Gig Harbor is preparing to welcome some of the best stand-up paddleboard racers in the country. Among them will be a 17-year-old who knows the harbor better than most.
Christiana “Roo” Truebenbach has spent years paddling the waters around Gig Harbor, first recreationally and eventually as a competitive racer. Now, she will have the chance to compete against racers from across the country when the USA SUP National Championships come to Gig Harbor Sept. 18 through 20.
One of Gig Harbor’s best paddle boarders
Truebenbach has finished first and second in races across the region, sometimes coming out ahead of paddlers much older than her. She has also become one of the few young competitive stand-up paddleboard racers in Gig Harbor.
For Truebenbach, the national championships is an opportunity to race on familiar water while competing against a field that will be larger and more competitive than many of her previous races.
“I definitely am excited to see how the conditions are for the long course, because they change every year,” Truebenbach said. “I’m definitely excited to take my lines, see how I’m going to go and just paddle that and see how it goes.”…