Dan Gavere checks in here with a report on the Battle of the Paddle 2010..
The Battle of the Paddle has become the underground World Championships of Stand Up Paddling and this years event was proof positive. Over 600 competitors from all over the world came to the sunny shores of So Cal to be involved in what can be called a landmark event for the sport.
The open class course race consisted of a 5mile course with a beach start and finish. Werner Paddles team member Nikki Gregg got off to an incredible start outpacing her competition and rounding the first turn marker with a solid 10 second lead over the nearest female competitor. Making no mistakes and without ever looking back Nikki held the lead throughout the grueling race amidst the other hundreds of competitors, and the churned up sea, she utilized a solid and powerful stroke to claim 1st place in the entire women's open class.
Team Werner Paddles, Kainoa Beaupre (HI), and Dan Gavere (Werner Sales Rep) competing in the elite class against some of the best in the sport had respectable finishes with a 13th and 26th in the class. (They even found themselves paddling side by side for one complete lap.) Surfing prowess and endurance were the most important factors in this 6 mile race that required competitors to complete 4 laps around a challenging course that wove in and out of the surf and required a 50 yard beach run on each lap.
Grueling is an understatement for this particular course; broken boards, paddles, chins and feelings could be heard throughout the race as several competitors made contact with each other. The building surf and low tide conditions exposed the racers to head high waves, shallow waters and challenging turns on every mark making for an exciting SUP race. Werner paddles could be spotted everywhere in the hands of competitors and the Nitro is steadily proving itself to be the paddle of choice for racing. All 3 team members mentioned above used Werner Nitro paddles for the race, and can attest to their performance, strength, and reliability.
Photo: Courtesy Wardog and www.supsports.com