The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has expressed hope a resolution will be reached with the International Surf Association over the management of Stand Up Paddling (SUP) activities before the ICF hosts its first SUP World Championships in Portugal later this year.

With a record field of 272 athletes across all divisions (kids, juniors, elite, amateurs) the 6th annual Iberdrola Bilbao World SUP Challenge in the Basque Country of Spain was the fifth stop of The Paddle League World Tour and week 7 of the 2018 EuroTour presented by Rogue.

Determined paddle boarders tested their mettle to help raise over $85,000 in donations and sponsorships for the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation Saturday, June 9. Total funds raised for the event as of this writing are just over $85,000 with donations still coming in. Local businesses donated more than an additional $15,000 in in-kind donations

Bring on the paddle-battles. On Saturday, June 23rd and Sunday, June 24th, more than 350 athletes will storm the sands of the Santa Monica Pier for the Pier 360 Ocean Sports & Beach Festival.

1.2 million people are expected to paddle board this year. With the sun shining and the summer months quickly approaching, it’s time to grab our boards and hit the water. However, our boards aren’t the only things that we need to pack. We also need to make sure we have the right foods and nutrients for a long session under the scorching sun.

Whip out your boardshorts and bikinis, it’s summer time! Nothin’s better than summer and we’re so stoked that our favorite time of the year is finally here. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, SUP accessories, SUP boards and all the must have's for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2018 Summer SUP season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

Planning on getting in a few trips in 2018? Well, lucky for you there are countless locations and destinations that are a stand up paddler’s dream. We’ve compiled a few places where you’re bound to have a blast at with beautiful scenery surrounding you.

Rogue Built by Boardworks, an authentic core performance SUP and surf brand, is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the 2018 SUP EuroTour, a stand up paddleboard series that unifies Europe’s biggest summer races. Now in its fourth year, the EuroTour is one of the largest stand up paddle race series supporting the growth of the European stand up paddling community.

Shore to be a good time. The Santa Monica Pier is officially putting summer on notice with the announcement of the first Pier 360 Ocean Sports & Beach Festival on Saturday, June 23rd and Sunday, June 24th. On the deck, down to the shore and into the waves, the Pier will offer a complete 360° of California beach culture.

Australian World Champion SUP athlete; Michael Booth has ticked off some serious goals already this year. Now determined to inspire and encourage other paddlers to reach their full potential with his online coaching programs, personally tailored to your needs. Sharing with you his years of knowledge and skills, Michael is confident that his online programs will not disappoint.

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best non-inflatable stand up paddle board 2018 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc).

The Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival is celebrating its 12th year as the oldest and longest running SUP race event in the world, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, California at Kings Beach.

Between wind, weather, chop, swell, no babysitter, working too many hours and missing daylight, and a plethora of other reasons, sometimes the day just doesn’t allow for getting on the water. So, while we can accept the fact that indoor SUP training definitely is not as stress-relieving and euphoric as actually being on the water, it does have quite a few benefits. And when done appropriately, can be affordable AND highly effective.

A dozen of the world’s best paddlers stood on the start line alongside Japan’s finest, with grey skies and light rain greeting competitors Saturday morning after a week of blue skies and warm weather.

WWF’s first-ever peer-to-peer athletic event invites participants to ‘take a stand’ for nature.

The Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP) recently announced the launch of City Paddle Festivals, a participatory three-stop Standup Paddleboard experience and celebration that connects some of the World’s most high profile Cities (London, New York, Paris).

21-Mile Stand-Up Paddle Event Unites Community to Fund Mental Health Support for Those Affected by Cancer.

In a wet and stormy weekend on Maui the 10th Annual Olukai Ho’olaule’a took place in massive swells and rough conditions. The race was originally set to take place on Saturday but due to the conditions event organizers decided to hold off ’til Sunday in hopes that conditions would clean up a bit.

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 110+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best stand up paddle board 2018 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc).

The London SUP Open is the UK's largest SUP Festival that celebrates not only the sport of stand up paddling, but also the unique and alluring beach lifestyle right at the heart of one of the world's most iconic cities.

For the 10th year in a row OluKai, is bringing the world’s best paddlers together for a weekend of racing and celebrating the Hawaiian culture at the annual Ho’olaule’a (celebration). OluKai created the now legendary event in 2008 to pay tribute to the ocean lifestyle through competition, tradition, family and giving back to the community, a key component since the race’s inception.

Officially the longest running paddle race series in the Lake Tahoe region, the Tahoe Cup Paddle Race series celebrates its 11th anniversary in 2018 with four events scheduled between May and September. The series offers both the recreational paddler and the race enthusiast an opportunity to participate in SUP, prone paddleboard or OC1 class races on Lake Tahoe.

After another grueling year yet again on the Graveyard course at the Quiksilver Waterman Carolina Cup new champions were crowned among a record field of elite competitors in an exciting race that didn’t disappoint.

In a check-up interview with North Carolina Press Release, Anderson provides an update on her recovery and reveals an in-depth analysis including her predictions for 2018’s grueling 13-mile Graveyard Race.

Thailand turned it on once again with a weekend full of sunshine and smiling faces for the 5th Thailand SUP Festival in Phuket, part of The Paddle League’s new “Regionals” series that aims to help push SUP into new frontiers.

Welcome to a new kind of stand up paddle board (SUP) race. Bringing in paddlers from far and wide, the race will test their skills and resolve against a grueling 38 mile circumnavigation of the island all while benefitting the island's youth and promoting plastic pollution awareness.

Being injured is a drag. It is something that we all go through at one time or another, professional athletes and weekend warriors alike. It's never something we plan for and it always seems to happen at the worst possible time. So what do you do when your body's got you down? Here are some tips and ideas to help fuel your paddling addiction no matter what your ailment might be.

The 2018 Golden Games are scheduled to take place May 18-20 in Golden, Colorado. The Golden Games was recognized by Elevation Outdoors Magazine as “Best Paddling Event in the Rockies” for 2016, 2017 & 2018.

As Surfing approaches two years until its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games, the International Surfing Association (ISA) has ramped up the development of its coaching and instructing initiatives to help promote the worldwide growth of Surfing and Stand Up Paddling (SUP), particularly in non-traditional surfing nations.

The Air France Paddle Festival took Tahiti by storm, with one of the most intense races the sport has seen. Around 300 paddlers came out to participate in the 8k Lagoon Race, 24k Elite Race, and 4k Fun Race, alongside a huge crowd of local supporters from the community that joined in on the action. 

Watch the 2018 Air France Paddle Festival live broadcast. The first stop on the 2018 Paddle League tour, the 5th Annual Air France Paddle Festival, is going down in the heart of French Polynesia.

Tahiti's largest stand up paddle event, the Air France Paddle Festival is building up to be an epic battle between top ranked international athletes and local Tahitian warriors planning to defend their home waters.

The Paddle League has revealed “stage two” of its plan to help unify the sport, bringing together 41 regional events across 24 nations in a bid to provide a more stable foundation for the future of stand up paddling.

We all dream of an exotic vacation packed with relaxation, sunshine, and the warm water of the tropics. We see photos of crystal-clear water with beautiful mountainous backdrops and think to ourselves what it would be like to be in a place that perfect. Tahiti is a place where these dreams and thoughts are a reality. We here at Supconnect agree that Tahiti stands out as one of the ideal places to paddle board. Here are five reasons why:

New champions were crowned and a new generation stood up at the Hoe Toa Paddle Championships in New Zealand on the weekend, where Penelope Strickland and Tara Hope earned national titles, Australia’s Lincoln Dews gatecrashed the party with a clean sweep and over 200 paddlers hit the water for a big two days of racing.

The famous French Riviera hosted the inaugural Villefranche Paddle Race in style on the weekend, with a solid swell turning the usually placid Mediterranean Sea into a Salt Creek-style arena for a race that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

In an interview with North Carolina Press Release, Fiona Wylde talks about Annabel Anderson’s hiatus from SUP, the Carolina Cup’s Graveyard Race, her season performance in 2017, and her plans for 2018. Fiona cheers the birth of the newly formed Paddle League, shares her thoughts about the state-of-the-sport, women in SUP, 14-foot boards, and her ongoing challenge with Type 1 diabetes.

The 32nd Annual Santa Cruz Paddlefest was one for the books as stand up paddle surfers and racers took to the waters in Santa Cruz, California. The 10k Pro Elite race for both the men and women were the talk of the weekend as the results had everyone buzzing.

The sun is starting to shine, ice is melting and spring is starting to peek it’s head around the corner. With temperatures rising and waterways defrosting into lakes and rivers again, it’s time to start getting geared up and ready to get back on the water and out of the winter hibernation. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, accessories, and of course boards for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2018 Spring paddle boarding season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

Learn how to take your event to the next level with a few extra steps. It’s important to note, however, that these extra steps can have a major impact on the overall success of your event, ranging from funding and attendance to promotion and beyond. All the steps below serve as a highly important layer to the 10 Basic Tips for Organizing SUP Races. So, here are the intermediate tips for sup race organizing in no particular order...

Annabel Anderson of New Zealand, the fastest and world’s top-ranked standup paddle board woman each year since 2012, will take a break in early 2018 for surgery to address a “long-term and horrifically painful ailment” and to fully recover from a serious concussion sustained earlier in the year.

The Carolina Cup, the world’s largest festival combining paddle races, clinics, product displays, and entertainment has attracted the support of Quiksilver Waterman as title sponsor.

Every year SUP athletes and enthusiasts of all levels travel around the world to compete in some of the biggest and most challenging events in the sport. Whether it's technical courses or endurance races, downwind or surf, there are a handful of major events that have have reigned supreme within the SUP community over the past few years.

The Association of Paddlesurfing Professionals (APP), announced today that it will be bringing the opening leg of its 2018 World Tour to central London for the first time this summer.

If you don’t know, now you know – Southern California offers some of the best paddle boarding spots in the United States. From Coronado to Catalina Island, there are an abundance of amazing places to cruise on your SUP. Lucky for you, we picked out the best five.

Join hundreds of local NZ and International paddlers on New Zealand’s Hibiscus Coast for a fun weekend of paddling workshops, beach races in and out of the surf, inshore flatwater racing and downwind distance paddling at the NZSUP National Festival of Paddleboarding, proudly brought to you by Sol Republic, Magrette, Olukai and Maui Jim.

If you’ve always wanted to paddle board on the Thames river in London, a new race is being offered this Fall. The London Crossing is a 15.5 km (~9.5 mi) race for experienced standup paddle racers that will run alongside the Big Ben Challenge which is a 20 km (~12.4 mi) paddle suited best for experienced paddle boarders. Both the London Crossing and Big Ben Challenge will run on September 23, 2018.

It’s safe to say that a major part of the stand up paddle (SUP) industry lies on West Coast of the United States. The West Coast of the U.S. is lit with a vast amount of places to paddle, not to mention that they are drop-dead gorgeous locations to match.

Over 230 competitors on 58 teams came out to the first ever Red Bull Privateers Stand Up Paddle Race in the Ten Thousand Islands.

Stand up paddle boarding is on the upward trend in participation and with that comes more opportunities for even more fun. In the past couple of years we’ve seen the rise in popularity for group SUPs, as in a paddle board that can hold a group of paddlers at one time. Here we’ve listed 9 ways you can have fun on a group SUP.

Tahiti's biggest stand up paddle event, the Air France Paddle Festival, is back for its 5th consecutive year and will be hitting the beautiful shores of Maeva Beach on Saturday April 7, 2018. Recently announced as the first event of The Paddle League's new World Tour, the event is expected to attract even more competitors than previous years, especially high profile athletes that are gunning for the crown.

2017’s Guadiana Challenge exceeded all our exceptions’, explained Nick Robinson from Algarve SUP, founder, and organizer of the successful Portuguese stand up paddle event. Over 140 paddlers and hundreds of spectators came out to enjoy an amazing 3 days of fun in Mértola, Southern Portugal on the Guadiana River.

On June 26, 2018, Victoria Burgess of Southern Florida will attempt to set a world record by stand up paddling across the Straits of Florida from Cuba to Key West. Dubbed the Chica Libre SUP Crossing, Burgess plans to paddle the 100+ miles within 30 hours to officially claim the Guinness world record title for first female to stand up paddle across the Florida Straits.

Red Paddle Co has announced the location of the 2018 Dragon World Championships. The world’s only dedicated, global TEAM SUP competition is set to be unleashed on the shores of Lake Fuschl, Austria on the 31st August to September 2nd 2018.

What happens when you take centuries of Croatian, Italian and Venitian culture, sparkle a bit of Ottoman influence (Turkish); spread it out on dozens of carbonate islands; simmer it on warm Adriatic climate with crystal clear turquoise sea; lock it away during the Cold War period (until today) and then go paddling there?

In theory, the athletes who attend and do the best at the biggest events in paddle boarding throughout the year should be crowned world champions. Surprisingly enough, this hasn’t exactly happened quite yet in our sport. New for 2018, an organization dubbed “The Paddle League” has been announced and it will aim to do just that by “crowning a true international champion” all while pushing to elevate and grow the sport.

The 23rd annual Hanohano Huki Ocean Challenge kicked off early Saturday morning, as San Diego locals and out of towners alike swarmed into Bonita Cove. The event is one of the Longest Running Paddlesport Races in California offering access to all paddle crafts including OC-1 & 2, Surfski, Traditional Paddleboard, Standup Paddleboard and Kayak. All were in high spirits as more people arrived, filling the beach with tents, boards, and good vibes.

The APP (Association of Paddling Professionals) is proud to announce its confirmed racing schedule for the 2018 season on the APP World Tour. With a clear focus on major markets in 2018, the APP World Tour will feature stops in London, Paris, New York and San Francisco.

SIC Maui announces the release of their all new competitive downwind race board, the Bayonet. Developed through ongoing collaboration between SIC Shaper Mark Raaphorst and the SIC team athletes, the Bayonet offers experienced paddlers a high performance downwind board like none other before.

For the first time, Red Bull Privateers SUP Race will take place on Cape Romano, just South of Marco Island, Florida on Saturday, February 10, 2018. In this unique racing event, teams of four paddlers (both Professional and Amateur) have two and a half hours to navigate through the mangrove mazes of the Ten Thousand Islands to retrieve treasure from fifteen hidden treasure chests.

Hanohano Outrigger Canoe Club and Huki Outrigger/Surfski bring you the 23st Annual Hanohano Huki Ocean Challenge Presented by Paddle Planet to be held in Mission Bay, San Diego, on January 27, 2018.

SIC Maui announces their fastest and most versatile all-water race board yet, the RS Series. In 2017, countless hours of R&D culminated into final prototypes that would be put to the test in technical, long distance, sprint, and downwind races in order to validate the RS as one of the fastest, most well-rounded, all-water race boards in the world.

France’s Olivia Piana is one of France’s leading ladies on a SUP. Olivia holds a background in windsurfing which led her to discovering stand up paddling in 2011. Check out this video interview with Olivia and get to know her a bit better.

Boardworks is honored to announce the addition of standout waterman and paddle athlete, Mo Freitas, to its Pro Team. Coming off an impressive 2017 season, the 20-year-old Hawaii native is gaining momentum in both surf and stand up paddle (SUP) events and will begin this next competition season as part of the Boardworks family.

Welcome to our new Athlete Training Program series. We are chatting with some of the fastest, strongest, and most fit SUP athletes in the world to find out what feeds their paddle engines. From their paddle routines and cross-training habits to diet regimens, recipes, and more, these athletes share the details of their daily grind. Next up, we have SIC Maui athlete and endurance paddler Seychelle Webster.

2017 was a year full of adventure, thrills, learning, and more. There were a handful of trends that caught on this year that caught the attention of our editorial staff here at Supconnect. Here are the biggest trends of 2017.

We recently caught up with Bark and NSP Athlete Jeramie Vaine about his paddle plan, cross training habits, and diet. This week we are diving deeper. Check out what Jeramie had to say about his training routine.

Each year in any sport there are a number of athletes and performances that stand apart from the others. Whether it’s a comeback from behind, world record or dominating performance these achievements don’t go unnoticed. In 2017 there were incredible performances and feats that we didn’t know were possible. Here we list the top 10 most inspirational athletes and performances of 2017.

Located in the heart of the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Oregon boasts a large collection of bodies of water and a myriad of environmental conditions to accompany them. What this means to a paddler is that flexibility in destinations, and knowing where the hidden gems are located, can make the difference between a picturesque day paddle and a grueling seven mile upwind grind back to your vehicle.

Welcome to our new Athlete Training Program series. We are chatting with some of the fastest, strongest, and most fit SUP athletes in the world to find out what feeds their paddle engines. From their paddle routines and cross-training habits to diet regimens, recipes, and more, these athletes share the details of their daily grind. Next up, we have SUP racer, instructor, and yogi Jeramie Vaine.

Seychelle, a perennial Top 10 standup paddle racer and SIC Maui team rider, is joining the Paddle Monster coaching squad for the 2018 paddle season.

The Iron Mana is one of the nicest, hardest, most beautiful, grueling but also unique events I know. It is not one of my long endurance races but nonetheless, challenging in many other ways. Some call it a boot camp, some call it their daily routine.

Where did you travel this year? Was it tropical? Was it on the coast or to a lake? With stand up paddling (SUP) the options are endless as you can take your paddle board on practically any body of water. 

Supconnect’s 2016 Woman of the Year, Seychelle Hattingh, was struck with an unfortunate injury to the ribs and has been working on her recovery over the past few weeks. We reached out to her to get her tips and advice on how you can help to speed up recovery while you’re injured to get you back on the water as soon as possible. Here’s what she said:

Buoy Wear customers can now rest assured they will never lose their hat while participating in their favorite water sport. The company, created and operated by globe-trotting water sports enthusiasts, is on a mission to invent exceptional looking floating hats that can be worn all day, everyday, on and off the water.

Race records have been smashed at the sixth Stand Up Surf Shop King of the Cut with the fastest eight male competitors all beating the previous fastest time for the 24km downwind race in Mandurah, Western Australia over the weekend.

It’s no hidden secret that top-of-the-line race boards often come with a hefty price tag, and for aspiring SUP racers and non-sponsored athletes, this can often mean settling for lower performing boards or a big dent in the savings account. Thanks to Naish, paddlers can once again ride elite race boards while saving some pennies with their Domestic Racer Program.

This winter escape to warm weather, downwind racing and good times. Enjoy the La Ventana Classic, an adventurous and unique windsport and paddle sport event. Set for January 17-21, 2018 in Baja Sur, Mexico, at a stunning event site situated between the azure beauty of the Sea of Cortez and rustic foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range.

This weekend on Saturday December 2, Australia’s most prestigious Stand Up Paddle (SUP) race and the word’s fastest downwinder, the Stand Up Surf Shop King of the Cut, is going down. For the first time, competitors will wear tracking devices and can be followed in real time.

Consisting of 31 miles through the Tennessee River Gorge, the Chattajack is an inspiring and gruelling paddle board and kayak race that takes place every year in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It draws people from around the world, partly due to its beautiful destination, and partly because of its notorious reputation as one of the most challenging long distance races.

With the gift-giving holidays right around the corner, it's time to think about getting something awesome for the SUP'er in your life so here at Supconnect, we've put together a gift/gear guide of the newest and coolest items to have recently hit the shelves and racks on the SUP market. If you're looking for something to get for your lover, mother, brother, sister, friend, or anyone for that matter this holiday season, this guide will be perfect for the stand up paddler in your life. And who's to say you can't get a little something for yourself, 'Tis the season after all!

Champion stand up paddle boarder (SUP) Annabel Anderson is the latest sports star to join Air Tahiti Nui’s ambassador ranks with the New Zealander looking forward to further finessing her sport in one of the world’s leading paddling destinations, the Islands of Tahiti.

With just seven days remaining in the 2017 Supconnect Polls competition is heating up and time is winding down for you to nominate and vote for your favorite topics in paddle boarding.

Welcome to our new Athlete Training Program series. We are chatting with some of the fastest, strongest, and most fit SUP athletes in the world to find out what feeds their paddle engines. From their paddle routines and cross-training habits to diet regimens, recipes, and more, these athletes share the details of their daily grind. Next up, we have SUP surfer and racer Kody Kerbox.

Professional and competitive stand-up paddle boarders don’t make it to the top of the sport on skills alone. It requires a lot of hard training to harness these skills and an increased amount of attention to diets. In order to achieve good balance on your board, it is important that you have a good balance of nutrition when you’re off the board.

Welcome to our new Athlete Training Program series. We are chatting with some of the fastest, strongest, and most fit SUP athletes in the world to find out what feeds their paddle engines. From their paddle routines and cross-training habits to diet regimens, recipes, and more, these athletes share the details of their daily grind. First up, we have SUP distance racing machine and expedition enthusiast Bart de Zwart.

Marking the start of the first ever dedicated TEAM SUP Dragon World Championships, the 28th October 2017 will forever remain a momentous occasion in paddle boarding history.

Have you ever wondered why the tail of your paddle board is flat and square while the ones down the beach have rounded tails? There is a reason for the different tail shapes, and it’s not just cosmetic. A SUP’s tail shape is integrally tied to how the board is designed to perform. So if you’re shopping for a new paddle board, it is worth paying attention to the shape of the tail.

After a long year of both SUP surfing and racing on the APP World Tour the overall champions have been crowned. Say hello to your Overall APP World Champions for 2017…

For the 7th Annual Surf to Sound Challenge in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, defending champions April Zilg and Larry Cain stepped up to the plate to once again to win their fifth and third Surf to Sound Challenge titles.

Over in Bangkok at Starboard’s headquarters, there’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Prototypes that never make it out of the shaping room, experiments that would make you raise an eyebrow in disbelief, and of course, the testing.

In just under one month over 160 international, interstate and local competitors will be headed to Mandurah in Western Australia for the fastest downwinder on earth, the Stand Up Surf Shop King of the Cut.

It’s that time of the year! With the Supconnect Awards wrapping up in September it's time to bring back the fan favorite, the Supconnect Polls -- the People's Choice Awards, where you, the consumers, the fans, the people who make this sport so awesome, can decide who your favorite athletes are, where the best SUP destination is, what the best video from the year was and more! You nominate, you vote, and YOU DECIDE, it’s as simple as that!

The APP World Tour 2017 season has officially come to a close and the 2017 World Racing Champions have been crowned.

As has already been said of the 2017 edition of Red Bull Heavy Water, the event lived up to its name this year as the Bay Area delivered a XXL swell to challenge the very best paddlers in the world in a way they have never been challenged before.

The World’s best male stand up paddle boarders all gathered on October 20, 2017 for one of the biggest races of the year: the Red Bull Heavy Water. In it’s second annual event the Red Bull Heavy Water provided paddlers the opportunity to win the biggest payout in the history of SUP: $20,000 to the first place finisher.

The women of stand up paddling are silent no longer. They are coming together and standing up for equality and bringing awareness to the issue of women and men being treated unequally in our sport.

As favorable conditions are predicted for Friday October 20th, Red Bull Heavy Water is now in the Green Light phase, meaning that the event is likely to be held that day.

Recently there has been a lot of talk about how the race scene is dwindling. The sport grew way too fast, way too quick. No sport can sustain this kind of growth for very long. But, the sport isn’t necessarily dwindling. It just isn’t growing as fast as it did in the previous years. So, what are the obstacles of getting to and competing in a big race like the Pacific Paddle Games (PPG), Carolina Cup or the George Paddle Challenge?

North Carolina’s only world-ranked stand up paddler will pursue her third consecutive Surf to Sound Challenge championship in Wrightsville Beach, Nov. 3-5, 2017. April Zilg, ranked 11th on the global Top-50 Women index by SUP Racer, is from Wilmington.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC – Larry Cain is a paddle monster. At age 21, Cain captured the Gold medal in sprint canoe for Canada in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games. Today, at age 54, Cain is three-time and reigning standup paddleboard champion in the 31-mile Tennessee River Chattajack, and winner of four of the past six titles in the elite 6.5-mile North Carolina Surf to Sound Challenge.

The 2017 Pacific Paddle Games hit the shores of Doheny State Beach early on Saturday, September 30. As sunrise approached, fog came creeping in along the Southern California Coast, but just as races began, the gloom burned off and the sun broke through, setting the stage for a beautiful PPG weekend. 

Featuring Real Time Data Analysis and State of the Art Safety Technology, 26+ of the World’s Top Watermen Return to Compete in the San Francisco Bay in October 2017.

The highly anticipated Pacific Paddle Games is back for it’s 3rd annual event and the weekend is shaping up to be quite a doozy. With all of the top athletes from around the globe expected to be in attendance the competition is going to be action packed. Here are 5 things to know about the 2017 Pacific Paddle Games:

Nothing puts more of a damper on your downwinder than quick crash of energy and stamina. And even the most proficient of paddlers, and strategic of strokes will lose steam if the fuel coming in is lacking the proper nutrients. If you are looking to increase your speed, replenish your muscles after race-training, achieve 3-legged down dog, or simply just wanting some healthy snacks to carry with you on your typical Sunday Funday, Jodelle Fitzwater put together her Top 10 Nutrition tips to keep you SUP-er strong and paddling long!

Seasons are a-changin' and the cooler weather and fall colors will be making their way to your oceans and waterways in no time. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, SUP accessories, SUP boards and all the must have's for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2017 Fall SUP season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

On Saturday, September 23, the Big Ben Challenge and Putney Foreshore Festival, supported by Tideway, will be taking over the River Thames in central London. The SUP event, organized by London based SUP school Active360, gives participants the chance to paddle in a 20K race from Putney to Big Ben and back.

Red Paddle Co have announced a $6,000 USD prize purse for the Dragon World Championships. The event will be the first of its kind and the first ever dedicated, global team race event.

With the 8th Annual Supconnect Editor’s Choice 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.

Coming into the Final day of competition in Vorupør, located on Denmark's northwest coast, Australia held the overall lead in the team points ranking. Their fate was in their hands, as a win in the Team Relay Race would cement their Gold Medal position at the top of the podium.

Hawaii's Mo Freitas earned his first-ever ISA Gold Medal over the weekend to become World Champion in the SUP Technical Race at the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship in Vorupør, Denmark.

The Stand Up Surf Shop King of the Cut is the first major international Stand Up Paddle (SUP) event in Australia to offer equal prize money for male and female competitors.

Red Bull Heavy Water, arguably the most intense stand up paddling event in the world, will return as part of the 2017 APP World Tour circuit, with an event window from October 16th - 31st.

After two months of deliberations and intense evaluations we are pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Supconnect Editor's Choice Awards. After nominating 30 or so men, women, groms and blogs per category, and an abundance of brands and shops in the stand up paddle industry we've finally narrowed down the extremely talented pool of nominees to the final chosen winners.

Technical Races got off to a blazing start on Tuesday in Cold Hawaii in the North of Denmark, setting the stage for four highly anticipated, star-studded Finals in the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship.

European nations take top honors at the 2017 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championship. Host nation Denmark and Slovenia win Gold Medals.

An epic set of 18km SUP and Paddleboard Distances Races led to inspiring performances and photo finishes on the first day of competition at the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship.

Against the stunning backdrop of the world-famous Copenhagen Harbor and Opera House, the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship was officially inaugurated in spectacular fashion on Friday afternoon in the Danish Capital.

The 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, taking place in Denmark from September 1-10, is set to gather the world’s top SUP surfers, SUP racers, and paddle boarders for a historic edition of the event, the first to ever take place in Europe.

VIRUS is excited to announce the apparel partnership with the USA SUP & Paddleboard Team, that will be representing their country at the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships (WSUPPC), held in Denmark on September 1 - 10, 2017.

The 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship is set to take place from September 1-10 in Denmark, marking a historic gathering of the world’s best SUP racers, SUP surfers, and paddle boarders in an edition of the event that is set to break participation records. Here are the ten things you need to know about the upcoming competition.

Boardworks, a SoCal-based leader in surf and standup paddle (SUP), today announced its global license agreement with Rogue, an authentic core performance SUP and surf brand, founded in 2008. This announcement comes on the heels of the company’s appointment of Rogue founder Rick Karr as Boardworks’ new general manager in January 2017.

The Naish Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge (CGPC) is a Festival celebrating the sport of Stand Up Paddling in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The 7th annual event took place over the weekend and was met with one of the most stacked fields of competitors that we’ll see this year, plus some surprising results among a health scare.

The Big Ben Challenge in Central London is allowing for a rare chance to paddle the River Thames. To date, fewer than 20 people have raced there and perhaps fewer than 100 have paddled SUPs there. By participating in the Ben Ben Race you will be among the first.

The 7th Annual Naish Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge (CGPC), one of the world’s biggest and highest ranked stand up paddle boarding races, returns to Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge this weekend.

For its sixth annual event, Paddle at the Porch will be hitting the Destin, FL waters in just one week on August 19, 2017, beginning at 9am. Paddle at the Porch showcases the beautiful emerald green water and white sandy shores of Destin, Florida and is an event that the entire family can enjoy.

“Watching people accomplish their goals. Seeing hugs at the finish line and the spark of someone racing for the first time. Hearing laughter during the relays and clapping hands at the awards ceremony. Counting up the money we've raised for charity with pride.”

Athletes once again broke world records at the 21st Anniversary Moloka’i-2-O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), presented by Kona Brewing Company. The athletes rose Sunday morning to ideal conditions that created a field that world records could not only be broken, but shattered.

As the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships quickly approach, the ISA (International Surfing Association) has released a teaser for what’s to come.

As the 21st annual Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O) are set to take place this weekend there are a number of talented athletes to be on the lookout for as possible champions. See our list of the top contenders for the 2017 title.

This week at the annual Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, Utah, Supconnect announced the 2017 Gear of the Year Awards winners from our 8th Annual Supconnect Editor's Choice Awards.

SUP, entertainment and environmental culture got together at the Green Surf Festival, last weekend in Noli, Italy. What started as a SUP race last year in 2016, with the Noli SUP Race, quickly developed into a global meeting of surfers, paddlers and environmentalists from all over the world.

Connor Baxter just made history in the stand up paddling world as he just recently won his 8th consecutive Maui-2-Molokai event, claiming the longest winning streak in SUP. Here, Baxter recounts his historic win.

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best non-inflatable stand up paddle board 2017 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc).

Red Paddle Co Racing are proud to announce the introduction of the first ever, dedicated Red Dragon team racing classes in partnership with some of the most prestigious SUP events in Europe.

Unpredictability. It’s a term that can best describe the conditions of any given race day at the Moloka’i-2-O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O). The goal is clear. Paddlers must navigate the fastest line from the island of Moloka’i to the island of O’ahu, but the channel of water they must cross to reach that goal is constantly changing.

The 500 competitors of the 4th annual Morbihan Paddle Trophy Ouest-France were thrilled by the new races in the Golfe du Morbihan – Southern Brittany – France.

Australian Michael Booth has won the 2017 EuroTour Championship, winning four events and coming second in another of the EuroTour’s prime-star Stand Up Paddle (SUP) races. Booth’s EuroTour Champion title was confirmed at the San Sebastian Paddle Tour in Spain on the weekend 17-18 June; the seventh stop of the EuroTour SUP.

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best touring stand up paddle board 2017 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc).

USA Surfing held the first ever SUP/Paddle board Team Trials & Championships in Oceanside California, and Santa Cruz, California on June 16 and 17. Participation in every age group across all disciplines and in multiple locations led to an extremely competitive and exciting weekend of competition.

Planning on getting in a few trips in 2017? Well, lucky for you there are countless locations and destinations that are a stand up paddler’s dream. We’ve compiled a few places where you’re bound to have a blast at with beautiful scenery surrounding you.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has expressed its joy following the announcement that Stand Up Paddle (SUP), the Olympic Federation’s fastest growing discipline, will be added to the sports programme for the 2017 Central American Games, alongside Surfing, following the ISA application for the inclusion of both disciplines.

The steady increase in registrations since the first edition of the Morbihan Paddle Trophy Ouest-France show that the practice of stand up paddling is not just the latest fad. The 4th annual Morbihan Paddle Trophy Ouest-France scheduled for July 1st and 2nd in the Golfe du Morbihan (southern Brittany – France) shows that stand up paddling keeps on developing.

In partnership with the Association of Wind and Watersports Industries (AWSI) and presented by Turtle Bay Resort, Supconnect has officially launched the 2017 Supconnect Editor's Choice Awards.

Tension is mounting as we are now just over a week away from the 4th stop on the 2017 APP World Tour, the Mercedes-Benz SUP World Cup. The World's best athletes will descend upon the beautiful seaside town of Scharbeutz in Germany to do battle for vital ranking points at what is the critical midway point of the season on the APP World Tour.

After a weekend filled with anticipation and excitement surrounding who would make team USA for the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships we’re happy to announce the athletes that made the cut.

Pai’lolo SUP Sports of the Maui2Molokai Standup Paddle Board Race is announcing the 2017 Maui SUP Cup with total Price Money of $12,000 tying together the Maui2Molokai SUP Race with the Poi Bowl Race.

At the end of April the small town of Bacalar, in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico is filled up with cars and trailers loaded with Kayaks, Paddle Boards and Surf Skis. Laguna Bacalar with its crystal clear turquoise water once again was showplace for the Paddle Marathon Laguna Bacalar, one of the toughest paddle races in Mexico.

At a time when races are disappearing or scaling back their ambitions, the Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race & Ocean Festival just keeps growing and getting better every year.

Hundreds of competitors and thousands of spectators are expected at the 8th annual Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race and Ocean Festival. This free event has become one of the preeminent paddle board races in the world, with its celebration of surf and ocean culture and its historic pier location.

Nor Cal SUP is pleased to announce that world renowned SUP paddle boarder, Slater Trout will be joining Nor Cal SUP’s 2017 PaddleSplash Festival (SUP, Kayak, and OC) on July 28-30, 2017 at Lake Natoma, in Folsom, CA.

Whip out your boardshorts and bikinis, it’s summer time! Nothin’s better than summer and we’re so stoked that our favorite time of the year is finally here. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, SUP accessories, SUP boards and all the must have's for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2017 Summer SUP season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

The world famous Santa Monica Pier announced CLIF Bar & Company, leading maker of nutritious and organic food to feed and inspire adventure, the title partner of the annual Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race and Ocean Festival.

Stop #4 of the 2017 APP World Tour is quickly approaching and excitement is building as the action moves on from Japan and over to Europe for the Mercedes-Benz SUP World Cup in the beautiful seaside town of Scharbeutz, Germany.

On March 30, 2017 at 5pm local time, Bart de Zwart finished his 24hr SUP distance record in Alrech, Switzerland with a new world record of 193.8 km (120.42 miles).

Nor Cal SUP is excited to announce the next two races of the #PaddleSplash Festival to be held on beautiful Lake Natoma, in Folsom, California on July 28-30 and September 23, 2017.

The EuroTour is in full force and the Starboard SUP race team has been showing up and delivering. After the 3rd stop in Sainte Maxime, France an event highlights reel video has been put together, courtesy of Georgia Schofield. Check it out.

Connor Baxter recaps his win at the 2017 Hossegor Paddle Games in France as part of the Euro Tour.

From 14-16 July 2017, Noli, Italy will host the Green Surf Festival. Three days dedicated to SUP, surf & sustainability with the aim of reconnecting people back to nature, and giving all festival goers the inspiration, motivation, and most importantly, the tools to preserve & protect their environment.

Although small in size, Japan is one place that has no shortage of places to stand up paddle board (SUP). As a nation completely surrounded by water there are endless opportunities to grab your SUP and find the perfect place to get on the water.

21-mile Stand-up Paddle Event Unites Community to Fund Mental Health Support for Those Affected by Cancer.

After three events on the APP World Tour the World Title races have started heating up for racing, surfing and overall titles. Here is breakdown of the title races so far:

Once again Agios Nikolaos was the host of the greatly anticipated stand up paddle boarding event of Agios Nikolaos On SUP organized by the Municipal S.A. Company of Agios Nikolaos, the Culture and Sports Organization of Agios Nikolaos, H.S.S.A. and the Sailing Club of Agios Nikolaos. At this year's event the 2017 Greek National Team was selected for competition later this year at the ISA World SUP Championships in Denmark.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) recently held the first-ever development program for StandUp Paddle (SUP) in Iran, continuing its vision to drive the global growth and reach of the sport.

The fourth edition of the Morbihan Paddle Trophy Ouest-France will be held on July 1st and 2nd in the breathtaking Golfe du Morbihan – Southern Brittany – France. The area is well-known for its currents and eddies which makes races technical and challenging.

BIC Sport (France) reaches agreement with FLOW Sports, Inc. (USA) for the worldwide rights to operate, market and sell SIC (Sandwich Island Composite) stand up paddle board products.

Just days after the shark attack at San Onofre that left a San Diego woman to fight for her life, shark sightings and even aggression seem to have spiked in the region. Just this week a 48-hour warning was issued in the same area where the recent attack happened. And what’s more, the sharks have been seen in groups.

Ahead of the official launch of the 8th Annual Supconnect Editor’s Choice Awards Supconnect has begun to gather nominations for all categories. Categories include: Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Grom of the Year and Gear of the Year, among others.

Enoshima Beach provided the perfect backdrop for world-class racing. With strategy, endurance and ocean knowledge all playing into equation for the Contenders, the World's best stepped up to the challenge.

Love paddling and traveling the world? Want to get paid to paddle and travel the world? Popular web and TV series, Facing Waves, is looking for a new host to join the show.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) and the Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP) World Tour are proud to announce a partnership that will mark a new era in the leadership and development of the sport of StandUp Paddle (SUP) worldwide.

With a full schedule of entertainment to come this weekend from the Trump Wetsuits Japan Pro-Am presented by Hawaiian Airlines, it all starts on Friday at 4pm Japan time with an Opening Event at Enoshima Beach consisting of a Nation's Parade and Hawaiian style Opening Ceremony.

The 9th Annual OluKai Ho‘olaule‘a made event history as Kanaha Beach Park was the start and finish of this prestigious paddling race. Australia’s James Casey and New Zealand’s Annabel Anderson took home victories in the Elite SUP Divisions.

With the summer stand up paddle (SUP) season coming in full swing there’s no better place than Lake Tahoe to participate in a fun and scenic race. Coming to the Lake Tahoe shores on June 10, 2017, the Thunderbird Paddling Festival provides the perfect mix of racing and fun that is great for the whole family to enjoy.

The APP World Tour is proud to announce the positioning of Trump Wetsuits as Title sponsor of the 2017 Japan Pro-Am presented by Hawaiian Airlines. An Australian born brand, Trump Wetuits has deep roots in the surfing & waterman community in Japan, supporting the sport at every level.

The Paddleboard side of USA Surfing confirmed today the date for its 2017 USA Paddleboard Championship Event and Team Trials - June 17, 2017. For the first time the USA Paddleboard Championship will be held in conjunction with The 16th Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial Paddleboard Race (Jay Race) in Santa Cruz, California.

In one of the most action-packed races of all time, defending champions Titouan Puyo and Annabel Anderson were crowned the 2017 Carolina Cup Champions.

Six-time Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Boarding World Champion, Kai Lenny, recently completed a challenging downwind journey across the Hawaiian Islands in an effort to raise awareness around the rising issue of plastic pollution.

The Carolina Cup has consistently been a major paddle boarding event that attracts both elite and amateur athletes from around the globe. Attendance records are broken year after year and the event has become the place where standup paddlers come to test their grit and compete against the best in the World. 2017 is expected to be another record-breaking year and with the caliber of athletes in attendance there will be no shortage of excitement. Here are our predictions for how the event will unfold in 2017.

The Northwest Paddling Festival at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Friday May 12 and Saturday May 13, is pleased to announce the addition of a Red Paddle Dragon World Series Race to its lineup. The Dragon World Series is the world’s first team SUP racing competition, with races taking place around the world, culminating in the Dragon World Championships in Barbados in October 2017.

After personally paddling, weighing, and thoroughly testing 70+ boards, our expert staff has selected the best stand up paddle board 2017 models. These are designated by the "A" grade and organized by categories (inflatable, all-around, touring, etc).

Want to know the key to success when it comes to performing well during a stand up paddle race? Look no further because we've aggregated improvement tips from some of the best SUP racers on the planet. Stepping up your game and performing at a higher level takes more than just a lot of time on the water. Here are the top 5 tips on how you can improve your performance during a SUP race.

For the second year in a row, Maui’s Zane Schweitzer has been crowned The Ultimate Waterman, prevailing in a test of skill, strength and spirit that has seen eight athletes tackle eight disciplines in nine days, throughout the Southland region of New Zealand.

The 9th annual OluKai Ho’olaule’a 8-mile downwind competition and Hawaiian cultural celebration takes place in less than a month on April 29th and 30th.

For its 4th consecutive year the Air France Paddle Festival has delivered a spectacular show. Spirits were high, the crowd came in full force and competition was fierce. With the new venue, a maxed out 8k amateur race and extra fun added this year it’s easy to claim this has been the best year yet. It wasn’t all fun and games though as the weather this year was both your worst enemy and best friend.

Watch the LIVE Webcast of the 2017 Air France Paddle Festival, the premiere standup paddle boarding event in the South Pacific.

In a recent interview, Annabel Anderson shared her thoughts about the upcoming Cup competition, how she maintains her dominance, a glimpse into other aspects of life in New Zealand, and how she feels about returning to the world’s largest gathering of professional and amateur racers in Wrightsville Beach.

On Saturday, April 22, Los Angeles Waterkeeper welcomes ocean enthusiasts to Paradise Cove in Malibu for one of Southern California’s largest stand up paddle (SUP) board races, Stand Up For Clean Water, a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Event presented nationally by Toyota and locally by LA Sanitation.

For the past year, the Editorial team at Supconnect has been working long and hard on their biggest launch yet: the Supconnect Reviews. The Supconnect Reviews are an in-depth collection of highly detailed reviews of products in the stand up paddle (SUP) market. With this launch, Supconnect has created the World’s largest SUP review platform.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has hailed the unique Surfing and StandUp Paddle locations Denmark has to offer following site visits to both Copenhagen and Vorupør, co-hosts of the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship.

Hosted at an all new venue for 2017, the beautiful Enoshima Beach in the Kanagawa Prefecture just south of Tokyo, the Japan Pro-Am presented by Hawaiian Airlines will take place from the 5th - 7th May, as the World's very best athletes descend upon this picturesque seaside town for a battle to remember.

Eight world-renowned international watermen were welcomed to Invercargill by Ngai Tahu tangata whenua today (Friday 31st March) marking the start of the 2017 Ultimate Waterman.

If you've always dreamed of stand up paddling in Greece, then the Agios Nikolaus on SUP race is the perfect excuse and opportunity to head to the gorgeous nation. Agios Nikolaos on SUP includes a 100m relay race for all participants, 3Km flat water technical races, 8-10Kms amateur race and the Eurotour 15 kms race in the sea area between Plaka, the Marina and Kalo Chorio, in Agios Nikolaos, Crete – Greece.

The Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP) and Hawaiian Airlines are proud to announce a new partnership for the 2017 APP World Tour.

After about 5 years on the road Mike Tavares and his trusty sidekick Shredder have explored countless coastlines, rivers, and lakes from coast to coast. 

In stand up paddle boarding, having a good paddle stroke is crucial to seeing results and improving skill level. Many of stand up paddling's top athletes stress that the paddle stroke is one of the most important, if not the most important, tool to master when paddling. We caught up with many of stand up paddling's best athletes to get some tips on how to have a great paddle stroke. See what they had to say...

Bluerush, F-One & Manera in North America today announced a partnership to take Standup Paddleboarding (SUP), Kiteboarding and Foiling to the next level in Northern California.

West Marine Carolina Cup, the world’s largest gathering of professional and amateur standup paddle board athletes, has added the World Paddle Association’s World SUP Tour in 2017.

The sun is starting to shine, ice is melting and spring is starting to peek it’s head around the corner. With temperatures rising and waterways defrosting into lakes and rivers again, it’s time to start getting geared up and ready to get back on the water and out of the winter hibernation. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, accessories, and of course boards for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2017 Spring paddle boarding season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

With the Hawaiian leg of the 2017 APP World Tour coming to a close there were some important facts to be aware of after the events wrapped up. The early leaders were named, the double-threats to look out for and more were discovered. Here are eight takeaways

For its 4th annual event the Air France Paddle Festival will be adding even more fun to its already awesome event. In addition to being at one of the most scenic arenas (Tahiti) and the LIVE broadcast shown around the world, the Air France Paddle Festival wanted to switch things up in its 5th year. Here’s what’s new:

The 6th Annual Paddle at the Porch, a stand up paddle board race, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 19, in the beautiful emerald green Gulf waters behind The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House in Destin, Florida.

World-class conditions aligned with the world’s fastest standup paddle racers for another paramount display of APP World Tour competition, as the first race event of 2017 got underway.

New Zealand's elite distance and race paddlers came together for the national championships of stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) at Orewa Beach this weekend.

We know that the Fusion StereoActive is arguably the best sound system for the watersports market, but do you know the behind-the-scenes story of how it all came to be?

Maui Pro-Am kicks off Friday, opening the Racing season in style on Maui's North Shore at the World's premiere race venue.

The eighth and final athlete has been confirmed for The Ultimate Waterman, which will take place in Southland, New Zealand from April 1-9.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has announced that men and women will participate in equal numbers for the first time at the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship, held in Denmark from 1-10 September.

At just 24, Jackson Maynard has overcome more than most people have to deal with in a lifetime. The Australian has battled back from three life-threatening health issues to forge a career as a surf ironman, and is now about to take on perhaps his greatest test in the water.

Chris Bertish, internationally acclaimed Speaker, Big Wave Surfer and Guinness SUP World Record Holder, is about to complete the greatest open ocean adventure ever attempted as the first, solo, unsupported Transatlantic SUP Crossing is set to finish in Antigua on March 9.

Attention to detail is key, but here are top 10 basic tips to get you started on organizing stand up paddle (SUP) races. Here we present the overall framework. But even more importantly is to have highly knowledgeable and competent individuals with complementary skill sets who can all contribute to a highly successful event.

After an epic start to the 2017 season at Sunset Beach last week, the APP World Tour is proud to announce the kick off to its partnership with CBS Sports Network this week with a series of airings of its 2016 Show series.

If you could use some help in achieving your goals and want to partner with a brand that shares the same love for the water and paddling as you, Aqua Marina could be the perfect fit for you.

Come and join the Kiwis 11-12 March 2017 for the NZ SUP Nationals, New Zealand's premier SUP event, featuring a two-day festival of Stand Up Paddle board racing that brings together paddlers from all over the country and the world.

Travis Grant introduces the all new Race Fins from NSP! Super fast and precise, these fins are available for all racers and all board brands using the a US10 fin box. Get ready to race and win... right out of the box!

This summer will see extreme sports enthusiastic and SUP Instructor Sam Robison take on coastal challenge around Cornwall. Sam along with this stand-up paddleboard and supplies for the adventure, will be paddling from Bude to Plymouth, following the Cornish coastline all the way.

Carlos ‘Coco’ Nogales is used to being challenged on a grand scale, but Mexico’s big wave surfing ace is expecting his first visit to New Zealand to provide as tough a test as any he’s faced in the water.

23-year-old Floridian Robert Norman is a relative newbie to the stand up paddle (SUP) world only having been introduced to the sport two short years ago but he just accomplished a monster of a task earning the new Men’s and Overall World Record for distance paddled in 24 hours.

VIRUS Performance announced the addition of decorated professional paddler, Danny Ching to their team.

USA Surfing’s Board of Directors confirmed today the dates for the 2017 USA SUP and Paddleboard Championships and Team Trials: June 16th - 18th, 2017, Oceanside, CA, North Harbor Jetty.

Tristan Boxford is a man on a mission. The Hawaiian-based CEO, formerly a professional windsurfer, is now focused on growing paddle boarding worldwide through his exciting new enterprise – the Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP).

At the end of January the annual event, the La Ventana Classic, hit the shores and waters of Baja Sur, Mexico to throw a killer event that is fun for everyone, but also to raise money for the local community. In 2017 the event was able to raise $25,000 USD for local students!

Eight of the world’s best will return to New Zealand in April to compete for the coveted title of The Ultimate Waterman. Now into its third year, this unique event will push the athletes to the brink as they travel and compete in some of the most challenging, yet spectacular conditions in New Zealand.

Get the 2017 Sunset Beach Pro preview, logistics for the new APP World Tour for both Surfing and Racing events, and find out how you can participate in the events and compete at the highest level.

Waterman League today announced the appointment of REDTORCH as their official Digital Agency for its APP World Tour.

Seychelle Hattingh and Kody Kerbox have signed on to SIC’s Global Team, joining existing teammates Lina Augaitis, Caio Vaz, Andrea Moller, Livio Menelau, Jeremy Riggs and moving from the National Team to the Global Team, former Olympian Tamas Buday.

The newly formed Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP) announces a big-name line-up for its 2017 APP World Tour, an amalgamation of the Stand Up World Series and the Stand Up World Tour.

Following the 2016 Chattajack (held in October), one participant edited together an incredible video highlighting the race and one’s journey and dedication to take part in it. Have a look at the documentary-style video below.

When preparing for your very first SUP race it's important to be prepared and know what to expect from your first experience. To give you some insight on what you need to do to get ready for your first paddle board race, we caught up with some of the best SUP racing pros out there to get you some tips. Here are the top five tips for first time SUP racers:

The Arizona Yacht Club proudly presents its Leukemia Cup & Birthday Regatta, a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at the beautiful Lake Pleasant in Peoria, Arizona February 17-19.

After weeks of wet and stormy weather in San Diego, California, Saturday morning was greeted with sunshine and perfect conditions to hold the 21st annual Hanohano Huki Ocean Challenge. As usual, the event was filled with excitement and anticipation to kick off the 2017 race season.

Already one of the biggest and paramount paddle gatherings in the world, the West Marine Carolina Cup is expanding in 2017 with the addition of a one-day retailer-only trade show, a nine-mile outrigger canoe race with six-person teams, and a 6.5-mile junior championship standup paddle board race for youth under 18.

Today, Friday, January 27, 2017, Chris Bertish, internationally acclaimed Speaker, Big Wave Surfer and Guinness SUP World Record Holder, reached the monumental 34°W mark, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Following in the footsteps of SUP legends Travis Grant and Titouan Puyo, NSP is proud to add New Zealand’s Marcus Hansen to their international rider lineup.

The newly-formed Association of Paddlesurf Professionals (APP), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Waterman League Group, announces a rebranding of the Stand Up World Series (Racing) and Stand Up World Tour (Surfing), to align under a new single banner, the APP World Tour.

With the backing of Starboard SUP and support from Port Denarau Marina, Tavarua Island Resort and a host of other important local players, the ISA was able to successfully hold a Deep Blue, more “ocean-friendly” event.

On Tuesday the 12th of January, a group of six stand up paddlers, invitee riders of the Paddle Storm Master event including the likes of Eric Terrien and Martin Letourneur, gathered for a crazy downwind in the “Rade de Brest, Brittany”, to try the first course option and the safety facilities before the official event.

Over the years Standup for the Cure has become one of the biggest charity events in the stand up paddle community raising money and awareness for early Breast Cancer detection while growing our incredible sport. In 2017 there will be three dates and locations where Standup for the Cure will take place.

Red Paddle Co Racing have set their sights on the Caribbean as the location for their inaugural, revolutionary, team racing concept – the Dragon World Championships. The first ever dedicated paddle board team racing event.

The Waterman League Group, known for its professional paddle surfing racing and surfing league is pleased to announce it has closed a Series A round of financing.

Hanohano Outrigger Canoe Club and Huki Outrigger/Surfski bring you the 21st Annual Hanohano Huki Ocean Challenge Presented by Paddle Planet and Dirty Birds to be held in Mission Bay, San Diego,Ca. on January 28, 2017.

2016 was a whirlwind year yet again and here at Supconnect we’ve reporting on everything from top SUP events to shark attacks and even journeys across the Atlantic Ocean. Now at the end of 2016, we take a look back at our most read news stories from the year. Take a look:

What was your favorite moment from 2016? Was it seeing your favorite athlete win a major event? Was it seeing barriers being broken and limits being pushed? Or, was it all the SUP foiling? Whichever moment you choose as your favorite there is no denying that 2016 was a very eventful year in stand up paddling. Here, we list our picks for the 10 biggest moments (good or bad) in 2016.

Fanatic is more than an addiction to ride. It is a way of life, an adventure, and the products created are made for your enjoyment. Each member of the Fanatic family brings their passion to the table. Check out Fanatic team riders Windsurfing and Stand Up Paddling in great conditions with Fanatic’s latest gear and dive into their world. Check out the action-packed video.

Where did you travel this year? Was it tropical? Was it on the coast or to a lake? With stand up paddling (SUP) the options are endless as you can take your paddle board on practically any body of water.

Annapolis, the state capital of Maryland, and commonly known as “America’s sailing capital, has been taken by storm by paddle sports!” Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn river, Annapolis offers a wide variety of paddling conditions.

Over 130 international, interstate and local competitors gathered for the World’s fastest downwind paddle race, the King of the Cut Race on Sunday, December 4, 2016 in Mandurah, Western Australia. Near perfect conditions blew in for the 24-kilometre race with southerly winds at 18 to 20 knots.

Seasons, weather, and locations may change but one thing that should be a constant in any female stand up paddler’s set of gear should be a SlipIn Surfskin. Here’s why:

Can you believe 2016 is coming to an end?! With the gift-giving holidays right around the corner, it's time to think about getting something awesome for the SUP'er in your life so here at Supconnect, we've put together a gift/gear guide of the newest and coolest items to have recently hit the shelves and racks on the SUP market.

Restube, a young company from Germany, has developed the smallest and lightest inflatable life jacket ever. With the SUP scene caring more and more about safety this is a product every paddle boarder should take a look at.

Australia reclaimed the Team Gold Medal and Waikiki-Peru World Team Champion Trophy at the fifth edition of the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship. Australia had won the team title at the first three editions of the event after losing to Team USA at the 2015 edition in Sayulita.

Australia’s Michael Booth (Starboard) has won the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP Championship, a 17km marathon race from Cloudbreak to Musket Cove in Fiji. Booth will be heading back home to Western Australia shortly to compete in the world’s fastest downwind SUP race, the Stand Up Surf Shop King of the Cut.

Women SUP and Paddleboard racers took center stage in dramatic fashion on the fifth day of 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship with hotly contested 17km Distance Races.

Last week saw the official start of the Dragon World Series as hundreds gathered to be part of the debut event at Deep Water Bay, Hong Kong. Held at Victoria Recreation Club, 13 teams of four competed on Red Paddle Co’s brand new team racing board, the Red Dragon, to be crowned the winners of this inaugural event.

With the stunning visual backdrop of Fiji’s natural island beauty, day four of the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship saw Australia’s Michael Booth and New Zealand’s Sam Shergold emerge victorious in the divisions of SUP and Paddleboard, respectively, in an exhilarating 17km race from Cloudbreak to Musket Cove in Fiji.

Four World Champions were crowned on the third day of competition at the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, as the Finals of the SUP and Paddleboard Technical Races ran in the pristine waters of Fiji’s world-renowned outer reef, Cloudbreak.

After two action packed days of SUP Surfing at Cloudbreak to kick off the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, the racing disciplines will take center stage for the next three consecutive days of the competition.

If you’ve ever dreamed of joining the Naish Race Team, now’s your chance! Naish has just announced that they are launching a new stand up paddle domestic racer program. Basically, the program is aimed for ‘passionate paddlers and dedicated racers’ who want to step up their game in SUP racing and not have to break the bank while doing so. With this program Naish is offering the chance to receive special team pricing on their elite race boards, the Maliko and Javelin models as well as their Carbon Elite paddles.

The 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship is set to kick off on Saturday, November 12, in the tropical paradise of Fiji when the Opening Ceremony inaugurates the competition in Port Denarau. All 26 National SUP and Paddleboard Teams featuring 244 athletes have announced their rosters to compete in the SUP Surfing, SUP Racing and Paddleboard Racing disciplines for the week of competition to come.

The most fascinating race in Greece for 2016, the Corinth Canal Paddle Crossing on October 30th, was a huge blast. This year aside from the 163 SUPs that crossed the Canal for the 6th Hellenic SUP CUP, organizers in cooperation with Hellenic Canoe-Kayak & SUP federation, invited athletes from all sports that H.C-K.F. represents (canoe, kayak, surf-ski, SUP) to join and the outcome was a BIG success.

The 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship is set to take place from November 12-20 in the pristine waters of Fiji, gathering the best SUP and Paddleboard athletes in the world. Here are the ten things you need to know about upcoming competition:

The International Surfing Association (ISA) and the Local Organizing Committee for the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, Tourism Fiji, have set a new standard in sustainable practices by aiming to make the competition, which will take place from 12-20 November, carbon neutral.

The 2017 Cocomat SUP range introduces the all new Cocomat Performance Touring, as well as NSP’s deep red to their already popular blue and natural earth tones on the Cruise and Allrounder models. Made with natural coconut husk fibers from naturally sustainable plantations, NSP has created some super light boards with some of the best strength to weight ratios in the market!

A scant 6-seconds at the finish line separated Canadians Larry Cain and Tamás Buday Jr. in their exciting rematch at North Carolina's 2016 Surf to Sound Challenge. Cain, an Olympic Gold Medalist and inductee into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, regained the men's championship from fellow Olympian Buday, posting a time of 1-hour 12-minutes 35-seconds in the 6.5-mile ocean to sound elite paddle board competition. Cain has captured the Surf to Sound Championship four times with Buday winning twice.

Red Paddle Co is proud to announce the release of its 2017 stand-up paddleboard (SUP) range. Introducing a number of new features, as well as three brand new innovative designs which fall in to the fastest growing categories – racing and touring – the British brand continues to excel in both design and technical specification.

Fall in Florida's West Coast sees the Englewood Beach Waterfest coming back this November. It’s bringing some big names and even bigger excitement with multiple weekends consisting of three staple events – Ecofest, Paddlefest and Racefest – full of fun for the entire family! Spectators will see the return of Waterfest’s Ecofest and Paddlefest.

Now that the Supconnect Awards have been wrapped it's time to bring back a fan favorite, the Supconnect Polls -- the People's Choice Awards, where you, the consumer, the fan, the people who make this sport so awesome, can decide who your favorite athletes are, where the best SUP destination is, what the best video from the year was and more! You nominate, you vote, and YOU DECIDE!

The most fascinating race of the year, the Corinth Canal Paddle Crossing is about to start. On Sunday, October 30th 2016, the naval traffic of the canal will be stopped for over 200 Stand Up Paddlers, Canoers and Kayakers to compete at the "straightest race" of the world.

The first ever Red Bull Heavy Water stand up paddle board race saw optimal weather conditions with sunny skies and challenging conditions of 6-8ft waves in San Francisco on Wednesday. 15 of the world’s best watermen were tasked to a grueling 12km (7.5 miles) battle of athleticism, with the ultimate victor Connor Baxter, 22, of Maui, HI, crowned Champion of Red Bull Heavy Water.

Fiona Wylde has secured her first World Title with a dominant performance on Maui for the 2016 World Series Finals. After an impressive performance in the long distance race on Saturday, Fiona didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to compete alongside the men in the Open Surf exhibition, which she did and as always, made her presence felt.

This past weekend of racing proved to be nothing short of spectacular, as ideal downwind conditions on Day 1 for the World famous Maliko run came together with pumping surf at what can only now be regarded as the ultimate arena for Surf Racing (Ho'okipa Beach Park) for a show like no other, with non-stop entertainment.

Summer is at it’s end and for many that means back to work and less time in the water. We can all agree that paddle boards are not cheap and run anywhere between 8ft and 14ft tall, so finding a safe and secure place to store your board is important—and at times can be challenging.

Take a look at Starboard’s 2016 SUP Brand video that was recently released. Take a sneak peek at the 2017 innovations and products hitting the market soon.

Red Bull Heavy Water is officially in the green light phase. This weather window schedules the event for Tuesday, October 18, with Wednesday, October 19 as the alternate day in San Francisco Bay.

During the Summer Outdoor Retailer show in Utah held in August a forum was held with stand up paddle industry leaders. The forum gathered experts and industry professionals to discuss the state of the SUP industry, safety and regulations, the future of our industry, and more!

It is that time of year when the World Series returns to Hawaii for what has become one of the most dramatic battles of the year: timed to perfection during a period when consistent, strong tradewinds are still in effect and winter ground swells are starting to show, the World Series Finals provides one of the most spectacular showcases imaginable for the Sport of Stand up Paddling.

With just over a month remaining until the start of the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship, many of the sport’s top talents have already confirmed their participation in this highly anticipated edition of the competition, with many more expected to follow suit.

Legendary stand up paddler and expeditioner Bart de Zwart recently returned from another long and gruesome expedition, this time for the Muskoka River X. Here, de Zwart recaps the race, the highs, the lows and everything in between. Take a look:

This winter escape to warm weather and good times. Enjoy the La Ventana Classic, a somewhat raucous, adventurous and unique windsport/paddle sport event. Set for January 25-29, 2017 in Baja Sur, Mexico, at a stunning event site situated between the azure beauty of the Sea of Cortez and rustic foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range.

Two-time Pacific Paddle Games Champion, Mr. Connor Baxter, reflects on his second consecutive win at the "Superbowl of SUP," the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games. Read here...

Standup paddling’s biggest weekend of the year culminated Sunday with the dramatic final rounds of the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life. With the biggest prize in standup paddling on the line, the world’s best paddlers put on a show that will be talked about for months. At the end of the day, it was Connor Baxter and Candice Appleby who were crowned overall champions at #PPG2016 for the second year in a row – each taking home a cool $8,000.

Cloudy skies gave way to brilliant sunshine as Day Two of the Pacific Paddles Games presented by Salt Life got underway Saturday morning. With Youth, Open, Pro Junior and Pro racers all hitting the water, it was a jam-packed day of paddling action at Doheny State Beach.

Picturesque weather and a solid south swell greeted paddlers on Friday morning as the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life kicked off at Doheny State Beach. With a record-breaking prize purse of $60,000 up for grabs, anticipation levels were high as the world’s best paddlers began their quest for victory at standup paddling’s biggest race of the year.

As the best stand up paddlers in the world come together to compete in the premiere SUP event of the year, the Pacific Paddle Games, top paddlers in the game, Annabel Anderson and Kelly Margetts, can count on the LiftSUP handle to help them achieve success.

he Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life this weekend (Sept. 30 to Oct. 2) at Doheny State Beach is not just for experienced paddlers. The West Marine Demo Zone will offer something for everyone, from beginner to advanced and everything in between, including the largest selection of demos in SUP and shopping from the industry’s top brands, free clinics, yoga and the chance to meet legendary athletes.

The world’s best paddlers are set to compete at the second annual Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life this weekend (Sept. 30 to Oct. 2) at Doheny State Beach. With a $60,000-prize purse on the line, the most money ever offered in paddling, it’s no surprise that ALL of the top professionals in the world are en route to Southern California this week from around the globe.

Want to know how the LiftSUP handle can boost your race performance? Get a handle on it! Here are six ways on how LiftSUP can boost your race performance, in and out of the water!

Steadily climbing in the SUP Racer World Rankings, ninth-place April Zilg will defend her championship on home surf in Wrightsville Beach at the 2016 Surf to Sound Challenge, Nov. 4-6.

The 11 Cities SUP Tour is such a unique and extraordinary race. Athletes experience the ultimate challenge as they paddle 220 kilometers (136 miles) in five days with weather conditions varying from windless, beautiful and sunny to cold, rainy and stormy. Besides the ultimate challenge the SUP 11-City Tour is also an unique experience. Here, podium finisher Siri Schubert reflects on the race and shares her thoughts in an interview. Check it out!

Red Bull Heavy Water to move into new holding period from the 18th - 31st October 2016 after a slow September for swell activity.

With the stand up paddle season winding down for North America there’s no better way than to close out the season with a bang. Over the next week or so, a few of the biggest events in stand up paddle boarding (SUP) will hit the West Coast of North America all in the span of a week. Here they are:

Top Paddling Teams To Compete For $25,000 In Advertising Incentives at Second Annual Pacific Paddle Games, Sept. 30 Through Oct. 2 at Doheny State Beach.

The RedBull Heavy Water event is not going to be for the faint of heart and only the best stand up paddle racers in the world were invited due to the hazardous conditions. The folks at the Waterman League who are helping to put on this event met up with a few key people from these departments to hear more about just what the riders will face and what they are doing to be ready. Check it out.

Seasons are a-changin' and the cooler weather and fall colors will be making their way to your oceans and waterways in no time. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, SUP accessories, SUP boards and all the must have's for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2016 Fall SUP season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

International surf event, The Ultimate Waterman, will be beaming into millions of homes around the globe on Red Bull TV from today. Filmed in New Zealand, the three-part series captures the grueling nine-day, multi-discipline competition, which seeks to find The Ultimate Waterman (TUW) from among some of the world’s finest athletes.

Course maps for the second annual Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life have been set and include some exciting new updates from last year’s inaugural event.  The preeminent paddling event, offering a $60,000 prize purse, will take place at Doheny State Beach, a California State Park in Dana Point, Sept 30 through Oct. 2.

Red Paddle Co., have announced the launch of the world’s first Dedicated Global Team Racing Concept – the Red Dragon. Mixing the intensity of SUP racing with the camaraderie of team spirit, the four-person Red Dragon marks the evolution of competitive SUP team racing and was exclusively available to view at the Surf Expo this week!

The 2016 Pacific Paddle Games will have the largest prize purse in Paddling thanks to presenting sponsor Salt Life and co-sponsors GoPro, West Marine, Golden Road Brewing, Nexen Tire and California State Parks.

Surftech announced today that it has signed all-around water warrior, Brennan Rose to their global team. Brennan is as diverse as any athlete on the water being equally at home on a 14’ race SUP as he is on a 5’10” shortboard, making him a perfect fit for the Surftech family. When he’s not surfing or paddling, you’ll find Brennan cooking, training, freediving, bodysurfing or fishing.

As an official stop in the 2016 Stand Up World Series, Red Bull Heavy Water has started the holding period as of September 1st. The holding period will guarantee 40 of the world’s best SUP athletes waves over 10ft. on an open course that stretches 12km (7.5 miles), starting at Ocean Beach and finishing just past the Golden Gate Bridge.

4th Annual Beyond the Shore Paddlefest presented by Kinecta Federal Credit Union will be lead this year by pro SUP athletes Danny Ching, Candice Appleby and Slater Trout to raise awareness and funds for charity partners: Surfrider Foundation South Bay, Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

In just a couple months time the ISA (International Surfing Association) will gather the world’s best SUP and Paddleboard athletes in Fiji from November 12-20 for the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship! Watch here as the first official promo video for the 2016 event in Fiji has been released!

Surftech athletes dominate the 2016 Catalina Classic with a first place finisher in every class. Max First won the unlimited division, Lachie Lansdown defended his 2015 stock class title with a 2016 first place finish and Abby Brown won the women’s stock class pulling off the "Single-Double” (winning the M2O and Catalina Classic in the same month).

SIC Global Team Athlete Kenny Kaneko scored an impressive victory at the Hong Kong International SUP Championship 2016 presented by the Hong Kong Stand Up Paddle Board Association. Kaneko tore through the 13 mile (21 kilometer) elite course with a finish time of 2:28:28, leaving Kai Lenny and Casper Steinfath over 6 minutes behind with a 2:34:48 and 2:36:26 finish respectively.

The 2016 Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge is a wrap and with our collaboration with the amazing crew at Werner Paddles we are stoked we have been able to provide "Insider Coverage." Here is the video recap from the event courtesy of Werner Paddles. Enjoy!

The 2016 Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge was a huge event with heavy competition. It was the largest contingent of elite competitors getting together at one event for this entire year - in both the men’s and women’s fleet. Here, Connor Baxter recaps the weekend and his win at the event.

To showcase Quiksilver’s premium, classic outdoor line, the Quiksilver Waterman Collection, Quiksilver collaborated with 10 x Molokai champion, big wave charger, and paddle boarding legend Jamie Mitchell. The watermen and women that competed in the 1st inaugural Waterman’s Festival gave overwhelming feedback that the innovative format was a true testament to the quality and authenticity of ocean racing.

Running over two days at one of the UK’s most reliable and iconic surf breaks, Clash of the Paddle at Fistral Beach promises to be one of the most spectacular and entertaining events in the domestic calendar.

n day two at the 2016 Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge did a Father-daughter-boyfriend trio steal the show?! Although Mother Nature was the true star of Day 2 action, serving up SICK winds to give true downwind racing to the world's best stand up paddle racers, the story line of MacRae Wylde taking 2nd in the Open division and his daughter and her boyfriend (Fiona Wylde + Bernd Roediger) taking 1st and 2nd in the elite division may be the coolest story line of the event.

Day one racing saw Annabelle Anderson and Connor Baxter take the win in the "Super Lap," with Werner Paddles own Tyler Bashor winning the "Grom Race."

As the best stand up paddle racers in the world gather to compete in the 2-day, Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge, we teamed up two amazing paddlers from different sports to give you Insider Coverage all weekend long.

With just two weeks to go until the Holding period officially opens for Red Bull Heavy Water, an Official Stop on the 2016 Stand Up World Series, anticipation is mounting for what will be a dramatic and sensational event in every respect.

Surfing America’s Board of Directors announced a new, comprehensive plan for the growth of SUP and Paddle Boarding in the United States. The new program includes:  Development of the first ever SUP and Paddleboard National Championships, creation of two regional qualifying events and requirements to become an elite member of the 2017 US SUP & Paddleboarding team and more...

The 2016 Quiksilver Survivor Race was a huge success - with very tough competition. It was a one day event and had the survivor format - which is the hardest race format for short sprints. Here, Connor Baxter recaps the event from his perspective. Take a look...

Werner Paddle's Team rider Fiona Wylde, has either won or found herself on the podium the last three years at this world class course race/downwind race combo. This season she is a threat to take the crown again after a strong season that she's here sitting ranked 3rd in the world. Watch, as she takes you to her "happy place," training in her home town of Hood River Oregon.

With the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge only days away and the Pacific Paddle Games right around the corner we thought it best to supply you with some tips that can help you have a successful race come race day. We checked in with the best-of-the-best stand up paddle boarding pros including Naish's Kai Lenny, Boardworks' Slater Trout, Chuck Patterson, Starboard's Connor Baxter, SIC Maui's Lina Augaitis and Annabel Anderson to name a few. We took what they had to say and came up with 5 tips to help you have a successful race.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has today announced that the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship will be held in Denmark in September 2017, with the specific dates to be confirmed in the near future.

Paddle Logger has changed and undergone a re-invigoration for 2016. Keeping the stuff we like, kicking the stuff we don’t to the curb. The last 18 months or so has been a great learning curve for myself in building an app and generating a great international community of users.

The Newport SUP Cup is a family fun standup paddle race for a great cause based at the historic Newport Shipyard. Paddlers will navigate 3 or 6 mile courses around Goat Island, passing the Newport Harbor Lighthouse, Newport Bridge and other landmarks.

The LiftSUP handle has already proven to be a key tool in helping to carry and transport your paddle board from the parking lot to the water’s edge and beyond. But did you know that the LiftSUP handle is more than just a handle and can be used in a number of situations? There are actually quite a few uses for it that help to make the life of a stand up paddler easier and more fun. Here are 6 benefits of the LiftSUP handle.

The São Jorge 2 Pico Challenge was held on July 30 for the third consecutive time of the mythical crossing of the channel between the islands of Pico and São Jorge. This year the São Jorge 2 Pico had a record participation of 20 athletes, it has been growing in number of participants year after year, which shows that those who come to participate love it and bring friends when they return.

This week at the annual Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, Utah, Supconnect announced the 2016 Gear of the Year Awards winners from our 2016 Supconnect Editor's Choice Awards.

2016 was one of the most exciting years ever in the 20 years that the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships has been held. This year saw record breaking performances in both stand up paddling and prone paddle boarding and the field of athletes to compete was packed with standouts. This year Kai Lenny and Sonni Hönscheid claimed victory for the stand up paddlers.

Sonni Hönscheid will be going for a three-peat as the SIC team will be attending the 2016 Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships. SIC Team Athletes Braly Joy, Kenny Kaneko & Will Schmidt will be racing the storied M2O, presented by Kona Longboard Island Lager, celebrating its 20th anniversary on Sunday, July 31, 2016.

When the last athlete crosses the finish line on Sunday, July 31, 2016 at the Moloka’i-2-O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), two decades of outstanding performances and personal accomplishment will be recorded by a lineage of the world’s strongest paddle boarders. Presented by Kona Longboard Island Lager, the 2016 event welcomes a host of athletes from 16 countries who will test their navigational skill and athletic strength across 32-miles of open ocean in the disciplines of stand-up (SUP) and prone paddle boarding.

Legendary long distance stand up paddler Bart de Zwart just finished up the MR340, a 340-mile paddling race on the Missouri River, and he just set the new record for fastest time, beating the previous record by a whopping 10 hours! Here he recaps the race and how he got to the finish.

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.

As we sit in the heat of downwind season we've decided to compile a list of the top must-do downwinders around the world. We teamed up with the crew at SIC Maui who've built some of the best downwind boards on the market, so they know a thing-or-two about a good downwind run when they see it.

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.

With the explosion of stand up paddle boarding (SUP) the market has become flooded with a plethora of SUP brands and manufacturers causing a dilution of quality products, making it harder for the consumer to find something worth their investment. However, there are brands and products on the market that do offer beautiful and quality products that are something to be proud of. Case in point: Jarvis Boards.

Although hydrofoiling is making the headlines in SUP as of late, this concept is no stranger to the folks at F-One. F-One has been involved with Foils for quite some time as they have been a popular tool in wind and kite surfing, two disciplines in which F-One has been invested in for years. Now, they’ve transitioned their technology of the foil from the other sports and are bringing it into their line of SUP products as well!

Olympic Gold Medalist Larry Cain dives deep and does a showdown to see whether the 2016 All Star from Starboard SUP is as fast as the 2015 model in flat water. Here, Larry gets pretty techy and gets deep into his testing methods and how he came to his conclusion. Check it out…

The Waterman League is proud to announce that the downwind race of the legendary Naish Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge will form part of the 2016 Stand Up World Series as one of its official long distance races to provide the World's best with one of the World's best downwind runs.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has confirmed that Cloudbreak will receive the world’s best StandUp Paddle (SUP) surfers competing in the 2016 Fiji ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship November 12-20.

After a successful launch on World Oceans Day and joining the Starboard SW Tiki Tour across California, Arizona & New Mexico, the SUPKids team are heading to Noli, Italy to run the first European SUPKids training program. They’ll be joining forces with the Noli SUP Race to run a 2-day training program for the founding SUPKids Delivery Centres in Europe. The training will take place on the 13 & 14 July, prior to the official start of the Noli event.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) is continuing to spur the global development of Stand Up Paddle (SUP) with the certification of over 150 ISA SUP instructors across 12 countries since April 2016.

Supconnect is excited to announce the launch of the 2016 Editor’s Choice Awards! This year is even better than 2015 and we’re thrilled to reveal not only the 2016 nominees but also introduce a brand new category! Read more…

The 2016 SUP World Cup in Scharbeutz Germany was a huge event. There was a huge crowd on the beach and a stacked field of competitors. After five weekends of racing in Europe, it was finally coming to an end as this was my sixth and final event in Europe for the summer.

Effective immediately, the executive director of Surfing America, Greg Cruse announced the new 2016 Coaches for the USA SUP/Paddleboard team and key addition to Surfing America Board of Directors.

For more than 26 years Surftech has been pioneering composite technologies in board design and construction for surfers around the world. In partnership with the NSP and BARK race lines, Surftech’s signature blend of technology, performance and durability will be the choice for many racers at the 20th anniversary Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O).

Registration for the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life is officially open! The Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life will be held at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California, September 30 through October 2, 2016.

Whip out your boardshorts and bikinis, it’s summer time! Nothin’s better than summer and we’re so stoked that our favorite time of the year is finally here. Here, we’ve put together a list of SUP gear, SUP accessories, SUP boards and all the must have's for everyone from a beginner to the advanced SUP'er for the 2016 Summer SUP season, so there's sure to be something in this guide for everyone!

For the first time in its 18 year history, stand up paddlers have been invited to compete and participate in the in the 2016 Yukon River Quest. In the first year of being invited to the Yukon River Quest stand up paddle boarding (SUP) will be in the event as an experimental category and has attracted some of the world’s most renowned adventure and endurance stand up paddlers.

At Saturday's 15th Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial Paddleboard Race presented by New Leaf Community Markets, two first-time competitors climbed to the top of the podium.

Red Bull Heavy Water, arguably the most intense stand up paddling event in the world, is announced as part of the 2016 Stand Up World Series circuit, with an event window from September 1 to 28. The location will guarantee 40 of the world’s best SUP athletes, waves over 10ft. high, and consist of an open course that stretches 12km (7.5 miles), starting at Ocean Beach and finishing just past the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fiona Wylde, Werner Paddle's SUP athlete is off a pretty big trip overseas getting to explore and race in Asia and Europe as she competes in a series of SUP events and races over the summer. As part of her travels she’s been releasing a series of video blogs so that we can tag along with her on her adventures. This week, Fiona shares footage from her time in Spain.

The German stop on the Stand Up World Series has long been a gold standard for the sport of Stand Up Paddling, with a unique festival atmosphere, thousands of spectators and show to remember featuring the World's very best athletes. In 2016, the bar will be set even higher, as Mercedes-Benz has stepped up as a Title Partner and the event will be hosted in an exciting new venue that will bring the event to life for athletes and spectators alike.

The 5th Annual Paddle at the Porch, a stand up paddle board  (SUP) race, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 20, in the beautiful emerald green Gulf waters behind The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House in Destin, Florida.

The GoPro Games really outdid themselves with the stand up paddle events this year. The number of competitors was higher than any previous year having close to 100 SUP athletes registered for the event. They spiced things up with the start for the SUP Cross event and they kept the crowd on their feet with the SUP invitational event.

The very exciting and highly anticipated GoPro Mountain Games are this weekend and it’s going to be a weekend filled with thrills, spills and excitement as the perfect way to kick into gear for the summer SUP season. Here we dive into the games and describe the event location, courses and contenders! Check it out:

In celebration of the United Nations designated World Oceans Day, nonprofit environmental organization Sustainable Surf is proud to announce that leading Stand Up Paddleboard & Windsurf brand, Starboard, has joined their ECOBOARD Project program as their newest partner.

With just under three weeks to go until the second stop of the 2016 Stand Up World Series, the Mercedes-Benz SUP World Cup in Scharbeutz, Germany, anticipation is mounting for what is without doubt Europe's biggest Race.

SIC (Sandwich Islands Composites) Maui announces the signing of Andrew Logreco to the National Team.

Werner Paddles ambassador Fiona Wylde is off a pretty big trip overseas getting to explore and race in Asia and Europe as she competes in a series of SUP events and races over the summer. This week, Fiona shares footage from surfing the super amazing, "Eisbach" wave in Germany and the "Lost Mills" race (where she took the Bronze medal.) Enjoy.

After finishing strong at the Lost Mills Race in Germany, Connor Baxter headed for Spain for the Bilbao World SUP Challenge where he went on to win top honors. Here he describes his mindset through it all…

Today, Jobe Watersports launched its Summer Job of a Lifetime Contest, which will send two winners on a stand up paddle boarding (SUP) road trip around the Western United States this summer.

Werner Paddles ambassador Fiona Wylde is off a pretty big trip overseas getting to explore and race in Asia and Europe as she competes in a series of SUP events and races over the summer. As part of her travels she’s going to be releasing a series of video blogs so that we can tag along with her on her adventures. Episode 2 from France is live now.

Connor Baxter just wrapped up another hugely successful weekend of racing over in Europe at the Lost Mills Race in Brombachsee, Germany. Connor walked away with a second place finish in the highly competitive distance race and was also crowned 2016's "Fastest Paddler on Earth." Here, Connor discusses the weekend and how it all went down...

Go Foils are the latest and greatest trend on the water right now with stand up paddling and although it’s not the first time we’ve seen hydrofoiling mixed with stand up paddling, it’s now starting to blow up. The production team over at Starboard SUP has been working on incorporating the Go Foils into their product line and they’ve just started taking pre-orders for their surf and race boards.

The Waterman League is proud to announce its return to Germany for the Mercedes-Benz SUP World Cup, stop 2 of the 2016 Stand Up World Series that will take place from the 24th - 26th June at the beautiful coastal town of Scharbeutz with $25,000 in prize money.

Local San Diegan, Geno Jenkins, saw a need in the surf and SUP industry and in 2006 he created a simple solution for quick and easy UV protection for boards. A simple slip on UV Cover called a Topless Boardbag and it's made in San Diego.

Bilbao becomes the world headquarters for paddle boarding for one more year with a new edition of the Iberdrola Bilbao World SUP Challenge. On June 3-5, 2016 for the fourth consecutive year, this competition stains the estuary with the colorful boards of the best national and international riders.

After taking the overall win at the 2016 St. Maxime race in France, Connor Baxter recaps his thoughts on the race and comments on his performance and the event. Read the full write-up here...

The Vail Whitewater Race Series is a Tuesday night race series put on by Alpine Quest Sports. Every week the top competitors receive points for how well they finish. At the end of the series the competitors with the most points will win the race series. Driving up to the event I wasn't sure what to expect. Read more…

Hobkey Adventure Grant wants to fund your dream SUP Expedition! Hobkey Adventure Grant was set up to support paddlers to go out and do something they’ve always wanted. Not just hard core expeditioners, but any kind of memorable trips. It’s open for beginners and for more seasoned kayakers, canoeists and paddle boarders. Learn more and apply!

Werner Paddles ambassador Fiona Wylde just took off a pretty big trip overseas to Asia and Europe as she competes in a series of SUP events and races over the summer. As part of her travels she’s going to be releasing a series of video blogs so that we can tag along with her on her adventures. Episode 1 from Japan is live now, have a watch.

The world famous Santa Monica Pier and Ocean Festival Sponsor Tommy Bahama, the popular beach lifestyle brand, announced today that surf guitar legend Dick Dale will headline the main stage at the always popular Paddleboard Races and Ocean Festival.

The Flatwater Foundation is pleased to announce a partnership with Tahoe SUP as the official paddle board sponsor for this year’s Tyler’s Dam That Cancer event, taking place on Monday, June 13, 2016.

The 2016 Victoria Cup in Japan was a great event with one of the most stacked fields ever in the Stand Up World Series. The top 20 were chomping at the bit and hungrier then ever. The event kicked off on Friday with the long distance race - which I just barely made arriving the night before at 10:30pm. Read more…

A partly-cloudy yet crisp and beautiful morning greeted paddlers and spectators alike for the 2016 Air France Paddle Festival in the beautiful waters of Tahiti in French Polynesia. With another record-breaking year in terms of participation, over 300 paddlers registered for the 4th Annual Event and the Air France Paddle Festival has truly become the largest SUP event in the South Pacific.

We all love to stand up paddle (SUP), but what are the items that you just can’t SUP without? Could it be your iPod for listening to tunes? Could it be your favorite pair of sunglasses? Or could it be those pair of trunks or bikini that you love more than anything? Here, Starboard SUP Dream Team athlete Zane Schweitzer lists his eight things that he can’t SUP without.

Last weekend 72 youth SUP competitors, from six different countries, gathered in Orange County for the 4th Annual Quickblade Jr Pro & Youth SupFiesta presented by Infinity SUP.

The 2016 Air France Paddle Festival kicks off this weekend and it’s expected to be epic. Top athletes in stand up paddle (SUP) racing have arrived in Tahiti and are preparing for what is to be an awesome day of racing not only in the South Pacific, but also, over the globe. Over 300 paddlers are expected to attend and participate in the event this year which breaks the participation record from last year’s event. Read more...

The 2016 Olukai Ho’olaule’a Event was not only in the most epic conditions, but it was a great way to dust off last weekends race. I got home on Monday after The Carolina Cup and the wind was cranking and I couldn't have been more stoked. I went for about five runs to make sure the gear and body was in check for one of the most incredible weekends.

Supconnect Contributor and media boat driver for the Carolina Cup, Haywood Newkirk, gives his take on the 2016 event and how it all went down. Get the inside scoop from Wrightsville Beach local HERE.

The 4th Annual Quickblade Jr Pro & Youth SupFiesta presented by Infinity SUP announces the list of invitees for the Junior Pro division. Top sup athletes from around the world will battle through highly competitive heats until a champion is awarded the coveted, “El Sombrero.”

Surftech announced that industry veteran John Vance will be joining the company as CEO starting May 9th. “It's a time of change in the surf hardgoods business. It’s a highly competitive market place and we are deeply committed to investing in Surftech.

The 2016 OluKai Hoʻolauleʻa broke records at its 8th annual event with more than 515 paddlers competing and representing over 18 countries in front of a crowd close to 1,500 people.

Kai Lenny has always been pushing the boundaries of stand up paddling and he’s just done it again by introducing a new crossover of sorts with a hydrofoil and his SUP, making it his craft of choice for a downwinder.  This project has been in the works for awhile and thanks to Go Foil, and Naish, they’ve helped Kai to make his vision a reality.

Get ready for the 4th Annual Quickblade Jr Pro & Youth SupFiesta presented by Infinity SUP. In its fourth year, the 2016 SUP Fiesta has outgrown a one-day event and the new format this year will allow competitors to focus on one discipline each day. With the events starting in the afternoon, there is plenty of time for athletes, spectators, and sponsors to attend the Standup for the Cure event in the morning, then make the short drive across the bay to the Newport Aquatic Center.

Maui did not disappoint for day two of the 8th annual OluKai Hoʻolauleʻa three-day ocean festival with local Connor Baxter and new women’s champion Sonni Hönscheid taking home the gender equal prize purse of $15,000. The prestigious eight-mile Stand Up Paddle (SUP) race saw over 325 of the world’s elite paddlers battle it out on the famous Maliko Downwind Run on Maui’s North Shore, the highest amount of contenders in this race to date.

The BIC SUP Ace-Tec Wing Series are award-winning touring shapes that were designed for efficiency and stability. The Wing series offers a smooth and effortless paddling experience. Perfect for sunrise cruises along your local lake, destination day-tripping to secluded spots as well as serious exploration in extreme conditions.

The 8th annual OluKai Ho’olaule’a three-day ocean festival kicks off today, Friday, April 29th, on Maui’s North Shore with the second annual ‘Demo Day,’ offering locals and visitors the opportunity to meet with the pros, gain valuable last minute race tips and an opportunity to test out the latest boards and equipment. The 2016 OluKai Ho’olaule’a is set to be the biggest yet in the event’s history bringing together around 600 of the world’s elite paddlers to race the famous Maliko Downwind Run for the largest gender equal prize purse of $15,000.

It’s been awhile since we’ve had the chance to chat with the choke stroke man himself, Mr. Connor Baxter. Connor is one of the best in the biz having won some of the biggest and most brutal races and has done so numerous times. We called up Connor just as he was arriving in North Carolina for the Carolina Cup and had a few words. Check it out…

Why did Annabel Anderson run across the finish line with the "pink panther" board from Lahui Kai when she won her 4th consecutive Carolina Cup Graveyard Race?…Because she can, thanks to the LiftSUP handle!

All of us in the Lahui Kai family would like to congratulate Annabel Anderson and Kelly Margetts on their amazing finishes at this year’s Carolina Cup. The grueling 13.2 mile, 2+ hour long paddle board race took our very own Annabel Anderson to yet another 1st place victory, securing that title again for the 4th year in a row! This girl can’t be stopped. Kelly battled hard with the world’s best paddlers and took home a strong 5th place!

With two successful previous editions, the reputation of the Air France Paddle Festival in Polynesia and abroad make it a highly expected event from all. With only days left in the registration period make sure to secure your slot at the biggest stand up paddle race in the South Pacific!

Today kicked off the first big race of the 2016 stand up paddle race season and it was more exciting than ever. With an incredible start and lead changes throughout the majority of the race the action was intense from start to finish. In the end Tituoan Puyo and Annabel Anderson both claimed the victory for the 2016 Carolina Cup.

Red Paddle Co. is known for their quality inflatable stand up paddle boards and they continue to develop products that are not only beautiful but also well put together. Red Paddle Co has recently just announced a new technology and material they have started to use in their boards called MSL Technology.

The proven design/development team of Brian Szymanski and John Becker joined Lahui Kai in May of 2014 and have never looked back. Annabel Anderson, the #1 Pro woman paddler in the world, who worked closely with Brian and John in the past, came onboard in 2015. In the world of SUP design, there must be a strong passion for design, development, and testing to get to the next better shape.

The time has come for the best stand up paddlers in the world to come together and face off yet again at the first major stand up paddle race of 2016, the Carolina Cup. Top athletes in the sport will be there including 3x women’s winner Annabel Anderson, Travis Grant, Candice Appleby, Danny Ching, Connor Baxter, Fiona Wylde and many, many more all going head-to-head aiming to conquer the grueling Graveyard Course.

In just over a month's time, the Waterman League and World's best Stand Up Paddle racers will return to the beautiful Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan for the Opening event of the 2016 World Series, the Victoria Cup to be held at Zushi Beach, by Hayama Harbor.

So many people come see the Werner Paddles crew at stand up paddle races and ask, what's up with the Werner Paddles Grand Prix bent race paddle? But even with interest due to its strange look, you hardly ever see any on the water...so what's up with that? Here, Werner Paddles gives us a look at the story behind it.

News just broke that one of the most popular stand up paddle races of the year in North America, the Race the Lake of the Sky has been cancelled for 2016 and postponed until 2017 to run its 5th annual event. See the official press release from event organizers below.

Clean water is worth standing up for. On April 16, nearly 300 clean water supporters demonstrate their enthusiasm for one of our most important resources while enjoying a fun filled standup paddle board race and celebration — Stand Up for Clean Water. 2016 guests include Robert F. Kennedy, Anthony Vela, Aidan Gallagher, Erika Benitez and more!

After years of preparation and training, Frenchman Nicolas Jarossay was set to take to the water and attempt to be the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean, solo and unsupported, on a stand up paddle board. On April 10, 2016, Jarossay set off on his expedition in favorable weather and conditions but unfortunately, and for reasons still unknown, a broken rudder system caused Jarossay’s vessel to capsize forcing him to enable his distress beacon only 24 hours after launch.

"Yes, I can confirm that I will be back in Wrightsville Beach to have another crack at the Carolina Cup," said Annabel Anderson, three-time champion in the Cup's elite and grueling 13.5-mile Graveyard Race and top woman in the world in standup paddle board.

For expert paddlers or those looking to dip their paddle in the water for the first time, the sixth annual Northwest Paddling Festival is THE place to be to get started for a summer on the water. Held at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, Friday May 6 and Saturday May 7, the festival is the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Hailing from El Cerrito, California, Haakon Hoyer-Nielsen is rising the ranks in the stand up paddle (SUP) world in both SUP surfing and racing having become a podium regular in practically every event he attends. Haakon trains in the San Francisco Bay, has already finished his first Molokai 2 Oahu race, is a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind, works year round as a lifeguard and consistently makes high honors as a sophomore at Saint Mary's College High School. Get to know this rising SUP star here:

Ever wonder what makes up Starboard’s carbon sandwich? Here, Starboard plays off the popular TV show Iron Chef to demonstrate how their Carbon Sandwich construction is uniquely designed and created with more high quality materials compared to other boards on the market.

Travis Grant is one of the powerhouses of stand up paddle (SUP) racing. Hailing from Australia but now calling the island of Oahu home, Travis is an avid waterman who simply loves being in the water. Get to know this champion paddler just a bit better in a great video presented by Surftech titled “Conversations With Travis Grant.”

The 6th Annual Golden Games is scheduled to take place May 20th-22nd, 2016 in Golden, Colorado. The Golden Games was recognized by Elevation Outdoors as the “Best Paddling Event in the Rockies” – 2016! Learn more about the sixth edition of this awesome event!

When anyone hears KTA (Kiteboard Tour Asia), they think kiteboarding, which is fair enough as that is what they have been spearheading in the Asia region and sometimes further since they were founded back in 2009. But, you could never accuse the KTA of becoming routine or following the norm and it seems they have done it again with their inclusion of stand up paddle racing.

The MR340, a 340 mile paddling race on the Missouri River will take place on July 19th, 2016 and no female has ever crossed the finish line. This year, Lauren Rodriguez will attempt at being one of the first, if not the first, female to finish this race and all alongside her team of eight including Shane Perrin, who once held the World Record for longest paddle in 24 hours. As only one of two females entering the race this year Lauren is determined to not only cross the finish line but to also raise funds and awareness for GoRedforWomen.

The seventh annual Mickey Munoz Mongoose Cup to benefit the Sport of Kings Foundation will be held Saturday April 9, 2016 at Dana Cove Park (Baby Beach), Dana Point Harbor. Mickey and his friends will join many of the world’s best paddlers for a special fundraiser and a great day of paddling fun and competition.

At only 14 years of age, Dave de Armas has a lot to be proud of. Not only is Dave an excellent student but he is bilingual and a world traveler. Oh, and did we mention a two-time National SUP Surf and Race champion in his home country of Puerto Rico? Dave has also been honored with a nomination by the FSPR (Surfing Federation of Puerto Rico) to represent Puerto Rico as a SUP Surf and Race Athlete to compete in the ISA SUP Worlds in Fiji in November, 2016. With aspirations to be SUP World Champ and to have a career as a chiropractor, this kid has a big and bright future.

Earlier this year we introduced you to an incredible man from Brazil, Jonas Letieri. Jonas holds one of the most inspirational stories of overcoming obstacles and tragedies that are thrown at you in life and overcoming these obstacles against all odds. This short film from Quickblades about Jonas Letieri and his inspirational story is a must watch.

Michael Booth is sneaking up the world rankings list and after joining Starboard SUP’s Dream Team roster he’s gained a huge support system which will likely help to transform this dark horse into a full blown threat at each and every event he enters. We caught up with Boothy (as he’s known to his friends) and asked him a few questions to learn more about his roots and where he plans on taking his SUP career. Have a look:

The 30th annual Santa Cruz Paddlefest was one for the books. The weather was perfect, waves consistent, and company incredible. Big thanks to Matt Hoff for all his hard work organizing and all the athletes who absolutely tore it up! The Werner Paddles team showed up in full force and paddled their hearts out at this year’s event. Werner released a nice recap of the event.

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.

22-year-old Zane Schweitzer has been crowned the 2016 Ultimate Waterman. Schweitzer, a late call up for 2016, was the most consistent surfer of the multi discipline event winning three of the seven disciplines contested. Today Schweitzer placed third in the 16km Stand Up Paddleboard Race which was enough to clinch the title over runner up Danny Ching (USA).

Hawaiian athlete Zane Schweitzer has claimed his third discipline of the 2016 Ultimate Waterman in a thrilling head-to-head duel with defending champion Daniel Kereopa of New Zealand. The longboard discipline was held at Piha Beach, Auckland today in clean waves of less than 1.0m. Meanwhile, Danny Ching wins the Underwater Sprint and swim discipline pushing him into second.

On Saturday, April 16, Los Angeles Waterkeeper invites clean water supporters and outdoors enthusiasts to Stand Up for Clean Water — one of the largest stand-up paddle boarding events in Los Angeles and a Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Series Event presented nationally by Toyota and locally by Whole Foods Market.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) has confirmed today that the 2016 ISA World Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championships will be hosted in Fiji – the first time that an ISA event will be held in the Pacific island chain, further highlighting the global growth and expansion of SUP Surfing and Racing.

Last year we here at Supconnect had the pleasure of attending the Air France Paddle Festival and we will definitely be back again this year as it was an event that is not to be missed. In case you needed any help deciding whether or not to attend the 2016 Air France Paddle Festival, here are five reasons why you should definitely do it:

The 2016 Santa Cruz Paddlefest presented by Starboard is about to kick off this Friday, March 18th and the event is going to be epic. With an excellent forecast of head-high to overhead surf and an athlete list of BIG names in the sport, this event is going to be huge.

In the first discipline of the 2016 Ultimate Waterman event, Californian paddler Danny Ching (USA) dominated the 16 km Outrigger Canoe Race held at Takapuna Beach. The following day, Starboard SUP athlete Zane Schweitzer (HAW) paddled his way to a significant win in the Prone Paddleboard race held at Piha Beach, Auckland, New Zealand. See the recap of the two events so far…