by Chris Couve | Jul 28, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle
RED PADDLE SOUTH AFRICA are excited to launch their winter ocean series event for 2015. The event takes place on Hout Bay Beach, on the East Side between the months of August and October and is open to SUP, Surfski and Prone participants of all ages and levels.
With the exception of the 15th of August (SUP Nationals) the event takes place every second Sunday from 09:00 – 12:00.
The Schedule/Daily Event Program is as follows:
08:00 – 09:00 SUPyoga open to all.
09:00 – 09:45 official registration opens
09:45 – 10:00 safety briefing and event rules and race descriptions
10:00 Surfski Race Start 10km & 5km
10:15 Prone Race
10:15 SUP Race start
10:15 Ladies Sup Starts
10:15 Family/Kids Race starts
11:30 Prizes
12:00 Wrap Event
Official Event Dates for 2015:
Day 1 of 7 : Sunday August 2nd
Day 2 of 7 : Saturday August 15th (No Fee / Open Day)
Day 3 of 7 : Sunday August 30th
Day 4 of 7 : Sunday September 13th
Day 5 of 7 : Sunday September 27th
Day 6 of 7 : Sunday October 11th
Day 7 of 7 : Sunday October 25th
Registration is now officially open and you can register per a day for the entire series:
Rates as follows: Daily Entrance: R30 adults / R20 kids) All six events R150 adults / R100 kids
Please contact info@redpaddle.co.za / 083 462 8617 for more information.
Press / event /sponsorship enquiries contact info@bellovistaproductions.com
THANK YOU! We look forward to welcoming you to this years event.
SEE YOU AT THE BEACH.
WWW.REDPADDLE.CO.ZA
by Chris Couve | Jul 22, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Racing
Mariner’s Wharf SUP Challenge – Hout Bay – SUPSA Sanctioned
To all the out of town paddlers who need to book flights and a place to stay, this event is on Saturday the 15th of August. Registration will be on the beach from 9:00am and starting between 10am and 11am and expect to to be done by 1:30pm. The race will be between 8km and 10km depending on ocean conditions.
PFD and a leash are required!
You do not need to be SUPSA registered member, this is done on the day.
There will be a short course of around 3km so everyone is welcome to come try out SUP racing on what ever craft you have – no SUPSA points in short course event.
If we have calm waters we will have some fun and games events afterwards too.
Please feel free to call the event organiser, Guy Bubb, on 0827890411 for further enquiries. Or you can email him: info@guybubbphoto.com
Paddle hard, paddle fast, & have fun.
by Chris Couve | Jul 13, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Surfing
Under Armour South African Stand Up Paddleboard Wave Championships is happening 24th-26th July. Entries close this Friday 17th July and no late entries will be accepted – that means only 5 days left or you will miss out!
Registration is at 18h00 on Thursday 23rd at The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay. Just in case you are stressing about having to take Friday 24th off from work or school…
The Social Men’s & Ladies, Junior Boys & Girls, as well as The Kids division will all run on Saturday and Sunday.
Friday will have Men’s & Women’s Open, Legends and Diva’s
Enter via www.topevents.co.za
You can find out more details at the Facebook event page here
by Chris Couve | Jun 19, 2015 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Racing
The 2015 Starboard Zinkwazi 10KM SUP Race took place on Sunday, 14th June at the Zinkwazi Lagoon, just north of Ballito in Kwa-Zulu Natal. A beautiful, sunny winter’s morning had 40 contestants from all around the country gather around the Starboard Gazebo to listen to the Race Briefing around 8:30 AM.
With South Africa’s strongest Paddlers attending this Race had to once again be one of the most grueling SUPSA sanctioned, flat water races on the South African national Stand Up Paddling Circuit.
The airhorn signaled the start at 9:00am and it was International Starboard Team Rider, Dylan Frick who took the lead off the start line with Gunter Berger and Chris Couve up at the front fighting it out for his slip. Tarryn King from Cape Town, the 2014 Zinwkazi Race Winner, who had just returned from the SUP World Championships in Mexico, had a shaky start, but managed to reel in Shelley and Jackie, by the time that they got to the first turning buoy, proving that she was the Lady to beat.
The 2.2 km sprint to the first turning buoy had heart rates exploding as paddlers jostled for positions on the draft train while trying to find their rhythm. Just before the first turning buoy the chasing pack managed to close the gap to the leading bunch.
After a sharp and aggressive buoy turn, Dylan Frick managed to open up a gap from Chris Couve, Gunter Berger, Just Bing, Stephen Lawson and Brandon Read forming the following bunch. Tarryn King had also furthered her gap to Jackie de Billiot, who was unfortunately at a disadvantage, as she was suffering from flu. Shelly Bradfield in 3rd position had set a comfortable pace for herself and was on a mission to chase Jackie.
The next 2.2 km was a constant grind with everyone having settled into a steady race pace. Dylan Frick still in the lead came flying out of the next beach buoy turn near the mouth of the river with Chris and Gunter trying to close the gap that Dylan had opened on the first turn. Gunter now took charge of the draft train giving Chris some time to recover in his side wave.
Further at the back of the field, saw Shayne, Thomas, Anton, Dean and Grant taking turns at the head of the second chasing pack.
The long grind back to the far buoy had everyone now feeling the heat of KZN’s warm and humid climate. Shortly before the top turning bouy Chris found an opportunity to leap off the front of the leading draft train with a sudden interval that caught the rest of guys unaware. Coming out of the buoy tunr the positioning was such that Dylan was in the lead followed by Chris both working on their own, with Gunter, Justin, Stephen and then Brandon together in the lead pack.
Dylan Frick was the first to beach finish with a time of 1:00:11 with Chris Couve in second place a minute behind Dyl.
The positioning for third was intense, with Justin managing to sneak ahead of pack in the last 1.5km of the race to take 3rd place in a time of 1:01:36, leaving Gunter to battle it out for 4th place against Stephen and Brandon.
Tarryn King was the first Lady to cross the finish line posting a time of 1:05:47 to retain her title, followed by Jackie de Billiot and then former title holder Shelley Bradfield.
All 40 paddlers had crossed the finish line within a one and half hours.
Before the prize giving, all competitors formed teams of 5 to participate in a fun, Team Relay Race. A last beating to the heart had Team Coreban win the Team Relay Race, Team SUPDurbs took 2nd place and Team Starboard in 3rd Place.
The Prize Giving had trophies, medals and cash prizes for the Top 3 males, the Top 3 Ladies, the Top Lengedn over 45, the Top Diva over 45 and the Top Juniour.
Everyone was a winner on the day, going home with a complimentary Event T-Shirt, a Free Drink & Boereowors Roll from the local Beach Bar as well as a SUPSA Ranking and some incredible memories from the day.
Thanks go to the following:
Race Sponsor/ Organizer: Gunter Berger
Words: Gunter Berger
Pictures: Beverly Height
Timer Keeping: Ingrid Dippenaar
Race Director: Robbie Couve
Safety Boats: Grantly Read
by Chris Couve | May 18, 2015 | Prone, Sayulita World Champs, Stand Up Paddle, SUP Racing
Australia 4-Peats ISA Team Relay; Jordan Mercer (AUS), Jack Bark (USA) Win Paddleboard Technical; Candice Appleby (USA), Conner Baxter (HAW) Win SUP Technical
For daily photos, video highlights and video news releases – http://isawsuppc.com/media/
Team USA celebrating on the podium after winning the World Team Champion Trophy and Gold Medal. USA’s six individual Gold Medals were enough to dethrone the reigning champions Australia. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
Team USA celebrating on the podium after winning the World Team Champion Trophy and Gold Medal. USA’s six individual Gold Medals were enough to dethrone the reigning champions Australia. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
The 2015 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship Presented by Hotel Kupuri culminated with 27 National Delegations erupting in celebration on the beautiful beach of Sayulita, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico.
Racers head towards the beach transition portion of the course. Negotiating the shore break was crucial for success. Photo: ISA/ Ben Reed
Kicking off the final day of competition was the ISA Team Relay Race. Four members from each team united in the name of their country to take to the technical course alternating between SUP and Paddleboard Racing.
The first team to complete the course was the dynamic Australians that earned their fourth repeat victory. Rounding out the rest of the team relay results were New Zealand in second, USA in third and Hawaii in fourth, respectively.
The first individual event of the day was the Women’s Paddleboard Technical Race, and it was with little surprise that Australian Jordan Mercer earned the Gold Medal. Mercer is the most decorated athlete in the history of the ISA and took home Gold Medals in every discipline she competed in.
Jordan Mercer, the most decorated ISA athlete in history, added to her Medal collection this week winning every discipline she competed in. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
“You are out there paddleboarding and all you have is your hands and your heart,” said the experienced Mercer. “That’s all you have to work with. So, to know the support and spirit that I have being an Australian — I go out there racing for my country… Australia is a country of pride, a country of privilege, and one that I am so honored to represent.”
Completing the lineup of women paddleboard medalists was Carter Graves (USA) earning Silver, Itziar Abascal (ESP) getting the Bronze and Jasmine Smith (NZL) taking home the Copper.
In the Men’s Paddleboard Technical Race, American Jack Bark was the first to finish nearly 20 seconds ahead of his competition with a time of 23:24. Australian Lachie Lansdown was the next to cross the finish but only three seconds behind him was Kiwi Cory Taylor and Hawaiian Kai Hall another seven seconds later.
Part of USA’s week of dominance included Sunday’s Gold Medal performance by Jack Bark in the Men’s Paddleboard Technical Race. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
“It’s an honor to be here for the United States. To be able to help them out and win a gold was awesome!” exclaimed Bark after his result had set in and his team surrounded him.
The fourth final of the day was the Women’s SUP Technical Race where a second American claimed Gold further distancing themselves from the Australians in the overall team points. Candice Appleby was that American and took home her second Gold after winning the SUP Distance Race earlier in the week. Terrene Black (AUS), Penelope Strickland (NZL) and Lina Augaitis (CAN) made up the rest of that podium.
Candice Appleby leading the pack in today’s Women’s Technical Race, winning her second individual Gold Medal at the ISA World Championship. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
“Our team unity is second to none and I think it’s going to end up that way at the end of the day,” expressed Appleby with national pride. “Everybody is so excited and so motivated. The Individual Gold, Silver, Bronze and all the different places are awesome, but they are just stepping stones towards our final goal.”
The Men’s SUP Technical Race saw intense action as the best athletes in the world stayed neck-and-neck for the first two and a half laps with only board lengths separating their positions. Into the third lap Conner Baxter and Hawaiian teammate Mo Freitas began to break away from the pack, but with the two-time, ISA Gold Medalist Casper Steinfath of Denmark and Titouan Puyo of France only a few board lengths away, the race was anything but decided until the very end.
Ultimately, the Hawaiian teammates would scratch their way into a wave on the last lap that allowed them to cruise into back-to-back finishes. Baxter took the first Gold Medal of the event for his team and Freitas earned Silver. Steinfath barely missed the wave his opponents rode to victory and would end up in an all out sprint for a photo finish against Puyo. In the end, Puyo was awarded the Bronze and Steinfath the Copper.
Conner Baxter propelling Team Hawaii to the Team Bronze Medal with his individual Gold Medal in the Men’s SUP Technical Race. Photo: ISA/Brian Bielmann
“It’s definitely a different vibe,” said the first-time ISA Gold Medalist Baxter. “The Maui boys, we represent Aloha and always cheer each other on, but having the whole team spirit and all the other 27 different countries, it’s so amazing. Normally you are going into it with a mindset for yourself, but this week we are going for Team Hawaii. We definitely tried our best.”
The remaining Gold Medal to be determined was that of the overall ISA World Team Champion — the most coveted medal of the entire ISA World Championship.
The revealing of the ISA World Team Champion took place at the end of the Closing Ceremony once every other medal had been awarded.
Coming into the week of competition it was known that Team Australia had their work cut out for them as the defending champions for the past three years running. The debut of the Hawaiians at the ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship was certainly thought to be a threat, but it turned out to be the Americans with the most dominant showing and eventually taking the title.
The whole town of Sayulita joined the international crowd to witness the ISA World Championship and support the athletes. Photo: ISA/Ben Reed
“It has been the most phenomenal week in the history of the sport, and I want to thank each and every athlete in this competition for helping us, for coming, for arriving in Sayulita, Mexico and making this a part of your life,” declared ISA President Fernando Aguerre. “This World Championship will be the best in history with the most incredible SUP Surfing, StandUp and Paddleboard Racing competition. The best competitors were here.”
“I hope that when the athletes go home they leave with friendships in the rest of the world and have good memories of Sayulita and Riviera Nayarit in Mexico,” Aguerre proceeded. “I know that some will bring home medals, some will not, but you have to remember, all are winners. These athletes came to Sayulita, represented their country, were members of their National SUP and Paddleboard Team, and did all of this in Olympic Spirit.”
2015 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship Team Standings:
- USA
- Australia
- Hawaii
- New Zealand
- Brazil
- Mexico
- South Africa
- Spain
- Tahiti
- Peru
- France
- Argentina
- Japan
- Canada
- Great Britain
- Italy
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Costa Rica
- Ireland
- Chile
- Venezuela
- Holland
- Barbados
- Switzerland
- US Virgin Islands
- El Salvador
