Ocean City paddleboarder to compete in national race

Wayne Best often sits on his deck, listening to music and staring out into the canal.

Less than 10 feet away sits one of his eight paddleboards, a green and blue object tied to the dock waiting for its next call to action.

Best, a paddleboarder for nearly 10 years, fell in love with the sport after it was introduced to him by a friend in Ocean City. Taking a few years to learn the fundamentals, Best then started competing in stand-up races throughout the country.

His first major competition came four years ago at the Surfer’s Environmental Alliance Paddle NYC competition — a 25-mile race. The event is designed to raise money for autism and the environment, with participants required to raise $1,000 before competing.

Four years later, Best is preparing for another trip to New York on Saturday, hoping to place in the Top 5 of the 2018 SEA Paddle.

“One mistake, you’re going to fall in, so you’re always aware of your surroundings,” Best said. “Most of your energy is spent mentally thinking about the race. You’re always pushing yourself, but you have to be able to save some energy.”

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Best also wants to collect $4,000 to give to the foundation and has currently raised $1,960, according to the organization’s webpage.

In the early days of his paddleboard career, Best’s friend, Todd Nash, took him on his first paddleboard experience in a short trip to Seacrets. Riding on a 10-foot-6-inch board, the group paddled over, had a few drinks and headed back home.

From that moment, Best was hooked.

Moving to Ocean City when he was 30, Best tried surfing, but never thought he was too decent at it. However, stand-up paddleboarding offered him another option, and he bought his own board not long after his first outing. 

“Whatever Todd did to me that day, it was a life-changer,” he said. “It’s been a crazy ride ever since.”

Through the years, Best continued buying paddleboards, while his friends sat back and called him crazy for his obsession. His collection varies from recreation to race boards, with each serving a different purpose.  

Paddleboarding was an addiction for Best. As soon as he get off work — pending on the time of year — the Ocean City resident was in the water, paddling down the bay or ocean.

After getting a good grasp on the sport, Best was tempted to start competing, saying he’s always had a competitive spirit.

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Best attended paddleboard races as a spectator, even volunteering for some of the local races, but never felt comfortable lining up alongside the participants until 2015.

Prior to the SEA Paddle NYC competition that year, two of Best’s friends talked him into competing, believing he had the physical and mental abilities necessary to do such a challenging race.

Best enjoyed distance paddling, and once he hit the waters of Manhattan, the racing bug bit him.

“I just started doing as many (races) as I could,” Best said. “I signed up in May, so that pretty much gave me all summer to prepare. You really have to do this for a long time to feel comfortable with it.”

Best said on average he can finish SEA Paddle NYC in 4.5 hours, but is hoping to shave 15 minutes off in his upcoming competition. In his second year at the event, Best finished in the Top 10, and later the Top 13 in 2017. He blames his dropoff on a shoulder injury he was battling.

But Best is expecting a strong showing in his fourth year, now racing an average of 10 events during the paddleboard season. The 44-year-old has recently competed in competitions in North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio and Annapolis.

The longtime paddleboarder has raced in events as short as six miles, but as long as 26, giving him the experience needed to conquer SEA Paddle.

Best has built-in speakers installed in his board, allowing him to listen to music and calm his mind throughout his journey.

He makes sure to pack a necessary amount of food and water to stay hydrated throughout the race — something Best learned the hard way while training for the event a few years ago.

Paddling to Assateague, just hours after a long night of drinking, Best became dehydrated and nearly collapsed on his board. Lying on his back, the paddleboarder tried to signal passing boats, but found little luck, with one boater speeding away after Best asked him for assistance.

But eventually a family rescued Best and took him to shore, where his roommate came and picked him up.

“That taught me a pretty valuable lesson,” he said. “I lost all my energy, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I spent the rest of day in bed shivering. You learn through trial and error how far you can go with what energy you have.”

With nearly 10 years of paddleboarding under his belt, Best feels he’s ready for his upcoming run in New York.

Focused on finishing in a top spot, Best said the scenes he’ll see during his paddle are truly amazing, passing structures like the Statue of Liberty, Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge.

The paddleboard season goes from February up to November in some places, so once he’s finished with the SEA Paddle NYC competition, Best will turn his focus to other races, continuing to participate in the sport he loves.

But in SEA Paddle, it’s all about raising money for autism and the environment, which Best thinks is one of the core reasons he keeps returning for the massive race.

“You hear about how much the kids love when the money comes back to something like this,” Best said. “You get to see all the great things (this event) does for them.”  

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