Competition
The Stand Up World Series got off to a blazing start with the Iberdrola Barcelona SUP race. It was also the first leg of the European Cup; a smaller three-event series. The Spanish event comprised a 10km open water race and a sprint competition.

With both slow and fast twitch muscles firing, Candice Appleby (US) and Connor Baxter (Hawaii) dominated, winning the distance and sprint races in the women’s and men’s divisions respectively.

In the women’s 10k, Appleby (on a borrowed board) pipped Angie Jackson (Australia) as the two swapped the lead throughout the race. Manca Notar, the Slovenian schoolgirl who proved a revelation earlier in June at the Lost Mills sprint race in Germany, managed third to round out the podium.

Vinnicus Martins (Brazil) claimed second in the men’s distance race while Leonard Nika (Italy) snared third.

In the sprints, Notar and Jackson swapped minor placings below Appleby. In the men’s sprint, Kai Lenny (Hawaii) made a welcome return to the podium with second while Arthur Arutkin (France) nabbed third.

Here are recap vids of the weekend spent on the Med.
Day 1


Day 2
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After capturing plenty of attention in its early races, the Euro Tour ended on a quiet but upbeat note with the Happy Summer SUP Race in Belgium. Titouan Puyo (New Caledonia) maintained his Tour form by winning the men’s race, while Joseph Gueguen (France) was second and Joep van Bakel (Netherlands) third. In the women’s race Carol Scheunemann (Germany) grabbed first, second place went to Jo Hamilton (UK) while Emma Reijmerik (Netherlands) took third. Here are the winners for each leg of the Tour.



In the US, Race the Lake of the Sky saw everyone trail Danny Ching for a couple of hours around Lake Tahoe. The antipodeans did well though with Kelly Margetts (Australia) grabbing second in the men’s while Chase Kosterlitz (US), came in third. Annabel Anderson (NZ) grabbed first among the women, while Shae Foudy (US) and Shelby Taylor (US) took second and third.


Upcoming comps
The next event for the European Cup, the Sieravuori SUP Masters race, will be held in Finland this weekend.

We have to wait until August for the next leg of the Stand Up World Series, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. That’s also when the next leg of the Stand Up World surf tour takes place.

With July comes the major Hawaiian downwind race season. Good luck to all heading over to catch a breeze.
12th Maliko 2 Kahului (M2K)
18th Maui 2 Molokai (M2M)
19th Molokai 4 Molokai (M4M)
26th Molokai 2 Oahu (M2O)


When things turn to s#*t
Big wave surfers come from another planet. After snapping his femur in a 6-storey wipeout, Justin Holland remarked, “It was totally worth it. I’d got eight waves before that and made every wave – this one was definitely a bigger wave. You’re going so fast, the sun’s out and that’s what we live for.”

Who didn’t wince after seeing the x-ray of his leg. Brings to mind pictures of Greenroom’s cranial mishap and the cleaving of Kai Lenny’s foot. Ten weeks of rehabilitation means that Justin misses the Brazil round of the Stand Up World surf tour. A shame given he’s currently fourth overall. All the best with the recovery Justin.


Quiver talk
For those with a body like Danny Ching’s, you’ll be able to complete the look with 404 boards and Hippo sticks available in Australia soon. Alleydesigns on the GC will be offering a range of 404 production boards, including Ching’s weapon of choice, the V3 (12’6 & 14’ in a range of widths). Inflatables, floaters and surf paddle boards will also be in the mix. Ching’s Hippo Stick paddles complete the range while adding a whimsical touch. Pricing will be competitive for equipment of this calibre. Stock is being added gradually with full supply ready for September.

Here’s a sneak peek of what is rumoured to be the new Naish downwinder, bookended by a Glide and a Javelin LE? GX construction would assure the d/winder’s popularity.


While we’re on sneak peeks, this looks to be a quiver of new Starboards (excuse the grainy Instagram effect). The Sprint is obvious, the others less so. SB fans might like to hazard a guess.



Vids of the week
The following vid shows how well drone and gopro footage is advancing (my wife even sat and watched the whole clip). Thanks DJ for posting this Starby promotional vid doubling as highlights of the NZ Sup nationals. Pure elegance when those long boards catch the wave (but tricky if the angle’s wrong).



Just following up from last week’s Payette River Games, this is a vid of Mo Freitas’ time trial qualifier. With this board control, it’s obvious why he took out the overall.

www.supthemag.com/videos/video-payette-river-games-domination-mo-freitas/


This week’s number: 7,019
Chris Bertish, a South African paddler in need of a challenge, has decided that he’s going to paddle from Morocco to Florida. That’s a distance of 7,019km, or the equivalent of 136 M2O races. As if that’s not demanding enough, he’s emphatic that he’ll do it solo and unsupported. That means that he’ll have to lug provisions to last the four month trek – food, a water maker, satellite communications and navigation equipment. Pack a fishing rod Chris, just in case.


Happy paddling,
SJKJ