A RED RIDE OUT – Lake Windermere

Written by Robyn Dawson / August 2021

In May 2021, we held our very first UK Red Ride Out on the shores of Lake Windermere. Situated in an ideal spot, by the water’s edge, the Red team set up camp for the weekend to welcome a small group of passionate paddlers and friends of the brand to meet, paddle and embrace the beauty of the Lakeside setting.

We are no stranger to hosting events. Over the years we have run hundreds of demo days, exhibitions, commercial days and of course the Dragon World Championships. Yet, for 2020/21 we took a step back and asked ourselves what we wanted to achieve with our events program. The answer was simple; to get on the water, paddle and meet the people in our community who love paddle boarding as much as we do. And so, the Red Ride Out concept was born.

Following a turbulent year (this was our first event following lockdown) there was certainly slight apprehension in the air but more than anything we were pleased to finally be back together in the great outdoors and ready to host our very first Ride Out!

Thankfully the 20 miles an hour winds of the night before had finally subsided, and we awoke to a calm and dry morning ready to welcome the group of Red paddlers. As the first wave of Red owners arrived there was an overwhelming sense of familiarity as members of the Facebook group finally met in person and instantly bonded through their shared passion.

After a meet, greet and welcome chat from Red Co-Founder, John Hibbard, we invited the group onto the water for a gentle 6K morning paddle. The route took us out onto Lake Windermere towards the National Trust grounds of Fellfoot.

The theme for the weekend was ‘Improvers’. This was a chance for the guests to share their skills with one another and gain support and guidance from the more advanced paddlers in the group. It was a fantastic feeling to look around and see over 25 passionate paddlers back on the water where they belonged.

A relaxed paddle brought us to Fellfoot where we stopped off for an adventure coffee courtesy of Basecamp food. After a caffeine fix and a natter, the group hopped back on their boards, with the more seasoned paddlers of the group sharing techniques and tips as we meandered our way back to camp.

“Meeting and having the opportunity to chat with some of the team that sits behind the scenes was a brilliant idea, the external inputs fitted in perfectly with the weekend theme and with plenty of time to mingle and try out new things. Seeing some of the photos and footage, I'm amazed at how much was crammed into the time. “MIKE LEACH
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On arrival to camp, we found lunch being cooked on an open stove by adventure cook and explorer Harrison Ward who later shared his story (and a cooking demonstration) on how he came to combine two of his main passions in life, Food, and the Great Outdoors.
You can read more about Harrison and his top tips for cooking outdoors here…

We later heard from SUP (Stand Up Paddle) Adventurer John McFadzean who is on a mission to SUP in every country of the world – as of December 2020, he has paddled 45 countries worldwide. His thought-provoking talk was full of amusing anecdotes and motivational insights from his SUP adventures and concluded with a touching reminder to get out there, embrace life and find your adventure.