TRAVIS GRANT & GILLIAN GIBREE WIN SURVIVOR SUP: QUIKSILVER WAIKIKI PADDLE FESTIVAL
AUSTRALIAN JACKSON MAYNARD &
SAN DIEGO’S GILLIAN GIBREE CLAIM FINAL DAY
QUIKSILVER WATERMAN COLLECTION WAIKIKI PADDLE FESTIVAL
Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Fort DeRussy, Waikiki
DOWNLOAD FILES:
DOWNWIND News /Video Highlights Here
WATERMAN CHALLENGE News/Video Highlights here
Still Images from DOWNWIND RACE Here
Still Images from WATERMAN CHALLENGE here
HONOLULU – (May 6, 2012) — The Quiksilver Waterman Collection Waikiki Paddle Festival concluded in Waikiki today with the final 10-mile Hawaii Kai downwind distance paddle, and the saltwater triathlon Waterman Challenge. Twenty year-old Australian Jackson Maynard, who won yesterday’s prone paddleboard course, took a win in both the downwind prone paddleboard race and the Challenge. Gillian Gibree (San Diego), who won yesterday’s women’s Survivor SUP, claimed the women’s Challenge. Maui’s Andrea Moller won the women’s downwind race on a stand-up paddleboard.
Above: Hawaii Kai downwind start. Photo: Dana Edmunds
The Waterman Challenge started at 3pm today and was a total challenge after athletes had endured two full days of intense Waikiki heat, blazing sunshine, and blistering competition. It consisted of a 500 yard swim, 1,000 yard prone paddleboard leg, and a 1,500 yard stand-up paddle (SUP) to finish. Maynard won $1,500 and Gibree won $500.
“I came here with no expectations I just came here to race, have fun, hang out and get a good feel for the place so I’m so stoked,” said Maynard. “I’ve been racing ironman back in Australia and that’s really helping me out with my fitness.”
Gibree surprised everyone yesterday when she stole the elite Survivor SUP win, so another win today put her beyond belief.
“This really tops off my weekend,” said Gibree. “I went into the swim feeling pretty sore from yesterday. Luckily, to my advantage the SUP leg had three laps, so once I saw I was gaining a little bit I just kept digging and tried to gain as much ground as possible.”
Conditions for the world famous downwind run along Oahu’s south shore were trademark trade wind excellence. There were many craft on the water including 6-man outrigger canoes, one-man outriggers, surf ski, stand-up and prone paddleboards. The stand-up paddle (SUP) division contained the majority of the field with more than 130 starters.
Honolulu’s Scott Gamble, runner-up in this race two years ago, was the first across the line today on an open class 17-foot rudder SUP board. (1:22:47) Second across the line, riding a shorter 14-foot rudderless board was Jamie Mitchell (Australia), in a time of 1:24:04. Yesterday’s ‘Survivor SUP’ champion Travis Grant (Australia, 1:25:56) was third.The first woman to cross the line was Maui’s Andrea Moller (1:37:04), on an SUP. The first prone paddleboarder was Jackson Maynard (Australia, 1:35:01). All division winners received $500.
“It was a fun run,” said Gamble. “It was a standard Hawaii Kai run on a good incoming tide, so there were a lot of bumps and it was a good run. It’s always awesome. These races are so much fun and there’s a good feeling for sure. I just like to train a lot and the races are a bonus.”
Mitchell was pleased to be as close to Gamble as he was, given that he was on a shorter board.
“It was epic – one of the funnest Hawaii Kai runs I’ve ever done,” said Mitchell. “It’s always brutal getting into Waikiki with the wind offshore but nine tenths of the race was really, really good. Probably the first 20 to 30 minutes the bumps were tight together and the 14 was working well, but as you get further along the bumps lengthen out and it benefits the bigger boards with the rudder.”
Mitchell fully made the transition from prone paddleboard to SUP after winning his 10th prone world title last summer and is gradually building on his game. “I still think I’ve got a long way to go. I’ve got to get up to the unlimited boards now and work them out. That’s my next challenge. But I feel I’m somewhere in the ballpark.”
Andrea Moller, pitted to be the woman to beat today, did not disappoint.
“There were waves all the way, some really good bumps, the current was taking me where I wanted to go and I had a lot of fun,” said Moller. “This is a crazy event. I really like it. I’m stoked to be here. It was my kind of conditions, I’m not really a flat-water girl. I’m stoked to see the number of girls out there now. It’s motivating.”
Maynard similarly enjoyed the ride and his clean sweep of races this weekend.
“There’s some good bumps out there today,” said Jackson. “This is a beautiful place, great competitors and it’s just good to be here. I’m from Currumbin on the Gold Coast (of Australia) so it’s a bit different to here – the wind’s not as strong but we do get a few downwind paddles in every now and then. But being in Hawaii is great.”
The Quiksilver Waterman Collection Waikiki Paddle Festival went down as a total success story. There were more than 600 entries across the weekend and reservations are already being made for next year. We look forward to seeing you again!!
~Aloha!~
RESULTS: Key placings in each division can be found beneath event logos.
For more information and complete results:
www.quiksilver.com/watermanevents
www.pseresults.com
WATERMAN CHALLENGE (MEN)
1 22:12 JACKSON MAYNARD GOLD COAST
2 22:17 LINCOLN DEWS
3 22:48 BRIAN MURPHY REDONDO BEACH
WATERMAN CHALLENGE (WOMEN)
1 24:16 GILLIAN GIBREE SAN DIEGO
2 24:20 MORGAN HOESTEREY HONOLULU
3 24:50 ALISON RIDDLE HONOLULU
HAWAII KAI DOWNWIND RACE:
SUP UNLIMITED:
1 1:22:47 SCOTT GAMBLE HONOLULU
2 1:25:56 TRAVIS GRANT PALM BEACH
3 1:27:37 LIVIO MENELAU HAIKU
SUP UNLIMITED WOMEN:
1 1:37:04.0 ANDREA MOLLER HAIKU
2 1:41:36.0 JENNY KALMBACH HONOLULU
3 2:04:46.0 JENNIFER LEE
SUP 12′6″:
1 1:28:33 ANDREW LOGRELO HONOLULU
2 1:34:38 PAUL JACKSON PALM BEACH
3 1:35:06 BEAU O’BRIEN PALM BEACH
Hawaii Kai 14′ SUP:
1 1:24:04 JAMIE MITCHELL
2 1:29:25 NOA GINELLA
3 1:29:56 JAKE JENSEN
PRONE STOCK PADDLEBOARD:
1 1:35:01 JACKSON MAYNARD GOLD COAST
2 1:42:28 KAI HALL HONOLULU
3 1:45:51 MIKEY COTE’ HONOLULU
OC6:
1 JAIMIE KINARD 1:19:36
2 NA KOA PRODUCTIONS 1:23:16
3 CORY NAKAMURA 1:37:05
OC1:
1 1:11:25.0 KAI CHONG Men 40 – 49 OC-1
2 1:12:42.0 JUSTIN BENFIELD Men 29 & Under OC-1
3 1:12:52.0 ALFRED VAN GIESON Men 30 – 39 OC-1
TEAM RELAYS:
1 12:44.0 C-FOUR TGIF
2 12:51.2 443 SURFTECH MEN
3 12:56.2 445 KONA RED
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