Connor Baxter secures a well deserved win at the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge
Monday 13 August
Connor Baxter secures bullet win at Turtle Bay Resort
Connor Baxter (Starboard) locks in the Title at the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge presented by Pacifico and Naish with bullet wins in both long distance and sprint courses.
Amidst a star studded fleet of athletes from Hawaii and beyond, Connor started with a strong showing as expected on the long distance course from Hukilau Beach to Turtle Bay. After a strong start, it was his reading of the wind swell through the second half of the course that allowed him to develop a healthy lead over the rest of the pack.
In the sprint course, he posted consistant heat wins to make it through to the final and storm to an impressive finish, much to the delight of the crowds lining the shoreline at the ultimate World Series course.
These two wins earned him the overall win at this stop on the World Series, thereby propelling him into 1st overall, taking the lead from arch rival Kai Lenny in what is turning out to be an impressive battle in 2012.
Connor’s winning streak seems set to continue with the form he has and we are excited to see the next major showdown that will go down in Cocoa Beach Florida on the 8th – 9th September, where Connor will once again come up against his World Series adversaries in his quest for the 2012 World Title.
Kody Kerbox continues to stun the racing world with a 2nd
Previously known more for his surfing performance having won the Rookie of the year award on the Stand Up World Tour in 2011, Kody Kerbox (Naish) from Maui has been asserting his presence in the racing world over the past 12 months and showed that he means business with his 2nd place finish here at the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge, presented by Pacifico and Naish.
After an impresive 3rd place in the long distance from Hukilau, Kody hit the water today with solid performances throughout the day to finish in 2nd place in the sprints, right behind Connor.
A tie for 2nd overall, meant a World Series Tie-breaker, that saw Kody Kerbox battle it out with Oahu’s under the radar, but dangerous Andrew Logreco. After an intense 1 lap short course, Kody broke away from Andrew after turning the final mark, catching a bump through the surf zone to secure the win and his well deserved 2nd place. Watch out for this incredible athlete that is clearly destined for great things.
Andrew Logreco puts on a strong performance at home
Oahu’s Andrew Logreco puts on a great performance, clearly feeling right at home on the beautiful long distance course from Hukilau Beach to Turtle Bay finishing in a worthy second place behind Connor Baxter (Starboard).
In the sprint racing, he stepped up again, finishing in an impressive 3rd place finishing behind Kody Kerbox (Naish) and narrowly missing the bump that carried Kody to 2nd place.
The tie break was a neck and neck affair, with Andrew having to settle for 3rd place after Kody managed to edge ahead in the closing leg of the course.
While Andrew is more under the radar than other athletes, working full time as a Hawaii lifeguard, he is clearly a dangerous dark horse and a real threat, even faced with this world class competition. We look forward to seeing a lot more of Andrew over the coming year.
Annabel Anderson continues her winning streak on Oahu
Following wins in Fiji, France and Chicago, Annabel Anderson (Starboard) adds another win to her flawless Stand Up World Series record with another great performance here in Hawaii.
Dominating the women’s fleet in both the long distance and sprint racing amidst some strong competition from the likes of Morgan Hoesterey, Annabel clearly showcased that she is the athlete to beat in the women racing world, demonstrating skill and physical excellence in both forms of racing.
Morgan Hoesterey puts up a fight against New Zealander
Morgan Hoesterey held her own both in the long distance and the sprint racing of the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge, presented by Pacifico and Naish, battling it out with the New Zealander, Annabel Anderson (Starboard) from start to finish in both races.
With an impressive reputation in the women’s races both in Hawaii and on the mainland, Morgan put on a great performance here at Turtle Bay and will be in good stead as we go into the latter stages of the 2012 Stand Up World Series.
Oahu’s Mo Freitas puts on a performance beyond his years
Mo Freitas once again puts on a performance of someone way beyond his years: at just 15 years old, Mo is still eligible for the Keiki division, but once again clearly showed that he has overgrown his age group long ago, with an incredible 4th place in both the long distance and sprint racing, finishing in 4th place overall.
From his performance on the Stand Up World Surfing Tour, to his increasing reputation as a real threat in the Racing World and more specifically on the Stand Up World Racing Series, there is no doubt that this Haleiwa born athlete is destined for great things.
This solid performance at home in Hawaii follows a great finish in France earlier this year, so Mo is looking good coming into the next event in Florida, early September.
Bert Charlton secures prone paddle win and fastest time
Bert Charlton from Oahu secures not only the prone paddle win, but also the fastest time in the long distance race from Hukilau Beach to Turtle Bay ahead of next place finisher Connor Baxter on his 12′6 World Series class SUP.
Having used this specific run as his training ground for the 32 mile Molokai to Oahu race, Bert was able to navigate the course to victory ahead of a strong field of paddlers.
With not one other athlete in site, here we see Bert on the home straight to Turtle Bay and more specifically Ola’s Restaurant for a cold Pacifico beer!
Kai Hall comes out on top after a photo finish in the sprint
Looking to retain his Title and unbeaten record here at Turtle Bay, Kai Hall stroked to a photo finish win ahead of friend and fellow prone paddler, Matthew Stack. Another North Shore lifeguard, Kai also works at and represents one of our hosts, Ola’s Restaurant, keeping it a truly family affair.
With the growth of SUP worldwide, it is great to see that there is still a very healthy and active prone community who paddle at an astonishingly high level here in Oahu.
Hukilau tradition lives on and is celebrated thru this event
After a beautiful welcome from the Laie Community and in particular Hukilau Cafe (who provided breakfasts for all the competitors), generations of local fishermen gathered at Hukilau Beach to involve the athletes, visitors and community alike in a re-enactment of the traditional Hukilau fishing practise.
Being able to start the race at Hukilau Beach was not only an honor, but provided athletes and spectators alike with a unique and special experience that they can keep with them, but also a thrilling long distance run that takes in some of the most spectacular scenery on Oahu’s North east corner.
We are already excited about returning to this beautiful corner of the world next year.
Turtle Bay once again provides the perfect racing stadium
Turtle Bay once again shows why it is the ultimate destination for World Series sprint racing, with an amphitheater like setting that provides some of the most exciting and dynamic racing possible for the athletes and spectators alike.
As a forerunner to the World Championship Finals in October, the Turtle Bay Summer Paddle Challenge presented by Pacifico and Naish once again provided sprint racing like nowhere else.
Athletes can already take advantage of special rates at Turtle Bay Resort for the prestigious World Championship Finals by emailing entryrace@watermanleague.com to receive the exclusive athlete booking code. The dates for the finals at the 12th – 14th October, 2012.
Final standings, highlights, updated rankings and event wrap to follow at www.standupworldseries.com
Here is the top positioning for this leg of the Stand Up World Series:
Men:
- Connor Baxter (Starboard) Maui
- Kody Kerbox (Naish) Maui
- Andrew Logreco, Oahu
- Mo Freitas, Oahu
- Bart de Swart (Starboard) Holland
Women:
- Annabel Anderson (Starboard) New Zealand
- Morgan Hoesterey, Oahu
- Halie Harrison, Oahu
Highlights for both epic days of action will follow at www.standupworldseries.com, as well as photo galleries and much more. You can also see full timing results at www.pseresults.com, while other World Tour and World Series videos are online at both Stand Up World Tour and Stand up World Series Youtube Channels.
A big Mahalo to our sponsors of the Turtle Bay Challenge
Next up – Cocoa Beach Paddle Classic, Florida: 8-9 August
Next up is the Cocoa Beach Paddle Classic, brought to you by our Series partner Pacifico Beer, Starboard, Maui Jim and the International Palms Resort in Cocoa Beach.
You can already register by going to: http://register.
More to follow on this and the Huntington Beach Pro World Series that will run in conjunction with the Stand Up World Tour event from the 6th – 8th October (Stand Up World Tour running from the 2nd – 8th) at www.standupworldseries.com. Stay tuned….
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