APP Announces Barbados As New Stop for Surfing Tour

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The APP is proud to announce that the APP World Tour will be coming to the beautiful Island of Barbados from the 9th - 17th November for its 3rd surfing stop of the 2019 season. The event will feature both men and women's competition and is one of four surfing stops this season on the APP World Tour. To be held at the world famous Soup Bowl, the event will showcase some of the most high performance surfing of the season in the magical waves found in Bathsheba, on the wave-blessed East Coast of Barbados.

The Barbados Pro will open with a welcome event down in Carlisle Bay on the 9th of November, where everyone from avid paddlers to newcomers to the sport, visitors and locals, adults and kids will be able to come together, mingle with the Pros and experience the sport in the idyllic and accessible conditions on offer in Barbados.

The competition will then start in earnest up at Soup Bowl from the 11th - 17th of November, with competition to be held in the very best waves possible during the week long holding period, with all action to be broadcast LIVE at appworldtour.com and @appworldtour.

Barbados to showcase its natural beauty, incredible waves, local talent and warm welcome at the 2019 Barbados Pro. | Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

Barbados is the eastern most island in the Caribbean: a true paradise with so much to offer, not only in the ocean with its world class waves, but on land, with its stunning surroundings, beautiful weather, character and charm. But above all, as any visitor to Barbados will attest, the Barbadian welcome is like no other.

“We’re extremely delighted that Barbados has been designated as one of the official stops on the APP World Tour. It is a fantastic addition to an already diverse sporting tourism calendar and speaks volumes to the capability of the destination to continually attract and host world class events. We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the APP for choosing our beautiful island and are looking forward to continually working with them to grow the event”, Petra Roach – Director of Barbados Tourism Marketing, USA.

The objective of the event in year one is to not only host a world class sporting event in Barbados, but provide a unique and tangible experience for visitors and locals alike, through participation and as spectators, with unprecedented access to, and time with, the world's very best stand up paddle surfers in the beautiful and relaxed environment that Barbados possesses.

The world's best are excited to showcase the pinnacle of standup paddling in the world class waves in Barbados. | Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

The world's best athletes are preparing for one of the most exciting battles of the year in Barbados, with world class waves, and an intensifying title race that will likely reach fever pitch here in the islands:

"Soup Bowls may very well be the best performance wave the tour has hosted an event at. It’s powerful, it’s punchy, it barrels, you have walls, you have sections. I can see it creating the highest performance SUP surfing the world has ever seen. Mix that with the stunning tropical environment and friendly locals, I think this wave and location is going to be a favorite to many. It is already to me", Sean Poynter, 2018 APP World Surfing Champion.

This high performance, barreling wave is a perfect complement to the world class point break in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria that is the final stop of the 2019 season in December, providing a spectacular back end to the season and one of the most exciting title races yet on the APP World Tour.

"The APP World Tour is honored to be able to host an official stop of the World Championship Tour in Barbados: Soup Bowl's reputation as a world class wave precedes it, and it will provide an incredible arena for the World's very best athletes to do battle. We are so thankful for the opportunity to bring the Tour to this spectacular venue, and excited to be embarking on an amazing adventure here in Barbados for years to come, an island that boasts an unmatched playground for water sports enthusiasts of all levels", Tristan Boxford, CEO of the APP World Tour.

Stay tuned for all the build up to the Barbados Pro and watch the trailer at appworldtour.com and across social media @appworldtour.

Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

About the APP World Tour & Waterman League International

The APP World Tour is the Professional World Championship Tour for the Sport of Paddlesurfing (also known as SUP / Stand Up Paddling / Paddleboarding), officially sanctioned by the IOC recognized Federation for Surfing Sports, the ISA (International Surfing Association). Re-branded in 2017 as the APP World Tour (previously known as the Stand Up World Tour and Series) the APP has been crowning the sport’s World Champions for both Men & Women across Racing and Surfing since 2010.