Here is a post from Dave Collins from his recent trip to Canada...
I competed this last weekend in the first ever Qualicum Beach SUP Race sponsored by Island Longboards of Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, B.C.. My Werner Nitro helped propel me to a second-place finish in the approximately one-mile race. But I put my Nitro away when it came to the next and final event: paddle jousting, a medieval twist to this booming sport. The object: knock your opponent off his or her board before he or she knocks you off of yours.
Two paddles with foam taped around the grip were provided. This was a co-ed event and I was paired up to duel with a local “lady” on my second round. I had all intentions of taking it easy on her, which was my first mistake. She came at me from a kneeling position, whacked me across the head and sent me face first into the soup before I had time to be nice. I walked away from the duel stunned and humiliated and would have been eliminated had she not later apologized for letting her competitive spirit get the best of her, and renounced her victory.
That opened the window for me into the finals where I was pitted against a burly local who proved extremely tough to oust from his board. We put on a good show with several sketchy recoveries on each of our part. Being on the heavier side of the scale for racing (200 lbs.), I often feel at a disadvantage because of my weight, but not the case in paddle jousting where some extra mass is beneficial. The event combines balance with strategically creative paddle moves. I´m not sure if paddle jousting will showcase at other SUP events, but it was a clever way to wrap up this inaugural event, drawing in new spectators who might otherwise have kept on walking by. Coverage of the whole event, which will be an annual affair, can be found at here.
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