When Chris Hopkinson became the first person to stand-up paddle the length of the Chesapeake Bay last year, he was so inspired by the journey that he expanded the Bay Paddle to a team event for 2021, bringing dozens of paddlers on board. Most will compete as relay teams, each person paddling a handful of miles at a time.
But a few will take on the epic paddle solo, as Hopkinson did. And one, Nicky Stimpson, will attempt to do it on a homemade wooden board—setting herself up for an even bigger challenge. Cheryl Costello joined Nicky for a fundraising race on the Severn River over the weekend, where many aspiring Bay Paddlers got some training in.
