Beach Patrol Alums Compete in Annual Pilgrim Paddle

The Sea Isle City Beach Patrol alumnus Kevin Larkin and Upper Township Beach Patrol alumnus Jim Gibbons set a new course as they won the sixth annual Pilgrim Paddle on Saturday (Nov. 30), beating eight other crews.

The winning crew finished the 3.5-mile course in 29 minutes, 19 seconds, beating the second place Wildwood Crest crew of Terry McGovern and Darrack Kobrowski by 1 minute, 33 seconds. 

Rounding out the top five were the Upper Township Beach Patrol crew of Wayne MacMurray and Bill Kindle in third place, the Upper Township Beach Patrol crew of brothers Joe and Jon O’Neil in fourth place, and in fifth place Sam Downs and Ed Giordano of the Cape May Beach Patrol.

The Pilgrim Paddle is usually held every Thanksgiving Day morning at the Upper Township municipal beach in Beesleys Point.  This year's race was delayed until Saturday due to 20 mph winds on Thursday morning.  The course takes the crews under both the Garden State Parkway and US Route 9 bridges as they circle Drag Island.

2013 Pilgrim Paddle results:

1st: Kevin Larkin (Sea Isle Beach Patrol alumni) and Jim Gibbons (Upper Township Beach Patrol), 29:19, New Course Record

2nd: Terry McGovern (Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol) and Darrack Kobrowski (Wildwood Beach Patrol), 30:52

3rd: Wayne MacMurray (Upper Township Beach Patrol) and Bill Kindle                   (Wildwood Beach Patrol Alum), 31:09

4th: John O’Neil (Upper Township Beach Patrol) and Joe O’Neil, 31:59

5th: Sam Downs (Cape May Beach Patrol Alumni) and Ed Giordano, 32:57

6th:   Bill Millar (Ocean City Beach Patrol Alumni) and Joe McCann, 34:22

7th:  Jack Devine (Wildwood Beach Patrol Alumni) and Joe Grimes (Ocean City Beach Patrol Alum), 37:11

Mixed Doubles:

8th: Joe LaRosa and Barb LaRosa (Team Hank Sauce), 37:01      

9th: Bill Handley and Brooke Handley (Upper Township Beach Patrol), 39:28