Hennessey's World Stand Up Paddle Championships
- Written by Morgan Becker
- Published in News
- Comments::DISQUS_COMMENTS
The field of elite stand up paddleboard racers was stacked this past weekend at the Hennessey's World SUP and Paddleboard Championships. For highlights and interviews with top SUP athletes read on below.
See all video highlights from this event and more on the SUP Connect Youtube Channel.
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Men's Elite Race Finish
Chase Kosterlitz Interview
Women's Elite Race Finish
Candice Appleby Interview
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HERMOSA BEACH, California – Elite stand up paddle racers came from around the world this past weekend to compete in the Hennessey’s World SUP and Paddleboard Championships.
Held on Saturday, September 17th, in challenging conditions, the event proved to be a great test for the athletes as they prepare for the upcoming Battle of the Paddle in Dana Point, California.
The event, sponsored by Hennessey’s Taverns of California, was headlined this year by a new seven-mile Elite course. Stand up paddle racers wishing to qualify for the race were given a chance to gain entry through a preliminary four-mile SUP qualifier race.
Representing the growing pool of talented and fast SUP athletes coming out of Florida, Chase Kosterlitz claimed first place in the men’s Elite 14’division, followed by Slater Trout in second and Matt Becker in third.
In an unusual finish on the Elite Course, Kosterlitz made an incredible push to almost overtake Brian Stockdale on his unlimited class stand up paddleboard. Stockdale crossed the finish line with a time of 1 hr. 14 min. 39 sec. Kosterlitz, on his 14’ class stand up paddleboard, was hot on his tail with a time of 1 hr. 15 min. 29 sec.
“The start was real fun. There was a big set wave and we punched through as best we could…there was a little bit of wind and some downwind sections. It was an all-around good race,” said Kosterlitz after crossing the finish line.
In a race for first place in the men’s elite stock division that may very well repeat itself at the Battle of the Paddle in Dana Point next weekend, Jaime Mitchell and Danny Ching went head-to-head. In the end, Mitchell claimed first place over Ching with a finishing time of 1 hr. 21 min. 25 sec.
Go here for a full listing of race results.
In a similar fashion to last week’s US Open of Stand Up Paddle in Miami Beach, Florida, Candice Appleby and Annabel Anderson battled together in the women’s elite division. But it was Appleby who continued her 2011 tour de force by claiming the Elite women’s division title with a time of 1 hr. 27 min. 20 sec.
Appleby, who has her sights set on the Battle of the Paddle, held next week in Dana Point, California, has been tearing up the SUP race circuit this year.
With yet another first place finish among a tough field of elite women athletes, Appleby said, “It was a great race. There were lots of challenging conditions with the triangle course, partial downwind, partial side wind, partial straight into the wind.”
The buzz was palpable at the Hennessey’s World SUP and Paddleboard Championships this past weekend, but all eyes are now on the marquee event in the stand up paddle world. The Battle of the Paddle, held in Dana Point on September 24th and 25th will be the ultimate test for the athletes who have trained and competed all year long.
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Morgan Becker
After spending the first part of her life in Minnesota, Morgan traded in her snow boots for sandals and moved to sunny California. After graduating with a degree in Communication from The University of Southern California, she eventually made her way down south to San Diego and is taking advantage of the living by the best beaches and burritos California has to offer. If it’s sunny, you can find her at the beach relaxing, or exploring the calm water in the bay via paddleboards and kayaks.
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