NEW COURSES ANNOUNCED FOR 2016 PACIFIC PADDLE GAMES

With the deadline of September 16 already reached for the PRO registration, amateur paddlers have only 4 days left to register for the Open Division at the Pacific Paddle games!

Course maps for the second annual Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life have been set and include some exciting new updates from last year’s inaugural event.  The preeminent paddling event, offering a $60,000 prize purse, will take place at Doheny State Beach, a California State Park in Dana Point, Sept 30 through Oct. 2.

“The Pacific Paddle Games presented by Salt Life are all about excitement, from spectators watching the top athletes in the sport to paddlers participating in the Open races,” SUP magazine editor-in-chief Will Taylor says. “Every course was designed to maximize the experience for every paddler at #PPG2016.”

PRO TECHNICAL COURSE

DIVISIONS: PRO SUP Men/Women, PRO Jr SUP Boys/Girls, PRO Prone Men/Women
DETAIL: The Pro Technical course was designed to challenge competitors’ speed, surf skills, and change of direction. The “bow tie” shaped course has a mix of right and left hand turns, and features two buoys inside the surf line. The two buoys in the surf line are positioned just off the beach in water deep enough to execute a turn, not directly in the impact zone. By having the inside buoys on separate ends of the course, the chance of collisions will decrease.
LAP DISTANCE:  2 laps 0.8 miles
LAP DISTANCE FINALS: 3 laps, 1.2 miles

OPEN TECHNICAL COURSE

DIVISIONS: All Open competitors
DETAIL: The Open Technical Course features a diamond shaped course that will challenge paddlers’ ability to make precise turns. All turning buoys will be outside the surf line. Competitors will go through the surf making left turns on buoys 1, 2, 3 and 4, then complete two more laps around the course (for a total of three laps). On the last lap, competitors will make a right shoulder turn on buoy 5 and proceed to the finish.
LAP DISTANCE: 3 laps, 0.9 miles

YOUTH TECHNICAL COURSE

DIVISIONS: Youth 10&U, 11-12, 13-14
DETAIL: The Youth Technical course was designed to challenge the ocean and racing skills of the intermediate level teenage paddlers, and advanced younger-aged youth. The advanced teenagers should compete in the Pro Jr. Division, allowing them more opportunity to showcase their surf racing skills. This course features nine turns. Competitors will start on the beach making a left shoulder turn on buoy 1, 2, and 3 before heading back towards buoy 1. On the final lap paddlers will make a right turn on buoy 4 after rounding buoy 2, then make their way back through the surf to the finish line. The 10&U will complete two laps, while all other age groups will complete three laps.
LAP DISTANCE 10&U: 2 laps, 0.6 miles
LAP DISTANCE 11-12 / 13-14: 3 laps, 0.8 miles

DISTANCE COURSE

DIVISIONS: Pro/Open 6 Mile, Youth/Open 3 Mile
DETAIL: From a water start, paddlers will head south 1.4 miles to turning buoy 1. After rounding buoy 1 with a left shoulder turn, competitors will head to buoy 2, make a left turn on buoy 2 and 3, then head south again to the southern-most turning buoy (1). On the second lap, competitors will make a right shoulder turn at buoy 4 and proceed to the finish line. 3-mile competitors will make a right shoulder turn at buoy 4 on the first lap and proceed to the finish line. The Distance Course features buoy 2, where the crowd will be able to see the racers’ position after the first of two laps.
LAP DISTANCE PRO/OPEN: 2 laps, 6 miles
LAP DISTANCE YOUTH/OPEN: 1 lap, 3 miles

Registration for the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games is open at http://ppg.supthemag.com/ registration with one deadline already reached for the Pros and September 23 for the Open division. THERE WILL BE NO ONSITE REGISTRATION. First 100 paddlers to register will get a Salt Life towel and all Open registrations in before Sept. 9 will be entered to win a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses.

See you all at the 2016 Pacific Paddle Games !

Mathieu Astier

Mathieu is the hyper-active founder of TotalSUP and a multilingual online marketing veteran with more than 20 years of experience working for top international internet companies. His love-at-first-sight for Stand Up Paddling in 2013 led him to build one of the leading online media dedicated to SUP in English and French and to turn his family lifestyle towards the ocean.

See Full Bio