Repeat Carolina Cup Victories for Hönscheid and Booth

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, North Carolina – With near-perfect weather and racing conditions, Germany's Sonni Hönscheid and Michael Booth of Australia successfully defended their championships in the punishing 21-kilometer Graveyard Race at Carolina Cup in Wrightsville Beach. Both plan to go for three in a row in 2020.

“Yesterday was stormy, wavy and crazy out there. I got up this morning, looked outside and the conditions were glassy with light offshore winds and beautiful little waves, the complete opposite," said women's champion Hönscheid. "With the change in conditions, I chose to use the Sprint, the flatwater board from Starboard, which turned out to be a good choice. I didn’t have such a good start, but from there I made ground on the girls and kept up a good pace. It was a hard stretch on the ocean to the finish line.”

Photos courtesy Robert Butler

“It was a tough race, but a lot better than last year," said Booth. "It was a very different field with a really hard pace all the way. I got down and had to play it tactically smart, and I’m very happy with the win. It feels fantastic. The off-season has been really hard. I’ve been training and focusing on a back-to-back win. I’m over the moon.”

“To win the Graveyard Race again was unbelievable. I’m super stoked," said Hönscheid. "It’s a great feeling, especially with such a great community cheering you on and sharing a love for the sport and the ocean. To win in such a great environment with so many nice people is a double victory.”

Total registrations for Carolina Cup, including the Graveyard Race, increased over last year, according to Mark Schmidt, Race Director. The sport is organizing and maturing; industry segments are now working together; and, paddle racing is increasingly a multi-generational family sport, according to Schmidt.

Elite Men's podium. | Photo courtesy: Robert Butler

Organized by the Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club and sanctioned by the World Paddle Association (WPA), the 9th annual Carolina Cup was the first SUP race of the 2019 Qualifier Series, a newly formed partnership by the WPA and Association of Paddle-surf Professionals (APP). Competitors in the Carolina Cup had the opportunity to earn points to qualify for the APP World Tour and World Championship. All races began and ended at Blockade Runner Beach Resort, official resort of Carolina Cup.

A partial list of winners:

The Graveyard Race – SUP

Men’s Overall Elite (13-miles / 21km)

1. Michael Booth (2:03:01) Australia
2. Bruno Hasulyo (2:03:23) Spain
3. Daniel Hasulyo (2:03:54) Spain
4. Georges Cronsteadt (2:05:11) Redondo Beach, CA
5. Titouan Puyo (2:05:33) New Caledonia
6. Enzo Bennett (2:05:53) Redondo Beach, CA
7. Ty Judson (2:06:21) Australia
8. Travis Grant (2:06:34) Hawaii, USA
9. Mo Freitas (2:08:03) Hawaii, USA
10. Keoni Sulpice (2:09:24) Tahiti

Women’s Overall Elite (13-miles / 21km)

1. Sonni Hönscheid (2:22:15) Germany
2. April Zilg (2:25:45) NC/CA, USA
3. Jade Howsan (2:27:13) Laguna Beach, CA
4. Fiona Wylde (2:27:28) Hood River, OR
5. Laura Quetglas (2:27:47) Spain
6. Kimberly Barnes (2:27:48) Hobe Sound, FL
7. Stephanie Shideler (2:27:55) Long Beach, NY
8. Yuko Sato (2:28:30) Japan
9. Siri Schubert (2:33:24) Switzerland
10. Maddie Miller (2:34:41) Jupiter, FL

The Money Island 10km Race – SUP 14'

Money Island Men's Overall (6-mile / 10-km)

1. Vincent Goyat (1:01:44) Tahiti
2. Steve Phillips (1:06:10) Surfside Beach, SC
3. Scott Baste (1:06:21) Florida Keys

Money Island Women's Overall (6-mile / 10km)

1. Lizi Ruiz (1:12:41) Miami Beach, FL
2. Gina Di Primio (1:15:55) Ontario, CA
3. Tracee Van Brunt (1:17:41) Sayville, NY

The Harbor Island 5km Race – SUP 14'

Harbor Island Men's Overall 14' (3-mile / 5km)

1. Adrian Barnett (41:56) Hendersonville, TN
2. Matt Kenney (42:06) Raleigh, NC
3. Brad Hill (42:42) Annapolis, MD

Harbor Island Women's Overall 14' (3-mile / 5km)

1. Katie Roberts (50:08) Odenton, MD
2. Gail Case (51:38) Madison, NC
3. Lisa Landry (53:38) Ontario, CA