Midsummer Paddle 2026: The Longest Day, The Best People
On Friday, June 26, we gathered at Ski Beach on Mission Bay to celebrate the longest day of the year, and it turned into one of the most unforgettable nights in Paddle Boarding SD history. More than 120 people came out for our first Midsummer Paddle, making it our largest turnout yet and, in so many ways, our best event to date.
The inspiration came from the Baltics. Midsummer is one of the most beloved traditions in Latvia, a night of flower crowns, bonfires, sauna, and staying up to greet the shortest darkness of the year. This year we brought that spirit to San Diego, and the bay was the perfect place for it.
Meet, Connect, and Sweat
The evening opened at 5:00 with the mobile sauna fired up on the sand. Our friends at The Traveling Sauna gave everyone a chance to warm up, meet new faces, and settle into the night before we hit the water. Flower crowns went on, everyone leaned into the all-white dress code, and the beach filled up with good energy well before launch.
Around the Island at Golden Hour
At 6:30 we launched from Ski Beach and paddled together around Vacation Isle. All experience levels came along for this one. It was social-paced, unhurried, and timed so that the sun was dropping low over the water as we made the turn back. There is nothing quite like a full group of boards gliding across Mission Bay while the sky goes gold.
Sauna, Bonfire, and Beats
Back at the beach, the celebration really opened up. We had a massive bonfire, a potluck spread that kept growing all night, beats on the sand, fire dancing, and the sauna running late into the evening. People stayed for hours, laughing, sharing food, dancing around the fire, and making new friends. That, more than anything, is what Paddle Boarding SD has always been about.
One of our Latvian friends put it best afterward: no one got sacrificed this time, but we still made the folks back home jealous.
Thank You
An event like this only happens because of the people who show up and pour into it. Thank you to everyone who brought a board, a dish to share, helped set up, stayed to clean up, or simply arrived with a great attitude. You made the magic happen.
A special thank you to the photographers and videographers who captured the night from every angle, including Natalija Lepina of Lepina Editorial, Francis Ralph, Lena, and Ray Deters. These moments deserve more than a snapshot. They deserve to be remembered, and thanks to all of you they will be.
And somehow, we are only halfway through the season. Here is to even bigger adventures ahead. We cannot wait to share what comes next.
Paddle. Sauna. Potluck. Bonfire. Connect.
