By MADDY VITALE
Tim and Kate Campbell knew they had to do something special to keep the fun, camaraderie and neighborly cheer going, even though Ocean City’s annual Night in Venice boat parade was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Campbells, who live on the Carnival Lagoon, came up with “The Great OC Lagoon Race.”
Now in its fourth year, it brings kayakers and paddleboarders out to the 16th and 17th Street lagoons — Carnival and Venetian — for some friendly competition with races that take water sports enthusiasts around the bay.
While there are trophies and prizes donated by local businesses for the winners each year, the organizers say it is really just about having a good time.
“I figured I’d do something for the locals,” Tim Cambell said of the annual event. “We’ve lived in Ocean City since 2009 and moved onto the bay in 2014. The bay is amazing, and it is so much fun.”
Being an avid water sports enthusiast, it didn’t take too much thought for Campbell to come up with the event, he said.
“I was brainstorming and getting creative. I really enjoy it, and why not join in the fun and make a community event out of it?” he said. “Everybody knows the beachside of the island and to me it is the bay – something magical about the bay.”
On Saturday, Kate Campbell emceed the event. People hopped in kayaks, jumped on paddleboards and others just watched from the docks or balconies and porches.
First, were the paddleboarders who went around Carnival Lagoon to Venetian and back again.
Resident Robin Shaffer, an Ocean City School Board member, was one of the kayakers who make the event an annual tradition.
“I think it is great what Tim and Kate did when they created this event. It’s such a giveback to the community. I think it brings such joy and an event unique for the island,” Shaffer said. “I’ve been doing it for the last four years and I hope it continues to grow. It gives us a chance to get a good workout and reconnect with a lot of friends. I am on the beach a lot of the time.”
There were prizes and special shout-outs for the youngest and oldest participants – ages 8 to 68.
Neighbors who weren’t part of the event, which went out from the Campbell’s dock, watched and cheered on the participants. Some spectators even rang cowbells to signal excitement.
“The neighborhood loves it. Everyone comes out with their cowbells from both lagoons and just enjoy it,” Kate noted. “All the neighbors come out.”
And while the Campbells and their daughter, Emma, work hard to prepare for the event each year, Kate said her husband deserves the credit for coming up with such an amazing, fun get-together for all ages.
“When Night in Venice couldn’t happen, my husband said, ‘Let’s do something fun.’ That’s when we started it, and it is growing every year. We do have prizes from our local sponsors, but it is just for fun,” Kate said.
City Councilman Jody Levchuk, co-owner of Jilly’s Boardwalk and downtown shops, was one of the sponsors of the event, providing the popular Jilly’s Arcade Fun Cards.
Levchuk, who represents the Third Ward, which is where the race is located, said he hopes to participate next year and maybe get other Council people involved.
“This is a common world of Ocean City that everyone is so familiar with. There is this obvious sense of community,” he said. “Everybody is loving this. Most of the people out here are full-time residents. It is really nice.”
Tim Campbell runs the Facebook group, Ocean City Baylife. If you love Ocean City, you are encouraged to join.
