It’s all about remembering the legacy of a lifeguard and the inspiration Ben Carlson left behind.

The annual Ben Did Go 8.0 drew a record number of participants this year, with 111 prone paddlers embarking from Catalina Island to Newport Beach on Saturday, Sept. 16, for a 30-mile trek that also serves as a fundraiser in the fallen lifeguard’s honor.

This year, nearly $210,000 was raised for the Ben Carlson Scholarship and Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit created by friends, family and fellow lifeguards to raise money for water safety and drowning prevention. The amount raised far exceeded last year’s $125,000 and brings the total from the past eight years to about $550,000.

“It was extraordinary, the amount of support we get every year seems to be growing organically through the community,” said Spencer Pirdy, who created the event in 2015 and now sits on the nonprofit’s board of advisors.

Carlson, a Newport Beach lifeguard veteran, died during a rescue in big surf in 2014.

Ben Carlson, a longtime Newport Beach lifeguard, died in the line of duty on July 6, 2014. His legacy lives on through beach safety efforts, scholarships, education programs and more. (Photo courtesy of the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation)

“It’s just so huge for our foundation,” Pirdy said of the community support for the group. “We’re able to in turn take those funds and reach out to our partnerships at lifeguard agencies around the world that really need our help. They don’t have the necessary funds from their governments to help.”

For example, Puerto Escondido, a big-wave spot Carlson loved, now has ATVs and other equipment courtesy of the foundation, and there are water safety programs that have been started in coastal areas of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The foundation is also coordinating with Maui efforts to help lifeguards on the fire-stricken island.

The number of paddlers this year surpassed last year’s 77 participants, with many newcomers joining veterans who are familiar with crossing the Catalina channel.

Mark Schulein, CEO of Crown Ace Hardware, is no stranger to the crossing, it was his 25th trek across the Pacific Ocean since his first in 1996.

Now, at age 54, he’s enjoying a mentorship role for the next generation of prone paddlers.

Unlike stand-up paddling, which has gained in popularity the past two decades, prone paddlers stay on their knees or lay down for the journey, using their arms to propel themselves forward.

The more traditional style is having a comeback, thanks to events like this, said Schulein. “The Ben Carlson has changed the face of prone paddling.”

Crossing the channel is about many things: Endurance, adventure and challenge, he said.

Schulein spent the day going between the front of the pack and back, chatting with paddlers to make the hours go faster.

“I have so much passion for the sport and that channel, to see all the people of all walks of life, all the ages and all these stories,” he said. “That was one of my favorite parts.”

The journey from start to finish took eight hours, with breaks between. But unlike other events, this one is more than just about making it to the finish line with a goal time in mind.

“I prefer experiences and adventure to racing. Now I just want to enjoy it. I love to mentor and help people do cool stuff, getting other people to see the value of doing it for yourself, but also for something bigger,” Schulein said. “To raise money and know it goes back to community and the organization – I have chicken skin. A lot of the kids don’t have money (to donate), but they can fundraise and train … I live for this stuff.”

Conditions couldn’t have been better for the paddlers, with mild wind and weather and little swell to make for smooth waters.

The paddle ended at the Newport Pier, at a bronze statue of Carlson looking out toward the ocean as they approached.

“It’s all about Ben Carlson and what he did and that inspiration he gives us every year,” Pirdy said. “We get to do this spiritual crossing with him guiding us.”

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