Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) athletes claim the sport provides increased muscle strength, core conditioning, better balance and an excellent cardio workout. But do these claims stand up to scientific scrutiny? To find out, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) commissioned two comprehensive studies providing a thorough examination of the health benefits of this untraditional form of physical activity.
The 7th Annual Supconnect Editor’s Choice Awards is underway and we’re getting so close to the finish line. With tens of thousands of interactions so far with the Awards this year, it’s exciting to see how many people are showing support for their favorite athletes, brands, shops, and more. But, it isn’t over quite yet as we still have one week left in the voting period to gather more support and let your voice be heard!
Wedgies. Nipple peeks. Bikini plumber’s crack. Slippage, slide-age, and strap issues. Swimsuit issues. Nope I’m not talking about the Sports Illustrated ones, I’m talking about the reasons why you hate all the bikinis you own, especially for surf and SUP. I was tired of suits that fit great when they were dry, and felt like droopy wallpaper when they got wet. But once I tried Calavera Swimwear, all that changed.
The 11th stop of the EuroTour presented by Starboard brought us to beautiful Noli, Italy. With its breathtaking cliffs that come straight out of the sea and the old medieval town literally sitting on the beach Noli proved to be the perfect setup for the first stop of the EuroTour Italian leg.
Just when you thought that the crossovers in SUP were over we see a new attempt at combining stand up paddling with boxing. Fun? Definitely. Entertaining? Oh yeah. Practical and safe? Probably not.
The video here shows paddler Viviana Guzman and friend paddle boarding in Half Moon Bay, California, when all of a sudden a humpback whale literally pops up next to Viviana to grab a bite of food. Pretty nuts. Watch it all happen below.
Welcome to the Supconnect Weekly Recap, our countdown of the biggest news, reviews, interviews and features surrounding the world of Stand Up Paddle Boarding. This week we’re bringing you another sample of the best stories covered by ourselves and other publications.
Connor Baxter just won his 7th straight victory at the 2016 Maui-2-Molokai race over the weekend making history as he extends the longest winning streak in the men’s sport. Not only has Connor never lost this race, but nobody else has ever won it. Connor took out the inaugural event as a scrawny teenager at 15-years-old back in 2010, and he has triumphed every year since. Hear all about the win from Connor himself here.
The second Annual Standup for the Cure, Muskegon, hit the beach of Harbor Towne on Saturday morning to help continue the fight against breast cancer. The standup paddle board event is organized to help support the local affiliate of Susan G. Komen, a foundation dedicated to breast cancer research. Support was strong with 540 registered paddlers getting into gear for the 5K race on Muskegon Lake.
It’s no secret by now that Shakira Westdorp is one of the best female SUP surfers in the world. She’s got loads of talent and a big bag of tricks. Heck, she even makes it looks easy (which it isn’t). With it being in the middle of winter in Australia, Shakira decided to escape the busy lineups in her hometown of northern New South Wales and head 100km’s south to find a couple uncrowded beach breaks. Check out the video from her little trip here.