Sunset seminar with USMC Staff Sgt. Mark Zambon Aug. 7

Second annual Lobster Sup Cup benefits Operation Rebound

Wed, 08/06/2014 - 1:30pm

The Lobster SUP CUP paddleboard race returns to the Midcoast in August for a second year. The 2014 SUP CUP features more participants, an additional day of racing and events, a fresh list of enthusiastic sponsors, and the appearance of an inspiring athlete who is also a wounded veteran.

Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Zambon lost both legs when a buried bomb exploded underneath him during his sixth combat deployment in 2011. Zambon and his wife, Martha, are coming to the SUP CUP from their home in San Diego because the SUP CUP is a veterans’ benefit designed to support Operation Rebound, the country’s premier sports program for injured veterans. Zambon is an Operation Rebound athlete, and he is at the race to represent the organization.

Read about the 2013 SUP CUP:

CANADIANS CAPTURE THE FIRST LOBSTER SUP CUP TITLES

Riding the swells from Rockport to Belfast, on a board with a paddle

The SUP CUP kicks off with Zambon appearing at the Camden Yacht Club, 68 Bay View St., to give a talk about resilience. It is a topic he knows a lot about: 18 months after he lost both legs in Afghanistan, Zambon climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He is now a highly competitive swimmer. The talk, sponsored by Pen Bay Health Care, will take place at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7, and it is open to the public.

“We really want to make the veterans’ benefit a more visible part of the SUP CUP,” Thor Emory, the race co-founder, said of the second annual event. “Mark is a wounded veteran and a top athlete. We are thrilled he’s here.”

The next day starts out with a paddle clinic run by two former Olympic athletes.

Terry Kent and Veronica Ribot-Canales will be teaching proper stand-up technique at Megunticook Lake. Later that evening is the Lobster SUP CUP opening party, at Wayfarer Marine in Camden. It will feature lobster pizzas churned out by local celebrity chef Kerry Altiero, beer donated by Andrew’s Brewing, a DJ, and more. It is also open to the public. “We added an extra day this year just for the party,” Emory said. “This race is growing into a days-long event for racers from around the country, their families, and the Midcoast community.”

Racing over the following two days will include 10-mile loops out of Camden and then Rockport. There will also be a short, three-mile recreational race in Rockport Harbor on Aug. 10. Spectators are invited to come and enjoy the spectacle.

The SUP CUP is clearly growing — this year’s race is expected to have perhaps twice as many competitors as the first Lobster SUP CUP last year. Emory likes where things are headed. “The sport is doubling every year and we plan to match that growth,” said Emory, who is preparing to compete at the Molokai Paddleboard Championship (M2O) in Hawaii this month. “We’ve got absolutely stunning race courses here in Penobscot Bay, and our goal is to run an inclusive, fun and inspiring event that showcases our local area to the sport of SUP and benefits Operation Rebound.”