Soulful seasoning blends sourced from the world's best surf breaks
The elite course of the Carolina Cup SUP race is named “the Graveyard.” Pirate ships of long ago used North Carolina’s barrier islands as refugee and the ever shifting shoals, inlets, and winds took its toll not only on the pirate ships but also the military boats who patrolled the waters looking for Blackbead himself.
These days the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” is a home to a hard core group of paddlers and is one of the most beautiful and demanding courses you will ever paddle. Recently we did a training run that started up the Intracoastal Water Way in sheet glass conditions, but quickly had to go against a strong incoming current. After 4 miles we headed out an inlet and had to negotiate through waist high + waves and swirling currents to the open ocean. Some paddlers lost their boards and had to swim after them. Once outside the wind had quickly picked up to 15 knots and created some fun downwind conditions. Runners galore but we had to try to maintain a track that was cutting across the swells to make it around a rock jetty. Once we got closer to the rocks, the refracting wind chop bounced back at us to create some real slop. We also had to get through some major current to get inside the inlet. From there it was dead into an 18 knot wind for the last 3 of the 12 miles. It was a great day on the water and my new Hobie 14 handled all the conditions very well. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the incredible community of SUP paddlers thinks of “the Graveyard.” See you soon!