South Bay Witches Paddle Returning For Fifth Year By Writer and Contributor Emily McGinn
Photography by Kerry Stitt of Sky to Sea Drone Photography
The South Bay Witches Paddle is set to bring spooky ocean fun to Redondo Beach for the fifth consecutive year.
On Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., those interested in participating in the paddle are invited to dress up in witches costumes and head out to King Harbor in Redondo Beach to join the event. There will also be paddleboards available for rent prior to the event. After the paddle, there will be an after-party at the nearby Riviera Mexican Cantina that people can attend, as well.
Photography by Kerry Stitt of Sky to Sea Drone Photography
Erin Hansen, a local teacher and founder of Aya Sol Center, a shamanic healing center, started the paddle during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Inspired by Morro Bay’s Witches and Warlocks Paddle, she threw the idea out in a Facebook group to start a similar local event.
“I said, ‘Hey, anyone want to dress up like witches and go stand-up paddleboarding with me?’” Hansen said. “It just took off. That year was our first year. I think at least 100 people reached out and messaged me. And it was amazing — the fog rolled in so spectacularly. And the LA Times covered it that year. Because of COVID, it was just a really safe, fun activity. They were just happy to be out there with the community and on the water.”
Photography by Kerry Stitt of Sky to Sea Drone Photography
Although it started out as a safe and much needed form of connection during the pandemic, the idea stuck. Hansen started the HarborVibes Facebook group, and since its inception, the event has continued to grow.
“People look forward to it now. So now, it just has grown through social media, through word of mouth and through the press, or just people seeing pictures,” she said.
For Hansen, organizing the event comes naturally to her. She has been in education for 27 years, so she is experienced in organizing groups. She coordinates with the Harbor Patrol and a paddleboard rental company to ensure everyone is safe and can participate. Now that the paddle is heading into its fifth year, Hansen says it has become “a pretty well-oiled machine.”
She also requests that people register for the event beforehand, even though participating in the paddle is free, so they get a sense of how many people to expect. This year, she is expecting a turnout of about a couple hundred people to head out on the water.
Hansen views the Witches Paddle as a great way to connect with the community in a fun, seasonal and water-based way.
Photography by Kerry Stitt of Sky to Sea Drone Photography
“[My favorite part is] the community,” Hansen said. “Paddleboarding is so magical to me, because as a water person, I feel like it’s one thing that almost anyone can do. You can even sit on your board. You don't have to stand. So just introducing that sport and our beautiful ocean at Redondo to people, and being part of the community is my favorite. [It] just makes me smile. Sometimes I'll just sit on my board as everybody's passing by me during the paddle, and I'm just so grateful because everybody's just together and having a great time.”
Photos courtesy of @jameskaofoto
People interested in paddling events can also keep an eye out for more holiday-themed paddles throughout the year, though the Witches Paddle is Hansen’s biggest event.
Check out the website for more information here, and check out the Instagram page @harborvibes_official.
Bio:
Emily McGinn is a journalist based in the Los Angeles area. She enjoys reporting on and writing about a variety of topics from lifestyle to news, especially in her areas of specialty, environmental science and political science.
