The 5th Annual Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis Recap

Casey Kiernan
Kimberly Barnes & Steven Bernstein

140 paddlers endured an 80-mile journey from Bimini, Bahamas to Lake Worth Beach, FL in the Fifth Annual Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis. This year was the most challenging year yet with paddlers battling swells up to 6 feet high due to the weather. The first paddlers crossed the finish line in 11 hours and 1 minute with the last at 17 hours. The finish line was filled with tears of joy and champagne showers as paddlers celebrated by ringing the bell with Thor’s hammer.

Will Schlucter

“This year The Crossing truly exceeded our expectations coming off 2020 when the event was canceled. As a grassroots organization, we are so grateful the community rallied, and our participants set a new fundraising record. This was a powerful comeback to rebuild the momentum, and it shows the strength and resolve of the people who show up each year to make this one of the greatest endurance events in the world” Founder & Executive Director, Travis Suit, stated.

Josh Lanphear

Piper’s Angels Foundation, which puts on the event, raised a record high of $645,000 this year. Top sponsors of the event included CELSIUS, 4Ocean, Dixie Vodka, Yacht Sales International, Henssler Financial, Buoy Hydration, VINYASUN Solar, Margaritaville, Garden of Life, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Seacor Island Lines, and more.

Notable paddlers include:

1. Casey Kiernan, who paddled beach-to-beach continuously for 80-miles in a record-breaking time of 13 hours 18 minutes. Casey is a first time Crossing Crusader.

2. Josh Lanphear, who paddled beach-to-beach continuously for 80-miles won 1st place in the Men’s division with a time of 13 hours 28 minutes.

3. Kimberly Barnes & Steven Bernstein competed as a SUP 2-person relay team and were the first to cross the finish line in a record time of 11 hours 1 minute.

4. Will Schlucter, a two-time Crossing Crusader, earned the title of the first paddler with cystic fibrosis to ever paddle beach-to-beach.

For more information on The Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, check out their website www.crossingforcysticfibrosis.com. Registration for paddlers will open in August for the June 2022 event.