Goat Island Open - Race #1 of 6 - The 5K Endurance Course & 1K Fun Run Course.
Race 1: The 5K (This is a new course for 2023!). REGISTER HERE!
Race begins at Windjammer beach with a Beach Start, sprinting 50 yards out to the Goat Boater Bouy to make a 90-degree right hand turn heading toward Windjammer Island. Stay to the right of the island and make a counterclockwise turn around the Island. You are now out in the main channel and will be crushing it out to Goat Island also staying in sync and paddling counterclockwise around the island. Back out in the main channel use all you have to get back to the Goat Boater Bouy near Windjammer Beach. Make a right pivot turn around the buoy and sprint to the beach. Run up the shore for your photo beach finish!
The Fun Run will be a 1K loop that follows the same start of the course around the 1st island and back to the shoreline. This is a great course for having fun with friends and/or getting your feet wet in your first race. All are welcome and encouraged to sign up with your family and kids!
All Goat Boater Races are SUP only event. There will be no kayaks, OC's or other crafts to dodge.
Windjammer offers great views for you and your family to watch the race and enjoy some beautiful views of Lake Wylie.
The Goat Boater Race series is unique in many ways. Most notably our 1-mile social paddle directly after the race for all paddlers and guests.
Race Series Schedule:
April 23rd - Goat Island Open 5K - Windjammer Park (This Race)
May 21st - The Big Allison 10K - Ebenezer Park (New location for 2023!)
June 25th - Sprint Classic 200M (Heats) - Tega Cay Beach Club
July 23rd - Pirate Treasure 6K - Choose your own path race - Windjammer Park
Aug 27th - The Technical Goat 1K (Heats) - Tega Cay Beach Club
Sept 17th - Wylie Paddle Battle 6K - Windjammer Park (Season awards celebration)
All of our races will take place on beautiful Lake Wylie, SC. This is a flat-water lake, 26 miles long, with lots of natural shoreline. Our races start (8:45 AM) on Sundays.
Please keep in mind that although many of us race and are highly competitive, this is a fun series and meant to be about community, good vibes and sharing something we love. Whether you have a paddleboard in your backyard and want to come for your first race or want to go for the gold, this series could be for you.
Board Divisions and Age Divisions for 2023
Competitive Race Divisions:
Overall Top 3 Male & Female:
Then:
Age Divisions:
Men: (17 & Under, 18-49, 50+)
Female: (17 & Under, 18-49, 50+)
Board Divisions:
All Boards 12'5 and Under
12'6 + 14' Combined
Fun Race Divisions:
Men: (17 & Under, 18-49, 50+)
Female: (17 & Under, 18-49, 50+)
All participants will receive finisher medals each race and a special award for all who make the podium.
Top 3 Competitive Male & Female winners get cash prizes.
Sign up for 3 races and get your Goat Boater Race Series T-Shirt! Complete up to 4 races and be eligible for our big awards at the end of the season.
Racers will accumulate points based on a relative scoring ratio, tracked by our good friends at 'The Canadian Paddle League.' Racers will be tracked all season long in both male and female categories. Total cumulative points win the season!
After each race, board, paddle and fin demos including Starboard, Infinity and Black Project Paddleboards, Paddles and Fins will take place on site. After an on site lunch all are invited to join us at Model A Brewing https://modelabrewing.com/grub/ (just down the road) for more great food, drinks, socializing and post race fun!
Thank you in advance for your support, patronage and best efforts to have fun and paddle hard. Whether you live down the road and have never been in a race, or are traveling from hours away, you will be warmly welcomed. To date we have hosted International paddlers and paddlers from from 5 different states!
Paddle on!
Testimonial: "The Goat Boater race series turned out to be an excellent grass roots paddling series. It was a no pressure series that welcomed and encouraged all levels of experience to participate. The series includes various distances and courses. Everything is very well organized. Good people all around, from the organizers to the participants!"
