COVID-19: Statement regarding Surfing Contests in South Africa
SUPSA SA Stand-Up & Paddleboarding Championships 2020 Port Alfred Postponed
15 March 2020
In accordance with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech, this evening, the SUPSA SA Stand-Up & Paddleboarding Championships 2020 in Port Alfred has been postponed.
SUPSA (Stand-Up Paddling South Africa) will be meeting to confirm new dates for the event and will confirm all details as soon as it is finalised. We will be communicating all decisions on email communication, the SUPSA website, as well as social media platforms, including Whats App and Facebook, to ensure clear and defined information.
Kindly, Mandy Scanlen
SUPSA President
supsapresident@gmail.com
SUPSA Century City SUP & Paddleboard Challenge 2020
In international SUP and paddleboard events the distance events are up to eighteen kilometers of race pace paddling, so in order to prepare South African athletes for the world stage SUPSA introduced a grueling fifteen-kilometer distance at the first event of the year, The SUPSA Century City SUP and Paddleboard Challenge.
The athletes took up the challenge in hot, breezy conditions and ground out competitive times in all divisions, but particularly the Open Men and Open Women.
The pace was intense from the start, with the Open Men’s front runners, Tom King, Kimon Dos Santos, young Cameron Tripney and Rory Smythe vying for position throughout the fifteen-kilometer course.
Cameron and Kimon gave the crowd an entertaining showdown as they both sprinted for the win at the end, with Kimon finishing first by only a few centimeters. Cameron took the win as a junior.
Tarryn King got off to a strong start but had to paddle hard against Khara Doyle and junior, Jess Rankin. She took the victory with Jess coming in second and Khara third.
The two juniors, Cameron and Jess, gave us a preview of the future of South African stand up paddle boarding with performances that put them first in the Junior divisions but also well in the forefront of the Open Division.
While the long-distance athletes competed over fifteen kilometers, a traditional nine-kilometer race remained for shorter distance athletes and the social paddlers were able to sign up for a three-kilometer race.
ISA Worlds medalist Jadon Wessels won the tough fifteen kilometer prone paddleboard race.
After the distance race, a sprint race took place. ISA Worlds Sprint Gold medalist Tarryn King fought off Khara Doyle in the Open Women, while Kimon Dos Santos out sprinted legend, Gary Van Rooyen.
After the fun on the water and the The SUPSA Century City SUP and Paddleboard Challenge prizegiving, SUPSA president, Mandy Scanlen, handed out the 2019 SUPSA Awards to the athletes who finished top of the Surf and Race series, as well as the combined winners and runners up.
Congratulations to all the athletes and huge thanks to SUPSA for a well organised, efficient, safe and enjoyable race.
Full results on Webscorer.
More photos on Facebook.
SUPSA March 2020 Events
1 March 2020
SUPSA is hosting the first Sanctioned event on 1 March 2020 in Cape Town. The SUPSA Century City SUP & Paddleboard Challenge 2020 will take place at Century City, with a 7 am registration and 8.30 am race start. More details will follow – please register before 23 February 2020. You can register here and continue with your payment with the Quicket link. All SUPSA hosted event fees will be divided between SUP Development (50%) and Fundraising for the SA Team for Worlds (50%).
2019 Annual Prize-giving and SA Squad Announcement We have a great deal to celebrate for all that happened in 2019. Join us at the 2019 Annual Prize Giving on 1 March 2020, 1.00 pm, after the SUPSA Century City SUP & Paddleboard Challenge. Make sure you send in your nomination for the President’s Achievement Award to supsapresident@gmail.com . Final details will be sent to you throughout this week. The SA Squad (athletes, Team Manager and Team Coach) will also be announced at the Prize-giving. If you are interested in applying for either the Team Manager or Team Coach job, please send your name, surname and motivation to supsapresident@gmail.com .
24 March 2020
The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2020
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Tuesday, 24 March 2020 at the V&A Waterfront at 7.00 pm. The specific location will be communicated to you by email. Please RSVP, here with the names, surnames and email addresses of the attendees.
Make sure you register for the race, send your nominations and RSVP for the AGM 2020.
See you there.
2020 Events (Feb – April)
Upcoming Events
The 2020 SUPSA Calendar has been loaded on the website. Make sure you do not miss out on any of these events. SUPSA is hosting the first Sanctioned event on 1 March 2020 in Cape Town. The SUPSA Century City SUP & Paddleboard Challenge 2020 will take place at Century City, with a 7 am registration and 8.30 am race start. More details will follow – please register before 23 February 2020. You can register here and continue with your payment with the Quicket link. All SUPSA hosted event fees will be divided between SUP Development (50%) and Fundraising for the SA Team for Worlds (50%).
It is important to note that all SUPSA Sanctioned races requires all racers to wear a SAMSA approved life jacket. This life jacket must be “fit-for-use” and meet the requirements of SAMSA. Read more, here.
Prone athletes do not have to wear a life jacket, but leashes are required.
More Upcoming Events
SUP The Crossing Best conditions are chosen within a window period between Saturday the 22nd February to Sunday the 15th March 2020. All weekend days will be possible days choosing the best weather conditions forecast by the safety officers. Make sure you do not miss out on this incredible paddle from Small Bay to Robben Island.
The High Altitude Surf Ski Championship 2020 The HASSC is taking place on the Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg on 14 March 2020. Speed boats whizzing around, surf ski’s cutting through the waves and SUP’s strong and steady making their way past it all. A fun Johannesburg event!
Paddle For The Paw A fun charity race to take part in. 14 March 2020 at the V&A Waterfront with SUP Cape Town. Bring your boards, swimsuit and pet food (for a raffle ticket) and enjoy the water with family and friends.
Pili Pili Family Fun SUP Race Pili Pili always brings people together on the water. Join us for the Pili Pili Family Fun SUP race on 28 March 2020.
SA Championships in Port Alfred SAVE THIS DATE!
The SA SUP & Paddleboard Championships will take place in Port Alfred this year. It will take part of the Port Alfred Amanzi Festival. The SUP & Paddleboard Championship will start on the 17th of April with distance races and sprints for both SUPs and Paddleboards and continue with the SUP surf event on the 18th & 19th of April 2020.
The Freedom Paddle Celebrate the freedom of surf ski paddling by taking on the challenge of racing around South Africa’s Symbol of Freedom – Robben Island. The Freedom Paddle is a 27km race / paddle from Oceana Power Boat Club around Robben Island and back. On the 27th April 2020, Freedom Day, line up and be a part of a race around one of the most iconic islands in the world. A great surf ski event inviting SUPs and Prone boards to take on the challenge.
Extra Important Events
2019 Annual Prize-giving and SA Squad Announcement
We have a great deal to celebrate for all that happened in 2019. Join us at the 2019 Annual Prize Giving on 1 March 2020, 1.00 pm, after the SUPSA Century City SUP & Paddleboard Challenge. Make sure you send in your nomination for the President’s Achievement Award to supsapresident@gmail.com . Final details will be sent to you throughout this week. The SA Squad (athletes, Team Manager and Team Coach) will also be announced at the Prize-giving. If you are interested in applying for either the Team Manager or Team Coach job, please send your name, surname and motivation to supsapresident@gmail.com .
and last but not least…
The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2020
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Monday, 2 March 2020 at the V&A Waterfront at 7.00 pm. The specific location will be communicated to you by email. Please RSVP, here with the names, surnames and email addresses of the attendees.
EL SALVADOR 2019 – That’s a wrap
And that’s a wrap for the 2019 El Salvador Surf City ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships.
We ended the last day with eyes fixed on the men and women’s surfing final where France took gold for both men and women – Benoit Carpentier scored an 8.90 on an incredible final wave and Justine Dupont continued to showcase her skill on each wave she surfed. The closing ceremony in the boiling hot sun followed at 13:00 where Tyra Buncombe took to the stage for her gold medal. South Africa placed with an overall 8th and with a proud Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika we ended the 2019 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships.
A word from Anja
Sitting on our last flight from London to Cape Town I though it best to introduce myself. My name is Anja Burger and I have been the Team Manager for the SA SUP Team for the 2019 El Salvador ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships. I have been making most of the arrangements for the team to get them where they have to be and have what they need. I also wrote this blog on a daily to keep our family and friends up to date on this trip.
The trip has been a great privilege in my year. Not only was this an opportunity to travel with incredible athletes but it was an opportunity to travel with good-hearted, extremely funny and caring people and share our love for the greatest water sport. I get extremely excited to see the sport grow in our country and got a real kick out of experiencing the sport on an international platform.
We have great plans to make next year as great if not 17 times better. Makes sure you know what’s going on.