Iballa Moreno, Starboard’s World Champion Wavesailor, who placed 2nd in the Women’s Division of the La Torche Pro, just won 1st place in the Women’s Division and 2nd place in the Men’s Main Event at SOMO! Congratulations Iballa!!

Carole Lombard (Spain), a new member to the Starboard team, put on an outstanding performance as well. Carole placed second in the women’s final! Congratulations!

The following is Iballa talking about the SOMO event in her own words…

“Its only my second national event I have competed in for SUP. In this event, there was a Women’s Division, but I decided to enter in the men’s event as well. This way I had more chances to practice and get more experience in competition.”

“Saturday we ran the first two rounds, and winning both of my heats, I was pretty happy to make it all the way to men semi finals. There was very good level in the water! So on Sunday we ran the semi’s, and I made it to the final in second position. In the final, I had the pleasure to share it with a couple of friends, Xavi Masdeval and Pablo Valencia who had been ripping all the way to the finals.”

“Before the men’s finals I competed in the women finals. The wind just started to Kick in but there were still some fun waves to ride. When the men’s final started the tide was pretty high and the pick was in different places….I was lucky enough to get some good ones and make 2nd place in the men’s final!”

“I am Super happy with my experience and motivated to keep practicing to keep improving! Thanks Starboard for the support and for the opportunity to ride the 8’0 x 28” Pro!”

Results:

OPEN Women’s:
1.- Iballa Ruano (Fuerteventura)
2.- Carole Lombard <https://www.facebook.com/lombardcarole>
3.- Malen Riera (Mallorca)
4.- Sara Ramos (Guadalajara)

IBALLA MORENO WINS SOMO SUP WAVE CONTEST is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

The OluKai’s 4th Annual Ho’olaule’a SUP Race, held on Maui’s North shore, Saturday May 12th, saw over 300 paddlers competing for the top prize of the 8 mile race from Maliko Gulch to Kanaha Beach Park. Starboard standout racer Connor Baxter, took first place in the event, while Travis Grant and Danny Ching rounded out the top three. Congratulations Connor!

Congratulations to the rest of our Starboard racers Zane Schweitzer (18), Campbell Farrell (20), and Bart De Zwart (21) for their great showing!

Finalists:

Men’s Elite SUP
1st Place: Connor Baxter- 47:28
2nd Place: Travis Grant- 48:28
3rd Place: Danny Ching- 48:39

Women’s Elite SUP
1st Place: Andrea Moller- 56:45
2nd Place: Talia Gangini- 58:06
3rd Place: Devin Blish- 58:31

CONNOR BAXTER WINS OLUKAI’S HO’OLAULE’A RACE is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

Nikki Gregg discusses the NRG Fitness Board is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

The 2012 Carolina Cup turned what used to be a regional Stand up paddle race into an international paddling contest pitting some of the Worlds best paddlers against a course that would have just about every kind of condition a person could imagine. Beneficiaries Surfers Healing, SUP for Cancer, and the Turtle Hospital were there to spread the aloha and awareness. I was there to compete have fun and represent Starboard SUP on and off the water. Attracting over 300 competitors amongst the 3 divisions this year the Carolina Cup would earn recognition as the largest SUP event on the East Coast. A huge effort led by William Pope and John Beausang from Distressed Mullet who combined their efforts to put on a World Class Level professional event which has now become the pinnacle from East Coast SUP Racing. The course known as the “Graveyard” would truly test some of best in the sport of SUP with every kind of condition possible, and I was stoked to get it going and see how I stacked up not only against my competitors but against myself, my preparation and the elements.



Upon our arrival after an all nights drive from Orlando with Wave of Wellness’s Jessica Chicra and Jason Meehan we drove up to the front doors of the Blockade Runner Beach Resort and Hotel in Wrightsville Beach, NC. This would be the epicenter of the C-Cup for the next 2 days and Jason and his staff at the Blockade Runner were nothing short of top shelf service and the rooms were clean and affordable. We spent the day scouting the 13 mile course thanks to Jason at the Carolina Paddling Company, eating and getting some rest around the pool and few hot tub sessions of course were in order to loosen up the body for the next days Graveyard Race which was the 13 mile Elite race complete with cash prizes. In the Morning we hit the buffet breakfast which was a huge hit with the racers, and the morning of the race it was literally a who’s who of SUP down in the restrant packing in the calories for a big day.



Race day started out with the 3 mile short course for those who are just getting their feet wet in SUP Racing. About 30 minutes following the 3 mile start I could hear the calls of William Pope the race director on the PA system summoning the 6 mile racers to the line from the window of my room. In fact the BR is so perfectly situated on the intercoastal and the NC coast that it literally give you the option to paddle either waves, flatwater intercoastal, or an open ocean cruise. The Graveyard Race I was preparing myself for would be a grueling 2+ hour race combining all of the above with a healthy couple side’s of wind, current, groundswell, shallows, and boat wakes. I was excited to paddle my 14’ again and I tried to focus on how much fun the Starboard Ace Pro would be to paddle. I was jamming my Pandora selections as loud as possible trying to tamper the butterflies in my stomach that had me running to toilet every 20 minutes. I tried to eat and drink as much as I could but it was all I could do to ingest a few Pocket Fuel almond butter packs and another few liters of water. I did a mental inventory of my gear starting with the most important stuff first. I need a lot fo distractions in these longer races so I threw my gps, heart rate monitor, Radio Chum trucker hat, my Smith sunny’s, some more Pocket Fuel and loaded up my Dakine waist hydration pack with 75% water and 25% H2oOverdrive. I knew I would need a good supply of water and fuel for this race. I was firing on all cylinders and now it was 15 minutes before the race. I took the stairs down to the lobby and stepped out of the back lobby and into the NC sunshine with a 10 knot breeze coming out of the North I took note that this may even be harder than I originally thought. One more trip to the bathroom was in order. I started to feel like maybe I would need a diaper because for some reason I was more nervous than usual. On the beach the nerves were clearly visible as the some of the best races in our sport prepared for the race. Every racer on the beach just wanted to get the race started and get on the water.



Bam the gun went of and over 80 Elite SUP racers pushed of the sandy bottom in to the great Atlantic ocean for a 12+ mile race of epicness.



I focused on getting a good start and I believe I was right there as Danny Ching lead the way out several of us were spread out, I was at least 10-15 people fall in with in that first 30 seconds as we sprinted North towards the Masonsboro Inlet which was easily visible at about 1.5 miles down wind. Rounding the rock at Masonsborough Inlet was some of the worst chop we would see on the race. The reverb, current and 2-4 ft ground swell was making things interesting especially on my Starboard 14 Ace Pro, I had a good line albeit a bit slower than Jimmy T who surfed a bump past me. Now the grind would start as we made our way into the Intercoast Waterway you could feel the current pulsating beneath your feet and seemd the deep you reached the more current you could grab. I took a few sips of water put my head down and reached deep with my Starboard full Carbon 525 Elite paddle. I felt good and this was the time to hold your position and not make any desperate moves or tactical mistakes. I focused on my GOS and the Pandora I had bamming through my headphones. I need distractions for the pain it makes it way more interesting. My GPS was giving me some steady readings and I could tell my line down the center channel was gaining me time on the top 4. AT this point I was concentrating on being the smallest I could be because as we rounded the corner and started heading south the North East breeze was funneling straight up and filling in all but the smallest nooks and crannies behind boats and docks. I choked up on my paddle and reached towards the blade using the newly popularized “choke stroke” to hold my low profile position. I knew I could hold this 5.5-5.8mph average if I could just stay low. I looked up and WHOA! I was paddling full steam right into a dock. I put my paddle out and caught the dock with the tip narrowly avoiding a collision. However before I knew it the paddle got ripped out of my hands and literally pole vaulted 20 feet behind me. “Are you serious?” I exclaimed as I jumped straight off the back of my board and did a solid 50 meter crawl stroke to retrieve my paddle which was getting blown in the wind and opposite away. Oh well, a minor tactical I thought laughing out loud was all I could. Head down and back into the groove, and headwind, and current I was thinking this is hard work. It was getting Hot so sucked down a bit of Pocket Fuel and H2oOverdrive and seemed to catch my second wind. The little swim in the cool water didn’t hurt either, as it must have been nearly 80 degrees out and I needed a bit of cooling. The section of the inter-coastal was coming to an end and this is where the fun would start as we would have to navigate the un-jettied inlet of the Inter-coastal and make our way back out into the ocean for the final turn south and the finish. It was shallow everywhere here and the main deep channel through this inlet was out of the way to the north so I watched the 2 paddlers in front of me working together (AV and Remi), and drafting each other systematically. I knew they had about 100 meters on me so I decided to take the shorter and shallower route with less opposing current. Soon my fin was hitting the sandy bottom so I moved forward on my board getting the fin to rise up. Then I remembered a technique I had actually practiced last year in some really shallow water where I found my blade was getting stuck in the sandy bottom. So I flipped my paddle upside down and started using the handle to take strokes off of the sandy bottom. This was not particularly faster but it was easier to maintain the same speed and actually felt pretty good to be doing a slightly different stroke. My muscles were enjoying the variety. This worked for about 5 minutes as I made my way up the shallower North South end of the inlet. Now the waves, and lots of paddlers were going down out in front of me. My position was solid and I knew I could get to and hopefully past AV and Remi. The Starboard Ace Pro was I was dangerously close to being “lactic” which meant falling in would result in uncontrollable cramps and possibly loosing positions in the race. I took a wider line making sure to avoid the 2-4 foot ground swell that was peeling into the jetti on what actually looked like a pretty fun little right. The open ocean was instantly more challenging and as I got past the break and away from the inlet I looked up to realize this race was not even close to being over. My odometer said I still had 1.5 miles to go but I knew that couldn’t be correct as I could even see the final turn buoy. The swell combined with a rear quartering wind at 10-15 knots made for extremely short period combo swell that was very difficult to paddle fast in. Whenever a glide was to be had you would be heading straight in towards shore. However the turn buoy would be .5 mile off of shore so yo had to be careful not to get drawn in too close to shore or you would have to actually paddle straight to the east to turn the buoy and then come straight in. I had a decent gap on AV and I knew I wouldn’t catch Remi, Matt, and Byron. So I cruised at 70 percent making sure not to fall. My water was gone I was at 12 miles and still no turn maker in sight. Finally I spotted it and got a little boost knowing this grind was nearly over. I made the right turn and started heading into the beach looking for a wave to ride it. If there was one thing I really wanted to do that was not fall in on the final approach. I was a bit early and the wave I caught had already broke so I got low and stayed on my board with a clean finish at 2 hours and 27 minutes. I had to sit down as soon as I past the finish line because booth of the arches of my feet cramped up from running up the beach. Whew I was exhausted but felt pretty good. I figured I hit my goal of a top ten finish and now it was just smiles, high fives, and some photos with the other guys while we watched and cheered the rest of the racers as they finished. The women’s elite class was very heavily contested and Heather B. was able to take the gold followed by Brandi B. and Candice. I grabbed up my stuff and went for a supreme 1.5 hour soak in the hot tub to ease my aching body. My lats, and lower back were a bit sore but the hot tub had me back to almost 100%. I knew there would be the sprint races on Sunday along with a kids race clinic so I wanted to be loose and nimble and ready to go hard again. Then it was time for awards and an awesome catered dinner right there on the beautiful back lawn of the Blockade Runner before a full night out in Wilmington complete with rodeo bull rides and sharing good times with some of our sports fastest paddlers. A big huge thank you to William Pope and John Beasang from Distressed Mullet for organizing what has now become the largest Stand Up Paddling event on the East coast.

Dan Gavere Discusses 2012 Carolina Cup is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

On May 5-6, 2012, a group of elite SUP racers will descend upon Hawaii’s Duke Kahahamoku Beach for the Waikiki Paddle Festival. Starboard’s racing standout Connor Baxter will be competing for the title along with Jamie Mitchell (Australia); Travis Grant (Australia); Danny Ching (CA); Slater Trout (Maui); Noa Ginella (Oahu); Matthew Becker (CA); and Aaron Napoleon (Oahu). Leading the women’s group will be Candice Appleby (Hawaii); Jenny Kalmbach (Hawaii); Talia Gangini (Maui); Gillian Gibree (CA); and Mariko Strickland (Hawaii).

Starboard, as a sponsor, will have a booth on site and we encourage you all to stop by, say hello, demo a board and to check out our product.

For more information on the event, please use this link:
http://quiksilverlive.com/waikikipaddle/2012/home.en.html?camp=qs_qslive_waikikipaddle2012_vu

Waikiki Paddle Festival is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

Premiering at the 2012 Newport Film Festival on April 29 will be a movie directed by Brent Deal featuring 7 of the best SUP riders around the world. Starboard’s own Connor Baxter will be highlighted in the film as they take you on a journey into Indonesia’s best surf locations. Congratulations Connor for making it to the big screen!

You can get a sample of the movie in this trailer provided: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2ihzt179v8 and additional
information can be found here:
http://newportbeach.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/h2indo_brentdeal_newportbeach2012#screenings

Please check out the movie and let us know what you think…

Connor Baxter Featured in SUP Movie is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

Girl steals King’s Crown! is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

Congratulations to 16 year old International Starboard Rider Dylan Frick of South Africa! Dylan just started racing in July 2011 and this was his first Downwind Series. He came in first in the Downwind Series in both the Men’s and Juniors Divisions. The results were determined from 10 counting races from Oct 2011 till March 2012 – 20 weeks of racing. Dylan dominated the juniors division well ahead of Matthew van der Linden (16yo) and Kimon Dos Santos (14yo). There are many rising young stars getting into SUP and we at Starboard are glad to see Dylan Frick is winning on his Race 14’28” Open Ocean. He also loves to surf; riding the Starboard 6’6” Impossible. I’m sure it won’t be long before we see him on the Stand Up World Tour. Another Starboard stand-out and a rider we will hear more about is Andrew Cille who came in 8th overall. Congratulations Dylan and Andrew and to all the SA competitors!

Final Rankings for the 2011/12 Season.

Starboard has a Winner in South Africa – Dylan Frick Takes 1st Overall in Men’s and Juniors! is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

This was my first trip to Mexico – and what a great event site. It took place in Sayulita, Mexico. I flew with Riggs, Aaron and Tasha Napoleon from Hawaii – and we meet up with Zane and Matty Schweitzer in LA. Then we all flew down to Puerto Vallarta. When we arrived we were picked up at the airport – and got the VIP Treatment from the event organizers.



Our first day we were there, before the event, we got super fun waves. But then for the surf contest the waves got smaller – but still fun! The surfing contest was the first event held. When it was my heat – the waves seemed to subside even more. I managed to get a few okay ones, but unfortunately didn’t advance.

But later that day I competed in the Elite Race, which was a 5-mile race in and out of the surf, which was really exciting. The race started at 12:00 and I was ready to go. I was using my Starboard 12’6” BOP Board. I lined up on the beach and once the horn blew I ran to the water as fast as I could. Once I hit the water, I was right with Kai going into the first buoy. We stayed together for a little bit, but then Zane and I caught a wave from way outside and Kai didn’t catch it. So, Zane and I managed to get a good size gap on the rest of the racers. Then going into the third lap I knew that I had to get a gap on Zane. So I put my head down, paddled hard and got a little in front, which allowed me to catch the wave in front of him. For the last lap I was paddling as hard as I could to make sure I stayed in front. And once I went in and out of the surf a few times around all the buoys I was able to come into the beach in first. I was super stoked on the win and now I was getting ready for the distance race, which was the next day.



The long distance race was only 10k, but it was straight into the wind on the way out, which made it brutal. Heading upwind it was Kai Lenny, Ryan Helm from Mexico and me all together. We were all paddling our hardest, pushing ourselves to the max. Ryan and I managed to get away from Kai and put a gap on him. We got to the halfway mark, turned around and headed back to the finish line.

On the way back there were little bumps that I caught, which allowed me to make a gap between Ryan and me. I put my head down and tried to catch as many glides as possible and headed straight for the finish line. Coming into the finish line everyone was cheering me on, which made me paddle harder. Got to the beach in first place.

All together this was a super fun event and I can’t wait to go back next year.



A big Mahalo to all the event organizers and volunteers. Great Event – and Really well organized!!!

Look forward to doing it again next year!!!

I want to thank my sponsors for all their support – Starboard, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Rainbow Sandals, Rista Fins, EFX Technology, Dakine, GoPro Cameras, On It Pro, Waterman’s Sunscreen, Sunrite Maui, and Hi-Tech Sports.



Aloha -

Connor Baxter

Connor Wins in Mexico!!! is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog

The 3rd Annual Punta Sayulita Classic was held this past weekend in beautiful Sayulita, Mexico. I just got back from the event and had the time of my life! This is my second year there and it just keeps getting better.

If you haven’t heard about Sayulita then you need to check into it, because it is an epic destination location with a beautiful beach, and sunny weather just Southwest of Mexico’s famous Puerta Vallarta. Unlike the crazy hustle of the city, this a laid back surf town.


The Punta Sayulita Classic is for sure one of my favorite competitions I have gone to. This year’s field of competitors was stacked with some of the top surfers and paddlers in the world and I was surprised at how many spectators showed up on the beach every day! The action on the water did not disappoint the thousands of spectators watching on. The organizers know how to throw a great event. They incorporate all aspects of competition from Sup sprint racing, to SUP distance racing, surfing, and long boarding. And since it’s held during Spring Break they always have some amazing events going on at night like their awesome concerts. We were all blown away by the beachfront reggae concert by recording star, Paton Banton & The Now Generation that had the entire beach feeling the good vibes. I even got to go on stage and do a shout out to Hawaii and dance with the band!


The competition had beach breaks ranging in size from ankle snappers to over headers. I was standup surfing with some of the best girls and guys. There were longboarders, surfers, SUP racers, and the local talent is amazing too!

Thanks to all of the sponsors and people involved in putting on this great event. It was so organized for all of us competitors and everyone in Sayulita made us feel welcome and the spectators really got into the competition; cheering on the athletes. Each day we had several different sporting events to do. With world class athletes in Long board surfing, stand up paddle surfing, Stand up Elite course racing and Distance racing we were all able to stay busy and have a bunch of fun too! I was really stoked to win all of my heats in the surfing competition. My 7’7″ Starboard pro model worked incredible in all the conditions and I was able to finish 1st Place in the SUP wave event. My friend Kai Lenny took second, and local stand outs Ryan Helm and Tigre Cadena scored a third place and fourth place beating out many of the top ranked pros. My Starboard team mate and good friend Connor Baxter won both of the Racing events, proving that he has the speed to beat anyone every time he races. In the Elite race Connor finished 1st, Kai Lenny 2nd, Ryan Helm 3rd and I got 4th place riding the newest 12″6 Starboard surf race board. In the long distance race Connor won again! I didn’t compete because the surfing event was right after so it was exciting being on the beach cheering him on instead of being behind him in the race… On the girls side Candace Applebee swept the SUP racing and surfing event and was challenged by Hawaiian standout Vanina Walsh, and many other great girls in the surf. The talent at this event was on fire.

You know this is a great event when all the top athletes that have participated in the event the last three years, keep showing up. There has never been prize money in this event, it is an ocean sports celebration and a fundraiser for the local kids. Each year the athletes put on a free kids clinic and we got a bunch of kids stoked on surfing and stand up paddle surfing! It is really cool to be a part of it and see the kids excitement! The athletes show up to have a great time competing, to have a great time in Mexico with their friends and family, and to score some surf and delicious food.

Mexico is affordable too! The tourism industry has been hit because of the bad press in the media the last few years, but Punta Sayulita is a safe, upscale, small beach community with beautiful weather, friendly locals, and un-crowded surf breaks. It is probably one the most affordable places I’ve visited. The town has so much to offer, the people have aloha and the waves are a lot of fun, with something for everyone. So thanks to everyone that made this event possible! I know I will be back next year with my family!

Muchas Gracias and Aloha; Zane Schweitzer

Competition Results

2012 MEN’S SUP SURF

(1) Zane Schweitzer (HAW)

(2) Kai Lenny (HAW)

(3) Ryan Helm (MEX)

(4) Tigre Cadena (MEX)

2012 WOMEN’S SUP SURF

(1) Candice Appleby (USA)

(2) Vanina Walsh (HAW)

(3) Jen Lee (HAW)

(4) Jenny Kalmbach (HAW)

2012 MEN’S LONGBOARD DIVISION

(1) Darren Eudaly (USA)

(2) Sergio Gonzalez (MEX)

(3) Patricio Gonzalez (MEX)

(4) Trae Candy (USA)

2012 WOMEN’S LONGBOARD DIVISION

(1) Karina Rozunko (USA)

(2) Mary Osborne (USA)

(3) Jen Lee (HAW)

(4) Candice Appleby (USA)

SUP RACE COMPETITIONS

ELITE RACE TOP 20

MEN

*1 CONNOR BAXTER 41 min. 58 sec.

*2 KAI LENNY 42 min. 03 sec.

*3 RYAN HELM 42min. 48 sec.

4 ZANE SCHWEITZER 43 min. 03 sec.

5 FERNANDO STALLA 44 min. 23 sec.

6 MATT BECKER 44 min. 28 sec.

7 AARON NAPOLEON 45 min. 06 sec.

8 BRENNAN ROSE 45 min. 37 sec.

9 HECTOR GONZALEZ 46 min. 09 sec.

10 RIGGS NAPOLEON 46 min. 21 sec.

11 FELIPE RODRIGUEZ 46 min. 58 sec.

12 ANTHONY VELA 49 min. 38 sec.

13 ALFRED VAN GIESEL 50 min. 46 sec.

14 JIM TERREL 51 min. 24 sec.

15 ADAM FINER 53 min. 35 sec.

16 GERRY LOPEZ 54 min. 13 sec.

17 DIEGO MARTINEZ 55 min. 03 sec.

18 STEVEN WINIARSKI 55 min. 29 sec.

19 KEVIN ROBERTS 59 min. 41sec.

20 JONATHAN HOLLIES 1 hr. 02 min. 43 sec.

WOMEN

*1 CANDICE APPLEBY 48 min. 28 sec.

*2 JENNY KALMBACH 50 min. 07 sec.

*3 TALIA GIANGINI 50 min. 08 sec.

10K – PUNTA a PUNTA SUP RACE

MEN

*1 CONNOR BAXTER 1 hr. 14 min. 42 sec.

*2 RYAN HELM 1 hr. 16 min. 32 sec.

*3 KAI LENNY 1 hr. 17 min. 07 sec.

4 FELIPE RODRIGUEZ 1 hr. 18 min. 39 sec.

5 ANTONHY VELA 1 hr. 15 min. 27 sec.

6 JIM TERREL 1 hr. 16 min. 54 sec.

1WOMEN

*1 JENNY KALMBACH 1 hr. 24 min. 19 sec.

*2 BRITT OLIPHANT 1 hr. 40 min. 26 sec.

*3 SOFIA DE WOLF 1 hr. 43 min. 40 sec.

2.2K SAYULITA FUN RACE

MEN

*1 ADAM FINER 19 min. 37 sec.

*2 DAVID ANDRADE 21 min. 05 sec.

*3 CHUCK PATTERSON (with a kid on his board) 22 min. 06 sec.

WOMEN

*1 VERONICA NAVA 23 min. 17sec.

*2 ALEJANDRA FERRIS 26 min. 26 sec.

*3 MARTHA DIAZ 29 min. 47 sec

Zane Schweitzer Takes 1st in Surf at Punta Sayulita is a post from: THE OFFICIAL STARBOARD PADDLEBOARD STARBOARD SUP - The Official Blog