Not being critical in any way of the edit but Danny Ching won that race at the first buoy turn they show. Kai goes around first, then Danny with a ridiculously good inside line on a wave and pivot turn. It was the move of the race. He come from like 10th to second in one move. Look at the standard of who he passed and you know it was epic. I was expecting something big of this in the vid but to no avail. Has anyone seen any more detailed footage of this?

I was talking with another top paddler about Danny and he was saying he has the ability to stay clear of mind under pressure. For me this turn more than demonstrates that in his own mind he had already won before the race started.

Pretty sure Kai was around the first buoy first.

I think there's another vid of the final coming from the guys with the UFO camera.. Let's hope it shows it better.

DJ

How long / how many laps are those BOP style races? Looks like a lot of carnage around the buoys and lots of luck involved with whether you get hammered by a set while rounding the cans.

Paddling in a mass pack of carnage, not my idea of fun.

Re videoing of the event> this was a difficult event to shoot as there were so many media there jostling for positions, even the Official Videogragher was impeded while shooting with photographers and other amateur video shooters jumping in his way to the point where he ended up putting his camera gear in jeopardy and dunking a $5000 camera which was a total loss. The aerial guy definitely shot the best footage, but had $20,000 worth of gear in the air.

With a few elevated scaffolds both in the water ( but out of the way) and on land, a bunch of GoPro on-boards, a jet ski and the aerial guy, they should be able to get material for an awesome video of this event, just needs a little thought, planning and control. Of course it helps also if the cameramen SUP/paddle, understand races and know what viewers want to see.

No doubt all this will happen as organisers and media work on it together to improve the coverage.

One last thing that would add tons of value both to the event and the sponsors, would be to focus also on the various personalities, friendly rivalry and the gorgeous/ talented women in the race.

This style of racing has a brilliant future ahead of it.

The first buoy turn in the final went:

1st: Kody Kerbox
2nd: Kai Lenny
3rd: Jamie Mitchell

Danny had a shocker of a start, which he talks about in this clip.

He probably had a little bit of luck in the final but he was on fire all weekend and was definitely the guy to beat. He made a big statement in the first heat by seemingly not holding back (and winning by a mile). Plus his effort in the Distance Race on Sunday was just insane - two and a half minutes ahead of the 2nd place 14 footer (and not far behind Rojas on his unlimited).



(first minute is from Heat #1. The final starts around 1:10)

Why change the format it worksIt would be way less interesting if only 20 or so paddlers where in it.

Another good BOP vid.

DJ