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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.