Born in Germany and now deeply rooted in Chicago, Kirsten Marina Lefeldt has built a life around the water – and a reputation as one of the most dynamic figures in the SUP scene.
Coach, pro racer and adventure mentor, Kirsten’s journey into stand-up paddling started almost by chance: a spontaneous first try on a board, followed by a short race she was “talked into” after just a handful of sessions. She won it – and never looked back. “I think this is your sport,” someone told her. The rest, as they say, is history.
TotalSUP caught up with Kirsten ahead of the 2026 Chicago Skyline SUP Race, taking place on Saturday, 16 May in Monroe Harbor – a focused day of racing in the heart of downtown Chicago, with the iconic backdrop of Lake Michigan.
We spoke about the growth of Chicago’s SUP scene, how new paddlers can get involved, and what’s in the pipeline for the season ahead.
Chicago skyline | Image source: Willian Justen de Vasconcellos / Canva
After getting my degree in Civil Engineering in Germany, I wanted to see what the U.S. are like and came here for an internship. Somehow I am still here.
Lake Michigan is fantastic! The thing is that our Winters are so cold that when Summer hits, we truly embrace it. Sunrise paddles, beach days and practicing technical skills, and local races are just a few of our Summer adventures. We got easy access to a big, clean body of Water with the backdrop of the Chicago Skyline. There’s really nothing like it.
If you have ever watched American Ninja Warrior on TV, our competitions and our gym are much like this. Of course, I always get the question if I have ambition to ever be on the show but my answer is that I really just love building skills in the gym. When you finally master a new obstacle it’s the best feeling. You always give 100% when you try to clear an obstacle. There is no slacking off. It’s sort of like a big playground for adults.
I occasionally compete in competitions like World Ninja League (WNL), Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA), or Federation of International Ninja Athletics (FINA). While the rules slightly vary for all of these, they are all creative obstacles courses that you master within just a few minutes or sometimes you will run on a mirror course next to another athlete in Ninja vs. Ninja.
When you complete a course you get to hit the buzzer. Very hard to do and the goal for everyone. I have made a few podiums and won a FINA Ninja vs. Ninja competition in Houston last year.
But mostly I love Ninja because it has truly elevated my athleticism to another level and it transfers nicely to SUP because it is all about power endurance, balance, and adapting to constantly changing situations.
Main takeaway: I got work to do haha. No seriously, as I mentioned before this was a whole other level of racing than I have ever experienced before. In recent years the sprint events have become my favorite. I want to get better at keeping my nerves in check at the start and leaving it all out on that 100 m course.
Same with Technical. I want to further improve my turns and starts. My training will focus on that as opposed to previous years where my main focus was ultra endurance.
And let’s face it, I am in my 40s. My goal is to stay healthy and strong first and foremost and do this for a very long time. Podiums are exciting and training hard gives me focus but the longer you do this the more you see the bigger picture. It’s the sport we love and want to keep doing.
I actually run the Chicago SUP racing team. After teaching classes for Chicago SUP (the oldest SUP business in the city) for a couple of years, paddlers would always ask me: “So what comes after this course?”.
I really wanted to get people into racing so I started this team. We now have over 20 members and have really built a special community. We practice weekly, meet for social events, and stay connected in between through our own app. It’s been so rewarding for me to watch this team grow, see our race jerseys on the water, and just witness the excitement for the sport.
The event will be right downtown Chicago with limited space. While we plan to host bigger events in the future, we want to keep it manageable and stress-free for participants to ensure parking and staging areas are available for all racers.
Very unique! You will be racing in the middle of a big city. Monroe Harbor offers a sheltered flat water area with the opportunity to access Lake Michigan if conditions allow. Columbia Yacht Club is housed inside the Club Ship, a 372-foot former ice-cutting Canadian ferry, the Q.S.M.V. Abegweit.
Spectators get to view the race from the dock and racers and spectators can join the after party inside the club restaurant with great views of Lake Michigan and the city.
In this third year of hosting the competition we want to continue the “community first, competition second” motto that the Midwest racing scene is known for. There will be some fierce racing but there will also be an opportunity for recreational racers to participate.
We have three more races planned this season, including a Chicago River race, a beach SUP and fitness event, and the Pumpkin Paddle race in October, also at Columbia Yacht Club.
The best way to get involved in the racing and social paddling scene is to check out our website – Chicago SUP. Our racing team offers a community level and a competitive membership option.
Practices are held weekly along with several social events throughout the summer, including Full Moon and Sunrise Paddleboard expeditions and lots of ways to enjoy paddling on Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.
I am definitely looking forward to the next ICF World Championships in October in Sabaudia, Italy. Up until then my focus will be on local races, including two in downtown Chicago that I help organize. While I love traveling to races, I also sometimes like to stay local and continue to build the SUP community here. But you never know, just like I did with the Spring SUP race in Italy last year, I might book a trip last minute if I see a race that sparks my interest.
*Images courtesy of Kirsten Marina Lefeldt
7 Nov 2024
“When we talk about the paddles being handcrafted, what most people don’t realise is how many times a human touches the paddle in the course if it being made,” said David Smart, Founder of Blackfish Paddles, the Canadian SUP brand designing, manufacturing and distributing premium, handcrafted SUP paddles. That tactile aspect of a paddle is […]
19 Aug 2021
“The beauty of this sport is that you never stop learning and never run out of different aspects of it and new places to explore”, says Kirsten Marina Lefeldt, Blackfish Paddles Rider, SUP Athlete, Coach and Adventure Mentor. TotalSUP caught up with Kirsten to talk about growing the SUP scene in Chicago, preparing for the […]
