Red Bull Heavy Water on for OB...Oct 17th - 28th

[southwesterly]

This is from John Alexiou's FaceBook page today:


John Alexiou
5 hrs ·
SF is such a wonderful place. Took the day off to watch the Red Bull Heavy Water Challenge. Props to SF FIre for not allowing the event as permitted - somebody dropped the ball and didn't secure the required EMS for the athletes - and OB was heavy!

[clay]

Hi, thanks for the posts.

I turned around this morning after getting the report it was called off.  I'm headed back out tomorrow unless they call if off again, swell looked pretty fugly so I won't be surprised.  Either way I'm around for this if anyone wants to meetup.

[southwesterly]

 Here is a good story and video by Bruce Jenkins about Kai coming over for the SF Red Bull.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/jenkins/article/Hawaiian-surf-prodigy-takes-on-S-F-challenge-9979216.php

[starman]

Photo of Conner from Tuesday taken by a friend who is a regular at OB.

[tautologies]

Yeah I saw him out there practicing.

SO not only can't they update the website, but they aren't on top of organizing their events either? This is pretty odd to me.

[PT Woody]

Ok I found it was delayed until tomorrow because some people or gear had not arrived yet.

I gotta say though that this process and lack of information really makes the Waterman league look like amateurs.

Well that's not exactly breaking news though. Waterman league has always seemed amateurish.

[Beasho]

Conditions were a bit beefier yesterday.

Today it looks like 6 to 8 feet more wind-swell with a 5 - 6 ft underlying 13 second period.

[clay]

Good Morning,

Looks like high noon is the start time.

It's offshore this morning, always a welcome addition. 

[tautologies]

Race start in 10 mins. Conditions looks perfect.

[yugi]

Any live coverage?

[capobeachboy]

Saw a FB live video this morning of the race director drawing a map of the course in the dirt for the competitors meeting.  Can somebody please buy him a whiteboard?

[SaMoSUP]

It's pretty cool how much of a hack this event seems to be yet there's $50k prize purse, with $20k to the winner. And I expect Red Bull Media House will produce a great video of this event. Must be nice to have excess marketing dollars.

OnIT Pro's Instagram feed is great for updates. Erik posts videos frequently.

[Dusk Patrol]

It's pretty cool how much of a hack this event seems to be yet there's $50k prize purse, with $20k to the winner. And I expect Red Bull Media House will produce a great video of this event. Must be nice to have excess marketing dollars.

OnIT Pro's Instagram feed is great for updates. Erik posts videos frequently.

Yep I'm kinda resigned to waiting for the Red Bull produced montage...

[Gaucho]

Checked out the Heavy Water race today - hardcore good size surf at OB with a few guys not even making it out past the surf line.  Connor Baxter won with Kai Lenny 2nd and then Zane S.  Pretty clean on the flat water part but the surf portion was full yard sale time for some guys

[clay]

Cool to see that many SUPS at OB, and nice to feel represented and supported on a day when no prone surfers were out.  I  enjoy these events purely for the social aspect, it's fun to see and connect with local SUPpers.

The top pros breezed out through the shorebreak while everyone else got worked and it took them forever to get out, or they eventually were defeated and gave up.  A humbling and yet common experience at Ocean Beach.

It was challenging for me as a spectator to follow the action.  Do I stay put and root for the guys trying get through the shorebreak or do I walk down the beach and look for the leaders to surf back in?

Both times they came back to the beach was exciting and seemed to coincided with the sets.

I look forward to seeing the production video as well.

Love to all