Surf to Sound Challenge SUP News

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, North Carolina - A scant 6-seconds at the finish line separated Canadians Larry Cain and Tamás Buday Jr. (SIC Maui) in their exciting rematch at North Carolina's 2016 Surf to Sound Challenge. Cain, an Olympic Gold Medalist and inductee into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, regained the men's championship from fellow Olympian Buday, posting a time of 1-hour 12-minutes 35-seconds in the 6.5-mile ocean to sound elite paddle board competition. Cain has captured the Surf to Sound Championship four times with Buday winning twice.

April Zilg of Wilmington, NC, ranked 10th in the world on SUP Racer's list of Top 50 Women, effortlessly defended her women's elite championship with a 14-minute lead over second-place finisher Stephanie Shideler of Long Beach, NY. Julieta Gismondi, from Yonkers, NY, stepped up to elite status from 2015's Harbor Island Loop and captured third-place in the elite Surf to Sound Challenge.

Choppy water with winds 10-20 mph tested paddling skills and stamina on Saturday, calming down considerably for Sunday's races with variable winds mostly five mph. Sunny skies and high temps in the 60s and 70s prevailed on both days. All races and activities were based at host hotel Blockade Runner Beach Resort.

Larry Cain and Tommy Buday cross the finish line in the 2016 Surf to Sound Challenge. | Photo Courtesy: Samantha Black

Larry Cain, Tamás Buday Jr., April Zilg, and Stephanie Shideler also captured the top two slots in the men and women divisions respectively, of the 9-mile Blockade Runner Flatwater Championship.

Surf to Sound Challenge, held every November in Wrightsville Beach, is a weekend of family activities, paddle clinics, vendor displays, and races designed to include all skill levels from beginner to professional. The races include the beginner to intermediate Intracoastal 4-mile Harbor Island Loop; the elite division 6.5-mile Surf to Sound Challenge; a Kids Race; the 9-mile Blockade Runner Flatwater Championship; and the monster 25-mile Kraken endurance race, circumnavigating Harbor Island at Wrightsville Beach and nearby Masonboro Island.

Presented by the Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club, North Carolina Surf to Sound Challenge is hosted by Blockade Runner Beach Resort and sanctioned by the World Paddle Association (WPA).

2016 Surf to Sound Challenge, First and Second Place Women's Division, April Zilg and Stephanie Shideler. | Photo Courtesy: Karen Pennington

Surf to Sound Challenge Elite 6.5-mile Results:

Men 14' Division
1. Larry Cain, Oakville, ON, Canada
2. Tommy Buday, Montreal, QE, Canada
3. Brandon Van Elslander, Oakville, ON, Canada
4. Terry Smith, Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
5. Corey Taylor, Charleston, SC, USA

Women 12.6 Division
1. April Zilg, Wilmington, NC, USA
2. Stephanie Shideler, Long Beach, NY, USA
3. Julieta Gismondi, Yonkers, NY, USA

Harbor Island Loop 4-mile Results:

Men 14 Division
1. David Young, Wilmington, NC, USA
2. Morgan Crawford, Raleigh, NC, USA
3. Matt Kenney, Raleigh, NC, USA
4. Archie Chase, Oakville, ON, Canada

Women 12.6 Division
1. Jenna Blackburn, Wilmington, NC, USA
2. Kristi Falco, Wrightsville Beach, NC, USA
3. Leanne Vella, Wilmington, NC, USA
4. Jamie Moir, Ottawa, Canada
5. Saylor Emmart, Wilmington, NC, USA

Women 14 Division
1. Jessica Kennedy, Hampstead, NC, USA
2. Katherine Elzer-Peters, Wilmington, NC, USA
3. Nicki Bloomer, Wilmington, NC, USA

Blockade Runner Flatwater Championship 9-mile Results:

Men 14' Division
1. Larry Cain, Oakville, ON, Canada
2. Tommy Buday, Montreal, QE, Canada
3. Kodie Peekstok, Waterford, ON, Canada
4. Brandon Van Elslander, Oakville, ON Canada
5. Steve Phillips, Myrtle Beach, SC, USA

Women 12.6 Division
1. April Zilg, Wilmington, NC, USA
2. Stephanie Shideler, Long Beach, NY, USA
3. Juliette Brault, Montreal, QE, Canada
4. Tracey Finlay, Toronto, ON, Canada
5. Karen Wilson, Wilmington, NC, USA

OC-6 Teams
1. Cameron Deisroth, Wilmington, NC, USA
2. Emily One Deisroth, Wilmington, NC, USA
3. Emily Two Deisroth, Wilmington, NC, USA

The Kraken 25-mile Results

Surfski
1. Eric Hay, Wilmington, NC, USA

Harbor Island Loop - Prone Stock
Men Division
1. Greg Fix

Women Division
1. Kristen Sheldon, Charlotte, NC, USA
2. Kimberly James

To see more SUP Race news, click HERE.