Santa Cruz Paddlefest 2016 Attracts Big Names And Epic Forecast

SANTA CRUZ, California - The 2016 Santa Cruz Paddlefest presented by Starboard is about to kick off this Friday, March 18th and the event is going to be epic. With an excellent forecast of head-high to overhead surf and an athlete list of BIG names in the sport, this event is going to be huge.

The Lane in Santa Cruz is a world class surfing spot that will be the home of the main event at the Santa Cruz Paddlefest. The sand bar at the Lane is as good as it's ever been and the waves have been amazing for the past two months. The forecast is calling for fun waves in the head-high plus range and as always the weather could make things very interesting. With the line-up below it will certainly be a weekend to remember and great way to kick-off the 2016 paddle season!

The Paddlefest offers more than just surfing and racing though, as some of the world’s best SUP athletes will be on-hand hosting clinics and offering key knowledge to those who are looking for some tips and insights on how to excel in the sport. One of these athletes, Starboard SUP and Werner Paddles’ professional SUP Surfer and SUP Racer Fiona Wylde, will be offering a Women’s SUP Clinic on Thursday, March 17 at 3pm. The clinic is available for all ages and paddlers and will go over stroke technique, turning, race starts, balance and whatever else you’d like to learn.

The SUP surf event is sold out but folks can still register for the race until Friday. Click HERE to register.

Some of the key registered athletes are:

• Noa Hopper (404)
• Mo Freitas (Focus SUP)
• Poenaiki Raioha (F-One)
• Bernd Roediger (Naish)
• Giorgio Gomez (Infinity)
• Zane Schweitzer (Starboard)
• Slater Trout (FCS SUP)
• Sean Poynter (Starboard)
• Brennan Rose
• Dave Boehne
• Anthony Vela (FCS SUP)
• Izzi Gomez (Starboard)
• Fiona Wylde (Starboard, Werner Paddles)
• Candice Appleby (Infinity)
• Lara Claydon (Starboard)

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday March 17th

6:00am – Surfers lot site structuring
10:00am – Sponsors Check in at Steamer Lane
5:00pm – Mandatory Check in at Adventure Sports Unlimited*see footnote*
6:30pm – Dinner at ASU
7:15pm – Mandatory Safety Meeting at ASU

Friday March 18th

6:00am – First Volunteers on site at the Lane
7:20am – Heats Start at the Lane
8:00am – Booths Open at the Lane
5:00pm – Booths Close at the Lane
5:40pm – Last heat off the water at the Lane
5:00pm – Happy hour and Tacos at Olitas on the Wharf

Saturday March 19th***

6:00am – First Volunteers on site at the Lane
6:00am – First Volunteers on site at Cowells Beach
7:00am – Race/Cowells check in starts at Cowells Beach
7:20am – Heats start at the Lane
8:00am – Booths open at the Lane & Cowells Beach
8:00am – Race/Cowells Safety meeting at Cowells Beach
9:00am – Paddleboard Race starts at Cowells Beach
9:30am – Set up for Cowells/Indicators Starts
11:00am – Heats start at Cowells/Indicators
11:00am – OC1 Race starts at Cowells Beach
2:20pm – Heats end at Cowells/Indicators
5:00pm – Booths Close
5:40pm – Last heat off the water at the Lane
7:00pm – Paddleboard Race awards at Ponos

Sunday March 20th

6:00am – First Volunteers on site at the Lane
7:20am – Heats start at the Lane
8:00am – Booths open at the Lane
12:00am – Heats start at Cowells/Indicators
3:20pm – Heats end at Cowells/Indicators
3:00pm – Booths Close & Takedown begins
3:20pm – Last heat off the water at the Lane
4:00pm – Overall Awards Ceremony at the Lane

*This of course is a tentative schedule. When dealing with the ocean things are bound to change. The SCPF desk at the event will have the most current updates.
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To learn more about the Santa Cruz Paddlefest, click HERE.