In all sports there are the proving grounds, the place where it all began and the place where it will always return to. For the world of ocean sports, Hawaii has long been regarded as ‘that place’: the birthplace of surfing and stand up paddling and the roots of surf culture as we know it.
It only seems appropriate therefore that the Stand Up World Series, as the global platform for the sport of Stand up Paddle racing, should return home to Hawaii for its climactic final, and where better than to the seven mile miracle that is the North Shore of Oahu and more specifically, the ultimate watersports arena found at Turtle Bay.
From the 12th – 14th October, Turtle Bay Resort will transform into a spectacular amphitheater as the inaugural season for the Stand Up World Series comes to a close and culminates in front of the property for the world to see.
The world’s best will congregate at Turtle Bay for some of the most spectacular racing of the year as they battle it out for both event and World Title, as well as $15,000 in prize-money. The event will feature a spectacular long distance race from Turtle Bay to Haleiwa, a course that will take in some of the world’s most famous surfbreaks, from Sunset Beach and Pipeline to Waimea.
Meanwhile, the sprint course, aptly coined the paddlecross after last weekend’s World Series event in Florida, will take place in front of Hang Ten Bar on the west side of the property as athletes will follow a triangle course out through the surf in front of a cliff lined with spectators, only to turn the last buoy and pray for a set wave to take them into victory: nature’s own maginificent sports stadium.
Aside for the Championship Racing, we have also opened up the long distance race to both 14′ and open class paddlers as a part of our Local Heroes division on Saturday 13th October. All participants should enter online at register.standupworldseries.com
Meanwhile on saturday morning, we will be running a ‘Na Kama Kai Challenge’ on the all new Naish ‘One’ inflatable board class on the east side of the property in front of Ola’s Restaurant. From 8.30am, a race course and Pro Mentors will be on hand for youth from all over to take part in a unique racing experience aboard the all new Naish One Class.
Featuring a simple figure of 8 course, the kids will race the trademark heat format seen in the World Series sprint racing to earn their place on the podium and to win their very own Naish One board, amongst other prizes.
All interested youth fo 15 and under should register free online at register.standupworldseries.com and click on the Na Kama Kai Youth Challenge.
The Naish ‘One’ inflatable board class is to be featured at this prestigious World Championship Finals at Turtle Bay on Sunday 14th Ocober for the sprint racing format.
With $2,000 prize-money up for grabs, the Naish One Board class is open to everyone, and boards will be on hand for all participants, as they step onto the same playing field and battle it out for gold on the World Series sprint racing course.
The social schedule for the weekend reads more like a who’s who in Hawaiian Music. From Pacifico’s Welcome night at Surfer the Bar on Friday 12th October that will feature Paula Fuga and Mike Love, to Saturday night’s dinner and party at Surfer the Bar featuring Ernie Cruz and finishing with Sunday evening’s Luau, live music and dance event featuring Ocean Sports legend Braddah Mel Pu’u and the Step Ups, the caliber of the social schedule matches the intense competition that will take place throughout the weekend on the water.
One thing is for sure, it will be a weekend not to be missed, whether you are a competitor, spectator or just up for a good time: Pacifico’s Stand Up World Series Finals at Turtle Bay will have something for everyone.
A microsite will be launched over the coming week that will provide more detailed information on the event, the contenders and much more, and the event will be broadcast live from Turtle Bay on the 13th and 14th October. So stay tuned to www.standupworldseries.com for the latest news, build up and information on the forthcoming Stand Up World Seriees Finals at Turtle Bay.
Book your discounted stay at Turtle Bay now using the special athlete discount code: NSSUP. Please note that you will have to show your entry on check in to benefit from this special rate, but even for spectators, quote the event to benefit from the best possible rate at this unique location on Oahu’s legendary North Shore.
From the intense rivarly developing between current rankings leader Kai Lenny (Naish) and #2 Connor Baxter (Starboard), who was leading up until the last event in Florida, to the incredible consistency of Slater Trout, France’s Eric Terrien (Bic SUP) and the two representatives from Punta Sayulita, Ryan Helm and Fernando Stalla (Rogue), the heat is on coming into this climactic final showdown for 2013.
Also to watch out for is North Shore Paddle Challenge Sprint winner from 2011, Zane Schweitzer (Starboard), who excels in the sprint format at Turtle Bay, but also some some of the newer blood on Tour such as Kody Kerbox (Naish), Dean Christener (JP Australia), Casper Steinfath (Naish) from Denmark. However, this is just touching the surface, as the talent runs deep and far, with 16 different nations participating across the Stand Up World Series in 2012, as we come to a close for its inaugural year.
We are back on the North Shore of Oahu, so some of the most dangerous dark horses will be the local community, with Noa Ginella (Naish) and the young Mo Freitas heading up a star studded local field, but also never forgetting Kaeo Abby (Art in Surf), Andrew Logreco and the Napoleon family, who never cease to impress and make their presence felt.
While Annabel Anderson (Starboard) from New Zealand has been dominating the international stops on the Stand Up World Series, returning to Hawaii she will face some of the fiercest competition yet, as Hawaii, US and international competitors will congregate to stake their claim here at Turtle Bay.
Watch out for Rachel Bruntsch, Morgan Hoesterrey, Mariko Strickland from Kauai and many more, as the women step up for the Stand Up World Series Finals at Turtle Bay.
Stay tuned to www.standupworldseries.com for build up content, athlete profiling and much more as we lead up to this climactic final stop on the 2012 Stand Up World Series. We look forward to seeing you all there….
After a second place finish in the Long distance on Day 1 of the Cocoa Beach Paddle Classic, presented by Pacifico and Starboard and in association with Maui Jim, Kai Lenny stepped up today in the spectacular sprint racing to secure a well deserved win in the sprints and then overall as well.
With an uncanny ability to get over any wave and stay standing, Kai Lenny’s cat like ability served him well today in the epic surf conditions on offer at Cocoa Beach. With this win, he now will move ahead of Connor in the overall ratings as we build up to the climactic Final on the North Shore of Oahu at Turtle Bay Resort.
Day 1 of the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge presented by Naish Hawaii and Pacifico
Day 2 of the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge presented by Naish Hawaii and Pacifico
Connor Baxter (Starboard) locks in the Title at the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge presented by Pacifico and Naish with bullet wins in both long distance and sprint courses.
Amidst a star studded fleet of athletes from Hawaii and beyond, Connor started with a strong showing as expected on the long distance course from Hukilau Beach to Turtle Bay. After a strong start, it was his reading of the wind swell through the second half of the course that allowed him to develop a healthy lead over the rest of the pack.
In the sprint course, he posted consistant heat wins to make it through to the final and storm to an impressive finish, much to the delight of the crowds lining the shoreline at the ultimate World Series course.
These two wins earned him the overall win at this stop on the World Series, thereby propelling him into 1st overall, taking the lead from arch rival Kai Lenny in what is turning out to be an impressive battle in 2012.
Connor’s winning streak seems set to continue with the form he has and we are excited to see the next major showdown that will go down in Cocoa Beach Florida on the 8th – 9th September, where Connor will once again come up against his World Series adversaries in his quest for the 2012 World Title.
Previously known more for his surfing performance having won the Rookie of the year award on the Stand Up World Tour in 2011, Kody Kerbox (Naish) from Maui has been asserting his presence in the racing world over the past 12 months and showed that he means business with his 2nd place finish here at the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge, presented by Pacifico and Naish.
After an impresive 3rd place in the long distance from Hukilau, Kody hit the water today with solid performances throughout the day to finish in 2nd place in the sprints, right behind Connor.
A tie for 2nd overall, meant a World Series Tie-breaker, that saw Kody Kerbox battle it out with Oahu’s under the radar, but dangerous Andrew Logreco. After an intense 1 lap short course, Kody broke away from Andrew after turning the final mark, catching a bump through the surf zone to secure the win and his well deserved 2nd place. Watch out for this incredible athlete that is clearly destined for great things.
Oahu’s Andrew Logreco puts on a great performance, clearly feeling right at home on the beautiful long distance course from Hukilau Beach to Turtle Bay finishing in a worthy second place behind Connor Baxter (Starboard).
In the sprint racing, he stepped up again, finishing in an impressive 3rd place finishing behind Kody Kerbox (Naish) and narrowly missing the bump that carried Kody to 2nd place.
The tie break was a neck and neck affair, with Andrew having to settle for 3rd place after Kody managed to edge ahead in the closing leg of the course.
While Andrew is more under the radar than other athletes, working full time as a Hawaii lifeguard, he is clearly a dangerous dark horse and a real threat, even faced with this world class competition. We look forward to seeing a lot more of Andrew over the coming year.
Following wins in Fiji, France and Chicago, Annabel Anderson (Starboard) adds another win to her flawless Stand Up World Series record with another great performance here in Hawaii.
Dominating the women’s fleet in both the long distance and sprint racing amidst some strong competition from the likes of Morgan Hoesterey, Annabel clearly showcased that she is the athlete to beat in the women racing world, demonstrating skill and physical excellence in both forms of racing.
Morgan Hoesterey held her own both in the long distance and the sprint racing of the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge, presented by Pacifico and Naish, battling it out with the New Zealander, Annabel Anderson (Starboard) from start to finish in both races.
With an impressive reputation in the women’s races both in Hawaii and on the mainland, Morgan put on a great performance here at Turtle Bay and will be in good stead as we go into the latter stages of the 2012 Stand Up World Series.
Mo Freitas once again puts on a performance of someone way beyond his years: at just 15 years old, Mo is still eligible for the Keiki division, but once again clearly showed that he has overgrown his age group long ago, with an incredible 4th place in both the long distance and sprint racing, finishing in 4th place overall.
From his performance on the Stand Up World Surfing Tour, to his increasing reputation as a real threat in the Racing World and more specifically on the Stand Up World Racing Series, there is no doubt that this Haleiwa born athlete is destined for great things.
This solid performance at home in Hawaii follows a great finish in France earlier this year, so Mo is looking good coming into the next event in Florida, early September.
Bert Charlton from Oahu secures not only the prone paddle win, but also the fastest time in the long distance race from Hukilau Beach to Turtle Bay ahead of next place finisher Connor Baxter on his 12’6 World Series class SUP.
Having used this specific run as his training ground for the 32 mile Molokai to Oahu race, Bert was able to navigate the course to victory ahead of a strong field of paddlers.
With not one other athlete in site, here we see Bert on the home straight to Turtle Bay and more specifically Ola’s Restaurant for a cold Pacifico beer!
Looking to retain his Title and unbeaten record here at Turtle Bay, Kai Hall stroked to a photo finish win ahead of friend and fellow prone paddler, Matthew Stack. Another North Shore lifeguard, Kai also works at and represents one of our hosts, Ola’s Restaurant, keeping it a truly family affair.
With the growth of SUP worldwide, it is great to see that there is still a very healthy and active prone community who paddle at an astonishingly high level here in Oahu.
After a beautiful welcome from the Laie Community and in particular Hukilau Cafe (who provided breakfasts for all the competitors), generations of local fishermen gathered at Hukilau Beach to involve the athletes, visitors and community alike in a re-enactment of the traditional Hukilau fishing practise.
Being able to start the race at Hukilau Beach was not only an honor, but provided athletes and spectators alike with a unique and special experience that they can keep with them, but also a thrilling long distance run that takes in some of the most spectacular scenery on Oahu’s North east corner.
We are already excited about returning to this beautiful corner of the world next year.
Turtle Bay once again shows why it is the ultimate destination for World Series sprint racing, with an amphitheater like setting that provides some of the most exciting and dynamic racing possible for the athletes and spectators alike.
As a forerunner to the World Championship Finals in October, the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge presented by Pacifico and Naish once again provided sprint racing like nowhere else.
Athletes can already take advantage of special rates at Turtle Bay Resort for the prestigious World Championship Finals by emailing entryrace@watermanleague.com to receive the exclusive athlete booking code. The dates for the finals at the 12th – 14th October, 2012.
Here is the top positioning for this leg of the Stand Up World Series:
Men:
Connor Baxter (Starboard) Maui
Kody Kerbox (Naish) Maui
Andrew Logreco, Oahu
Mo Freitas, Oahu
Bart de Swart (Starboard) Holland
Women:
Annabel Anderson (Starboard) New Zealand
Morgan Hoesterey, Oahu
Halie Harrison, Oahu
Highlights for both epic days of action will follow at www.standupworldseries.com, as well as photo galleries and much more. You can also see full timing results at www.pseresults.com, while other World Tour and World Series videos are online at both Stand Up World Tour and Stand up World Series Youtube Channels.
The Stand Up World Series returns to its HQ at Turtle Bay Resort on the 11th – 12th August for the next stop on the 2012 World Series: the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge, presented by Pacifico and Naish.
As a premier destination for Ocean Sports of all kinds, Turtle Bay opens its doors to international, national and local paddlers alike across the World Series Class 12’6 SUP, 14′ and Open Class, prone paddle and OC1 for a spectacular 2 day race with strong cultural ties.
August 11th will feature the long distance race from Hukilau Beach, Laie to Turtle Bay, an epic but largely undiscovered run linking the north east corner of Oahu with the North Shore, and benefiting from one of the fastest closing stretches of any race as athletes will battle down the home straight to Turtle Bay Resort.
The Long Distance run will feature the Stand Up World Series 12’6 class (as a part of the World Series points system, but also fighting for the $5,000 prize-purse), a 14′ and Open SUP class (fighting for some prize-money and awards), a prone paddle class (prize-money and awards) as well as an OC1 class (prize-money and awards). All divisions are open to both women and men, with special awards for the top finishing Keikis.
Leaving from Hukilau Beach, all prone and SUP competitors will head for the Resort and pull into the East side, for a beach front finish in front of Ola’s Restaurant. For OC 1 Paddlers, their finish will be marked by the turn buoys outside the keyhole, from where they can head into the Stables area to exit the water.
All athletes should be checked in before 12.30pm, with an athlete briefing and Pule at 1pm and a beach start shortly thereafter.
Beyond the excitement of the race itself, there will be a cultural event taking place on the morning of August 11th at Hukilau Beach to celebrate history and reenact what gave the beach its name and a significant tradition in the Laie Community passed on from generation to generation.
Supported by Hukilau Cafe, the event will take a trip down memory lane with the generations of families in Laie that have built their community surrounding this maginificent beach, as the traditional Hukilau is re-enacted and brought to life by this event taking place on its shores.
The Hukilau Cafe will also provide breakfast to all competitors and welcome the paddle community to its special piece of paradise. Breakfast and festivities will kick off around 10am, following a beach clean up initiative that will start at 8am at Hukilau Beach itself. More information to follow at www.standupworldseries.com
Following its successful introduction back in October of 2011, Naish will present the World Series sprint course featuring a heat elimination format will take place in front of the Hang Ten Pool Bar on Sunday August 12th, featuring the World Series 12’6 board class and prone paddlers (both women and men).
This dynamic race format will provide a spectacle for the audience, but also an exciting and extremely competitive racing platform for the athletes.
From welcome drinks on Friday 10th August, to a premium concert on Saturday 11th featuring Men in Grey Suits at 7pm and renowned Stand Up Paddler and musician Ekolu Kalama at 9pm, Surfer the Bar will be the place to be for competitors and general public alike. So come join us at North Shore’s premier destination for a weekend of fun for all the family.
In addition to the entertainment, there will be a raffle featuring premium prizes from our sponsors to raise money for the North Shore Lifeguard Association. So don’t miss out as every ticket counts for your prize on August 11th at Surfer the Bar, Turtle Bay.
The Waterman League is proud to call Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, ‘home’. With event and media operations in 12 countries worldwide and growing, the Waterman League is a truly global organization. From its Stand Up World Tour and World Series, to its other Ocean Sports properties and ties to the complete spectrum of Ocean Sports and all aspects of the culture, the Waterman League is well and truly embedded into this unique lifestyle on a global scale.
However, its home base and HQ is right here at Turtle Bay in Hawaii, with its global operations and production office managed out of the Resort itself. Surrounded by some of the most inspiring coastline in the world and at the heart of the Ocean Sports Culture, Turtle Bay is the ideal home base for the Waterman League and we feel honored to be here.
Pacifico once again brings us this epic event as the next stop on its US stops on the Stand Up World Series, while Naish continues its presence and history here at Turtle Bay to present this historic event. Also supporting us are: Hans Hedemann Surf Adventures, surf school operator up at Turtle Bay, Hukilau Cafe, Da Hui, Surfer the Bar and Ola’s Restaurant. Last but not least, of course a big Mahalo to our gracious hosts, Turtle Bay Resort and the community of Laie.
The Waterman League Logo & and the Stand Up World Tour are registered trademarks of Waterman League.The Waterman League Ltd, | Suite 123, | 8 Shepherd Market, | London | W1J7JY | United Kingdom
Hans Hedemann Surf School at Turtle Bay Resort is launching the 1st Annual North Shore Stand Up Paddle Race Series at Turtle Bay’s Kuilima Point. The summer series from June to September includes 4 sprint races every few Saturdays and weekly Thursday downwind paddle sessions. Each Saturday race event will be heat elimination format sprint course featuring 10 to 12 minute sprints customized to suit the surrounding environment of Kuilima Bay at the Turtle Bay Resort.
Winter is the time when the world’s best surfers are in town to put on the best big wave show on Earth. From October to March you’ll find them at various events such as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, the Stand Up World Tour and at the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau. Learn more →
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