Hi everyone,
Apologies for not publishing last week – a combo of travel, illness and more importantly, a new board, kept me off the keyboard.

Competition
Competitors in the Queensland technical and distance championships faced some windy conditions on Moreton Bay the weekend before last.

Lincoln Dews proved victorious on the 5km technical course, with Michael Booth and Kelly Margetts a close second and third respectively. Paul Jones capped a good lead to take the over 40s men division, while Troy Pease and Steve Walkerdene rounded out the podium. Shane Lynch was sole contender in the over 50s men.

Of the three contenders in the women’s open, Angie Jackson took the crown, Chloe Walkerdene second and Katrina Morrison third. In the over 40s, Sue Dorries finished ahead of Tracey Mouque.

In Sunday's distance race, Beau O’Brien took the men’s open division just ahead of Matt Nottage and Margetts. In the women’s open Jackson took first again, with a handy lead over Kate Baker second and Walkerdene third.

Jones and Pease doubled up for the over 40s first and second respectively, while Steve Walker nabbed third. In the same age category for the women, Dorries was again successful while Andrea McDonald took second. The longer distance attracted more of the older guys as Kevin Johnson took a snappy first in the over 50s, Wayne Johnson was second while Mick Dibetta grabbed third.


The 11-city SUP tour in the Netherlands concluded last weekend after five days of gruelling conditions – wind, rain, storms, Dutch food. So much for a leisurely paddle down some canals. The first two, longer stages produced some critical time gaps at the pointy end of the field while the last three stages were more closely contested. Interestingly, the winners’ podium showcased some unheralded talent and also carried a Kiwi tinge.

Steeve Teihotaata (Tahiti) dominated the men’s category, taking every stage. (What would his name be worth in Scrabble?). Florent Dode (France), unable to match the vowel count, took second, 3:46 behind, while Bruno Hasulyo (NZ) held a more distant third (26:50 behind the Tahitian).

Seychelle Hattingh (US) held a similar domination over the women’s field, taking every stage and ending with a 31 minute lead to second place-getter Jo Aleh (a NZ sailing Olympian) and last year’s local winner Janneke Smits, a further nine minutes back.

Fashion train wreck in the SUP 11-city tour



The second round of the Stand Up World Series, the Hayama Pro, was held in Japan. (It was supposed to be the third round but the Brazilian government bailed on the Sao Paulo event in August. Is that a big question mark sitting over another biggish sporting event they’re planning to hold next year?)

In the men’s 10km distance race, Kai went for a swim when he was leading, so Connor passed him to claim the win. Kai remounted and took second. The two then got all lovey-dovey. Arthur Arutkin (France) held off a fast chasing pack to claim third and maybe get a look in on the group hug.

Candice Appleby’s effort to economise her racing outfit paid off, taking an early lead in the women’s 10k and capitalising on it for the win. Fiona Wylde (US) took second while Manca Notar (Slovenia) managed third.

The American Appleby, with new board sponsor Infinity, revelled in the shorter sprint class as well, easily capturing the overall win. Notar, who favours the sprint format, nailed second while Wylde and Angie Jackson (Australia) battled for bronze, but Jackson overtook a stumbling Wylde on the beach to claim a podium spot.

Lenny, better for a hug, claimed the sprint ahead of Casper Steinfath (Denmark) and Baxter (third). Lenny paddled away with the overall, then went in search of quiche.

Next stop on the four-leg Standup World Series (was six originally), is Huntington Beach in the States, first weekend of October, when it combines with the Standup World Surf Tour. Those doing the combo will be busy.

True grit in the women’s sprint - Notar battles Wylde



Latest vids & other media
Local to me, the Sydney Paddle Surf Club held its first 10’+ comp for the season over the weekend at Palmie. Smiles all round. Thanks for sharing the stoke Chappo.

Kelly Margetts’ exposure continues to build following his Gorge Paddle victory. Here’s an interview SUP magazine conducted with the Queenslander.

www.supthemag.com/features/kelly-margetts-inside-the-mind-of-the-42-year-old-columbia-gorge-challenge-champ/


The obligatory Rogue re-cap; this time of the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge. What’s with the beer bottle they’re holding at the start?



Izzi Gomez in Tahiti – be patient, the SUP bit comes at the end of the vid.



A couple of weeks back I mentioned the Paddlewoo website was running a comp for surf vids. The winning vid was of Mo Freitas. Congrats.



While we’re on Paddlewoo, I’ve been working my way through the podcasts that Erik Antonson, the guy behind the website, has produced. What a fantastic resource, whether you’re a paddlesurfer or not. My favourite has to be his interview with Justin Holland, when he describes what happened to his leg in that wave off Margaret River. Epic story. Seriously, take the time to download them and listen.

Special callout for DJ’s latest downwinder vid of the bay crew on the weekend. We all watched it and wished we were there (which can't be said too often about Melbourne). Neat side angle cam work as well.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Bad-Bad-Man-downwinder/


This week’s number: 12.9%
Maybe a contentious one this week. There’s been plenty of angst about what the currency would do to new season board prices. So I did some comparisons across a range of 12 of the more popular race boards using online pricing from various Australian stores and calculated the average price rise was 12.9%. Not bad considering what pressure the little Aussie battler has been under against the greenback. Of course an average is a cruel statistical trick that can hide a range of outcomes. Some boards saw little to no change while others saw some hefty increases. I won’t name names; you’ll figure out what’s changed if you’re in the market. And let’s not forget the innovation that this season’s boards have also brought, which is certainly worth something.


That’s it for this week – I’ll endeavour to be prompt next week. Meanwhile, how good is this weather after a lengthy winter? Summer, here we come.

Happy paddling,
Simon