Shane's Interview
How did you become the first SUP entrant in the MR 340?
Prior to SUPing, Shane was a canoer. So that he could stand up and paddle, he built out-riggers for his canoe and made a 7 foot long paddle. Within the first few minutes of the race, the out-riggers broke off and all he had was his paddle for 2 day race on the Current River. He finished the race standing up. It was shortly thereafter that he discovered paddle boarding. Modeled after a surf board, he made his own but found it was too narrow. Then he built a wider one and discovered how big the sport was on the coasts. He wanted to bring the sport to the mid-west. In April 2011, he approached St. Louis Sail & Paddle for a board and sponsorship.
How did you train for such an event?
Because training for endurance SUP racing is unprecedented, I had to create my own program. On the weekends I spend 6-10 hours training on the water. I do daily 3 hour cardio sessions and P90X workouts.
What were the biggest challenges to completing the race?
To complete the race on a Stand Up Paddle Board, there were a number of challenges Shane had to overcome. Shane was not able to carry the gear and supplies on his board that a kayak can haul. At night, he had only a headlamp. He had to rely largely on sounds and moonlight. The hardest part was avoiding the river's wing dykes, large rock piles jetting out perpendicular from the riverbank to control erosion and improve navigation. Shane could hear the rushing water just before he could see them and then need to move fast to avoid collision!
The second greatest challenge was the pinch between his shoulder blades that became profound half way into the race. With still 170 miles and half way to go, he had to dig in. His toddler son's picture, that was duct taped to the bow of his board, helped him bear down and paddle through the pain to finish the race.
Finally, the responsibility of being the first SUP endurance race weighed heavily on Shane. He didn't want to let his family, friends, and sponsors down. When he started this quest back in January 2011, his family wasn't on board yet. They couldn't yet understand why he was draining his family's resources and putting in at least 20 hours week on training. He wanted to complete the race as evidence of his efforts.
After such a feat, what's next?
"I can dig deeper. I can do more." Shane would like to complete the MR 340 in under 60 hours next year and join the 50 hour club. Because we have a city with an incredible network of rivers, he'd like to work with St. Louis Sail & Paddle to make St. Louis the hub for Stand Up Paddle Boarding. Because it's slowly catching on this year, he predicts 2012 will be the big year! Also, If he can find a big corporate sponsor, Shane would also like to do the Texas Water Safari Race (260 miles which traverses 3 rivers) and possibly the Yukon (450 miles with mandatory stops).
