Conquer the Vedder

You must provide all your own gear for each stage of the race. We do not provide watercrafts, paddleboards or bikes. There will be a water station set up at each discipline transition area.

Standup Paddleboarding:

• Standup Paddleboards only on Sunday’s relay event! No kayaks, no surf-skis, no swimming, no prone paddleboarding.
• Only single blade SUP paddles allowed. No kayak paddles or double-bladed paddles allowed.
• Coast Guard OR Transport Canada Approved PFD or life jacket (type III or better) OR self-inflating belt style life preserver. These must be worn at all times while on the water. You are not allowed to simply attach your life jacket or self-inflating belt to your board while paddling, it must be worn upon your body at all times while on the water.
• Whistle. Must be attached to you and within easy reach.
• Leash. You must be leashed to your SUP at all times while on the water.
• No kites or board alterations of any type allowed. It’s your arms, your lungs, your SUP, and your single blade paddle; anything else will get you disqualified.
• You are allowed to use a sit down back support for your SUP board if you like, but you are still only allowed a single blade paddle.
• Once off the water, you must transport your SUP gear to the approved holding area, as directed by our course marshals. Any boards strewn about and not following the course marshals’ directions shall see the person and/or team disqualified.

Open Water Paddling:

• Any self-propelled watercraft – ONLY for Saturday’s Solo open water category!
• No sails allowed. It’s your arms, your lungs, your watercraft, and your paddle; anything else will get you disqualified.
• Coast Guard OR Transport Canada Approved PFD or life jacket (type III or better) OR self-inflating belt style life preserver. These must be worn at all times while on the water. You are not allowed to simply attach your life jacket or self-inflating belt to your watercraft while paddling, it must be worn upon your body at all times while on the water.
• Whistle. Must be attached to you and within easy reach.
• Once off the water, you must transport your watercraft and gear to the approved holding area, as directed by our course marshals. Any watercraft strewn about and not following the course marshals’ directions shall see the person disqualified.

Off-Road Biking:

• Gravel bike, cyclocross bike, or mountain bike, in good working order.
• NO e-bikes allowed. No motors or assistance of any type allowed. It’s your legs and the pedals; anything more will get you disqualified.
• Bike helmet (certified CSA or equivalent).
• Solo racers must transport their running shoes throughout the course. The run stage is in the middle of the bike stage. We recommend a backpack or attaching the shoes to your handlebars with ski straps. Practice before race weekend.
• Solo racers can leave all bike supplies with their bike while out on the run stage. Once you depart the bike stage for the finish line, you must carry everything back. Leaving gear out on course will result in a disqualification.

Trail Run:

• No course cutting, no switchback cutting. Follow the flagging exactly as it is laid out. Course cutting and/or switchback cutting will get you, you guessed it, disqualified!
• Solo competitors can leave all their bike supplies with their bikes while they are out on the run stage.