About halfway through the paddle, Fashion Island can be seen in the distance.
Newport Beach looks so close – but it’s still so far when you’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina to your back, the sandy finish line at the shore still hours away.
A record number of paddlers, nearly 130, joined the Ben Did Go fundraiser paddle on Saturday, Sept. 13, which started at dawn in Catalina.
For the last decade, the paddle has honored the legacy of fallen lifeguard Ben Carlson and also raised funds to go toward water safety programs locally and around the globe through the Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation.
The effort this year far exceeded the $300,000 goal, with about $450,000 raised – another record for the foundation created after Carlson died during an ocean rescue in 2014.
“It was a super big milestone for us,” said board member Tim Burnham, of the 10-year mark. “Most foundations only last a couple years and things kind of fizzle out … so many people are thankful to him and the lifeguards who do what they do. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger.”
An estimated 132 paddlers started the 30-mile Catalina crossing journey, with 128 making it to the finish line.
Since Carlson’s death, the community and city have honored his legacy in many ways, including with a statue that stands looking out toward the water and dedicating the lifeguard headquarters at the pier in his name.
A year after Carlson’s death, good friend Spencer Pirdy set out to do this fundraising event in his honor and to support the nonprofit formed by friends, family and fellow lifeguards.
Burnham said with the added funds this year, more can be done to help internationally in areas such as Nicaragua that have limited lifeguarding resources and with other drowning prevention programs around the globe.
Mayor Joe Stapleton was among the paddlers this year, making a vow last year that if he was elected to the mayor’s seat, he would do the grueling paddle.
Jake Janz, Carlson’s brother-in-law, reminded him of his promise earlier this year. So five months ago, Stapleton bought a prone paddle and started training, first with smaller treks along the pier, then longer jaunts along the coastline, clocking more than 452 miles of training in recent months.
“This entire experience is all about Ben, his legacy, the act that he paid the ultimate sacrifice rescuing someone,” said Stapleton, who raised $26,000 for the foundation. “This is such a great community, it was like nothing I have ever done before. I was really glad to be a part of it.”
Paddlers got lucky with “epic” conditions, he said, a favorable current and swell pushing them along, wind at their backs and warm waters.
Most paddlers made it to the finish line in 7.5 hours, greeted on the sand by supporters, just steps from where a statue of Carlson stands looking out toward the ocean.
“There was never a moment where I was like I’m not going to finish this,” Stapleton said, though added, “It’s a journey, anyone who has done it understands.”
Stapleton said he’s proud to be part of a town that understands the legacy and values of Carlson.
“We hold our first responders in the highest regard, which we should,” he said.
He was also impressed to see Janz and his 16-year-old son, Brody, Carlson’s nephew, among the paddlers.
“Talk about a legacy,” he said. “I don’t think it was lost on any of us. Everyone was cheering him on. It gave me goosebumps. That is what legacy is all about.”