In brief: Ryan Helm has taken out the 8th Annual Rincon Beachboy stand up paddleboard race in Puerto Rico, narrowly edging out Josh Riccio for the second week in a row to make it a clean sweep in the Caribbean; The 1-2 finish mirrows the result at last week’s Coconut Cup in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
I chatted with Josh after the race and he said it was a great event with a great turnout of stoked paddlers. He had a close battle with Ryan the whole way, switching the lead a couple of times before Helm picked up a bump and paddled clear in the closing stages.
Quintin Chiapperino rounded out the top three, just a minute behind Josh, while Victoria Burgess took the women’s victory ahead of veteran racer Heather Baus.
The Rincon Beachboy always attracts a great crowd and this year was no exception, with around 300 paddlers turning out for a fun day on the water. This looks like another one of those “bucket list” events that’s just as much a holiday as it a race.
The Rincon Beach Boy also attracts paddlers of all ages: The youngest paddler was just 4 years old; the oldest was 74.
Results below. You can also find a hundred odd photos of the race over on Facebook.