EASTERN SHORE, Md. — One stroke at a time, 270 paddlers are making waves and fighting to save the Chesapeake Bay at Bay Paddle 2025.
WATCH: 270 paddlers race to save the Chesapeake at Bay Paddle 2025
“I think as paddlers or boaters or folks who live here, we have a responsibility to protect it,” said Chris Hopkinson, founder of the Bay Paddle race.
“This is one of those days where we can kind of come out and show our appreciation for the bay and raise some money for all those awesome organizations that are out here every day.”
In 2020, Chris Hopkinson became the first person to traverse the entire length of the Chesapeake Bay by stand-up paddleboard. Hopkinson traveled approximately 200 miles in nine days, raising $190,000 for oyster restoration.
“I learned to really appreciate how spectacular the bay is and connecting with herons and eagles and ospreys and crabs and fish and really feeling like we're the guests,” Hopkinson said.
Now, that passion has morphed into a yearly paddle race.
“This is a series of races," Hopkinson said. "There's a 35-mile race that circumnavigates Kent Island. There's a 10-mile race. There's a 3-mile race. So, we have over 270 paddlers from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada, all up and down the East Coast, as well as obviously throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.”
Some paddlers came for community.
“It's a beautiful area, and the camaraderie is just unreal,” said paddler Audrey Dannenberg.
Others came for the opportunity to make the Bay just a little bit better. Like Ronnie Ayres, who traveled from New Jersey just for this race.
"This is a great cause supporting the health of the Chesapeake Bay," Ayres said. "Kent Island Canoe Club is real focused on the event. They put on a great program here, and the fundraiser is really important for nice healthy waters in the Chesapeake.”
100% of the money raised by the event goes to three organizations and their conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), Chesapeake Conservancy, and Waterkeepers Chesapeake.
From the novice paddler — to the expert paddler, everyone is welcome at the bay paddle.
“It's a real deep connection to the conditions, which are always changing," Ayres said. "I really truly feel that it's brought out the ancient navigator in me."
Hopkinson says that the goal of the Bay Paddle isn't just about conserving the Chesapeake Bay. It's also about getting people out on the water.
“One of the biggest goals for the bay paddle is to just keep get people out on the water again, like me. I didn't really appreciate how awesome it was until I got out on it,” Hopkinson said.
Hopkinson says if you missed this year's paddle, there's always next year. For updates, visit Bay Paddle's official site at baypaddle.org.
