Finding balance. Making waves.
845-board target. One world record attempt. June 12, 2027.
I'm Hudson. I'm 14. I stand up to food allergies every single day, by eating the thing that could kill me to teach my body not to. It's a balancing act, and it's scary. The one place it isn't scary is on a paddleboard. So this summer I'm getting as many people as I can out on the water to break a world record, raise money so other kids can get the treatment I got, and make some noise about a disease most people can't even see.
I was little. Someone handed me a peanut butter cookie at a party.
Nobody used an EpiPen. Nobody called an ambulance. My parents put me in the car and drove.
I threw up the whole way there.
I spent the next four days in the ICU.
What that day did to me, after
Here is the part I never told many people. That car seat sat in our basement for months while my parents tried to clean it. Every time I walked past it, I was back in the car.
That is what a food allergy really is. It is not the list of foods you can't eat. It is the fear that comes after, the thing in the basement you keep walking past.
Then I started training. I eat the thing that could kill me. On purpose. A little more every time, climbing toward something called food freedom.
The top is food freedom. But it's narrow, like the edge of Half Dome. One slip and it's anaphylaxis. So every single day, I balance.
Balancing up on that mountain every day is exactly why a paddleboard feels easy.
Fall off a board and you just get wet. Slip on the mountain and it's an emergency.
Out here, the scary part disappears. The water is the one place I get to just stand up.
"Stand up" has meant three things my whole life.
On June 12, 2027, I get to do all three at once.
So I'm getting a ton of people out on the water.
An 845-board target. Kids, parents, neighbors. The whole lake turned teal, the food allergy community’s color. We make some noise about a disease most people can't even see, raise money so families who can't afford the treatment can get it, and push toward a cure for everyone with food allergies.
Why a world record? Because it's big and a little crazy, and that's how you get hundreds of people to show up on the same morning. The record is 844. We need 845. One more than anyone's ever done. Plus, breaking a world record is just cool.
Where we paddle.
Minneapolis Chain of Lakes · Saturday, June 12, 2027. Our plan uses four launch areas across three lakes, converging on Lake of the Isles for a planned parade loop around Mike's Island. Nearby street parking and launch details are subject to final event instructions.
- 1
Cedar Lake · South & Point Beaches
Park on nearby streets. Paddle the canal into Lake of the Isles.
- 2
Lake of the Isles · east shore
Park on East/West Isles streets. Launch straight into the loop.
- 3
Bde Maka Ska · North Beach (W Lake St)
Park on nearby streets. Paddle the canal into Lake of the Isles.
- 4
Bde Maka Ska · 32nd Street
Park on W 31st to 34th. Paddle the canal into Lake of the Isles.
This map shows the current plan. The final route, launch assignments and safety arrangements are subject to approval and final event instructions.
This is bigger than one kid on one board.
American kids has a food allergy. That's about two kids in every classroom, on every team, at every birthday party.
Every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone in the US to the emergency room.
Cures exist today. But treatments are pushing the ball up the mountain for thousands of kids right now, and research needs fuel.
$25 a registration. A $25,000 goal.
Here is one fundraising scenario, not an achieved total. Donations and registrations are separate.
845 registrations × $25 would raise $21,125. The fundraising goal is $25,000 for kids with food allergies.
Beneficiary organizations and allocations will be announced after written confirmation. A donation does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Three ways to stand up
Bring your board
Registration with your own board is $25. Registration instructions and participant requirements are being confirmed.
Registration detailsBorrow one
Registration with borrowed equipment is $75. Equipment availability and registration instructions are being confirmed.
Registration detailsFuel a board
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. A donation does not register a paddler or reserve equipment.
DonateStand up for a kid, at any level.
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. Donations and registrations are separate.
Give $25
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive $75
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive $175
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive $250
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive $500
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive $1,000
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive $3,000
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsGive any amount
Support the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. This gift does not register a paddler or guarantee a specific purchase.
Donation detailsThe fine print, minus the fine
Do I need to be an experienced paddler?
Participant requirements and equipment availability are still being confirmed. Please review the approved participant instructions before deciding to paddle.
What does it cost?
Online paddleboard registration is not available yet. Registration is $25 with your own board or $75 with borrowed equipment. Registration instructions and equipment availability are being confirmed. A donation does not reserve a board or register a paddler.
What world record is this, exactly?
We are attempting the Largest parade of stand up paddleboards (SUPs). Our target is 845 boards on the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Any result remains subject to verification.
What counts for the record?
Our target is 845 stand-up paddleboards in one continuous parade. Guinness requirements, counting arrangements and adjudication are still being finalized. Any record result remains subject to verification.
What's the victory loop?
The planned parade loop circles Mike's Island in Lake of the Isles. The final route remains subject to approval and final event instructions.
What if the weather is bad?
The weather backup is Sunday, June 13, 2027 at 8:30 a.m. Central (America/Chicago). Weather decisions and final instructions will be shared before the event.
Where can I find the safety plan?
Safety and medical arrangements are still being finalized. Approved participant instructions will be published before the event.
Can I just donate without paddling?
Yes. The donation page supports the $25,000 goal for kids with food allergies. A donation does not reserve a board or confirm paddler registration. Beneficiary organizations and allocations will be announced after written confirmation.
Paddleboard registration
Saturday, June 12, 2027 · launch 8:30 a.m. Central (America/Chicago) · Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Weather backup: Sunday, June 13, 2027 at 8:30 a.m. Central.
Online paddleboard registration is not available yet.
Registration is $25 with your own board or $75 with borrowed equipment. Registration instructions and equipment availability are being confirmed. A donation does not reserve a board or register a paddler.