Paddlers Conquer Choppy Seas at Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race
Aug 24, 2025 09:16PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Catalina Classic finishers pose for a photo following Sunday's race.
Paddlers battled choppy seas during the 48th annual Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race, a grueling 32-mile race that started in Catalina and ended in Manhattan Beach on Sunday.
Jack Bark was the overall winner, finishing in a time of 5:14:50. Bark also won the race in 2024, setting a course record that year for the first under-five-hour time of 4:54:45.
(Jack Bark celebrates in front of the Manhattan Beach Pier after winning the 2025 Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race)This year's paddlers reported rough conditions that only began to smooth out past the R10 buoy off the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Bark came more than 16 minutes ahead of second place winner Tristan Sullaway, who finished in 5:31:09. Rounding out the top four men were Lance Lerum and Chris Russell.
In the mens' stock division, 16-year-old Hawaiian paddling phenom Toa Pere came in first at 5:56:38.
Yurika Horibe took first place among the women with a time of 6:31:47. She was followed by Emily Bark, last year's women's winner who finished this year in 6:45:25; and Kayla Coscino and Emma Bridges in 3rd and 4th places; all in the stock category. Marilee Kiernan was the only female paddler in the unlimited category, finishing in a time of 7:07:56.
The Bark family of paddlers also included Slader Bark, who finished 14th. Bark family patriarch Joe Bark is a celebrated paddleboard shaper and owner of Bark Boards, which were seen prominently throughout the race.
All told, 127 paddlers finished the race.
Sunday's event was dedicated to longtime surfer and artist Zen Del Rio, who passed away earlier this year. Del Rio had designed posters for the Catalina Classic for 14 years straight, beginning in 1996.
Top Race Finishers in Stock and Unlimited Categories
Competitors race in either the "stock" or "unlimited" category; with
stock boards being limited to 12 feet. The unlimited boards are
typically 18-19 feet long. Official results included:
Men - Unlimited
1st - Jack Bark, 5:14:50
2nd - Tristan Sullaway, 5:31.09
3rd - Lance Lerum, 5:38:51
4th - Chris Russell, 5:39:59
Men - Stock
1st - Toa Pere, 5:56:38
2nd - David Thomas, 6:05:53
3rd - Foster Campbell, 6:10:15
4th - Chase Kelly, 6:12:37
Women - Stock
1st - Yurika Horibe, 6:31:47
2nd - Emily Bark, 6:45:25
3rd - Kayla Coscino, 7:01:21
4th - Emma Bridges, 7:06:24
Women - Unlimited
1st - Marilee Kiernan, 7:07:56
Classic Paddleboard Race Started in 1955
The
Manhattan Beach International Paddleboard Race, the precursor to the
Catalina Classic, was started in 1955 by Los Angeles County Lifeguard
Bob Hogan and the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce. (Or, as Steve Schlens, winner of the stock race in 2012,
described it, "It started with one lifeguard saying to another
lifeguard, 'Hey, I've got a really bad idea...'")
The
Catalina Classic has since become the premier paddling event of the
year, drawing paddlers from around the country and even the world.
(Winners' names are engraved on the race trophy)Paddlers
leave Isthmus Cove, Catalina Island, at 6:00 a.m. and paddle 32 miles
to the Manhattan Beach Pier on paddle boards using only their hands to
propel them through the water. Swells, currents, and wind conditions
play into what is notoriously one of the most grueling endurance events
in the world.
The Catalina Classic Paddleboard
Association, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, donates yearly to
local non-profit organizations that work with youth groups, education,
and water safety. Past recipients include the L.A. County Jr. Lifeguard
Scholarship Fund, The Manhattan Beach Roundhouse Aquarium, the Jimmy
Miller Memorial Foundation, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, and 1% for the
Planet.
Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race 2025 [6 Images]
Click Any Image To Expand
