A mark for the legitimacy of paddle boarding was achieved during the 2016 Yukon River Quest, and a Coldstream woman helped raise the bar.
Paddle boarding down the cold waters of the Yukon River isn’t the most relaxing scene for a stereotypical paddle boarder, but for Lina Augaitis, it’s all about making it to the finish line.
Augaitis, 35, is the first woman to complete the Yukon River Quest on a stand-up paddle board.
She spent nearly three-sleepless days paddling 715 km. This was the first year paddle boarders were allowed to participate in the normally canoe and kayak race, and it won’t be the last.
“I’m attracted to long, painful, mentally-enduring events,” she said.
She finished fifth SUP in 60:22.08.
This wasn’t the first time she paddled the Yukon waters either. In 2011, her husband Andrew Dye, and her made a five-day trip paddling her board from Whitehorse to Dawson City as he kayaked.
The timing of the race wasn’t ideal for Augaitis, as she was breast-feeding her six-month-old son, Tavas Dye.
“I figured out how to pump milk as I (paddled).”
The race is divided into sections, with two mandatory check points. She paddled for roughly 27 hours before reaching the first seven-hour break check point. The first point had a support crew of friends and family who supplied food and gear.
The second point was only a three-hour stop.
She stayed motivated by thinking of the finish line.
“Once you get to a certain point, you just want to get to the finish.”
She described the race as a “type-two fun” meaning the race was a gruelling feat, but the euphoric feeling she felt at the finish line made it worth it.
The race wasn’t without challenges.
“It’s different solo than in a team,” she said. “I endured everything from the (beautiful scenery) to hallucinating at 2 a.m. by myself.”
Experiencing the hallucinations was the toughest part of the race for Augaitis.
A little over 180km from the finish line, she said she saw the shore and water begin to meld together during the darkest part of the night.
“I couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. I got pretty scared.”
The water was a grey, murky colour that blended in with the landscape. But, she was able to overcome it.
“I stayed calm and focused and I knew I had to keep going,” she said.
She “set mini goals throughout the race,” to keep her going like making it past checkpoints and certain areas of the river.
The paddle boarders proved they had what it takes to participate next year, with 9 out of 11 racers crossing the finish mark.
“It feels pretty awesome, (I) proved not only myself but for the sport.”
“A lot of people didn’t believe stand-up paddle boarders could do it. We proved to the race organization and other paddlers we were meant to be there.”
She was introduced to paddle boarding in 2009 through friends in California.
In 2010, she participated in her first race which was for the Kalamalka Classic Stand Up Paddle Festival.
The outdoorsy-athletic type, Augaitis grew up as an national level gymnast, and participated in a variety of sports in college including wrestling.
She also enjoys kayaking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.
She moved to the Vernon area a year ago, and is currently a substitute teacher and also teaches paddle boarding at the Kalavida Surf Shop.
She doesn’t come from a family background of sports.
“I’ve created my own path that way,” she said.
In 2015, she raced in the International Surfing Association World SUP and Paddleboard Championship and placed second in the long distance category and fourth in the short distance category.
Augaitis has a masters in sports psychology from UBC and a masters in teaching at SFU.
