It was October 20, 2017. Three days before the 2017 Red Bull Heavy Water, one of the world’s most prestigious stand up paddle races and the APP World Tour’s final stop. The invite-only event had garnered the attention of the competitive SUP community as many of the world’s top stand up paddlers were ready to battle for the crown in intense conditions. 

The highly anticipated Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge returned to the infamous Hood River over the weekend and the excitement from the weekend has the industry buzzing. The biggest takeaway from the event: the SUP youth is a force to be reckoned with.

After two months of deliberations and intense evaluations we are pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 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.