Hawaiians Sweep Sup Cross at Teva Games

Strickland, Ginella bring aloha spirit, take home gold. Find or Add Sup Events in Your Area.

Noa Ginella jousting his way down the river, through the final, and to victory.

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Vail, CO - Hawaiians won the top spots in the inaugural Stand Up Paddle Cross event held today, the last day of the 10th Annual Teva Mountain Games held here today. Mariko Strickland of Kauai and Noa Ginella who hails from Hawaii’s legendary North Shore, both paddling for SUPCross presenting sponsor C4 Waterman, won the men’s and women’s divisions of the hard-charging, elbows and paddles flying test of paddling skill, strategy and determination.

With today’s win, Strickland swept the women’s division of the Maui Jim–sponsored SUP events in her first-ever outing on whitewater. The former semi-pro soccer player said she plans to return to defend her wins next year. “Whitewater is completely different than the ocean but is so much fun,” she said. “It’s fast-paced and you really have to look and plan far ahead which is similar to open ocean racing, but still different.”

Other women’s finalists were Nikki Gregg, Hood River, OR in second, Jenny MacArthur, Aspen, CO in third and Nicole Duke, Boulder, CO in fourth. It was also Ginella’s second time on the podium this weekend. He placed third in the SUP Surf Sprint before edging out freestyle kayak world champion Nick Troutman for the win in the SUPCross.

The other men’s finalists were Adam Cummings, San Clemente, CA, second; Nick Troutman, Walling, TN third and Charlie MacArthur, Aspen, CO fourth. Both Ginella and Strickland echoed the fact that winning SUPCross tactics include a combination of speed, focusing on the line and mental toughness. In all, nearly 40 paddlers entered the inaugural SUPCross event. C4 Waterman co-founder Todd Bradley was noticeably thrilled with the turnout and crowd enthusiasm for the SUPCross event not to mention proud of his team as well as the fact that five of the eight finalists were riding C4 Waterman rigid inflatable stand up paddle boards.

ABOUT C4 WATERMAN

C4 Waterman, a Hawaiian company, is a pioneer and leader in the evolution of the waterman lifestyle. With more than 100 years of research and development, C4 delivers unmatched design and technology in stand-up paddling. From their Hawaiian homeland, to the ultimate waves of Tahiti; from the whitewater of the Colorado River, to calm freshwater lakes and streams. C4 Waterman’s values are based on the four core principles of the waterman lifestyle: balance, endurance, strength and tradition. To see the complete line of C4 products including epoxy and inflatable boards, paddles, rash guards and accessories, visit www.c4waterman.com. For up to the minute news, follow the company on Twitter @C4Waterman and/or become a fan on Facebook.

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