Bring your own boat, get a paddling clinic as a bonus

The 2025 Tug Hill Extreme adventure race is a BYOB “Bring your own boat” race. Teams may use whatever canoe or kayak setup they wish to bring to the race, opening the door for some very fast paddling teams. For those who don’t have boats of their own, rentals are available and some of the highly experienced paddlers at Tug Hill Outfitters held a paddling clinic for those interested in improving a skill that is notoriously lacking with many adventure racers.

During the clinic I had a chance to ask veteran endurance paddler, Phoebe Fisher about her take on the most important techniques adventure racers can add to their skill set. Being a more efficient paddler can save significant time in an adventure race, especially over the long haul, giving your team a leg up.

According to the experts from Tug Hill, an adventure racing team with efficient paddlers can shave nearly an hour off a 12 mile paddle stage. So what do you think? Could you up your paddle game, and if so, how would that improve your overall race position?