Karl Kruger, a long way from home and a short way from SUP history. Photo courtesy of R2AK/Liv von Oelreich

SUP Sets New Record in 750-Mile Race 2 Alaska On the western crown of North America in the tide-swinging inlets of the Inside Passage, a historic SUP voyage just took place. On June 25, Karl Kruger—a longtime sailor and waterman of the Pacific Northwest based on Orcas Island, Washington—became the first standup paddler to complete the Race 2 Alaska (R2AK)—a 750-mile man-powered expedition race from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska. Among the 62 teams entered in this year’s race with crews ranging from one to five people on vessels ranging from sea kayaks to row boats to SUPs to trimarans, only 27 teams finished the race. Kruger’s solo team “Heart of Gold” was the only SUP to finish of six in the class. The completion comes as Kruger’s second SUP attempt in the R2AK, having been forced to abandon his effort last year when the hull of his board cracked and became waterlogged. Finishing this year’s race, a feat that took Kruger 14 days, six hours and 17 minutes paddling an average of roughly 50 miles per day, makes the Washingtonian the first person in paddling history to complete the revered waterman’s race on a SUP. Kruger finished 17th overall on his 17′ custom Bark board, 13 minutes behind a 23-foot trimaran with a two-man crew.

Kruger stunned at the finish. Photo courtesy of R2AK/Zach Carver “It was almost surreal when I finally set eyes on Ketchican and realized I was about to complete the race,” Kruger said. “The goal was years in the making and to finally bring closure to all the mental and physical—not to mention logistical—preparation that went into it was a pretty incredible feeling.” SUP mag caught up with Kruger for an exclusive first-hand account of his experience in the R2AK, which includes adventures involving wind gusting to 60 knots, mountain lion tracks in camp and more from the PNW wilderness. We’ll be publishing that soon so stay tuned. Top-10 Results from R2AK 2017

  1. Team Pure & Wild / Freeburd – 28’ Tri – Custom Tetzlaff / Melvin 8.5m Class (3 Crew) – 4d 3h 5m
  2. Team Big Broderna – 30.8’ Tri – Corsair F31R (4 Crew) – 4d 3h 11m
  3. Team Bad Kitty – 34’ Cat – Modified Uthoff Custom Catamaran (4 Crew) – 5d 4h 55m
  4. Team Ketch Me If U Can – 20’ Cat – Nacra Inter 20 (2 Crew) – 7d 14h 44m
  5. Team West Coast Wild Ones – 27’ Mono – O’Day 27 (4 Crew) – 7d 17h 22m
  6. Team 3 1/2 Aussies – 30.8’ Tri – Farrier F31-R (4 Crew) – 8d 12h 32m
  7. Team Triceratops – 27.1’ Tri – Corsair F-27 (Crew – 3 Started, 2 Finished) – 8d 15h 2m
  8. Team Willpower – 26.2’ Mono – Seascape 27 (2 Crew) – 9d 3h 4m
  9. Team PT Watercraft – 32’ Cat – Gougeon 32 (1 Crew) – 9d 5h 59m
  10. Team Away Team – 27.25’ Mono – Express 27 – 9d 10h 19m

Full 2017 Results More on Karl Krugger and the R2AK For more on the Race 2 Alaska, visit the R2AK website.

The article was originally published on Standup Paddling

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!

More News

					Famed Yosemite Climber Zach Milligan Dies After Ice Climbing Fall					



					Skiing in Japan Is Back Again—and the Powder Was Worth the Wait					



					10 Winter Hikes to Keep You Trailblazing All Year Round					



					The North Face Introduces Athlete Development Program					



					Ocean Rower Fiann Paul Completes Most Grueling Expedition					



					Snowmobile-accessed Ski Touring in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana					


			All Stories

More Videos

							The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More							





							Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey							





							Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City

SUP Sets New Record in 750-Mile Race 2 Alaska

On the western crown of North America in the tide-swinging inlets of the Inside Passage, a historic SUP voyage just took place.

On June 25, Karl Kruger—a longtime sailor and waterman of the Pacific Northwest based on Orcas Island, Washington—became the first standup paddler to complete the Race 2 Alaska (R2AK)—a 750-mile man-powered expedition race from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska.

Among the 62 teams entered in this year’s race with crews ranging from one to five people on vessels ranging from sea kayaks to row boats to SUPs to trimarans, only 27 teams finished the race. Kruger’s solo team “Heart of Gold” was the only SUP to finish of six in the class.

The completion comes as Kruger’s second SUP attempt in the R2AK, having been forced to abandon his effort last year when the hull of his board cracked and became waterlogged. Finishing this year’s race, a feat that took Kruger 14 days, six hours and 17 minutes paddling an average of roughly 50 miles per day, makes the Washingtonian the first person in paddling history to complete the revered waterman’s race on a SUP. Kruger finished 17th overall on his 17′ custom Bark board, 13 minutes behind a 23-foot trimaran with a two-man crew.

“It was almost surreal when I finally set eyes on Ketchican and realized I was about to complete the race,” Kruger said. “The goal was years in the making and to finally bring closure to all the mental and physical—not to mention logistical—preparation that went into it was a pretty incredible feeling.”

SUP mag caught up with Kruger for an exclusive first-hand account of his experience in the R2AK, which includes adventures involving wind gusting to 60 knots, mountain lion tracks in camp and more from the PNW wilderness. We’ll be publishing that soon so stay tuned.

Top-10 Results from R2AK 2017

  1. Team Pure & Wild / Freeburd – 28’ Tri – Custom Tetzlaff / Melvin 8.5m Class (3 Crew) – 4d 3h 5m
  2. Team Big Broderna – 30.8’ Tri – Corsair F31R (4 Crew) – 4d 3h 11m
  3. Team Bad Kitty – 34’ Cat – Modified Uthoff Custom Catamaran (4 Crew) – 5d 4h 55m
  4. Team Ketch Me If U Can – 20’ Cat – Nacra Inter 20 (2 Crew) – 7d 14h 44m
  5. Team West Coast Wild Ones – 27’ Mono – O’Day 27 (4 Crew) – 7d 17h 22m
  6. Team 3 1/2 Aussies – 30.8’ Tri – Farrier F31-R (4 Crew) – 8d 12h 32m
  7. Team Triceratops – 27.1’ Tri – Corsair F-27 (Crew – 3 Started, 2 Finished) – 8d 15h 2m
  8. Team Willpower – 26.2’ Mono – Seascape 27 (2 Crew) – 9d 3h 4m
  9. Team PT Watercraft – 32’ Cat – Gougeon 32 (1 Crew) – 9d 5h 59m
  10. Team Away Team – 27.25’ Mono – Express 27 – 9d 10h 19m

Full 2017 Results

  1. Team Pure & Wild / Freeburd – 28’ Tri – Custom Tetzlaff / Melvin 8.5m Class (3 Crew) – 4d 3h 5m

  2. Team Big Broderna – 30.8’ Tri – Corsair F31R (4 Crew) – 4d 3h 11m

  3. Team Bad Kitty – 34’ Cat – Modified Uthoff Custom Catamaran (4 Crew) – 5d 4h 55m

  4. Team Ketch Me If U Can – 20’ Cat – Nacra Inter 20 (2 Crew) – 7d 14h 44m

  5. Team West Coast Wild Ones – 27’ Mono – O’Day 27 (4 Crew) – 7d 17h 22m

  6. Team 3 1/2 Aussies – 30.8’ Tri – Farrier F31-R (4 Crew) – 8d 12h 32m

  7. Team Triceratops – 27.1’ Tri – Corsair F-27 (Crew – 3 Started, 2 Finished) – 8d 15h 2m

  8. Team Willpower – 26.2’ Mono – Seascape 27 (2 Crew) – 9d 3h 4m

  9. Team PT Watercraft – 32’ Cat – Gougeon 32 (1 Crew) – 9d 5h 59m

  10. Team Away Team – 27.25’ Mono – Express 27 – 9d 10h 19m

  11. Team Pure & Wild / Freeburd – 28’ Tri – Custom Tetzlaff / Melvin 8.5m Class (3 Crew) – 4d 3h 5m

  12. Team Big Broderna – 30.8’ Tri – Corsair F31R (4 Crew) – 4d 3h 11m

  13. Team Bad Kitty – 34’ Cat – Modified Uthoff Custom Catamaran (4 Crew) – 5d 4h 55m

  14. Team Ketch Me If U Can – 20’ Cat – Nacra Inter 20 (2 Crew) – 7d 14h 44m

  15. Team West Coast Wild Ones – 27’ Mono – O’Day 27 (4 Crew) – 7d 17h 22m

  16. Team 3 1/2 Aussies – 30.8’ Tri – Farrier F31-R (4 Crew) – 8d 12h 32m

  17. Team Triceratops – 27.1’ Tri – Corsair F-27 (Crew – 3 Started, 2 Finished) – 8d 15h 2m

  18. Team Willpower – 26.2’ Mono – Seascape 27 (2 Crew) – 9d 3h 4m

  19. Team PT Watercraft – 32’ Cat – Gougeon 32 (1 Crew) – 9d 5h 59m

  20. Team Away Team – 27.25’ Mono – Express 27 – 9d 10h 19m

  21. Team Pure & Wild / Freeburd – 28’ Tri – Custom Tetzlaff / Melvin 8.5m Class (3 Crew) – 4d 3h 5m

  22. Team Big Broderna – 30.8’ Tri – Corsair F31R (4 Crew) – 4d 3h 11m

  23. Team Bad Kitty – 34’ Cat – Modified Uthoff Custom Catamaran (4 Crew) – 5d 4h 55m

  24. Team Ketch Me If U Can – 20’ Cat – Nacra Inter 20 (2 Crew) – 7d 14h 44m

  25. Team West Coast Wild Ones – 27’ Mono – O’Day 27 (4 Crew) – 7d 17h 22m

  26. Team 3 1/2 Aussies – 30.8’ Tri – Farrier F31-R (4 Crew) – 8d 12h 32m

  27. Team Triceratops – 27.1’ Tri – Corsair F-27 (Crew – 3 Started, 2 Finished) – 8d 15h 2m

  28. Team Willpower – 26.2’ Mono – Seascape 27 (2 Crew) – 9d 3h 4m

  29. Team PT Watercraft – 32’ Cat – Gougeon 32 (1 Crew) – 9d 5h 59m

  30. Team Away Team – 27.25’ Mono – Express 27 – 9d 10h 19m

    1. Team Pure & Wild / Freeburd – 28’ Tri – Custom Tetzlaff / Melvin 8.5m Class (3 Crew) – 4d 3h 5m
    1. Team Big Broderna – 30.8’ Tri – Corsair F31R (4 Crew) – 4d 3h 11m
    1. Team Bad Kitty – 34’ Cat – Modified Uthoff Custom Catamaran (4 Crew) – 5d 4h 55m
    1. Team Ketch Me If U Can – 20’ Cat – Nacra Inter 20 (2 Crew) – 7d 14h 44m
    1. Team West Coast Wild Ones – 27’ Mono – O’Day 27 (4 Crew) – 7d 17h 22m
    1. Team 3 1/2 Aussies – 30.8’ Tri – Farrier F31-R (4 Crew) – 8d 12h 32m
    1. Team Triceratops – 27.1’ Tri – Corsair F-27 (Crew – 3 Started, 2 Finished) – 8d 15h 2m
    1. Team Willpower – 26.2’ Mono – Seascape 27 (2 Crew) – 9d 3h 4m
    1. Team PT Watercraft – 32’ Cat – Gougeon 32 (1 Crew) – 9d 5h 59m
    1. Team Away Team – 27.25’ Mono – Express 27 – 9d 10h 19m

More on Karl Krugger and the R2AK

For more on the Race 2 Alaska, visit the R2AK website.

The article was originally published on Standup Paddling

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!

More News

					Famed Yosemite Climber Zach Milligan Dies After Ice Climbing Fall					



					Skiing in Japan Is Back Again—and the Powder Was Worth the Wait					



					10 Winter Hikes to Keep You Trailblazing All Year Round					



					The North Face Introduces Athlete Development Program					



					Ocean Rower Fiann Paul Completes Most Grueling Expedition					



					Snowmobile-accessed Ski Touring in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana					


			All Stories

More Videos

							The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More							





							Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey							





							Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City

More News

					Famed Yosemite Climber Zach Milligan Dies After Ice Climbing Fall					



					Skiing in Japan Is Back Again—and the Powder Was Worth the Wait					



					10 Winter Hikes to Keep You Trailblazing All Year Round					



					The North Face Introduces Athlete Development Program					



					Ocean Rower Fiann Paul Completes Most Grueling Expedition					



					Snowmobile-accessed Ski Touring in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana					


			All Stories

More Videos

							The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More							





							Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey							





							Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City

More News

					Famed Yosemite Climber Zach Milligan Dies After Ice Climbing Fall					



					Skiing in Japan Is Back Again—and the Powder Was Worth the Wait					



					10 Winter Hikes to Keep You Trailblazing All Year Round					



					The North Face Introduces Athlete Development Program					



					Ocean Rower Fiann Paul Completes Most Grueling Expedition					



					Snowmobile-accessed Ski Touring in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana					


			All Stories

More Videos

							The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More							





							Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey							





							Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City

More Videos

							The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More							





							Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey							





							Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City

More Videos

							The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More							





							Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey							





							Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City