The world's best stand up paddlesurfers will compete at Oahu's Sunset Beach this Feb.
Competitors include: Bonga Perkins (HW), Garrett Mc Namara(US), Chuck Patterson (US), Jamie Mitchell(AUS), Ekolu Kalama(HW), Robby Naish(HW), Brian Keaulana(HW), Peyo Lizarazu(FR) and more.
For more information visit www.watermanleague.com (http://www.watermanleague.com)
If you are interested in entering the trials, email entry@watermanleague.com
Which rider got the most votes at Teahupoo??
Reid, we have just announced it at www.watermanleague.com (http://www.watermanleague.com)!
Trials start in the morning. If your near Sunset.... Your are gonna see some fun.
Is the contest on now?
I just checked the Surfline Sunset Beach cam. The waves look overhead and clean and I don't see any crowds, just a few Stand-up guys out.
That must mean something.
Go Slater!
looked fun out there.. 2x overhead
Congratulations to Slater Trout! I heard Slater caught the first wave of the contest and went on to win 1st place in the trials. Very impressive since he's never surfed Sunset before today.
VERY cool event. Bravo and well done to Waterman League.... it was an awesome trials day... many surfers we expected to move on did, others expected didn't for whatever reason. 20 min heats meant that anyone trapped in the impact zone at all was done as in 20 mins no time to get stuck inside, and get back out, and get your waves. Some ripping riders didn't even get one wave, with sets not that consistent, or stuck inside, and other reasons. Others got only one or two (myself included) but then there were some that got 5 or 6 waves. The sport is evolving quickly, as are boards and skills. Overall it was a super event and the level of riding was awesome... more to come.
Conditions were smaller than they have been: about half as high as Wiamea the other day and only about 2/3 of what Sunset was Friday night, but it was really good conditions.
Again... bravo Waterman League... what a fun event.
Here is a shot of me from today (on my only wave... sigh... that's life ;-) ...)
Corran
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs219.snc3/22658_335166779127_510619127_4958323_2603555_n.jpg)
Well, Slater has surfed Sunset before but this is the first time he got to surf REAL Sunset and he did great! I made him a 10-6 Gun/Ripper for exactly this and he stuck to the game plan. 15 years old... 1st Place in the Trials... Impressive... Lot's more to come on this and it was a day of young stand outs.
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/1slater2.jpg)
Big year for Slater, second in the elite division of the BOP and now this. Couldn't happen to a better kid or a finer family. Congratulations to all the Trouts and Slater.
Epic day. Slater charged. Riggs Napolean Charged and made the main event. Great day for Stand Up.
Aloha,
Tom English
Wow! Thanks for the pics. Congrats to Slater and Riggs!
Great pics Tom....way to rip Slater.
Beautiful conditions out there, looks very enticing from the frozen tundra sand of The East Coast. Glad young Trout is killing it, maybe now those people who think SUP is for old guys will have more reason to look again.
The trials results:
(http://www.watermanleague.com/images/stories/trials%20heat%20table.jpg)
There were even good waves at Kammi's for the non contestants. Congratulations to Blane Chambers contribution to the sport and great results in this event.
Aloha,
Tom English
Riggs Napolean 12 year old big wave rider.
Slater Trout pic
great pics, post more if u got em. riggs napolean was mind blowing. :o
Wow, these young kids are really amazing. You have Slater Trout at 15 charging and winning at sunset against seasoned adult surfers. Then you have 13 year old Mcnamara charging second reef pipe with the big boys and pulling and making one of the biggest barrels of the contest. Then you have John John, maybe like 16 or 17 who has become just a master at Pipe. You should watch the guy surf pipe. One of the best and so young. Then Riggs looks so young but is charging at like 12 years old. Crazy stuff. Real phenoms.
I checked the sunset beach surfline.com camera and it looks like the second day of the event is on. I you are a premium member, you can watch the contest because the cam is in HD. The cam is quite far from the competitors but you can see them surfing.
Could someone kindly explain the stages of this event? I do not recognize many of the names that competed. Was this a preliminary heat for non invitees?
More photos from the event:
(http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs219.snc3/22658_336445004127_510619127_4964665_5745890_n.jpg)
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs239.snc3/22658_336444894127_510619127_4964656_3391011_n.jpg)
(http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs239.snc3/22658_336444904127_510619127_4964657_3338246_n.jpg)
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs219.snc3/22658_336444914127_510619127_4964658_352598_n.jpg)
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs219.snc3/22658_336444929127_510619127_4964659_7195936_n.jpg)
(http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs239.snc3/22658_336444944127_510619127_4964660_5365465_n.jpg)
(http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs239.snc3/22658_336444949127_510619127_4964661_2658750_n.jpg)
(http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs239.snc3/22658_336444969127_510619127_4964662_23788_n.jpg)
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs239.snc3/22658_336444979127_510619127_4964663_7715506_n.jpg)
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs219.snc3/22658_336444994127_510619127_4964664_1340403_n.jpg)
Aloha deisel, I could not agree more about the young surfers! Slater Trout was......WOW!!!.....he surfed with so much poise, confidence and skill. His win was well WELL deserved. He is definitely going to give the older the established surfers a run for their money the main event.
At 12 years old Riggs Napoleon surfed way beyond his years and impressed the h*ll out of everyone! I cant even say his name without getting a big smile on my face! During one his later heats, I took a break and walked over by the PSH tent. Right then Riggs caught a BOMB and the entire beach stood up cheered. The look of pride and stoke on his dads Arron's, face said it all. It was truly a wonderful moment!
Other young teenage sup surfers to watch for are Zane Schweitzer, Kai Lenny and Connor Baxter.
The contest is off for today. Although the conditions at Sunset are beautiful today, it is too small for the event to run. The idea of the world stand up tour is to provide a platform for elite sup surfers to showcase their talents in the biggest heaviest waves possible. So while 6 foot Sunset is fun, running it in smaller lessor conditions than yesterday is not what we are looking for. There is another big swell due to hit Wednesday and with 7 days left in the waiting period, there is plenty of time & swell to run the final day in epic conditions.
I got to witness a lot. I sat there in absolute envy all morning as the waves were soooo fun!!! I played the role of team supporter but it was painful to watch such epic conditions. As the wind got onshore it was actually a lot easier to be a spectator! Haha!
I will also add, the internet lets people hype themselves and their products up and this was a great way to see it all in action. One thing about a place like Sunset, is you can't hide bull sh*t! A lot of great things were seen and a lot of BS was exposed. Sunset has a way of doing that.
Riggs is the real deal. I made him this board for all around, day to day use in any kind of waves. I honestly had no idea till yesterday morning that he was entering the trials. Riggs, We're all proud of you! You were charging!
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/drop%20sequence.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/z1_1.jpg)
Another great moment form the Trials... Kawika Carvalho from Kauai showed up under gunned and I let him use a 10' Pintail. He was stoked! He got what had to be the gnarliest, no hope barrel of the day right here. Inside Sunset drainer!!!
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/Copy%20of%20Sequence.jpg)
Quote from: Jbay on February 07, 2010, 01:00:45 PM
Could someone kindly explain the stages of this event? I do not recognize many of the names that competed. Was this a preliminary heat for non invitees?
Yes, the trials were open and anyone wanting to could enter. It was great to see a bunch of lessor known, but insanely talented surfers show the sup world just how damm good they are!
Yesterday we held the trials and the first round of the main event. Here is a breakdown:
All heats in trials and main event are 4 man heats with the top 2 surfers advancing. The scoring system was the best 2 waves surfed on a 1-10 scoring system.
Trials: consisted of 36 surfers
The top 8 or all semi finalists made to the 1st round of the main event
Main event 1st round4-heats comprised of:
5-alternates
3-wild cards
8-trialists
As happens, some there were prior injuries and scheduling conflicts with some of the alternates and wild cards. So instead of 8 alternates there were 5, and instead of 4 wild cards there were 3. However, that was fortuitous for the the trialists who placed 3rd & 4th in the semi finals of the trials. Although not surfing in the finals of the trials, they still got to surf in the 1st round of the main event.
Advancing out of the first round of the main event Slater continued his outstanding surfing and advanced to the 2nd round of the main event along with 17 year old Kai Lenny, Andrew LaGreco, Robby Naish, Kamaki Worthington, Robin Johnston, Kekoa Auwae and Arron Napoleon.
Main event32 total surfers comprised of:
24 seeded surfers
8-the above mentioned eight surfers who advanced from either the trails or alternate/wild card seeds.
How good was it in the morning? It was PERFECT!
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/z1_2.jpg)
Unreal pics Blane! No doubt that had to be tough just watching and not surfing. On the other hand, to say your boards were WELL represented out there is an understatement!
BTW-is Kawika Carvalho related to either Steve or Timmy Carvalho?.......both are insane surfers who spend some time living in HB back in the early 80's. Despite our local talent, I still consider Timmy to be one of the very best tube riders on the north side of HB pier I EVER saw.
We have uploaded all the Hulakai Trials- Sunset Beach Pro results at www.watermanleague.com (http://www.watermanleague.com).
We will be holding off for the next swell to continue the event. It looks like Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be pumping so most likely it will be one of those days.
I see Bob won some Maui Jim sunglasses, though in the article they say "Bill". No problem buddy, I'll pick them up and "hold" them for you.
Quote from: corran on February 07, 2010, 02:08:34 PM
More photos from the event:
Looks like you went to the Giampaolo Cammarota school of photography
Congrats to Riggs, Slater and Blane!
(http://watermanleague.com/images/stories/trials%20heat%20table%202.jpg)
This is a cool pic... Aaron coaching Riggs before his heat. Jody getting ready to head out. Bonga working water patrol and Larry ejecting back to the beach for some lunch... To give you an idea how small Riggs is... See Rigg's jersey? That's the same size as Jody's. Hahahahaha!!! Riggs is amazing!
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/1FB.jpg)
Good photos, can't wait to see the vidéo.
Wow, some heavy stuff, congrats to every one............ ;D
Here's the winner of the "Chicken Dance"
I'm rooting for little Riggs, What a gutzy little guy to be competing against all the big guys much less at Sunset!
Aaron's advice for his son Riggs: You will not be able to turn the board harder than the big heavy guys. You have to go deep and take the big drops to win!
Quote from: watermanleague on February 08, 2010, 04:10:14 PM
Aaron's advice for his son Riggs: You will not be able to turn the board harder than the big heavy guys. You have to go deep and take the big drops to win!
Any video or pics of this kid makin drops or gettin slotted?
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/3fb.jpg)
Finally I know why that chicken crossed the road.
Nice event!
found a video of day one of the Sunset Beach event at Stand Up World Tour - Sunset Beach,HI Day 1 (http://vimeo.com/9314896)!!!....
cool vid! great footy!
Quote from: Blane Chambers on February 07, 2010, 03:37:19 PM
I got to witness a lot. I sat there in absolute envy all morning as the waves were soooo fun!!! I played the role of team supporter but it was painful to watch such epic conditions. As the wind got onshore it was actually a lot easier to be a spectator! Haha!
I will also add, the internet lets people hype themselves and their products up and this was a great way to see it all in action. One thing about a place like Sunset, is you can't hide bull sh*t! A lot of great things were seen and a lot of BS was exposed. Sunset has a way of doing that.
Riggs is the real deal. I made him this board for all around, day to day use in any kind of waves. I honestly had no idea till yesterday morning that he was entering the trials. Riggs, We're all proud of you! You were charging!
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/drop%20sequence.jpg)
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/z1_1.jpg)
Amazing!
What board does Riggs Naoleon ride?
The future is already now!!!
Waves: 10 -15 foot Hawaiian and getting bigger.
We will have hourly updates on the heats at: www.watermanleague.com (http://www.watermanleague.com)
Heats start at 8:30 Hawaii time.
Swell is 10-15 foot Hawaiian: 8:15am status.
Just about rideable and growing.
go to www.watermanleague.com (http://www.watermanleague.com) for hourly updates and heat table.
(http://watermanleague.com/images/stories/main%20event%20heat%20table%202.jpg.png.jpg)
Yowza wowza. In the 1st round of the main event that was held the same day as the trials Kai Lenny came in first in his very first heat beating out Mel Pu'u and Slater Trout. This young man is as good on a stand up board as he is racing surfing windsurfing kiteboarding. What a young talent!!!!
If anyone is interested, the main event of the Sunset Beach Pro is on now 9:30am Hawaiian time.
10 am Hawaii time: Event has been stopped. The waves are too big right now
Thanks for the updates. Please let us know when it is back on.
The Sunset cam (video links every 15 minutes on the left):
http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/index.php?hidesitemap=1&content_type_id=5&content_id=5&webcams_id=15#webcams (http://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/index.php?hidesitemap=1&content_type_id=5&content_id=5&webcams_id=15#webcams)
We were able to run off three heats this morning, but as mentioned it just got to big and washed out to continue. Actually heat 4 had already paddled out to the line up, but conditions changed so rapidly during the he 30 minutes of heat 3, that the call from head judge Leleo Kinimaka was not even run heat four. Definitely the right call IMHO.
There were still some very exciting moments in those 3 heats, including some great rides and 3 broken boards. Ekolu Kalama was very impressive as he caught some huge bombs on his way to winning the first heat. There was a lot of west in the swell. Ekolu took off way way outside on a west peak, then faded LEFT for what looked like a hundred yards or more and then raced back right across a massive critical section. The skill level of these guys in this kind of monster surf is truly amazing. Guys like Ekolu, kala, Robbie Nash, etc thrive in conditions that would terrify normal surfers.
The event is on hold today due northerly winds. We are looking to restart on Friday.
My bet:
1 Chuck
2 Eloku
3 Ikaika
4 James "Billy"
Look for Kala to do some damage. His backyard.
These were the results from the three heats that were held before the event was put on hold:
Results
Heat 1. - 1st Ekolu Kalama, 2nd TJ Saeman, 3rd Robin Johnston, 4th Noa Shimabakuro
Heat 2. - 1st Andrew Lagreco, 2nd Guillaume Bourligeux, 3rd Kamu Auwae, 4th Stephan Iralour
Heat 3. - 1st Billy Watson, 2nd Kamaki Worthington, 3rd Kala Alexander, 4th Garrett McNamara
Event is back on!!
8:35am Hawaii time.
Heat 4 in the water now. Peyo Lizarazu (FR), Kainoa McGee (HW), Robby Naish (US), Duane Desoto (HW)
An event highlight video of Day 1 is at www.watermanleague.com (http://www.watermanleague.com).
Quote from: watermanleague on February 12, 2010, 10:26:07 AM
Event is back on!!
8:35am Hawaii time.
Heat 4 in the water now. Peyo Lizarazu (FR), Kainoa McGee (HW), Robby Naish (US), Duane Desoto (HW)
Go Peyo, french ripper.
Let us know the results as soon as get it please.
Slater Trout is not in the competition anymore.
He has been replaced by Rico Leroy
He had a clash with a team swimming competition today which without him his team would not be able to compete.
We miss you from the competition Slater, but well done for putting your team above your self. A role model, in and out the water.
Heat 1 results:
1st and 2nd go through
1st Robby Naish
2nd Peyo Lizarazu
3rd Duane Desoto
4th Kainoa McGee
9:40am
Heat 5 results:
1st Kai Lenny(HW), 2nd Sam Pa'e (HW), 3rd Kai Sallas (HW), 4th Dave Muir (AUS)
Quote from: watermanleague on February 12, 2010, 11:41:04 AM
9:40am
Heat 5 results:
1st Kai Lenny(HW), 2nd Sam Pa'e (HW), 3rd Kai Sallas (HW), 4th Dave Muir (AUS)
What is the scheduled for today, how many round ?
by the way 1van, I can't believe you would create a username and login just now to post dumb stuff. Stupidity and cowardice knows no bounds on the internet. I am not going to post a response to you after I write this so don't bother writing. Just go crawl into your hole and stay there.
The heat board is here (http://watermanleague.com/images/stories/main%20event%20heat%20table%202.jpg.png.jpg)
Are you going to do the quarter finals today ?
We will finish the event today.
Quarter finals start in the next heat.
Heat 7 Results just in: - 1st Bonga Perkins (HW), 2nd Keali'i Mamala (HW), 3rd Kekoa Auwae, 4th Chuck Patterson
Quote from: watermanleague on February 12, 2010, 12:33:25 PM
We will finish the event today.
Quarter finals start in the next heat.
Heat 7 Results just in: - 1st Bonga Perkins (HW), 2nd Keali'i Mamala (HW), 3rd Kekoa Auwae, 4th Chuck Patterson
What about the conditions out there ?
There is a slight breeze so the waves are difficult with the chop.
6-8 foot sets with some 10footers
Heat 8 -1st Aaron Napoleon (HW),2nd Ikaika Kalama (HW), 3rd Jamie Mitchell (AUS),4th Kalani Kahalioumi (HW)
Quarter final Results:
Heat 1 - 1st TJ Saeman (US), 2nd Ekolu Kalama (HW), 3rd Andrew Lagreco (HW), 4th Guillaume Bourligeux (TAH)
SUNSET BEACH PRO - PRESENTED BY RED NOSE: FINAL RESULTS:
1st Kai Lenny (HW)
2nd Kekoa Uemura (HW)
3rd Kamaki Worthington (HW)
4th Peyo Lizarazu (FR)
Congrats to kai, beating out some big name veterans.
Congrats Kai!!
After seeing Kai surf some of the biggest swells on Maui this year I'm not surprised. He rips on anything.
Congratulations to all the Finalists!!!
(http://photos.imageevent.com/torturechambers/9909andbeyond/websize/3fb_2.jpg)
Congratulations to all that organized and competed! Especially Kai Lenny on the win, and the surprisingly large group of young guns who made it happen in these conditions. Stoked to see the move that landed Kamaki Worthington the top honors for Best move.
Some stuff from Maui News and the Honolulu Advertiser:
(http://cmsimg.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=M1&Date=20100213&Category=SPORTS10&ArtNo=2130346&Ref=AR&Profile=1057&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&Q=90&title=0)
(http://mauinews.com/photos/news/lg/528606_1.jpg)
(http://mauinews.com/photos/news/lg/528606_2.jpg)
Fitting for a sport in its infancy, a manchild prevailed at the Sunset Beach Pro stand-up paddle surfing contest yesterday.
Seventeen-year-old Kai Lenny of Maui performed beyond his years to win the contest in difficult conditions at Sunset Beach.
"I was just honored to get in the contest and compete against the best stand-up paddlers in the world," said Lenny, who is a junior in a home-school program. "I can't believe I won."
The contest was the first event on the inaugural Stand Up World Tour, and it drew more than 70 elite wave-riders from around the world.
The final day was completed in wave-face heights of 10 to 20 feet at Sunset Beach. Strong onshore winds made it difficult for the competitors to find quality waves.
Lenny, despite his inexperience at Sunset Beach, said he felt at home in the tricky conditions. The two days of this contest were his first sessions at Sunset Beach.
"Luckily on Maui, I surfed some outer reef breaks that are similar to this wave," he said. "Actually, this would be like the best day on Maui."
In the four-man final, Lenny dominated the 45-minute heat.
His best wave received a score of 8.6 (out of 10), and he backed it up with a second wave of 7.2. His two-wave total of 15.8 was enough to win the $3,000 first-place check.
"We're pretty shocked," said Martin Lenny, Kai's father. "He hasn't proved himself on a world stage like this, so we were happy he got as far as the final. We weren't expecting this."
At the same time, Lenny is considered a rising waterman on Maui.
He is already a full-time member of the Professional Windsurfing Association. He was the No. 19-ranked windsurfer in the world last year, and was named the tour's Rookie of the Year.
He is also a skilled tow-in surfer, and recently rode giant waves at Maui's treacherous "Jaws" spot with expert watermen Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama.
"Windsurfing is still my focus right now," Lenny said. "I'm still trying to do that tour and win events there."
Now he has to consider competing on the inaugural Stand Up World Tour as well. As the winner of the first event, Lenny is the No. 1-ranked stand-up paddle surfer in the world right now.
"I'm all game now," he said. "I want to do this (tour), too, as long as it can fit in my schedule."
The Sunset Beach event was the first of four scheduled contests on the 2010 tour. Subsequent events are scheduled for France in May, Tahiti in June, and Ocean Beach, Calif., in October.
Kekoa Uemura of Honolulu placed second yesterday. He is a professional longboard surfer, but said he will also consider competing at all the events on the Stand Up World Tour.
"Hopefully my sponsors can dig deep and help me out," said Uemura, 27.
He's also going to need a new board. Uemura's board snapped in half after a scary wipeout in the closing minutes of the final heat.
"The big waves were getting the biggest points, so I was just waiting for one," he said. "I saw that one wedge up and so I paddled for it, but I was a hair too late and just got caught."
Uemura, the son of famous longboard surfer China Uemura, described yesterday's conditions as "about as tough as it gets."
"Just the winds alone," he said. "You had to paddle like 100 yards right into it. That was one of the hardest things."
Honolulu firefighter Kamaki Worthington placed third, and France's Peyo Lizarazu was fourth. Worthington received a $1,000 bonus from Da Hui for "The Biggest Move" award.
I hope someone got this "biggest move" by Kamaki Worthington on camera so we can see. I'm interested.
Thanks for all the updates.
Looks like it was a fantastic event.
Time to see about a trip south in Oct. to spectate.
Very interested in the video of the last day!!!!
SUP World Tour - Sunset Beach Pro Day-1 2/6/2010 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Gj-ie0xVs#)
Does anybody know when we can expect a video of the day of the Finals? Man, just can't wait to see this footage.
We will produce video highlights of the finals in the coming days.
You can see video highlights of the first two days at http://watermanleague.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=4 (http://watermanleague.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=4)
We are also putting together a 30 min show for TV which we will announce on when it will be broadcast.
It was great to see the standup paddle community coming together and making this event happen. The support from everyone has been unbelievable!!
Thank you all!
Check this out.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20102130346 (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20102130346)
D.Kirche
Great to see a young local up and coming star. Big aloha to Kai and his future in stand up.
And I'll tell you this... hes a cool kid!
Corran
"As the winner of the first event, Lenny is the No. 1-ranked stand-up paddle surfer in the world right now."
I really like seeing young people SUPing, this is such a young sport and none of us have been doing it for more than a few years, imagine how good they will be when they are our age when their muscles develop while paddling.
Years from now I cannot imagine many crawlers.
You all know by now that 17 year old Kai Lenny won, but check this out!
STAND UP PADDLE WORLD TOUR WIPEOUTZ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J81iIrBijxw#)
I am NOT one to analyze Sunset... but it looked like the longboard (ish) rocker on most of the boards really inhibited the surfers' ability to attack the bowl...
Thoughts? (other than shut your pie hole)
Tim
Weasel ,I just look at the size of those waves and turn into an instant softcock. I'd be on the beach waxing the board until the swell dropped then I'd complain about the swell not being big enough, then go home :-[ :-[
What kind of board was that at 1:14? Looked like it was either pre-busted or he was taking off fin first.
I think this was from the first day, when they temporarily called it off due to the (obviously) dangerous conditions.
Strand Leper-
I agree. Hats off to those guys charging big Sunset but I think sup board shapers still have a ways to go in shaping boards for big hollow reef waves and choppy conditions like the north shore. Those were some pretty bad wipeouts. I don't think it was the riders fault...I think its the shape of the sup boards. Less width, more rockers, less nose etc. What do I know... I don't shape boards.
In Chuck Patterson's log he was upset about the officials calling the contest as he wanted to charge the biggest waves at Sunset that day. From what I understand he has trained very hard and wanted to test his limits as a true professional. Seems like the boards poor shapes were the reason the contest was called.
I hope this doesn't sound like a buzzkill but I doubt the contest would have been called off if it was the Sunset Smironoff whatever laydown surfing contest.
These sup board shapes have a ways to go at places like Sunset and Puerto Escondeto. Of course this is only my opinion. Big respect goes out to all the riders and the contest staff for putting on a fine event.
Quote from: log man on February 24, 2010, 07:12:00 PM
Weasel ,I just look at the size of those waves and turn into an instant softcock. I'd be on the beach waxing the board until the swell dropped then I'd complain about the swell not being big enough, then go home :-[ :-[
You never cease to kill me, LOL!!!!! :D
I'll bet if we ever met, we probably get along just fine.
I was fortunate to be there during the contest. It looks like footage from the first day (sat) and maybe some from the last day (fri). It doesn't look like Big Wednesday which was called off after 4 heats in maxing wash thru conditions, and they would have definitely postponed a regular surf contest that Wednesday also; when Sunset gets too big it washes thru from over a quarter mile outside and the lineup becomes unrecognizable. It was postponed Wed due to conditions, not because the shapes of the boards were not good enough.
lopezwill ~ Don't forget this is a Wipeout Video.
The most progressive SUP boards work excellent in large hollow surf.
PS - Great video, thanks for sharing it.
Quote from: Dub_G on February 24, 2010, 11:12:23 PM
I was fortunate to be there during the contest. It looks like footage from the first day (sat) and maybe some from the last day (fri). It doesn't look like Big Wednesday which was called off after 4 heats in maxing wash thru conditions, and they would have definitely postponed a regular surf contest that Wednesday also; when Sunset gets too big it washes thru from over a quarter mile outside and the lineup becomes unrecognizable. It was postponed Wed due to conditions, not because the shapes of the boards were not good enough.
lopezwill ~ Don't forget this is a Wipeout Video.
The most progressive SUP boards work excellent in large hollow surf. Blane Chambers Paddle Surf Hawaii SUP boards surf amazing in big Hawaiian waves and Robby Naish is producing some excellent big wave SUPs, just to name a few.
PS - Great video, thanks for sharing it.
Yeah, I was there too and I'd agree... Sunset washing through from the outer reefs is not good for surfing, no other comp would have started that day...
With a few exceptions this vid is more about screw ups than hi performance surfing, the guys making it through heats on the last day were doing nice power carves in the pocket that are quite a bit more state of the art than what's seen here... great vid though, fun to watch. post more if you got 'em.
Tim....Im understanin where your comin from about the boards...But i would think them boyees in the Islands would know...And they DO !!
Im just seein tons of thickness and volume.....
Puttin my new 5/4 wet suit on goin in here...we just
had a nor easter come thru...clean head high but not great...
OK, I'll post a video on the grom's first. They were ripping. The older guys were killing it too. They were on boards that were made for those conditions thanks to Blane Chambers and others that know how to shape boards for large surf. Short wide and flat doesn't cut it in maxing Sunset. I'm going through 6,000 pictures and I'll end up with a few hundred that are insane. The video clips will show up soon.
Thanks Tom. I get it SUPer Dave, these guys know what to ride... it just seemed like the rocker dictated some difficult angles on the wipeout video. I understand that guys were doing RIDICULOUS stuff and can't wait for the video.
Thanks again,
Tim
Quote from: lopezwill on February 24, 2010, 09:42:43 PM
Strand Leper-
I agree. Hats off to those guys charging big Sunset but I think sup board shapers still have a ways to go in shaping boards for big hollow reef waves and choppy conditions like the north shore. Those were some pretty bad wipeouts.
Watching both of the event videos so far and a lot of the other big day footage from this year I had the same impression. The guys obviously understand this wave and have incredible ocean skills, but were really fighting to settle their gear down. The Teahupoo footage showed that the boards will perform better down the line on smooth waves, but they looked wrong for this.
Quote from: Tom English on February 25, 2010, 05:19:09 AM
OK, I'll post a video on the grom's first. They were ripping. The older guys were killing it too. They were on boards that were made for those conditions thanks to Blane Chambers and others that know how to shape boards for large surf. Short wide and flat doesn't cut it in maxing Sunset. I'm going through 6,000 pictures and I'll end up with a few hundred that are insane. The video clips will show up soon.
Easy for you to say... some of us had out long, narrow and rockered boards stuck in customs for the event :-[
ha ha ha
Corran
[/quote]
Easy for you to say... some of us had out long, narrow and rockered boards stuck in customs for the event :-[
ha ha ha
Corran
[/quote]
I agree with the Customs thing... I've had them hold boards for a month before releasing them. I'm a believer in national security but a month is just plain ridiculous... Later, JD
Quote from: corran on February 25, 2010, 09:35:27 AM
Quote from: Tom English on February 25, 2010, 05:19:09 AM
OK, I'll post a video on the grom's first. They were ripping. The older guys were killing it too. They were on boards that were made for those conditions thanks to Blane Chambers and others that know how to shape boards for large surf. Short wide and flat doesn't cut it in maxing Sunset. I'm going through 6,000 pictures and I'll end up with a few hundred that are insane. The video clips will show up soon.
Easy for you to say... some of us had out long, narrow and rockered boards stuck in customs for the event :-[
ha ha ha
Corran
Corran,
For next year, you can just send your quiver to me... way in advance... and then take them to Hawaii from California ... I promise, I won't ride them :)
Tim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Gj-ie0xVs
Hey guys, I don't think it is fair to bash the shapers. Those waves were gnarly and until you have surfed Sunset, you can't honestly comment on the boards. I have surfed it at 3 to 4 foot Hawaiian size and got pounded so deep. That wave has the most juice.
On the cleaner waves the boards looked fine. On the bumpier waves, they were bouncing a bit but I don't know if you can help that because you need the width to balance on and paddle into these bombs. Board shapes will definitely progress each year as they have been but those PSH boards were killing it. Blane shapes the boards for these big waves and they looked good to me. Let's not be so harsh because when I watched the ASP sunset event this year in big Sunset, the guys boards were bouncing too. Some of them got bucked off. Not an easy wave. Props to the riders and shapers forventuring into new territory and charging. Aloha.
Hi Diesel,
Thanks for the comment. I was happy to see Strand's post, because it reflects something that people are thinking and are talking about but may be hesitant to say here. I did not read it as a bash in any way but just recoginizing how those videos might be percieved. We all like stand up here, but still, it does look (at least to some) like those guys were wrestling to control their gear. I read Strand's post as a comment on an area for potential improvement, not at all as an insult.
True true admin. I just did not want all the work by Blane to perfect his boards in big Hawaiian surf to be marginalized. I think him and Parmenter seem to have done the most work in getting these big boards to handle big Hawaiian juice. Of course, there is always room for improvement and I am sure that every year the boards will get so much better for thier respective purposes.
It would be interesting to compare the different boards on video to see what shapes seem to work better and what did not work. I am always interested in progressive designs. That is what makes a new sport like this so exciting.
This Waterman League circuit will probably do a lot to highlight good board shapes at certain types of waves and help to progress the sport. I am interested to see the guys incorporate more footwork into thier surfing to achieve the highest wave total because from what HaleiwaBill posted on the rules of scoring, you can get only 75% of the score with progressive surfing. The last 25%, you need to incorporate some traditional surfing as well. That will keep it interesting.
Yup, it is great when events like this push the limits and all of the riders and shapers have to go back, look at the films, look at how their boards did, look at the other guys boards and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each. That drives progress. I bet all of these guys will have some very different gear on hand for next year, just in case the waves get big again.
Diesel,
I did not intend to bash anyone. That is the inherent beauty and difficulty of SUP design IMHO... low rocker for paddling ability and wave catching, wider board and tail for the same reasons... but these same design elements inhibit down the line carving on a very steep wave... look at 1:45 to 2:00, there are two or three wipeouts there where the rocker did not allow the surfer to do what he wanted to do... could the wave have been caught on a board with less rocker and less tail area... I don't know.
One of the reasons that I love SUP is because of where we are in the design curve. In just the eighteen months that I have been doing this, my rides have completely changed in rocker template, volume placement, number of fins, fin placement, etc. In five years, we will look back at what was ridden in this contest and reflect on how much things have changed (or stayed the same). Look at what was being ridden just two years ago compared to what was being ridden in the comp. IMHO Mavericks presents a similar dilemna to SUP shape... huge drop tons of speed needed, but huge long wall to carve (at the proper tide and swell direction) ... just look at how that equipment has changed in the last three to five years.
Those same guys grinding it out with their planers, or playing on their cad machines and then rough sanding the night away, day after day are who will bring us the future of SUP's.
Bash the shapers? I am not fit to wear their dust masks. I just saw a few wipeouts and asked a question.
Let me also say, for the record... mad, crazy, ridiculous prop's to all of the competitors... way to sack it up and push it hard!
Dialogue on,
Tim
No problem, Strand Leper. I just wanted to stick up for Blane Chambers because he is a maverick in board shaping and a cool guy. I hope he will always get the respect he deserves as the sport progresses and there is a lot more money to be made and invested. Sometimes in surfing, the pioneers get forgotten.
Diesel-
I didn't intend to bash any shaper either...especially Blane Chambers. BC is someone I really respect. My point is that sup board designs still have a ways to go in surfing those crazy big North shore waves and similar ocean conditions around the world. There are so many variables to consider for shapers.
I really enjoy stand up paddle surfing and the freedom of this forum.
(PEACE)
Young Guns
Sunset Stand Up World Tour - Young Guns (http://www.vimeo.com/9746758)
There are definately SUP boards that are performing excellent in large Hawaiian waves now. Sure, there's always room for improvement, especially with a new pursuit like this. Nonetheless, it may be a stretch to draw conclusions about the state of the art regarding SUP design based on hearsay or a wipeout video.
Here's a vid of Gerry Lopez I shot at Sunset one day after he was done commentating at the Volcom Pipe Pro for that day. The guy he shared that wave with told him to Go!
Aloha
Gerry Lopez SUP surfing Sunset
Gerry Lopez SUP surfing Sunset Beach (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUTUFQcEYw0#)
Good discussion but I still see a difference in perfomance lay down surfing and performance stand up paddle surfing. Lay down seems to get more verticle and make those big criticle Sunset sections easier. Also rides and stays in the tube better. This to me is common sense since the lay down boards are smaller. I don't think this bad...just different.
Final Highlights 6 Star ASP WQS - Congrats to CJ Hobgood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YAGxgS4AA4&feature=channel#)
Epic conditions at Sunset Beach HI for the world Tour's first event. Congratulations to Slater Trout for his victory.
Sunset Beach, HI Waterman's League World Tour -Trials (http://www.vimeo.com/9785508)
Aloha,
Tom English
Nice Video Tom. You have some of the best SUP footage out there between this vid and the ones with Chuck Glynn and those guys. If you have more footage maybe you can post up some more vids. From your vid, Bonga seemed to be surfing the best with the most vertical surfing and manuevers while keeping his board under control. Some of the other guys did look a bit bouncy on thier boards. The small guys can't help it because they are so light. Thanks again.
Does anyone know what Bonga was riding? Dimensions, rocker ets. I was also really impressed with the way he handled it.
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=63252 (http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=63252)
Okay guys, check out these videos on Seabreeze.com.au of the sunset contest. They are really good and long so you can really analyze the surfing. The SUP surfing was actually real good when you watch it on these videos. I think Tom English shot the videos but I am not sure. Thanks to whoever shot the footage. Good stuff.
Also, I saw good footage of the contest on Ocean Paddler on ch 16 on Oahu last night for those that can watch that channel.
Mistake, they were filmed by Waterman League and not Tom English.