At 7:30 on the morning of Saturday, November 21, paddlers will push off from the sand behind the JW Marriott at 400 S. Collier Blvd. Their next stop is the same stretch of beach, 22 miles later. In between, they go all the way around Marco Island. Coastal Breeze News describes the course as going around Goodland, through Caxambas, and back to the starting point on the beach.
The event is called Conquer the Rock, and this is its first year. Most of the race happens out on the water, in channels and creeks most of the island will never watch. For people who live here, the day comes down to two places: the beach in the morning and Veterans Community Park in the late afternoon. Nearly everything at both of them comes from businesses on the island.
A Loop That Spends Most of the Day Out of Sight
The organizers, the Crossing Adventure Series, describe the course as a tour of the island's waters, "from serene mangrove tunnels and natural backwaters to man-made canals and stunning Gulf beaches." The race is a fundraiser for Piper's Angels Foundation, which supports people with cystic fibrosis and their families.
The course map has not been published, and there are no official viewing points along the route. The schedule shows how the day is meant to work. On the official registration page, the long race starts at 7:30 a.m. and the festival opens at 4:00 p.m. That is eight and a half hours apart, and the festival begins "after the final paddlers cross the line." In practice, the morning and the late afternoon are when the public can take part.
The fleet will be varied. Paddlers race in seven classes, with two-person and four-person relay options:
- SUP Unlimited, men and women: stand-up paddleboards with a long paddle
- Open Prone: lying flat or kneeling and paddling by arm
- OC1 and OC2: one-person and two-person outrigger canoes
- OC6: six-person outrigger canoe, with up to nine paddlers per team
- Surf Ski: a long, narrow racing boat in the kayak family
The organizer's own page also lists a kayak division.
The Morning Window on the Sand
The registration page sets out the day's times, and all of the morning events are bunched into a two-hour stretch:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | Racers' meeting |
| 7:30 a.m. | 22-mile race starts |
| 8:30 a.m. | 5-mile sprint race starts |
| 9:00 a.m. | 2-mile beach walk and 4Ocean beach cleanup start |
The 9:00 a.m. walk is the easiest way in for anyone who doesn't paddle. Coastal Breeze News reports that the JW Marriott is hosting the walk, that 4Ocean is sponsoring it, and that it is open to the public. 4Ocean has sponsored the Crossing Adventure Series for years. It will take part as well as sponsor, and it is running a beach cleanup during the walk.
Walkers are asked to raise $250 for Piper's Angels, but they have until well after race day to do it. Event director Josh Ferris told Coastal Breeze that "this fundraising will not close until Friday, January 1st," so people can join on the day and collect donations afterward. Checks can be mailed to the Piper's Angels Foundation, or donations can be paid in cash and credited to the walker's online account.
Paddlers have a firm cutoff. Racers pay a $100 sign-up fee and must raise at least $250. Coastal Breeze reports that registration closes on Monday, November 16, and that there will be no race-day sign-ups "for safety and planning reasons." That deadline was reported for the 22-mile paddle, and as of this Thursday it is 18 days away. Anyone planning on the 5-mile sprint should check its deadline with the organizers. The same article counted 30 paddlers signed up at the time, and Ferris said the organizers were happy with that number and would welcome more.
Built by the Island's Businesses
The sponsor tiers are named after parts of the island, and the businesses in them are ones locals already use. Coastal Breeze News published the list:
- Island Sponsors, $5,000: Marco Rock, Lusso Builders, Popoff Pools, and Paradise Design-Build
- Inlet Sponsor, $2,500: Rose Marina
- Beach Sponsors, $1,000: Sea Tow Marco, Total Home Services, and Sunshine Ace Hardware
- Bald Eagle Sponsors, $500: Total Home, Ace Hardware, and FCI Homes
Local businesses are also handling much of the event itself. The Snook Inn is hosting the paddlers' pre-party on Friday night. Jet Set Surf Shop is selling the event hats and merchandise. Custom Tees is donating the race-day T-shirts, The Sign Artist is making the banners, and CMA Awards and Gifts is producing the second- and third-place awards and the participant medals.
The first-place award will stay on the island. Greg Pascall of Paradise Design-Build is making it, and Ferris described it to Coastal Breeze:
"It's going to be eight feet tall, hand-carved, cypress wood paddleboard that will have the challenge coin inlays in it."
After the race, the organizers plan to display the board at a local business to recognize the event and promote future races.
The race is starting here for a reason. The Crossing for CF began with an 82-mile paddle from Bimini to West Palm Beach, then grew into the Crossing Adventure Series, which includes long-distance walks in the Grand Canyon and Northern Ireland. In an interview with Coastal Breeze News, founder Travis Suit said the idea "was first born during a conversation with my best friend Josh Ferris" on Marco Island, "so bringing this new event here feels like coming full circle."
The Evening End at Veterans Community Park
The second public moment moves from the beach to the middle of the island. According to Coastal Breeze, the organizers have rented all of Veterans Community Park for the after-party. Rock Republic headlines, with five food trucks, several vendor tents, and refreshments from the Carvelli Restaurant Group. Rock Republic did more than book the show. Coastal Breeze reports that the band has been "an integral help" in organizing the party and the event alongside the Piper's Angels team.
Tickets cost $20 and are sold in advance, on race day, and at the party itself. All ticket proceeds go to Piper's Angels. The park is open to everyone, but buying food or drinks or entering the main pit requires the wristband that comes with a ticket. The awards ceremony takes place at the same party, so the paddlers being cheered there will be the ones who finished the loop earlier that day.
Suit has said he hopes the event lasts. "Our vision is for Conquer the Rock to become one of Marco Island's signature community traditions," he told Coastal Breeze News. For a first-year event, it already has a lot of local support. Ferris told the paper that "We have even more verbal commitments to sponsor," and he listed race-day volunteers and water patrol among the help the community has offered.
Dates Between Now and the Finish Line
- Monday, November 16: last day to register for the 22-mile paddle at the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis event page. There are no race-day sign-ups.
- Friday, November 20: the paddlers' pre-party at the Snook Inn.
- Saturday, November 21: the 22-mile race starts at 7:30 a.m. from the beach at the JW Marriott, 400 S. Collier Blvd. The 5-mile sprint starts at 8:30 a.m. and the beach walk at 9:00 a.m. The festival opens at Veterans Community Park at 4:00 p.m.
- Friday, January 1: fundraising for the beach walk closes.
For sponsorship questions, Coastal Breeze lists Josh Ferris at Piper's Angels as the contact.
The paddlers will see Marco Island's waterfront from every side on November 21, from the Gulf beaches to the canals and backwaters behind them. If that kind of island weekend is part of why you are considering a home on the water here, Angelica Andrews knows the island's shoreline in detail and will show you which stretch fits the way you want to live. Request a Private Consultation.
