Carolina Cup Replaces Hawaii as US Stop of 2021 APP Tour

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, North Carolina – The Association of Paddlesurf Professionals World Tour (APP) announced an updated schedule today, including selecting the Carolina Cup as the first stop on the 2021 APP World Tour. The modified schedule consists of four flagship events, beginning November 4th in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

2021 APP World Tour Schedule:

• The Carolina Cup, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, USA – Nov 4-7, 2021
• The Gran Canaria Island Pro-Am, Spain – Nov 19-21, 2021
• The Paris SUP Open, France – Dec 3-5, 2021
• The World Championship Tour Finals, Location TBA – Feb 8-10, 2022

“We are pleased to announce that one of the longest standing paddleboard events in the US will be the World Championship Tour Opener for 2021. The APP and the Carolina Cup are aligned and committed to bringing the global paddle community back together on US soil,” said Tristan Boxford, APP CEO. “Having worked together in previous years with the Carolina Cup as an official qualifier for the APP World Tour, the whole Team is excited to bring the Tour to this vibrant East Coast Community in 2021.”

Photo courtesy: Carolina Cup

The APP World Tour is recognized and sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee Federation for Surfing Sports and the International Surfing Association as the official professional world championship tour for the sport of standup paddling. Organized by the Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club, the Carolina Cup is a four-day festival of events featuring seven races, seminars and clinics by the pros, product exhibits and demonstrations, commencing Nov. 4 and ending Nov. 7. Ideally situated with both oceanfront and soundside access, all races and activities are based at Blockade Runner Beach Resort, the official resort of the Carolina Cup.

Races on the Carolina Cup schedule include:

• The Graveyard Race – A brutal 13.1-mile ocean and flatwater race for the elite and professional paddleboard racers, beginning and ending in the surf on the beach, standup paddleboard or prone.
• The APP World Tour Sprints – A dynamic short course (300m) racing that provides dramatic action and a racing spectacle like no other. The elimination format provides a great opportunity for all Racers and allows the best to rise to the top. Pro and Amateur eliminations will be held on Sunday
• The Money Island Open Race – A 10-kilometer flatwater race designed for the intermediate to advanced paddler, standup paddleboard, prone, kayak, surfski, outrigger canoe (OC-1 and OC-2).
• The Harbor Island Recreational Race – A 5-kilometer flatwater race for first-time to intermediate paddleboarders; standup paddleboard; prone.
• The Graveyard Surfski, Outrigger, and Kayak Race – A 13.1-mile elite race starting and finishing on the sound side, circumventing Wrightsville Beach, kayak; surfski, outrigger canoe (OC-1 and OC-2).
• The Three Island Challenge – Start to finish on the sound side, this 9-mile race is for six-team ocean canoe crews (OC-6) male, female, and mixed-gender teams. The race circumvents the marshes and undisturbed islands and lowlands behind Masonboro, Money, and Harbor Islands.
• The Kids Race – For children 6 to 14, one and two-loop course races on the sound.

The designated charity for the 2021 Carolina Cup is Nourish North Carolina, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide healthy food to hungry children, enabling them to succeed in the classroom and their communities.

For more race news, click HERE.