After a long season of racing, it's time to rinse the salt off at Chattajack, a freshwater, down-river race in Tennessee. With a current wait list of 323, this race is a cult favorite in the paddling world.
This year we’re seeing about XXX prones on the start list in a field of about XXX total paddlers. Arguably the hardest craft (we base this off the fact that it’s not as fast as the other crafts), prone has been slowly growing at this race since its inception about 11 years ago. Each year we see more prones showing up in Tennessee, and this year is no different: newcomers Grace Emig, Sydney Brouwer, XXX will be showing up to the starting line come October 26.
This race is unique in its generally stable conditions- there have been some pretty shit years, namely, 2016, where a ripping headwind pushed the cutoff time back an hour and led to many participants dropping out from the freezing conditions. Despite the occasional rogue year like this one, conditions are usually pretty good- either you have a glassy river paddle, or you get lucky and whoever is controlling the dam that morning opens it up, sending a few thousand extra gallons of water down the river right to the start.
If you’re a new paddler wanting to complete an “ultra-paddle” for the first time, this is a good one to start with. At 31 miles, it’s one of the longest prone distance races- a great chance to get used to a grueling distance without the open ocean “grind-factor” of Catalina and without the steep learning curve of Molokai’s volatile ocean. Plus, theres no hassle of organizing or depending on an escort boat - we know that can go south quickly. You can focus on pace, form, and control the way you want to race a bit more since conditions are less variable. However- it's still a grind. Nothing is stopping you from going fast- no wind in your face, no side chop keeping you from knee paddling- no excuses. It's between you and your training.
Don't get too excited- with the long wait list, odds are you'll have to wait until 2025 to enter this coveted race. Registration usually fills up within a minute, and rightly so- Ben and Kim, the race directors, certainly know how to throw an epic race.
We're looking forward to this last race of the season- here's to a good day on the water with about 800 of our closest friends. See ya in Tennessee.
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