With the 10th Annual Supconnect Awards wrapped up and the winners announced we here at Supconnect wanted to give you a bit of insight on the deciding factors that led to the choosing of this year’s winners.
I recently came back from Sri Lanka, after a one-month-long trip to explore its vast coastline and assess its potential for stand up paddling. All I can say - after seeing the news about these terrorist attacks targeting foreigners and Christians communities throughout the country - is that I am saddened by these terrible news and I hope that the country will find the necessary strength and resilience to overcome the tragic moment.
It was October 20, 2017. Three days before the 2017 Red Bull Heavy Water, one of the world’s most prestigious stand up paddle races and the APP World Tour’s final stop. The invite-only event had garnered the attention of the competitive SUP community as many of the world’s top stand up paddlers were ready to battle for the crown in intense conditions.
After ordering boards for paddleboard company Stillwater Paddleboards with his Chinese manufacturer and settling for the use of substandard products, Keith Quien, owner of a paddle board rental/sales shop in Florida, is now shooting himself in the foot after not demanding original equpiment for his paddleboards. Read his story below.
When I first picked up a paddle and stood on a board in 2010 I felt scared, shaky and out of my element. But after an hour on the water I returned my board feeling confident; if I could go from falling every five seconds to walking on water in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico than I could do anything! I knew immediately I wanted to get more women on the water. I wanted to empower other women through stand up paddling and SUP fitness classes.
Stand Up Paddling is a fast growing sport and local authorities in Slovenia, a picturesque country in Middle Europe, spotted an easy way to collect some quick and easy cash. Being resourceful, they just skipped businesses as planned on the Californian coast and want to collect directly from paddlers to avoid the middleman. Slovenian paddlers are outraged at these new rules and fees and are fighting back with protests against the new rules. Read more...
Peering over to my fellow SUP boarders as they float past me, I take note that all of their boards are pretty much the same, and it doesn’t matter if one is a beginner or experienced. What may separate them are the different types of boards, like paddle surfing, yoga, and fishing. But each and every one of them is made from either carbon fiber, plastic, or are inflatable. This is where Jarvis Boards separates themselves from other boards out in today’s market.
In the world of standup paddle board racing, the name Travis Grant is synonymous with speed and ocean endurance. Grant is considered to be the "best paddler in the world", though his rankings currently (while writing this) place him at #2. But for this Australian, life on and off the water, is about balance.
When you get the chance to go surfing with Mo Freitas on the North Shore of Oahu, even if your foot is cut open from a reef, you go. Writer and traveler Megan Bryan recounts her day on the North Shore with none other than Mo Freitas.
Following the tragic events that took the life of paddler Andres Pombo in the days leading up to the 2015 Naish Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge, SUP athlete and enthusiast Brett Downen gives his take on why wearing a leash and a PFD on the Columbia Gorge is not only a good idea, but an absolute necessity.
BIC SUP ambassador and Supconnect Community Assistant Alex Mauer gives his personal opinion and experience from the 2015 GoPro Mountain SUP Games. Read his take on the event and the courses here.
As a SUP athlete I love events that test my skill on the water and push my abilities to new levels. I want to be as well rounded of an athlete as I can be. This event is growing every year and hosts races that test your SUP skills on many levels. This review is based upon my racing experience and is my personal opinion.