Palisadians Paddle for Pride

What began as a flurry of text messages back and forth ended in relief and satisfaction for three local women who participated in the Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race & Ocean Festival.

On June 7, former critical care nurse Marion Galliford and fellow Palisadian Diane Elander, a freelance food stylist, braved the Pacific Ocean waves on their 30-pound Riviera boards along with professional ballerina Rachel Weber of Santa Monica on a treacherous two-mile course in the Santa Monica Bay.

Spurred on by their coach, guide and mentor, Paddle Method instructor Tim Sanford, the trio was determined to finish the race.

“We couldn’t do it without him for sure – after all, they are  his boards,” Galliford said. “However, it was so much more than that. It was hours of guidance and training, gentle encouragement, expert tips and cheerful patience. He corrected and encouraged us tirelessly in and out of the waves. We could hear him  saying ‘Paddle, Paddle, Paddle!’ in our sleep.”

With numbers stamped on their wrists and high-tech timing devices latched to their ankles, the trio felt a rush of adrenaline as the horn sounded and the race began.

“The ocean start was tricky, especially for an amateur,” Galliford described. “People were struggling, there were bodies falling and boards overturning everywhere. Everything felt slightly chaotic for a while, but then we were up and away, standing on our boards despite the swirling water beneath us, feet firmly planted on either side of the notch. A calmness prevailed despite the choppiness of the sea and it was just us and the water. At that point it became a personal journey.”

Making their turn around the last buoy, the trio navigated the constant swell and were happy to feel the wind at their backs, pushing them towards the shore… and the finish line.

“Every nugget Tim has ever shared flowed through our minds:  ‘use your hip,’ ‘reach further,’ ‘paddle faster,’ ‘keep looking at your target,’” Galliford recalled.  “We were trying to time the waves as we’ve been taught, but collectively thinking at this point let’s just get in. In fact let’s just surf it all the way in! How hard can it be? Well, turns out it was pretty hard, but we all land safely and unscathed, even finding that last burst of energy to splash through the shallows and run up the sandy hill to the finish line.”

Now that the Paddle Method race team has been established, Galliford, Elander and Weber are chomping at the bit in anticipation of their next race. It suffices to say they are hooked on their new sport.

Paddle Method and Tim Sanford offer standup paddleboarding lessons, excursions, workouts and race training. Call (310) 770 7291  or visit the website at www.paddlemethod.com.