Each Stroke, Each Wave

In sprint, winners are those who miss the fewest strokes.  Each stroke must be perfectly positioned, strongly executed, and quickly exited to move onto the subsequent stroke. As a racer gets tired, he might blow a stroke or find himself using less than perfect technique.  In such a small race as a sprint, each stroke matters.

In comparison: on the ocean, in a down-winder, we say that the person who wins is the person who misses the fewest waves.  We know that each small swell heading with us is something to gain lift and speed from.  The best of the best ocean paddlers can pick up each bump, ride it to the next, and jump over to the new front face.  In longer races, we do well by keeping our speed as fast as possible through picking up the force of each swell.  In such competitive fields as some of the top races like Molokai, each wave matters.