VIDEO ON DEMAND:Watch all the footage from both the Shootout (SURF) and Surf&Sand DUEL SUP Race

FULL PHOTO ALBUM: See the all of the incredible pictures your friends are sharing right now!

One word could be used to describe the 2013 Surftech Shootout and Surf&Sand DUEL SUP race presented by SUPtheMag: epic.

All elements that make for an exciting and unique weekend of competition were present. Pumping swell, bluebird skies, fierce competition from top level athletes and several days of fraternal fun all add up to a good time. And thanks to SUPconnect, the entire competition was broadcast to over 23,000 viewers online across the globe!

The Shootout saw three days of solid waves that tested athletes skill and endurance under clear skies and balmy low-seventies weather. The largest field in Shootout history showcased 32 male SUP surfers, and, new for 2013, a division of eight female surfers who proved that they had what it took to compete in the well over-head conditions. Event announcer Ken “Hobie” Hoeve announced,

“This ain’t golf, there are no ladies tees. These girls have to deal with the same challenging waves as the men.”

The ladies did more than deal with the waves at Steamer Lane, they ripped them apart! The field of eight female competitors included Candice Appleby (San Clemente, CA), Morgan Hoesterey (Honolulu, HI), Brit Oliphant (Bend, OR), Diane Wenzel (San Clemente, CA), Kimberly Gomez (Santa Cruz, CA), Terri Plunkett (San Clemente, CA), Alison Riddle (Hermosa Beach, CA) and Marlies Tallman (Pacifica, CA). With Appleby being the only female competitor with competition experience at “The Lane” (she competed with the men the past two years), it was clear that she had a distinct advantage over her fellow competitors in the ever changing conditions. Candice stayed busy in each of her heats throughout the weekend, consistently picking off high-scoring set waves off the Point and opening up her vast bag of tricks on every wave. Appleby’s wave selection and critical maneuvers earned her the win in the inaugural Shootout Women’s Division!

Women’s Division runner-up Diane Wenzel said that Candice “sets the bar for SUP surfing and is such an accomplished water woman.” She went on to say her “fluid and powerful style is impressive and I’m always trying to incorporate her techniques to improve my own surfing.  Steamer Lane was a fabulous venue to showcase women’s SUP surfing and it was an honor to surf with Candice in the first ever women’s division of the Surftech Shootout.”

Candice was elated upon receiving her award, commenting that“It feels really good to win here in Santa Cruz in front of my Surftech family and the community. Steamer Lane is an incredibly fun wave and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to surf there with only three other women in the line-up… Huge thanks to Surftech for taking our sport to the next level by creating a Women’s Division and for pairing me up with my awesome shapers Joe Bark and Ward Coffey, who help make my race and SUP surf wins happen.”

Dave Boehne (Dana Point, CA) made the trek up to Santa Cruz from Dana Point last year and had to settle for a 13th place result in the Shootout. This year Boehne was focused on improving upon that result. With his repertoire of backhand snaps, round-house cutbacks, tube rides and vertical re-entries Boehne would dramatically improve upon his 2012 finish!

With the surf in the 4′-6′ range and sets consistently rolling through the Point at Steamer Lane, Boehne and fellow Dana Point local, Tommy Lloy, Brandon Rambo (San Clemente, CA) and Chuck Glynn (Carlsbad, CA) put on an impressive show of surfing in front of hundreds of enthusiastic spectators lining the cliffs overlooking “The Lane” along with the more than 23,000 viewers watching the live web cast. When the final horn sounded signalling the end of the 2013 Surftech Shootout, it was Dave Boehne taking home the coveted Shootout men’s crown followed by Tommy Lloy in second, Brandon Rambo in third and Chuck Glynn finishing in fourth.

After the final Boehne had this to say about the conditions: “Super stoked to win the Shootout, definitely one of my competition highlights as a professional. Thanks for the continued support from my friends and family and thank you Surftech for pushing the SUP Surf movement. I had so much fun and can’t wait to defend my title next year!”
As the contest drew to a close at 4pm on Sunday, Surftech’s Candice Appleby (San Clemente, CA) earned the win in the inaugural women’s division, and Dave Boehne (Dana Point, CA) took the 2013 men’s title after three days of surfing the Lane with three other guys. There were thrills and spills aplenty, such as when Terri Plunkett (San Clemente, CA) got tossed over the falls on a wave in the semi-finals, receiving a gash from her board which required over 80 stitches! Even though she returned to the Lane full of enthusiasm, Terri graciously gave up her Finals spot to a local woman and watched the remainder of the event from the sidelines. She’ll be telling that one for a while… (Special thanks to Michael Baker for quickly coming to Terri’s aid in the water.)

In addition to the women’s division, another highly anticipated change to the 2013 Shootout was the Cowells SUP Classic. This amateur SUP surf event ran just a short walk from the Lane on Saturday and Sunday at world famous Cowells Beach surf spot. 24 surfers enjoyed perfect 3′-4′ waves as they competed in heats of four, and locals Mark Pastick and young Kali’a Alexiou were crowned top male and female surfers. Congrats!

One of the most unique aspects of the Surftech Shootout and Surf & Sand Duel presented by SUP Magazine is that it combines both a race and a surf contest. The Surf & Sand Duel SUP Race takes place down the point from Steamer Lane in the beautiful Cowells Cove next to the historical Santa Cruz Wharf. With the sun shining and the surf in the cove calm, the 75 competitors were excited to get out on the water and experience one of the most beautiful race courses on the world. As Kristin Thomas (Exec Dir. Stand Up Pad­dle Indus­try Asso­ci­a­tion) so eloquently stated in an inter­view on the SUPradioShow:

“I was kind of intimidated by the Shootout, they have had some tough weather…and this was kind of billed as this character building race with big waves and cold weather…but Santa Cruz is absolutely gorgeous! Beautiful weekend. The race course was almost distractingly pretty.”

With top competitors from around the nation on the start line the stage was set for one of the most competitive Surf & Sand Duel races to date. Thousands of spectators viewed the action from the beach and online as Slater Trout (Maui, HI), Matt Becker (Santa Barbara, CA), Anthony Vela (San Clemente, CA) and Chuck Glynn led the way out and around the Santa Cruz Wharf.

The picturesque course took the racers past the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to the Santa Cruz Harbor then back to the beach for a short beach run where Glynn hit the beach with a short lead ahead of Trout. The second leg of the race sent the athletes back out on the water, out to the kelp beds off of Steamer Lane, back to the Santa Cruz Harbor and to the beach for the final beach run to the finish. After 6.2 miles of battling it out, Slater Trout (Maui, HI) sprinted the final beach lap under the Santa Cruz Wharf and past the picturesque Beach Boardwalk to a mens division win, over Chuck Glynn (Carlsbad, CA) and Surftech’s Matt Becker (Santa Barbara, CA). The women of Team Surftech had a strong showing in the race, taking the top four spots. First was Candice Appleby, followed by Brit Oliphant (Bend, OR), Morgan Hoesterey (Honolulu, HI) and rounded out by Alison Riddle (Hermosa Beach, CA). It was a race for all ages, with groms as young as 9-year old Matix Springer (Malibu, CA) competing and paddling against other up-and-comers such as Trent Carter (Lake Tahoe, CA) and Kali’a Alexiou (Santa Cruz, CA). Look out world!

With the Shootout and Surf & Sand Duel presented by SUP Magazine in the books, the only unfinished business was determining the over-all event winners. Event directors combined the athlete’s scores from the Shootout with their scores from the Surf & Sand Duel to crown the male and female “Lone Ranger” award winners and hand over the $2,000 in prize money donated by our friends at SUP Magazine.

Congrats to Candice Appleby and Chuck Glynn on winning the 2013 Lone Ranger over-all top performance award! These individuals showcased the highest level of SUP skill between surf and race disciplines. And for the first time in Surftech Shootout and Surf & Sand Duel SUP Race history, Candice Appleby became the first ever competitor, male or female, that has won both surf and race events in a single year.

We are so proud of all of our athletes, and all who competed in this unique season-opening race and surf contest in sunny Santa Cruz, CA. Many thanks to all involved, including our incredible volunteers, Andre and the folks at SUPconnect, Joe Carberry and SUPtheMag, Dennis Judson and the SCPF, and all of our great sponsors. Three cheers for another incredible year!

VIDEO ON DEMAND:Watch all the footage from both the Shootout (SURF) and Surf&Sand DUEL SUP Race

FULL PHOTO ALBUM: See the all of the incredible pictures your friends are sharing right now!

Matt Becker – Santa Barbara, CA
Anthony Vela – San Clemente, CA
Slater Trout – Maui, HI
Dave Boehne – Dana Point, CA
Jeff Clark – Half Moon Bay, CA
Chuck Glynn – Carlsbad, CA

Candice Appleby – San Clemente, CA
Talia Gangini – Maui, HI
Brandi Baksic – San Clemente, CA
Morgan Hoesterey – Honolulu, HI
Terri Plunkett – San Clemente, CA
Diane Wenzel – San Clemente, CA

Click HERE to watch the LIVE WEBCAST starting this Saturday

Photo: Nelly

Cowells SUP Classic Poster

]]> http://shootout.surftech.com/shootout/new-event-added-to-2013-shootout/feed/ 0 http://shootout.surftech.com/shootout/2012-another-memorable-year/ http://shootout.surftech.com/shootout/2012-another-memorable-year/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:20:15 +0000 boom http://shootout.surftech.com/?p=118 While competitors and fans were treated to many fun activities throughout the weekend, it was again the ocean that will remain the star of the 4th Annual Surftech SHOOTOUT and Surf ‘n’ Sand Duel-athlon.

Last year was the inaugural year for the Duel-athlon, and the 40 knot winds, sideways hail, and overhead shorebreak created an experience which was not soon forgotten. A similar forecast this year scared off some competitors that had heard the tall tales, while others were motivated to want to challenge themselves in this years contest. The 2011 Duel-athlon undoubtedly set the benchmark for a Northern California competition that is outside the norm, and the 2012 SHOOTOUT reinforced that notion. We were fortunate to receive more than our fair share of swell at the world-famous Steamer Lane. Up to double overhead bombs with only four people out is basically a dream come true, and 28 lucky SUP surfers from all over the West Coast lived that dream for three days. The highlights of the weekend are as follows:

Photo courtesy of Scott Ruble

The good times kicked off on Thursday at the Covewater Happy Hour and Q&A with Candice Appleby (2011 Womens Duel-athlon champ) and Anthony Vela (2011 Third Place Mens Duel-athlon) at Covewater Paddle Surf in Santa Cruz. Special guest Matt Becker, 2011 Duel-athlon Men’s champ, showed up and was peppered with questions alongside Candice and Anthony. The crowd was hanging on every word as Candice and Anthony gave them the full rundown, as they do for their Performance Paddling clinics. They discussed paddle technique and equipment, nutrition, safety/etiquette and more. Then the Infinity boys showed up with Dave Boehne, and well as Joe Carberry from SUPmag and Andre Niemeyer of SUPconnect.com, two leading SUP news media outlets. A Q&A that was supposed to last an hour and half turned into a three hour shop party, with Covewater owner Scott Ruble going out for more beer as revelers talked story and got hyped for the weekend. Thanks for opening your doors, Scott!

Day One at the SHOOTOUT saw lingering 6 foot South swell, which would only get better as a big Northwest swell showed up the next day throughout the weekend and changed the whole nature of the wave at the Lane, keeping competitors on their toes in the changing but incredible conditions. The early South offered right and lefts that hugged the cliff wall, with a little bit of refraction that kept you on your toes. Notable goofy-footers Anthony Vela and Brennan Rose were stoked to make some use of the lefts, but were certainly not afraid of surfing on their backhand as consistent rights shaped up nicely. All 28 competitors surfed Day One and Day Two, but only the top eight moved into the Semi-Finals on Day Three. We all finished up Friday night with another party, this time hosted at the delicious Pono Hawaiian Grill. Live music, good eats and drinks, a video highlight reel from last years contest kept the energy high, and competitors got another chance to mingle and enjoy some of the best grinds that Santa Cruz has to offer.

Candice and fan

Day Two started in the morning with the 2012 Duel-athlon! Calmer seas than last year prevailed, so we were able to run the full Surf ‘n’ Sand course, testing the racers paddle skills, ability to navigate shorebreak, and running endurance. Candice Appleby, Anthony Vela, Matt Becker, Brennan Rose, Joe Carberry and several other hearty competitors participated in both the Duel-athlon and SHOOTOUT, proving that their athleticism is truly elite and water abilities quite well-rounded. One particularly exciting aspect to the race was that Andre and Eric at SUPconnect launched a brand new media initiative for the SUP world, hosting the first ever fully LIVE broadcast with commentary, from the Surftech Suite overlooking the race course from the beautiful Dream Inn.

Throughout the day, the world watched live via SUPconnect.com as Andre and various guest commentators like Dave Boehne gave play-by-plays of the action as it unfolded. Already, the plans for the live broadcast will be even more robust, and watch for the same awesome live broadcast in this years Jay Race…

Racers launched off the beach around 9:20am, punching through the shorebreak and heading out to the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf, where they would make their first turn south, heading to the right shoulder buoy that would mark the halfway point. Candice held back for a minute, getting the timing of the sets right before heading out to sea, and gave herself catch-up some work to do as others crashed headlong into the waves and got right through. Once through the pounding shorebreak, she put her head down and sped off on her new 12’6 Pro model BARK raceboard, quickly passing people and making up ground as she took the lead over the women’s field. Team rider Alison Riddle was hot on her tail, but Candice held on to a lead that took her back to the beach first about 100 yards ahead of the pack, and never relinquished that gap.

Vela and Sarrazin battle it out

The men’s race was exciting throughout, with Anthony Vela holding the lead for the entire race, followed closely by a chase pack of Ben Sarrazin, Brennan Rose and Matt Becker. Racers were afforded an up close and personal view of the local sea lions, whose loud barks cheered paddlers on as they battled each other, and the clock. Lap one saw Vela sprinting through the turn arch with Sarrazin at his heels, under the wharf and along the beach to the turn marker. It was apparent that his lifeguard training gave him endurance and secure feet for the beach run, as he pulled away heading in to the second lap.

The second lap stayed close for the men, and Vela widened the gap again on the beach run to come in 23 seconds ahead of Sarrazin with a time of 1:00:00 flat. Candice came in a minute ahead of second place finisher Alison Riddle with a time of 1:08:05, beating a full half of the Mens field. Open course (1 lap) winner was David Meyler, with a time of 29:47, followed by Dino Wilson and Olivier Guincente. (See full results on Results page). With ASP-style flair, Surftech had a VIP zone where certain people got to go directly from the race course up into a hot-tub overlooking the beach to warm up, recount their race tactics, and get ready for their heats in the SHOOTOUT in a few hours.

Nicely formed Middle Peak

As Day Two at the SHOOTOUT continued, we saw the Northwest swell fill in, and the prime takeoff zone shift a little away from the cliff wall. More macking Middle Peak sets were coming through, and surfers had a great time dropping steep faces, throwing in a few cutbacks, and following the wall into Indicators where it reformed into a high performance face in front of the judges booth. Spectator’s numbers grew as the day continued on, reenforcing that one reason Steamer Lane is such a great venue is that is is so spectator friendly because you are literally feet from the action at any given point. Day Two saw Matt Becker continue to absolutely RIP waves apart, and everyone score incredible overhead surf, delivered on a silver platter.

Local talent John Griffith consistently posted high scores, and would end up advancing into the semis for Day Three with seven other skilled surfers. Candice Appleby, despite having the flu, put together a strong score that put her in first place over Joe Carberry and Brennan Rose. Competitors were having so much fun that as soon as their heats ended, they paddled to shore, tossed their jerseys onto shore, and paddled back out to surf all alone in peeling waves for another two hours! Post-contest, Dave Boehne others were seen around the world surfing epic Lane as SUPconnect set up their live broadcast right there on the cliff and were streaming the killer freesurf session!

Becker in the final

We finished off the night at the Cocoanut Grove, where a live band and slyly ordered pizza helped competitors boisterously ring in St. Paddy’s Day with plenty of Guinness and race awards. Open race winners received beautiful new Quickblade paddles, and two partygoers had a chance to answer ocean/other trivia to win two custom St. Paddy’s Day Shamrock QB paddles! One lucky winner was 2011 SUP Movie of the Year filmmaker Chris Aguilar of Soul Surf Media, who was in town filming the entire weekend. Can’t wait to see the video! Another lucky raffle winner walked away with a Surftech Laird 11′. After closing the Cocoanut Grove down, some went across the street to the local bowling alley and karaoke bar and kept the party going til the wee hours of the morning.

Day Three kicked off with double overhead+ sets at the Lane, and frothing competitors could hardly wait to get into the water at 10:20am for the beginning of the Semi-Finals. Semi #1 saw Anthony Vela, Avery Dinauer, Josh Sleigh and Candice Appleby competing, with Vela and Dinauer taking places 1/2 to advance to the Finals at noon. Semi #2 was comprised of John Griffith, Brennan Rose, Christopher Chandler and Matt Becker, with Becker and Griffith advancing. In the finals, Becker basically put on a clinic that could have been called “How to SUP Surf Good, We Mean Really Good.” He smacked the lip, pulled floaters, cutbacks and challenging moves with such wave-riding skill that there was no doubt that he would be crowned the eventual winner. Griffith all put up a strong showing, putting his 8’10″ Surftech Gerry Lopez through its paces and impressing both judges and spectators with his skill. In a battle to the end, Vela came in with just one less point than Griffith for a solid third place. Pretty impressive for winning a race just the day before… Dinauer could be seen smiling the whole way up the stairs from the water, realizing that not many people get the opportunity to score pumping Lane for three days in a row, with only three other guys.

As things wound down approaching the late afternoon, it was apparent that both surfers and fans experienced something special March 17-18, 2012 in Santa Cruz. They came, they scored, and stoke was omnipresent. We couldn’t be happier with the fun, the camaraderie, and conditions and can’t wait to do it again next year. Congrats to all on their performances and special thanks to sponsors SUPmag, Clifbar, Covewater Paddle Surf, Maui Jim, Quickblade and SUPconnect.

More info :: Results | Photos | Facebook | Search #surftechshootout on Twitter for post-race live update feed | Watch for the video, coming soon!

Event video highlights coming later this week!

Check the Results page for complete Semi Final results.

Watch the FINAL live on SUPconnect.com

The 2nd Annual Surftech Surf & Sand Duel-athlon SUP Race presented by SUP Magazine will now offer a $1,000 prize purse to the top three finishers in the Men’s and Women’s “True Grit” divisions! “The new prize purse will give the athletes a little added incentive to brave the elements and do battle for the Surf & Sand Duel-athlon title and provide a little extra cha-ching to help cover their travel expenses,” said race director, Duke Brouwer.

Surftech is proud to welcome back SUP Magazine as presenting sponsor for this year’s event!
“The Surftech Shootout is an incredible event in one of California’s best paddling towns. Between the surf contest at Steamer Lane and the race near the Wharf, the Shootout weaves together the unparalleled history of ocean athletics in Santa Cruz. SUP magazine is proud to be a part of this core event. To say the least,” commented Joe Carberry, SUP Mag Editor.

Saturday’s event may look very similar to the 2011 race. With solid surf in the forecast, Elite competitors can expect significant shore break and consistent swell throughout the 6-mile race. Add to that moderate winds and rain and you’ve got the makings of yet another epic Surftech SUP Race that stands to test the endurance, determination and heart of every competitor who is up for the challenge on Saturday.     

  Matt Becker, 2011 Surftech Surf & Sand Duel-athlon champion, had this to say about last year’s event. “It was gnarly, you’re dodg­ing seals and [deal­ing with] five foot wind bumps… it was great when you were com­ing in and going down­wind but once you turned around it was 25 mph of wind and nature work­ing against you.” 

For those hearty athletes who thrive on pushing their minds and bodies to the edge, there is still time to register for the Surftech Surf & Sand Duel-athlon SUP Race presented by SUP Magazine!

Click HERE to register for one of the wettest and wildest SUP races of the season! 

EVENT SCHEDULE:

Thursday   5-7pm Opening Ceremonies, Adventure Sports Unlimited, BBQ, beer & live music

Thursday   6-7:30pm Candice Appleby and Anthony Vela Q&A at  Covewater Stand Up Paddle shop

Friday       7am – 5pm Shootout Round 1

Friday       6-10pm Competitors Party, Pono Hawaiian Grill, Hawaiian music with Ben Kaili

Saturday   9am Surf & Sand Duel-athlon race start

Saturday   7am – 5pm Shootout 2nd Round

Saturday   6-10pm St. Patty’s Day After Party & Race Awards!!, Coconut Grove

Sunday     8am – 3pm Shootout Final Rounds

Sunday     4pm Shootout Awards Ceremony

Friday the 16th we start to see the results of the dropping trough.  New WNW-NW  (270-310) swell mix is expected to pick up through the day, bringing stand out breaks into the range of overhead to DOH+ by the end of the day. 

Saturday the 17th as the stormy weather continues, WNW-NW swell mix continues to build, bringing wave heights from a couple feet overhead to possibly TOH at stand out breaks.  Swell looks messy though, and the exposed coast is going to be getting hammered by strong winds.

Sunday the 18th Size continues to hold in the range of a couple feet overhead to DOH+ and TOH at stand out breaks.  

As was the case in 2011, along with the swell, the forecast is calling for a strong storm system to invade Santa Cruz this weekend! With the wind predicted to be blowing out of the NW, the conditions at Steamer Lane should be favorable. However… competitors at Saturday’s 2nd Annual Surf & Sand Duel-athlon could be facing somewhat similar conditions as last years event! “It was gnarly, you’re dodging seals and [dealing with] five foot wind bumps… it was great when you were coming in and going downwind but once you turned around it was 25 mph of wind and nature working against you.” Matt Becker, 2011 Surftech Surf & Sand Duel-athlon champion.

“I think everybody out there was a champion for completing that race.” Candice Appleby, 2011 Surftech Surf & Sand Duel-athlon women’s champion.

So you have to ask yourself, are you up for the challenge? The Elite race is only 6 miles long… but it’s an ANGRY 6 miles! Over 40 competitors took on the challenge last year. This year we’re expecting twice that many SUP lunatics looking to face their fears and battle the conditions and sea life for the sweet taste of accomplishment as they run across the finish line.

Click HERE to register