SUP Technical Races Spark Action-Packed Day in Riyue Bay

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Technical Race Finals to crown World Champions on Wednesday

Pan Am qualification slots up for grabs

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The SUP Technical races sparked an action-packed fifth day of competition at the 2018 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship at Riyue Bay in Wanning, China.

USA’s Connor Baxter on his way to winning the first Men’s Semifinal. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
USA’s Connor Baxter on his way to winning the first Men’s Semifinal. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

The Men’s and Women’s Semifinals ran to qualify athletes for the Finals to take place on Wednesday, set to award the first racing medals of the event.

Two qualification slots for the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima are up for grabs for the top finishing man and woman from the Americas in the SUP Technical Race Finals.

Three ISA SUP Gold Medalists, USA’s Connor Baxter, Denmark’s Casper Steinfath, and France’s Tituoan Puyo, took the top qualification spots in the Men’s Semifinals.

“The course was really fun,” said Baxter. “We got downwinds, upwinds, a surf break, and a beach run. It’s really technical.

“The competition has gone up and up every year. All the nations are getting more serious about SUP and training their teams, so the Finals tomorrow will be packed with talent.

“A win tomorrow will not only be a Gold for the team, but also a spot in the Pan Americans. It’s not just a personal Gold Medal, there is much more at stake.”

Steinfath’s time of 32:19 was the fastest of the day, giving him a strong push heading into finals Day.

Olivia Piana (FRA) will look to push beyond her string of ISA Silver Medals and win the Gold on Wednesday. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
Olivia Piana (FRA) will look to push beyond her string of ISA Silver Medals and win the Gold on Wednesday. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

USA’s Candice Appleby, the 2015 ISA Technical Race Gold Medalist, finished the day with the fastest heat time for the women with 36:51.

Australia’s Shakira Westdorp, who won an unprecedented third consecutive SUP Surfing Gold Medal on Monday, won the second Women’s Semifinal and Japan’s Yuka Sato won the third Semifinal.

Great Britain’s Marie Buchanan put on a gutsy performance after stepping on an urchin during the SUP Surfing rounds. Despite her injury, Buchanan managed to finish fifth in her SUP Technical Race Semifinal to qualify directly to the Final.

“I’ve been hobbling around after stepping on an urchin,” said Buchanan. “The adrenaline definitely got me through. I was determined to qualify and not have to compete twice in the Repechage Round.

“This is my sixth time competing at the ISA Worlds. I’ve made the top six, but I have never won a medal. I would be totally stoked to place on the podium.”

Australia’s Shakira Westdorp fresh off a SUP Surfing Gold Medal, using the surf lineup to her advantage. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
Australia’s Shakira Westdorp fresh off a SUP Surfing Gold Medal, using the surf lineup to her advantage. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

The top five finishers from each of the three Semifinals qualified for the Finals on Wednesday, with the rest of the field competing in a Repechage heat that would qualify an additional five athletes for the Final. A grand total of 20 competitors will be competing in the SUP Technical Race Finals.

Notably, Team Iran and China made their first SUP Racing appearances in the history of the event today in the Women’s and Men’s SUP Technical Race.

None of the Chinese and Iranian athletes qualified for finals day, however their participation marks a watershed moment for the growth and development of SUP in Asia.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“After crowning SUP Surfing World Champions yesterday, we went straight into the exciting SUP Technical Races here in China.

“The Technical Races have attracted the top talent from all continents of the globe, looking to put a Gold Medal around their neck.

“Tomorrow we will make history, as we will not only crown the first SUP World Champions in China, but also the first Under-18 SUP World Champions. Everything indicates that this will be a must-see day of SUP Racing.”

The SUP Men’s Technical Race fighting for the hole shot from the beach start. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
The SUP Men’s Technical Race fighting for the hole shot from the beach start. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

The ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship will be streamed live on www.isasurf.org Nov 23 – Dec 2.

The remaining event schedule is the following*:

Riyue Bay

  • November 28 – Technical Races
  • November 29 – Lay day

Shenzhou Peninsula

  • November 30 – Sprint Races
  • December 1 – Distance Races
  • December 2 – Relay Races, Closing Ceremony

*All times in local time (GMT +8). Schedule subject to change.

About The International Surfing Association:

The International Surfing Association (ISA), founded in 1964, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. The ISA governs and defines Surfing as Shortboard, Longboard & Bodyboarding, StandUp Paddle (SUP) Racing and Surfing, Bodysurfing, Wakesurfing, and all other wave riding activities on any type of waves, and on flat water using wave riding equipment. The ISA crowned its first Men's and Women's World Champions in 1964. It crowned the first Big Wave World Champion in 1965; World Junior Champion in 1980; World Kneeboard Champions in 1982; World Longboard Surfing and World Bodyboard Champions in 1988; World Tandem Surfing Champions in 2006; World Masters Champions in 2007; and World StandUp Paddle (SUP, both surfing and racing) and Paddleboard Champions in 2012.

ISA membership includes the surfing National Federations of 104 countries on five continents. The ISA is presided over by Fernando Aguerre (ARG). The Executive Committee includes four Vice-Presidents Karín Sierralta (PER), Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), Casper Steinfath (DEN) and Barbara Kendall (NZL), Athletes' Commission Chair Justine Dupont (FRA), Regular Members Atsushi Sakai (JPN) and Jean Luc Arassus (FRA) and ISA Executive Director Robert Fasulo as Ex-officio Member.

Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California (USA).

For more information, please visit www.isasurf.org