About the SUP-11City Tour : SUP paddlers will experience the ultimate challenge as they paddle 220 kilometers (136 miles) in five days with weather conditions varying from windless, beautiful and sunny to cold, rainy and stormy.Besides the ultimate challenge the SUP 11-City Tour is also a unique experience. 200 national and international paddlers are expected to get to know Friesland, the northern province of Holland, from the water. Open fields with windmills, cows, and sheep will present itself along the water ways exchanged by eleven historical cities built from 1700 onwards.
6 brave South Africans ventured out to Friesland, Holland this year to take part in this Epic SUP 11-City Tour Challenge of paddling 220km over 5 days. This is their story…
The South African team having a great time at the SUP 11 City Tour
*Rory Smyth (CPT)
*Elleni Smyth (CPT)
*Craig Girdlestone (CPT)
* Shayne Chipps (Durban)
* Jolene Harris (CPT)
* Guy Bubb (CPT)
Arriving in Amsterdam we took in a few sights and ventured of to the Naish 1 Inflatable event were Shayne Chipps was taking part. This was a fun day out with a well organised event and meeting all the super stars from Naish like Robby Naish, Chuck Paterson and Casper Steinfeld. Shayne did well and represented South Africa proudly. Rory Smyth also took part in the Team Relay event which was full of action. This style of a event is great for spectators and participants, and SupA hopes to bring events like this to South Africa soon.
The team then headed of to Leeuwarden up north which would be the start of the tour. We went by train and was a great way to see the country side of Holland. On arrival we ventured off to meet the organiser and Mistral who supplied all the Capetonians with their boards. It was great to have Mistral and there profesional team helping us with suport and the great boards. Bad weather had arrived already and we were all nerves about the winds and rains but all the competitors had to SUP in the same conditions. We boarded our boats that woulD be our accomodation for the next 6 days. These boats are over 100 years old and were very comfortable and great having the whole team together and meeting other competitors from other countries. Lucky for us we were on the winning boat as both Steve and Seychell were on our boat – Mistral team riders who won the event.
Registration day and nerves all round surrounded by some of the best in the world and meeting and greeting. We all looked around to see what others were doing what fins they were using, what boards and timing devices. It was great to meet our fellow SUP’ers from around the world.
This is from another competitors blog, Furio Vitali, and aptly describes how we felt:
“As I am walking around the SUP village holding my goodies bag tight with my right hand I am stoked to spot few notorious faces of the SUP world, faces that I have only seen on magazines and a bit shy and intimidated I limit myself to take a look around, seeing what the pros are doing, what board they have, what fin they use, I would want to ask them few question but I hold back when I cannot help notice a guy which has just registered for the event too and is now sitting while looking inside his goodies bag humbled by the surrounding as he quietly reaches inside his bag, all I can see his a reflection of myself: Scared, inexperienced and alone.”
This is how I think we all felt walking around and taking in the atmosphere and preparing for the next day. First up was the prolugue paddle through Leeuwarden which was lots of fun! Give a South African the chance to represent and we go wild. Dressed up in our flags colorful wigs and headgear we, the South Africans, had arrived…
Day one and it had arrived after all that training and hard work we were getting ready for this Epic Challenge. Unfortunatly Elleni had come down with some flu but this was a blessing in desguise as she was the best support for the 5 of us – she was at every rest stop come rain, wind and thunder feeding keeping us warm and making sure our day packs were ready. So from the 5 of us we say thanks Elleni for all you did.
Without going through each day here is a brief run down of the event ~ it was windy, wet and challenging but this is why we were there to experience this epic SUP tour and to challenge ourselves. With so many like minded people at this event is what made each day so fun. 46km a day is no small feet especially with head and cross winds and rain coming down side ways but we all made it and we all finished each day. The great thing about this race is the people you SUP with are all in the same conditions and everyone is pushing each other and motivating the ones they pass or the ones that are passing by you. The camaradery is great and this is the reason I will be back. The atmosphere of this tour is one of team spirit and unlike any race I have ever done.
Team South Africa did great and we all managed to reach our personel goals and more. With Rory Smyth finishing 15th overall this was a great placing if you only see the names in the top 20 these are all super races. Guy Bubb in 31 and Shayne Chipps 36 and Craig Girdlestone 47… all in the our team, once again, all doing superbly well! Jolene Harris who has only been SUP’ing since January 2015 completed the tour placing 3rd in the woman overall – what a fantastic achievement. So all winners and showing the true South African sportmanship, we all made lots of new friends and we will be back and hope you will join us in 2016.
Yes its tough, and yes its a long distance, but its fun and the personel challenges it gives you at the end is worth every blister, cramp and curse word. So join us next year and remember you can paddle the team event or the weekend event as you don’t need to do all 220km – just come along and be part of this the experience of a life time.
For more information feel free to contact any of us for personnel experience or follow the Tour on the bellow links.
The 2015 Starboard Emmarentia 10Km SUP Race took place on the 5th September at Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg. With competitors from all around the country including Durban and Cape Town, this SUPSA sanctioned event promised to have lots of action with the countries best paddlers battling it out around the 1.05km course featuring three buoy turns per lap.
Competitors were welcomed with some drizzling rain and overcast conditions during registration, but by the time the race was ready to get started, the clouds were beginning to clear and the rain had subsided.
At the blowing of the horn, the paddlers were off with everyone furiously paddling their heart out to see which paddler would be the first to lead the pack and set the race pace. Chris Couve followed by Gunter Berger, with their hometurf advantage, managed to take pole position and set the race pace. Kimon from Cape Town, Anton from Johannesburg and Brandon and Grantley from Durban justled it out for third position with Kimon just making it around the first buoy turn first to secure third position.
As per SUPSA regulations, the Ladies started one minute after the men with Jackie from Durban, who has been having a phenomenal racing season, shooting out of the starting blocks and setting the pace amongst the ladies.
Once the pace had been set and all paddlers had found their rythm, there was not too much shuffling between places. The mutiple buoy turns per lap also served as a challenge for most paddlers not used to so may turns in an endurance race.
The weather was still playing game with cloudy and cool conditions that continued all the way until the end of the race. The 10th and final lap had
Chris and Gunter create a sizeable gap to Kimon in 3rd place followed by Brandon, Anton then Grantley. The Ladies field had Jackie leading by a sizeable gap followed by Lande and then Danielle.
Chris managed to open up a 20 seconds gap to Gunter in the final sprint for the finish taking the title for the Open Men’s with Jacky from Durban also putting in a last hard sprint to take the win amongst the Open Ladies.
Ten Thousand Rands worth of Cash Prize Money sponsored by E4 and R 15000 worth of prizes from G-Form and Starboard had not only the front runners, but most of the field going home with a prize to remember the race by.
Results:
Mens
Chris Couve
Gunter Berger
Kimon Dos Santos
Legends
Brandon Read
Anton Nel
Grantly Read
Juniors
Kimon Dos Santos
Anthony Peterson
Ladies
Jackie de Billiot
Lande Williamson
Danielle Hefers
Kimon Dos Santos takes the Juniors title and an awesome 3rd place overall.
Danielle Hefers secures 3rd place in the Ladies category
This years inland race was held at Emmarentia Dam near Greenside in Gauteng.
Jackie de Billiot pushed hard and took the Ladies top spot and fantastic 9th overall
SUP newcomber Corne Ressouw had an outstanding performance and wins “Most Improved” prize of a Starboard Inflatable PFD
SUPSA has partnered with Discovery Health through their Vitality program to offer members the opportunity in receiving Discovery Vitality Points when taking part in an events of the SUPSA Race Series.
So as from the next event which is next weekend, the “Starboard Emmarentia Dam 10 km SUP Race” paddlers who are Discovery Health “Vitality” member will be able to login into their Vitality page and record their race info into the “outdoor sports event” section and receive Vitality Points. These events will only appear on the “outdoor sports events” calendar once the event is completed. This will continue into next year’s race series and hopefully other SUP events in the near future.
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
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.
