The Gold Coast is located on the East coast of Australia and is known for its long sandy beaches and surf spots. Kane Degrauw, a coach and surf addict, moved to the Gold Coast 2 years ago. Since then, he regularly practices Stand Up Paddle boarding, and can’t do without it. He tells us about the conditions, the life there, the SUP spots, and many interesting things to know about the Gold Coast.
Hello Kane, can you tell us what is your history/relationship with the Gold Coast?Â
I have been a Goldy local for 2 years now, after growing up in the remote North West of Western Australia for 21 years, I always dreamt of living in Queensland one day. In the start of 2019, I was given the opportunity for a position to relocate my business and coach out of a new Strength & Conditioning facility opening on the Gold Coast. I jumped at it, packed up shop, squeezed all my belongings into my little Outlander, and one week later I set course for the solo 6 day drive to move to the other side of Australia. Best decision I have ever made! Growing up as a surfer and spending a lot of time in the ocean with my dad working on his fishing boat, I soon gravitated towards SUP once I was on the Gold Coast. Since then, I haven’t looked back. I’ve been hooked!
What are the weather conditions throughout the year?Â
Summer is our cyclone season which brings along big winds and big surf. Winter is the perfect time for paddling and to get out on the shortboard. Warm weather, offshore days with clean easterly swells is your indicator to look out for. As a wise man once told me, when the wind blows from the south, head south and when it blows from the north, head north.
Between the variety of water canals, downwind runs from Coolangatta to Burleigh, or technical courses along the Broadbeach/Surfers Paradise stretch, it is the perfect spot for paddling all year round.Â
What are the best spots in the Gold Coast for SUP race training, SUP surfing, and Downwinding?Â
Tallebudgera Creek is a play ground for all SUP disciplines, with the creek offering up crystal clear flat water and the inlet to paddle out and around the Burleigh headland, you can not go wrong. Just be prepared to dodge and weave a few stray swimmers and the odd dragon boat. Troy Pease runs his team of Pirates each Wednesday and Friday morning down at Talle, with a specialized program to prepare and equip the local SUP frothers into the next upcoming competition. Peasey captains a very tight ship on the Coast.
What and when are the main watersports events of the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast community lives and breathes all things saltwater. Each Sunday morning the clubbies come flocking from the hills and fairly fill the ocean with a sea of fluro caps of all ages. The Gold Coast holds a string of Iron Man events over the calendar. The WSL holds the Quiksilver Pro around the beginning of autumn which is always the talk of the town leading up to the waiting period and on the SUP racing calendar everyone has their sights set towards 12 Towers weekend which never disappoints.
Can you tell us what’s the local SUP/watersports community like?Â
The beauty of the Gold Coast is the variety of waterways on offer for paddling. This can sometimes be a gift and a curse. Anyone who has competed on the Gold Coast knows how tight the community is, each competition is like a huge catch-up.
There are so many paddle groups on the coast that unite together as one at races. However, it would be cool to have these opportunities where the Gold Coast paddle community comes together more often. This would be powerful as we can share ideas, help each grow on and off the water and ultimately one day lead all nations in the world of SUP racing.
I believe good things come to those who consistently show up. Day in day out putting in the hard yards, keeping focused, and take every opportunity with both hands is all we can control right now. I may be biased but Gold Coast locals like John John Hagan and Chloe Walkerdene consistently day after day back that hard-working mentality up and I can not wait to watch it all unfold come competition day. The Gold Coast is quickly becoming fiercely competitive and everyone is pretty fired up about the announcement of SUP entering the Olympics in the near future.Â
Where would you rent your Stand Up Paddle and Foil gear or take classes?Â
GoVertical SUP is the go-to spot to hire a board or take a SUP lesson and tour. Linda runs the show down in Surfers Paradise, which it is hard to find anyone as energetic and welcoming to take anyone out for a laugh and a shred on the SUP to make your first experience a memorable one.
For any pro gear, foil, clubbies, or SUP equipment, Waterman Store in Burleigh Heads stock everything you can ask for.
And as a tourist, what things to do and places to see in and around the Gold Coast would you recommend?
It is nature’s playground. We have the most beautiful beaches in Australia so the options are endless. We regularly head to Poke Poke for the best Acai bowl on the coast, take away or dine in at Metro Coffee Broadbeach, just give Benny a holla (best ‘coffee boy’ on the Coast). The Gold Coast is jam-packed for night time street food, Miami Marketta is a fan favorite with live music and 10+ food trucks (recommend the texas beef brisket) or do the family road trip north and bounce between the theme parksand then to cap the night off head45min south out of the Gold Coast to Byron Bay and catch the night time street buskers. Or just stay on the coast and surf all day long which is our go-to. You can’t go wrong!
Ke’ale Dorries, a dynamic force in the SUP world, is joining the Starboard Dream Team (again!), marking a significant milestone in her career. Hailing from the vibrant Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, Ke’ale has spent over 15 years mastering the ocean, competing both locally and internationally. With a deep connection to her SUP community, she […]
As an industrial engineer with a passionate love for the ocean, Mark Travers the current owner of Honu paddle boards believes that the lifestyle of stand up paddling creates something magical that everyone should be able to experience. Every product is designed from the ground up, carefully considering every detail, component and construction method. Each […]
Australia’s Gold Coast is an area we might associate with surfing, and stunning beaches with a shoreline developed for tourism, it is a hotspot for holidaymakers from around the world. But there is much more to the area than the plentiful beach breaks and paddlers looking for some longer, racier SUP action. SUNOVA paddler Monika […]
‘Injuries can become your greatest teacher,’ Laird Hamilton’s quote has become a mantra for Infinity SUP Rider Kane Degrauw, who returned to the SUP racing circuit after a long recovery caused by his knee surgery. TotalSUP caught up with this talented SUP athlete always on the lookout ‘for the biggest physical and mental challenge’ to go […]
‘Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better,‘ to WIN. Some of the most resonating stories in sport are those about reaching through fire to achieve what you want, that ‘ultimate’ goal that has kept slipping away. “It’s been a really long time coming, like 13 years,” says SUNOVA Team Rider and […]
2022 Busan SUP Open is one for the books. The 3rd stop of the APP World Tour in South Korea has been one of those events on this year’s SUP racing circuit that has showed what stand-up paddleboarding Olympics could look like with drones illuminating the sky in a spectacular opening ceremony to display the […]
There is a memorable exchange in “Everest” (2015) film where a journalist has to ask ‘the Why question’, “Why do people climb Mount Everest?” and the crew replies, “Because it’s there”. “Why the extreme?” has been a recurring theme in TotalSUP conversations with riders embarking on and completing extraordinary watersport challenges and we had to […]
James Casey has been pushing the limits of what is possible on the foil in waves and in downwind conditions for a while now, embracing the #fullpower mindset behind SUNOVA, one of the most innovative and disruptive SUP, foil and surf board brands. Right on the eve of his biggest adventure to date (!), TotalSUP caught […]
Ke’ale Dorries is not waiting for the things to change in the world and “the stoke continues with training”, she says. After battling injuries, the Blackfish Team Rider had a great start to the SUP racing season with strong performance and podiums bagged at the 12 Towers Ocean Race and the Scotss Head Paddle Games, […]