We just got this update from our friend Alban in France. On September 27th, the Quiksilver Eyewear 34 mile paddleboard race got underway with cold but sunny conditions and light wind, much like the 2006 race. There were three divisions: unlimited, stock relay 2 paddlers and stock relay 3 paddlers.  Eventual winner, Ludovic Dulou encountered a freighter partway through the race outside the harbor at Pasajes, Spain which had to be diverted to avoid hitting him, but the incident didn't seem to effect him too much as he set a new course record of 6 hours and 41 minutes beating Jamie Mitchell's former 2006 record time of 6 hours and 57 minutes. According to Alban, it was a great race overall with good vibes shared by all the paddlers.


Ludovic Dulou
photo courtesy of Greg Rabejac

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press release:


33rd Catalina Classic Paddleboard Championship Sets New Records

The 2008 Catalina Classic 32 Mile Paddleboard Championship brought to you by Honolua Surf Company sets participant and fundraising benchmarks while seeing near record finishing times.

The world’s most historic paddleboard race had more race applicants this year than any other year since it’s inception in 1955. With over 100 entry forms submitted, a record 96 paddlers successfully made the crossing from Catalina to Manhattan Beach. Race Director Kyle Daniels comments “This year is the first year I can ever that all the paddlers who entered finished the race”, Daniels continued, “it’s a pretty incredible feeling as a Race Director to watch all 96 participants cross the finish line.” The previous record number of finishers was a far cry from 2008’s number with only 72 completing the race.

In addition to a successful crossing, ...

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Surfing Magazine recently interviewed Chad about his win in this year's Catalina Classic, his Olympic silver medal, and what's on the horizon for this world class athlete. Read about it here.



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We're still waiting for news if Susan Chaplin completed her intended Montserrat to Nevis crossing on a paddleboard, but in the meantime, take a look at her website and see some of the impressive paddles she has already finished. Susan has paddled all over the Carribbean and now lives in Tortola where she trains and plots her next long distance adventure.

susanchaplin.com



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Team “Love”, the three member SUP team of Leah Dawson, Bianca Valenti and Geodee Clark swept the competition in Surftech’s inaugural Women’s SUP Challenge held in conjunction with the ROXY Jam Cardiff. The relay style event featured a unique format that awarded team points based both on paddling speed as well as surf skills. Each team member was required to charge the shorebreak and paddle around an offshore buoy before riding a wave and passing the board and paddle to their fellow team member.  “The Stand up event was unlike anything else I have experienced”, commented pro surfer and Love team member Leah Dawson. “I hope we can have something like this at every event. It was super fun and showcased how great stand up paddling is as a cross training for surfing.”

While the initial rounds required a quick learning curve from the competitors, the finals ...

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Read about it here.



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Noah Shimabukuro walked away $4000 richer from Puerto Escondido, Mexico after besting an elite field of competitors at the Central Surf Paddleboard Contest. 19 competitors from Hawaii, California, Puerto Rico and Mexico enjoyed exclusive access to Escondido’s Zicatela beach for the first ever stand up paddle surfing contest in Mexico.  Pulling a new Surftech production 10’3” Takayama from a box delivered to the event, Noah showcased the versatility and performance capabilities of a board that combines Takayama’s legendary shaping with the light and durable Tuflite construction.

Competing in the finals against top surfers, Garret McNamara, Scott Chambers and Kealii Mamala, Noah linked into some of the hard to find peaks in the challenging conditions. Despite the continually changing surf throughout the 4 day event, Noah stayed on the same board pushing the performance level at the event in everything from clean ...

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On September 20th, Susan Chaplin will try to cross the 28 miles between Montserrat and Nevis on her paddleboard. Read more about it here.



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Our friend Pietro Marchesi recently sent us these photos of himself paddling in the lovely Mediterranean. Pietro lives in Pisa in Italy and hops on the paddleboard whenever his lifeguarding schedule allows for it. Thanks Pedro! Keep the photos from Europe coming!







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