Roots: Growing up in New Jersey

In 1977, while on a family vacation to Wildwood, NJ, I surfed my first wave. A mushy, frothing unimpressive slab of water propelled me and my trusted board towards the beach. I was hooked. From that point forward, if it was on the water, I tried it. Surfing, sailing, catamarans, jet skis, wakeboarding, kiteboarding, hydrofoils, old snowboards, garbage can lids--no idea was off limits. This passion for experimenting with and conquering the watery unknown connects me to the ocean in a lifelong quest for adventure.

Living in New Jersey had its advantages, but being immersed in a thriving surf culture with thousands of like-minded individuals was not one of them. With limited local surf influences, Surfer & Surfing Magazines became my “go-to” cultural bibles of the day. Religiously, I read and collected every issue, studied each photo, and dissected the colorful advertisements. This was my connection to the surfing community, through the power of print media. It was in a 2004 Surfer Magazine photo of Laird Hamilton that I first became aware of SUP. I knew immediately I had to try that!

Dawn of SUP

Living on the east coast and trying to locate a paddleboard in those days was nearly impossible. No SUP industry existed, no retail paddle shops carried (much less had heard of) stand up paddling. The only viable option to get a SUP-like board was a 12’ Mickey Munoz Ultra Glide Surfboard. Ordering one from my local shop, Spellbinders, left the owner baffled as to why I would want a 12’ board in New Jersey. "I’m going to stand up paddle it!” I insisted.

Getting the board was only half the challenge. Additional research confirmed that Todd Bradley of C4 was the go-to person for paddles. The only problem was, he lived on Oahu. Thankfully, a little arm twisting and lots of liquor laer, I convinced my friend Fred, who happened to work for United Airlines, to buddy pass me to Hawaii. “Yes honey, I need to fly to Hawaii to buy a paddle.” Only when you’re single can you pull off stunts like that.

Meeting Todd in Oahu and watching him and his crew catch waves at Lani’s on the North Shore somehow made my new surfboard seem antiquated. When Todd graciously, but with little direction, lent me his SUP surfboard, my inauguration into stand up paddling (unbalanced, flailing and slightly embarrassing) was official. It was a defining moment.

Surfers Environmental Alliance: Giving Back to the Environment

Fast forward to 2005: by this time I had mostly stopped flailing, and had become a proficient paddler. I was the only SUP surfer at my local break as well as had become the Executive Director for the Surfers Environmental Alliance (SEA). SEA is a grassroots environmental organization, founded in Santa Cruz, CA and based in New Jersey that worked, through local surf programs, tirelessly to preserve the environment.

Early on in my tenure, SEA’s exuberant legal team became involved in a potential legal dispute with another SEA (Surf Education Adventures) in Hawaii, headed by no other than legendary waterman and big wave surfer Darrick Doerner. Realizing a legal battle was in no one’s best interest, I reached out to Darrick to break bread. One thing led to another and a year later Darrick was visiting us in NJ to discuss collaborating on a SEA fundraiser to support autism and our mutual environmental initiatives.

July 2006 was hot and muggy when Darrick arrived at the Jersey Shore. The “Strapped Crew” of legendary surf fame once consisted of Laird Hamilton, Darrick, Dave Kalama and others who were at the height of surf and mainstream notoriety. They were perhaps most well known for towing into the mountainous waves of Jaws on Maui. As part of our SEA fundraiser, Darrick and I premiered their movie “All Aboard the Crazy Train”. We ate BBQ and had live music by Greg Weber and the Jetty Rats all at my beachside home in Sea Bright, NJ.

The following morning, slightly groggy from the previous night’s mayhem, Darrick and I rode two jetskis from Sea Bright to New York City, a 30-mile trip. Crisp blue skies and a light breeze made the journey pleasant as we adventured up the Shrewsbury River, under the Verrazano Bridge, into the shadows of the Wall Street skyline and under the historic Brooklyn Bridge.

As we drifted into the lower East River, awash in the noises, smells, grandeur and grit of the world’s greatest city, admiring the vast concrete jungle and chaotic tumult that was Manhattan, I suggested a crazy fundraising idea. Why didn’t we host a 28-mile charity paddle around NYC and call it “SEAPaddleNYC”?

At first I wasn’t sure if Darrick even heard me. Then it seemed that maybe he had but thought I was delusional. After a long pause, his intense eyes studying the water, the skyline, the currents, the boat traffic, he finally replied, “100%! Let’s do it! I’ll bring some friends.”

Birth of SEAPaddleNYC: Quintessential Quest to Circumnavigate Manhattan Island

One year of planning for the inaugural SEAPaddleNYC commenced with unprecedented logistical challenges. On high alert since 9/11, NYC permits were non-existent, we had no access to the private waterfront and had to compute currents, tides and weather contingencies. Exhaustive research with tidal experts revealed we only had a two-day feasibility window per month for a circumnavigation with a morning start time. Trying to get a group of paddle boarders safely around NYC without getting crushed by barges or other boat traffic, drowned in murky water, arrested for being on the waterway or randomly mugged was going to be a challenge.

On August 11, 2007, the first ever paddlers of SEAPaddleNYC converged at the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan and boarded a NYC water taxi ferry. This brave and enthusiastic crew of adventurers and surf legends assembled with a motley array of board shorts, SUP boards and traditional prone paddleboards. To say we stuck out like a sore thumb on the East River was an understatement. Have you ever tried to get a 12-foot paddle board onto a cab or into a NYC hotel room?

The flotilla for that inaugural event included 38 brave paddlers, multiple support boats as well as one large ferry boat as our mobile, floating launch site. The ferry boat came courtesy of New Jersey waterwoman Darian Boyle and her larger-than-life father, Bruce Boyle who owned Liberty Landing Marina, and had signed up early to help the cause. With this raucous and notorious crew, we began.

Jumping from a ferry into the East River is another defining moment in my life. New York City, perhaps romantic from a fine table at Tavern on the Green or glorious from a 5th Avenue penthouse, is not quite as impressive once you’re standing at the water's edge. Staring into the murky black water, it’s impossible not to think of the pollution. Live rats, floating debris as well as miscellaneous body parts are regularly found in this river, forming part of the moat that surrounds Manhattan. Cool in theory, but it's definitely sketchy when you’re staring into that dark and roiling water. As Seinfeld put it, “The East River: the most heavily trafficked, overly contaminated waterway on the eastern seaboard!”

Nonetheless, we jumped in. We had 28 miles to paddle, a distance many of us weren’t sure could be completed unaided.

What it Takes to Paddle around Manhattan

Speeding ferry boats and floaters avoided, our band of paddlers turned north toward the Brooklyn Bridge. Pumped on adrenaline, aided by our perfectly timed river currents and clear blue skies, all of us were awestruck by the magnificent architecture that is Manhattan looming as our backdrop. Passing under the East River’s three bridges, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg, the widened river led us into the heavily used seaplane-landing zone. There were a few “Oh Shit!” moments for the out-of-towners as we made it past Hell Gate (the East River’s narrow tidal strait) without consequence.

Darrick’s and my exhaustive tidal research and paddling plan allowed for predetermined rest stops as SEAPaddleNYC support boats shuttled water, snacks and slower paddlers back to the front of the pack to keep us all as close together as possible. Safety was paramount and losing a paddler a major concern for all involved.

Entering the Harlem River, we discovered an entirely new landscape and set of challenges. Now oriented in the northwestern direction, we passed numerous dilapidated and architecturally brilliant bridges, gritty construction zones, slow moving barges and - off in the distance - the original Yankee Stadium.

As we wound our way upriver into the northern Bronx, this urban jungle retreated and transitioned into a lush canopy of trees and towering cliffs. Everyone was exhausted but still paddling hard and smiling. There was good distraction in the many sights, but navigating 28 miles through an unforgiving waterway takes a toll and gives one plenty of time to think. Gerry Lopez paddled directly behind me using the draft of my board to help conserve his energy. It was a brilliant idea and one that, at that point, I had witnessed only in bicycle or automotive races.

Final Push: The Hudson River

We took a break at the Spuyten Duyvil Creek for a group photo before making a hard left into the flowing, often tumultuous waters of the Hudson River. There were ten miles to go and the ebb current had finally started to flow in our direction as each paddler felt the full heat of the day as we headed toward the steel monstrosity that is the George Washington Bridge. Stand up paddlers were hitting their stride, some were now on their knees, while others had retired to the safety boats for a tow toward the front. The breadth of accomplishment, the first finish, the fact that we had made it (and no one died), is forever etched in our collective spirit. It is certainly one of the most memorable days of my life. The group was teary eyed and exhausted yet so relieved as we reached the final left hand turn into NYC’s North Cove Marina. There, we locked eyes and threw arms around our waiting friends and family who had anticipated our safe return to the dock.

SEAPaddleNYC Continues to Give Back to Community

This inaugural SEAPaddleNYC raised $180,000 for SEA’s environmental initiatives and for autism beneficiaries like Surfer’s Healing, Best Day Foundation, Autism Hawaii and others.

In the years since, a myriad of legendary surfers as well as world class SUP racers have made their way around the island in the SEAPaddleNYC. It continues to draw paddlers and competitors from around the globe who choose to challenge themselves on the water and offer their efforts to give back to their community. Thanks to the invaluable contributions of time and effort by SEAPaddleNYC’s volunteers who make the event happen, the event has raised close to 2.5 million dollars in its 14 year history. Not bad for a crazy fundraising idea. All I know is this kid who rode his first wave on a surfboard during a family vacation in New Jersey continues to feel a great passion for the water and a growing pride in what that passion has enabled.

About the Author

After handing off event director duties to Richie Lee in 2013, Andrew Mencinsky and Roman Kraus co-created the 100-Mile Paddle Race (from Kingston, NY to New York City). A year later the event moved to California and raced from Redondo Beach to Mission Bay, San Diego. In 2015 Andrew joined the Enthusiast Network/ SUP the Mag to create a follow up event to the cancelled Battle of the Paddle so the industry could still have a championship. The opportunity to help create another inaugural event, this time with deep pockets, experienced event staff and corporate buy-in was a dream come true. The Pacific Paddle Games, aka PPG, picked up where BOP left off.

PPG, a for profit corporate-owned endeavor, was eventually sidelined due to the buyouts and reorganization of the media industry. The casualties included the shutdown of Sup the Mag and life long influencers, Surfing and Surfer Magazine.