Quickblade dominates Molokai to Oahu SUP race

Athletes from Team Quickblade swept the field in Sunday’s 2014 Molokai to Oahu paddleboard race when the top six finishers in the men’s Unlimited Class each crossed the finish line of the epic 32 mile long race. Conner Baxter edged out defending 2013 champion Travis Grant to reclaim the crown at stand up paddling’s most prestigious race. In order of finish, the top six men’s Unlimited Class competitors were: Conner Baxter (Quickblade V-Drive), Travis Grant (Quickblade Trifecta), Scott Gamble (Quickblade V-Drive), Kai Lenny (Quickblade V-Drive), Dave Kalama (Quickblade V-Drive) and Livio Menelau (Quickblade V-Drive).

Known simply as “Molokai”, the race is the pinnacle event in a paddle athlete’s career. It is the ultimate test of skill and endurance where the conditions challenge even the most experienced paddlers. Each athlete charts their course across the infamous “Channel of Bones”, employing a strategy which they hope will enable them to reach the opposing shore victorious. “The Ka’iwi Channel doesn’t care if you’ve won nine races…it will chew you up and spit you out,” said Jamie Mitchell, who won the event 10 consecutive times on a ...more

Connor Baxter Wins SUP World Championship at 19

Molokai 2 Oahu Video News Release 2014 from Fin Film Company on Vimeo.

The 18th annual Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard World Championship saw 19-year-old Connor Baxter from Hawaii take first place, while also breaking his own world record. He came in with a time of 4:08:08, beating his previous record by more than five minutes. He finished ahead of the 2013 champion, Australian Travis Grant, who took second this year with a time of 4:09:15. The race was held on Sunday, spanning about 32 miles from Kalua Koi on Molokai to the beach at the Maunalua Bay Beach Park bath house.

According to SUPracer.com, there was a point where Grant said he was desperate for water and needed to switch our his water pack for a new one, but he knew doing so may allow Baxter the time to pass him. He became desperate and decided to stop, and sure enough, Baxter was able to take the lead. Baxter said had he ...more

How To Surf a River Wave by Mike Tavares

Very informative and well made! Mike Tavares shows us how to properly gear up, approach and get into the wave from both goofy and regular stance. He then ...more

SUWS: 2014 European Cup Wraps Up in Italy

 

After four action-packed stops on the 2014 European Cup presented by Starboard, the Standup World Series heads to Santa Severa Beach in Rome, Italy this weekend for the final stop of the Cup, and the $10,000 World Challenger Series.
The World SUP Challenge presented by Jeep forms part of the long-standing Italia Surf Expo that brings together the water sports industry for unique festival on the beach in Rome. This year, the World Challenger Series event will also serve as the Finals for the 2014 European Cup, wrapping up an ...more

World SUP Challenge on the horizon

 

After an epic four stops on the European Cup presented by Starboard, we now head to Santa Severa Beach in Rome, Italy for the Final stop of the Cup and the $10,000 World Challenger Series event to take place this weekend.

The World SUP Challenge presented by Jeep forms part of the long standing Italia Surf Expo that brings together the water sports industry for a magical get together on the Beach in Rome. This year, the World Challenger Series event will also serve as the Finals for the European Cup presented by Starboard, closing what has been an amazing two months of racing.

It all started in Bilbao in the Basque Country of Spain, then headed to Oleron Island in France, Sieravuori in Finland, then Fehmarn this past weekend for the Camp David World Cup of SUP, as it all culminates this weekend in Rome for an extremely fitting festival event.

The Racing will see some of the World’s best attend this final stop of the European Cup, including Australia’s Jake Jensen (Fanatic) who has great momentum at the moment after his third place at the third stop of the Stand Up World Series this past weekend.

However watch out for Europe’s leading lights who will be stepping up to be counted here at the Final stop for the all-important European Title: Casper Steinfath (Naish) from ...more

 

World-first, epic Stand-up Paddle SUP mission

      

A FEW years ago, Andrew “Macca” McCaughtrie decided he 

wanted to one day Stand-up Paddle or SUP out to Montague Island.

And so, a dream was born.

He has also recently started his new Narooma-based 

business South Coast Stand-up Paddleboarding

, another dream realised.

Last Wednesday, thanks to near perfect weather conditions, 

he ticked the Montague Island mission off his bucket list, 

not only to SUP the 9km out from Narooma on the Far South Coast NSW,

 but paddling back again as well, being the first person ever to do so.

The paddle took 1hr 20mins heading out and 1hr 40mins to return

, fighting the south sweeping current.

Macca had a small support boat with skipper

 Austin Vaughn on board as well as his wife Leichelle, only coming aboard for

 10 mins in Jetty Bay to rest and stretch before deciding he'd turn around 

and paddle the 9km back again as well.

His paddle started at Bar Beach shark net at 9.10am 

with a slight swell coming through bar entrance.

Once in the open water the ocean glassed off ...more

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SUP Race Distances

 

The Standardization of SUP Race Distances

Running and stand up paddle boarding have a lot in common. The similarities start when you leave behind the fact that one is done on terra firma and the other on water. Both sports can be considered the most accessible sports in their respective environments, their ease of participation is simple yet can still create a challenge, both require only a friend to race against for competition and both maintain a great sense of community.  We could go on but you get the point. Despite the obvious differences, running and paddling are pretty similar!

One big difference between the two sports is that organized running competitions have been around for much longer than SUP racing.

Instead of reinventing a magic formula for stand up paddle race formats, SUPAA has taken cues from running and other racing sports to propose standardized race distances.

The SUPAA 5K Short Distance, 10K Mid-Distance, 16K Pro Distance and 52K Ultra Distance courses are all written into the 2014 SUPAA Rulebook. We encourage race directors and athletes to provide feedback on these distances so we can work toward unified global race distances.

Not all events will fit into these exact distances, but we believe many can. There will still be opportunities for alternate distances with the SUPAA unlimited course option.

The SUPAA unlimited course is any course approved by SUPAA race officials as ...more