Friday, October 9, 2009

Welcome to the SUP and Surf!
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  1. WPOctober 9, 2009 at 5:55 PM

    2009 Battle of the Paddle
    By sdouglas - 6. October 2009 14:42
    The 2009 Rainbow Battle of the Paddle, two amazing days of world class Stand Up Paddle racing with paddlers from all over the world vying for a piece of Battle glory.

    The format for this years Battle was unique in that it wasn’t just a typical paddle race from point A to point B, instead it more closely resembled a true waterman’s event, combining paddle racing with surfing and general ocean knowledge. The Battle wasn’t just one race but a combination of 4 races, the open class race, the distance race, team relays, and headliner Elite event. This 2 day event format found many racers competing in not just one but possibly all 4 events.

    Team Hobie entered this years Battle riding on the wave of success from Chuck Patterson’s win the year before. The preparations from both the athletes and the board builders were relentless for over a month leading up to the Battle weekend. The athletes trained non stop and fined tuned themselves with key races leading up to the event. The board builders did quite the same, turning out 14 race amazing ready boards in 2 weeks for riders and customers alike.

    On day one the Hobie race team, equipped with carbon Hobie race boards, started off with a bang. In the open event, the youngest member of the Hobie team, Cody Alter secured a 1st place finish in the 14’ 18 & under division. Hobie shaper Gary Larson also took home 1st place win in the heavily contested Stock 19-29 division and Pete Wilson took 2nd in the Stock 50-59 division.

    The second half of day one the much anticipated "Elite Race Main Event" was on the stage. Mother Nature made sure that this was going to truly be a "Battle of The Paddle". Normally calm Doheny State Beach delivered a head high south swell and a nice low tide to challenge the 94 competitors. To add to the conditions Sparky from Rainbow Sandals designed a course consisting of 4 laps in and out of the surf. It was not going to be just about who had the fastest board, but who was the top "Waterman." , and luck being the X factor. A single set wave could take a competitor from mid pack to the lead within minutes or a stray board from another unfortunate competitor could take you out of the race completely. From the start you could tell that this race was going to be a spectacle, and words like chaos, and carnage could be heard up and down the beach. In the end, Hobie elite paddlers claimed seven of the top twenty spots. Chuck Patterson – 5th, Tommy Lloy – 7th , Bryce Saeman – 8th , Colin McPhillips – 10th, Tj Saeman 13th, Byron Kurt – 18th, Mitch Kahn – 20th

    After a well needed break, day two began with the distance event. Once again Mother Nature had her way and greeted racers to strong winds and really bumpy conditions making the 10 mile course a true test of not only racer’s paddling skills, but also their ability to read the conditions, stay out of trouble, and find every ounce of advantage available. Chuck Patterson led the Hobie contingent with a 4th place overall finish and Byron Kurt finished not too far behind in 9th. Colin McPhillips finished 1st 14’ 30-39 division and Sean Douglas 3rd 30-39 Stock division.

    The Battle’s finale was a true gathering of the tribes with the Team Relay, each team consisted of three men and one women. The 1 mile course would see each team member twice. Hobie Team 1 – Chuck Patterson, Byron Kurt, Mitch Kahn, and Karen Wrenn finished a much respectable 4th , Hobie Team 3 – TJ Saeman, Bryce Saeman, Bridget Saeman, and Lance Erikson finished 7th and Hobie Team 2 – Tommy Lloy, Colin McPhillips, Hayden Lane, and Jen Hollcomb finished 8th , once again placing Hobie in the top ten.

    Overall, Team Hobie walked away from the 2009 Battle of the Paddle with a huge sense of accomplishment. Hobie riders finished high among the worlds paddling









    Join Hobie Stand Up Paddleboards on Face Book - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Hobie-Stand-Up-Paddleboards/44977062854?ref=nf

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  2. UnknownJune 19, 2014 at 9:45 PM

    Hi Guys, Check out this Extreme SUP Surfing video!
    A look into the world of Jess Leedy pushing the limits on SUP

    Jess Leedy Extreme SUP Surfing!
    http://youtu.be/YEcxwOKZdV4

    Thanks, Chingaso Records

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