My First 8-Mile SBBC R10 Prone Paddleboard Race: A Day I'll Never Forget

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

 June 6, 2026, was a big day for me—my first 8-mile prone paddleboard race.

I felt pretty good when I woke up that morning. I had some coffee, ate a banana, and loaded up the car. LZ and I drove separately because I needed to get back to the surf shop after the race for the South High Surf Team awards ceremony.

Once I arrived, I suited up in my long john wetsuit and long-sleeve Florence Windshield top. I grabbed my 17'6" Bark paddleboard and headed down to check in. They wrote the number 128 on my right hand and handed me a race shirt.

I was definitely a little nervous, but I felt ready.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

As racers gathered, I ran into a bunch of people I knew, including Brenton, Kurt, DJ, Brent, Tyler, and Christian. Before I knew it, the pre-race briefing was underway. Matt Walls went over the course, safety procedures, and race logistics. Then it was time to hit the water.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

Because of the low tide and some pretty hairy set waves, I started wide to the north. As everyone positioned themselves for the start, I slowly worked my way closer to the front of the pack. I spotted Brenton and moved up a little farther.

Then the race started.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

Everyone took off, and I settled into my pace. Early on, I caught a boat wake heading out to sea and managed to hit 8 mph for a short stretch while passing a few paddlers. Before long, I found myself behind DJ and drafted off her for a while. Then I moved over to Brenton and sat on his wake for a bit before sprinting ahead to catch Kurt.

Kurt and I chatted for a while as we paddled. Eventually I started to pull away, holding a steady pace right around 4.7 mph.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

The last mile approaching the R10 buoy was a solo effort. I felt like I was sitting somewhere in the top third of the field. I rounded the buoy and began the long push back.

Any time I saw my speed drop below 4.5 mph, I would get up on my knees and start knee paddling. I'd stay there until my back or thighs started complaining, then drop back down and prone paddle again. I repeated that strategy for the next three miles.

With about a mile remaining, I started mixing in more aggressive knee-paddling sprints, often hitting 5.4 mph. I passed a few more racers, but it felt like everyone around me was locked into a similar strong pace.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

In the final quarter mile, I finally got past the guy on the green board who had been alongside me for a while. The surf was still running, and I decided to roll the dice and charge toward shore at full speed.

One wave passed underneath me, and I stayed right behind it. Then I caught a small one-foot wave and rode it almost all the way to the beach.

I handed my board off to someone on shore and started running for the finish line.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

Man, my legs were cooked.

Running was way harder than paddling at that point, but I was determined not to fall like I did during one of the 2-mile races last year. Somehow I held it together and made my way up the chute to the finish.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

Final time: 1:41.

For me, that was a huge result. It worked out to an average speed of about 4.9 mph over the entire race. I finished 44th overall and 14th in my division (ages 18–49).

The surf zone was definitely one of the biggest challenges of the day. With the low tide, some surprisingly powerful waves were breaking across the course. Every so often a set would roll through and completely hammer anyone caught in the wrong spot. Paddlers heading out would get stopped in their tracks, while those coming back toward shore had to time things perfectly to avoid getting pitched.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

At one point, I saw a paddler on a 12-foot prone board get completely barreled by a wave. It was one of those moments where everyone watching had the same reaction: equal parts impressed and relieved that it wasn't them. Seeing that was a good reminder that even though this was a distance race, the surf could still demand your full attention.

Afterward, I helped collect boards, congratulated friends on their races, and hung around for a while before heading home for a quick shower.

Photo By @KevFoto

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to make it back for the race awards. Instead, I headed straight to the South High Surf Team awards event at the Soul Performance Surf shop in Gardena.

The second half of the day ended up being just as special as the race.

Mark Brog from Soul Performance and I were giving away the custom prone paddleboard we built together. A lot of people showed up, and I finally got to meet Reagan Hansen, the young waterwoman who was receiving the board.

Photo By Lindsay Zuelich @Wood_Brain

She was absolutely blown away.

Seeing how excited and stoked she was honestly made my day. When she picked up the board, she couldn't believe how lightweight it was—just 11.5 pounds. At 7'8",  it was pretty much the perfect size for her.

Reagan Hansen wasn't just the recipient of the board—she was this year's South High Surf Team Waterwoman of the Year. It was an award she truly earned.

No matter what the ocean was doing, Reagan was out there. If the waves were big, she was surfing. If the waves were small, she was surfing. And when the surf went completely flat, she still found a way to get her time on the water by paddling her longboard around the bay.

She really embodies the passion, consistency, and dedication that define a true waterwoman. It's not about chasing perfect conditions. It's about showing up and finding joy in the ocean no matter what it gives you that day.

That's exactly why Mark wanted to do something extra special for her. Rather than just giving an award, he wanted to give her a custom prone paddleboard—a board that would open up an entirely new way to experience the ocean.

Since Mark knew I was heavily involved in prone paddling and had experience shaping boards, the project became a perfect collaboration. Together, we designed and built a board specifically for Reagan. From the beginning, the goal was to create something that wasn't just a trophy to hang on a wall, but a board she could actually use and enjoy for years to come.

Hand Shaping a 7'6” Prone Paddleboard | Part 2 Rails & Bottom Contours

Meeting her in person and seeing how genuinely excited she was made all the hours of planning, shaping, sanding, and glassing worth it. You could tell she understood what went into the board and appreciated the thought behind it. Watching her pick it up for the first time and seeing her reaction was one of the highlights of my day.

I even gave her parents a copy of my book No Bad Tides Surfing Strategies For Life and my phone number so we could all meet up sometime. Hopefully I'll get the chance to take her out paddling in the harbor soon.

Looking back, June 6th was one of those rare days that had a little bit of everything: a challenging race, a personal best effort, great friends, and the opportunity to help inspire the next generation of paddlers.

Not a bad day at all.

Danielle Cass rides the cancer wave - I can do hard things

Each surf session reminded me that I can do hard things. Photo: Matt Berridge
 

Sometimes the Instagram algorithm shines a light on a hidden hero. It’s not that the person was invisible — maybe they were simply outside your orbit, living an incredible story you otherwise never would have found.

Somehow, I lucked out and stumbled across a Reel from Danielle Cass (@danielle.cass). The video was about her learning to surf at 52 years old. Four years later, she was battling breast cancer — and still refusing to give up.

What started as a challenge became something much bigger.

Through surfing, Danielle found not only strength, but community. She connected with a group of women surfers who became her cheerleaders both in and out of the water. Surfing became part of her healing journey — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

There’s something deeply inspiring about someone willing to begin again later in life, especially in a sport as humbling and demanding as surfing. And then to face cancer with that same determination? That’s a different level of courage.

Danielle’s story has since been featured in The Inertia, and Pacific Longboarder, where her journey of “surfing through cancer” continues to resonate with people far beyond the lineup.

Her story reminds us that healing doesn’t always happen in hospitals or quiet rooms. Sometimes it happens in cold water, on difficult days, surrounded by people who refuse to let you quit.

Danielle Cass rides waves the same way she faces life with grit, vulnerability, and the belief that “I can do hard things.”

And honestly, I can’t think of a more inspiring message than that. In a world built on scrolling past people, Danielle Cass is someone worth stopping for. 

Go follow Danielle Cass and her journey:

IG @danielle.cass

SubStack Blog 

Stories of surfers in their 70s and 80s who prove that surfing isn’t just a sport — it’s a lifelong obsession

 

Take a look at the surfers who never stopped paddling out. Here's a collection of inspiring surf films about older surfers, including Mickey Muñoz and Eric Davies, exploring longevity, surf culture, healthy aging, and the lifelong connection between surfers and the ocean.

How to surf till you're 100, BRAINWORK: MICKEY MUNOZ

Kyle Buthman

Mickey Muñoz was one of the original icons of California surf culture at Malibu in the early 1950s and was among the first group of hellmen to pioneer riding big waves at Waimea Bay later that decade. He has stunt-doubled in Hollywood surf films, invented his own surfing maneuver, shaped boards alongside the best in the business, and prone paddled farther than any sane man should. This film is about none of those things. Mickey is now 87 years old—or at least he thinks he is—and plans to keep riding waves until he’s 100 or so. He’s a true professional at making lemonade when life gives him lemons and answers every question with a story that may or may not outlast your attention span. If you aim to surf longer than most people live, click play.

KEEP ON KEEPING ON: The 73 year old surfer

Tom Bowman

A short film about 73 year old surfer Eric Davies. Won 'Shortie of the Year' at London Surf Film Festival 2024. Filmed in North Devon. Eric's channel:    / @ericdavies7844  

69 Year Old Surfer - Larry Ledingham - 5 QUESTIONS - ASU

Surf Raw Files

Welcome to Episode 10! Let me introduce to you Larry Ledingham, I met Larry in Asu. Him and his crew where the most friendly surfers, altoght they been surfing since the 60s, They been surfing most of the time twice a day, he had an amazing energy, was a really good crew! Enjoy this short video and Thanks to the best surf guiding - Earl for having us and being the best host!

Where Surfboards Come to Life With Mark Brog & Soul Performance

 

I’ve been hanging out with Mark Brog and Justin from Soul Performance both at the beach and in the shop, and it’s been awesome getting to ride boards, trade feedback, and watch Mark do his thing behind the scenes.

I’ve spent a lot of hours in the shaping room with Mark just watching, learning, and soaking it all in — from the little details that make a board come alive to the things that can totally throw one off. There’s something pretty hypnotic about watching a great shaper work: the sound of the planer, foam dust flying everywhere, and years of experience showing up in every pass.

Most surfers never really get to see how much time, labor, and craftsmanship goes into a hand-shaped custom board before it hits the water, so I figured I’d share a few short videos of Mark shaping and glassing some boards so you can check it out for yourself.

In The Shaping Room With Mark Brog And Soul Performance - Full Shaping Video #surfboardshaping

 

You're watching master shaper Mark Brog work his magic on another custom shortboard. This is a full shaping video sped up and trimmed down to give you a feel for what goes into a custom hand shaped surfboard. We’ve been shaping boards, catching waves, and making new friends. Thank you to everyone who joined us, surfed, and shared smiles. Mark has been busy in the shaping room, producing some fresh shapes ready to rip: the Twinfinity, McFlurry, and the Joker Fish. Save yourself the drive with our new ding repair drop-off locations in Malibu and Redondo Beach. We’ve partnered with Ventura Surf Shop, Sea N' Soul in Malibu, and MNML Golf in Redondo Beach. Just leave your board at any of these spots, and we’ll handle the rest! You can also find our boards on the shelves at all of these shops. Check out more at https://soulperformance.com/

In The Glassing Room With Mark Brog And Soul Performance - Full Glassing Video #surfboardglassing

You're watching master shaper Mark Brog work his magic on another custom shortboard. This is a full glassing video sped up and trimmed down to give you a feel for what goes into a custom hand shaped surfboard.

Check out more at https://soulperformance.com/

BROG Soul Performance 2025 12 23

No Bad Tides by Eric Cedeno

I got the chance to test drive this custom 9'1 carbon fiber/ Cork longboard shaped by Mark Brog at Soul Performance. It has a deep spoon with channels in the nose that make nose riding stable and fast. Check them out at https://soulperformance.com

Longboarding like it's 1999

 

Here's some 1999 longboarding to get you pumped. Check this out:

Loose Lips 1999 Longboarding Classic Surf Movie

805 Surf Vids

Great Surfers, Classic Days, Legendary Breaks Featuring Joel Tudor, Geoff Moysa, Terry Simms, Ted Robinson, John Peck, David Nuuhiwa, Tanner Beckett, Kevin Connely, Kevin Miske, Bonga Perkins, Ethan Akins, Jimmy Gamboa, Kenji Webb, Josh Baxter, Ben Vail, & many more plus some of the best waves in California going off! Music: Raging Arb & the Redheads, Yoko Love, Welt, The Insect Surfers, Gameface, Hot Rod Lincoln, Pollo Del Mar, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, The Black Widows, Brazil 2001, rick "l.a. holmes" holmstrom, Randy Rich & more 1999 Burnt Toast/R&L Productions Ventura, CA

Stoke Factor Five - 10,340 Waves

Since March of 2015 I have tracked over 10340 waves ridden. Almost one third of those 10340 waves were ridden in 2025. I started tracking my surf stats and adventures on January 1st, 2012. Over the years I've added more data points to help me track trends and discover new goals and personal best records to break. In March 2015, I got the RipCurl GPS surf watch which opened the doors to a lot more data worth tracking like; waves, top speed, distance, time duration, and longest wave. Later I learned there was a surf session playback feature where you could replay a session. That allowed me to track the slower and shorter waves ridden and helped increase my trackable wave count. 

Some of those years between 2015 and 2025 had low wave counts. Some months had no waves ridden at all.  Wether that was because of injuries, working from predawn till after dark, depression, bad weather, or other priority responsibilities. 2025 was a huge opportunity year for me for many reasons.  I took the year off work to focus on recovering for injuries that put me in the ICU more than once. I figured I earned a little time off to catch up on living since I almost died twice from surgery complications. I was also trying to find that silver lining around getting laid off work at the end of 2024 after 24 years of service. I wanted to look back at 2025 and know that I used my time off as best as I could, focusing on the things I love most.

NO BAD TIDES - RAW 2025-02-04

No Bad Tides by Eric Cedeno

On January 1st I set a goal to try and surf 15 days a month. Sure, there were days that had very short surf sessions with very low wave counts, but at least I was putting in the effort to power thru the pain and funk. I rode more waves (326 waves) in February 2025 than I did for the entire year of 2018 (277 waves). Actually I broke my personal best wave count high scores six out of the 12 months (in 2025). There were three factors that helped my wave count go up. The first was my wife would go to the beach with me and shoot photos and videos of me surfing. The second was I set that goal to try and surf 15 days a month. The third was I signed up to compete in the South Bay Boardriders Surf Series for Open Longboard.  

2025-12-13 Porto contest - Steve Gaffney

I met so many great people thru the SBBC Surf and Paddle Series. All those contests had their own ups and downs. I did my best to take whatever lessons learned I could find. One open Longboard contest at El Porto had big waves that caused some PTSD to resurface from surf trauma from years ago. I had to learn new techniques to navigate my emotions in dangerous surf conditions. I learned of tapping and meditation techniques to release fear and refocus on the postivitives that had control of in those dangerous moments. A few contests later I was back at El Porto on a big day and caught a huge wave that finally broke my Top Speed record that had been holding since March 2015 (17.3 MPH). My friend Steph said that was one of the biggest waves I he'd seen me ride. At 18 MPH it was now one of the fastest too. 

South Bay Boardriders Club Event #4 on 3/15/25 at Porto

No Bad Tides by Eric Cedeno

I hit 18 MPH fastest wave for my stats and stoked to finally beat that first day in March of 2015! I ended up placing 3rd over all in the final.

2025-08-28 Ofre and SBBC

No Bad Tides by Eric Cedeno

Fun day at Ofre surfing with some of the SBBC members.

I rode 22 different surfboards in 2025. I also broke my 11 of my personal best records for most waves surfed. The vast majority of those waves were ridden on longboards, but I still got some in waves on my hybrids, shortboards, prone paddle boards, and even body surfing too.  I got to ride a few of the hallow wooden surfboards my wife and I made together. 

GSurfShot

BROG Soul Performance 2025 12 23

No Bad Tides by Eric Cedeno

I got the chance to test drive this custom 9'1 carbon fiber/ Cork longboard shaped by Mark Brog at Soul Performance. It has a deep spoon with channels in the nose that make nose riding stable and fast. Check them out at https://soulperformance.com

In June 2025 I rediscovered prone paddling. I had paddled a two times in 2017 and once in 2018 on a 16'6" Bark unlimited, but didn't stick with it and sold my board in 2020. After the South Bay Boardriders Club (SBBC) Surf Series ended the Prone Paddle Series started. I borrowed a 12' stock board from my friend and entered my first 2 mile race ever. I ended up getting 1st place for my age and division and was hooked. I entered all the 2 miles races for the season and got 1st place for my age/division in every race. I also joined a relay team and together we got 2nd place in the 22 mile Rock to Rock race from Catalina Island to Cabrillo Beach. 

Prone paddling is such a good way to stack up ocean miles in my stats, including waves ridden. In 2025 I tracked 157 waves in 88 sessions on a range of prone paddle boards. I paddled everything from Stock 12', 14' and 16'+ Unlimited. It feels like prone paddling is two times easier than surfing. Even my wife took up prone paddling with me and I collected stats for her too.  I have two RipCurl GSP watches so I can get data for her and I both. She got 42 waves and covered just over 230 miles from June thru the end of December. She really enjoys paddling with me and it cracks her up when she beats my top MPH for a session. I swear her watch is broken and not tracking correctly, but I still write down her stats. It's worth it to see that big glowing smile.

Prone Paddling at Redondo King Harbor

No Bad Tides by Eric Cedeno

It's been incredibly fun prone paddling with ‪@wood_brain‬ this summer. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life and I'm looking forward to the next season of competitive surfing and paddling.

SBBC Event #3 El Porto - Beyond Stoked

I was in the first heat of the day on the secondary bank which was the peak right in front of the Manhattan Beach 42nd st. life guard tower at El Porto. The swell was big, shifty and there were long lefts and occasional rights. Sometimes the sets just closed out and sometimes there would be a corner. The morning high tide was definitely helping the shape out, but it was also making it harder to get on the waves.  Since I was in the first heat I got to do a water start and paddle out before our heat actually started. The surf was big enough they could've probably allowed a water start all day, but that wasn't the call. 

Photos by @Wood_Brain

Steve and I paddled out and we saw Julian shortly after the horn sounded. He snagged a nice noseride on the inside and got a 6.00 on a medium size wave. I took off on nice rolly wave and ran the nose of hand 10, but it just too soft and the wave rolled on without me. Same happened to Steve on big set, he got caught up too high on the wave it just roll on by. Julian was getting solid rides as usual and got first in the heat. I wasn't that concerned about it since all three of us would advance to the finals. I did get a nice nose ride and layback on my 3rd wave getting a 6.07 and that felt good. I knew I just needed to find the right waves with the best shape.

Photo by @Wood_Brain

A few hours later was the Open Longboard finals. The tide had dropped a bit, but it was still sunny and light offshore wind. The sets were big and some closed out and others would swing wide like 40 yards or more and have a corner. I paddled out off to the left next to the flag with Julian. A little more than half way out he passed me and I got stuffed by multiple set waves. I finally made it out side and was way too far south, like in front of the main bank judges tent. I paddled north to the secondary bank and looked for waves. I saw Julian get a wave then Lucas. Then Julian and Lucas again. The time ticked way and I had nothing on the score sheet yet. Just under 8 minutes left in the heat I got my first wave. A clean overhead set going right. I nailed the drop and hit the lip. Then whipped a layback, then did a few drop knee turns on the inside and even a quick nose ride cutbacks. I ended up way the down the beach about 150 yards from where I started. I ran north up the beach and paddled back out near the judges tent again. I heard my friend Steph yelling as I ran by, "Just one more wave like that!" My heart was racing. 

Photos by @Wood_Brain

I got hit again by a few more sets paddling back out and saw Julian get another wave. I knew I had to get a good size wave and make it count. I told myself, ' You only need 2 waves to win.' The sets passed and I made it all the way out and paddled north again. With 4 minutes left on the clock I was still in second place with only 1 wave, but that wouldn't last long. With 3 minutes left Jiro got a wave a bumped me down to 3rd. Then Mario got a wave a bumped me down to 4th. With about 2 minutes on the clock another set roll in. The first one was too far north, the next too far south. The 3rd wave looked like it might hold up and I was committed to get on it. I took off right and started pumping down the line. The wave felt big and powerful like it was double overhead. I made the first section riding high and carved off the lip and head the announcer getting the crowd pumped on my wave. Then I made it farther down the line before it closed out. I busted a quick headstand for the crowed, landed it and stood back up. I rode it all the way to the sand and saw I was just south of  the second judges tent at the main bank 157 yards from where I started.  I was out of time with only 1 minute left in the heat. 

Photos by @Wood_Brain

LZ and Steph were on the sand waiting for final scores to drop. I was stoked I got a bomb and managed to not get drilled out there, but would it be enough. With 8 seconds left on the clock I jumped from 4th to 1st. I did it! I finally got 1st in a South Bay Boardriders Club Open Longboard contest. And in big surf, and against great surfers like Julian who is pro surfer from Hawaii. Mark Brog and Justin from Soul Performance rushed over to congratulate me, stoked! Steve Bender ran over and I told him it was my first time getting first at SBBC in open Longboard. I was beyond Stoked. Lots of pats on the backs and smiles and cheers came from my friends and beach goers. I returned my jersey and went back to the car and changed. 

About a half hour later they announced the winners for the Open Longboard division and I got to finally stand on that 1st place podium spot, surrounded by talented athletes and friends. I'm still beyond stoked and I just want to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can.