the Tampa Bay region and include a bay, gulf, intra-coastal and river race.  The series commences with the 2nd Annual Pilgrim Paddle at Spa Beach in St. Petersburg on Saturday, November 27th at 11:00am.  Participants have the option of competing in as few or many races as they choose and there will be four divisions available: Unlimited, 14’ Race boards, 12’6” Race boards and 12’6” and Under Stock boards.

“The YOLO Board Winter Race Series is the fruition of a longtime dream to help build a strong SUP community in the Bay area,” explains Welte, Founder of Stand Up Fitness.  “The series will offer paddlers of all skill levels and ages the chance to compete in a friendly competitive environment and showcase all of the spectacular paddling locations our area has to offer.  The winter months offer some of the best paddling conditions of the year and we’re excited to kick off the series with the 2nd Annual Pilgrim Paddle.”

Sponsored by YOLO Board (www.yoloboard.com) and the St. Petersburg / Clearwater Sports Commission, each race of YOLO Board Winter Race Series is approximately four miles in distance and features individual competition.  Cumulative points will be tracked throughout the series and trophies and prizes will be awarded at the final race event to the top racers in each of the four divisions.  Registration is $35 per race or $125 for a four race package.  Rental boards and paddles will be available at all events.

“YOLO Board is excited to partner with Stand Up Fitness for the YOLO Board Winter Race Series as we feel Brody embodies the YOLO mantra of ‘You Only Live Once’ in each of the events he produces,” adds Jeff Archer, Co-Founder of YOLO Board.  “We hope that the YOLO Board Winter Race Series will introduce new people to our sport and encourage a unified SUP community in the Bay area much in the way that the original YOLO Board Stand Up Paddle Series has in Northwest Florida.”

Scheduled race dates and locations (weather permitting) for the YOLO Board Winter Race Series are:  The Pilgrim Paddle (Bay Race) at Spa Beach on Saturday, November 27th, The Intra-Coastal Race at Clearwater Sailing Center on Sunday, December 26th, The River Race at Hillsbourough River on Saturday, February 19th and The Gulf Race (Location TBD) on Saturday, March 19th.  For each race event, registration occurs from 9:00am – 10:15am followed by a Mandatory Paddlers meeting at 10:30am and Race Start at 11:00am.  All events are open to the public.

Online registration for the YOLO Board Winter Race Series is available at www.active.com under the Event ID 1914723.  For additional information regarding the series, please call 727-902-4294 or email brody@standupfitnessinc.com.


About Stand Up Fitness

Founded by fitness professional Brody Welte in 2009, Stand Up Fitness is a locally owned multi-dimensional fitness and recreation business serving the St Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa Bay areas of Florida.  Named 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year by the St. Petersburg Young Professionals, certified personal trainer Welte has introduced the fast growing sport of stand up paddleboarding (SUP) to the Bay area through his specially designed fitness class Paddle Fit.  Paddle Fit is the first-ever SUP-based fitness program to be approved for continuing education credits (CECs) by the American Council on Exercise.  Stand Up Fitness offers SUP lessons, board rentals, Paddle Fit classes, Eco Tours, Boot Camps and personal training.  Stand Up Fitness is a proud partner of YOLO Board and an exclusive retailer of YOLO Board products in the Tampa Bay area.  Stand Up Fitness has two retail locations, Kahuna Kai Paddle Shop at 1031 4th Street North in St Petersburg and Kahuna Kai Adventure Center at 1001 Gulf Boulevard in Clearwater.  For more information, visit www.standupfitnessinc.com or call 727-902-4294