Battle Brewing at Waikiki: Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle this Weekend
June 12 & 13
Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Ft. DeRussy Beach Park, Oahu
BATTLE OF THE PADDLE HEATING UP!
WEEKEND FESTIVAL OF STAND-UP PADDLE IN WAIKIKI
200+ Paddlers from Around the World Converge on Oahu’s Famous Shoreline
Live throughout the weekend:
www.rainbowsandals.com/BattleOfthePaddle/HI/live/
Above: The Elite Racer course off Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Fort DeRussy.
The majestic turquoise waters of Waikiki – where better for the sport of kings!
HONOLULU – (June 10, 2010) – Hundreds of the world’s best stand-up paddlers are converging on the famous golden sands of Waikiki in the final countdown to the inaugural Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle Hawaii, presented by Quiksilver Waterman Collection. With more than 200 official entries already lodged, organizers anticipate numbers may swell to 300 or more as registrations continue to come in at the Battle of the Paddle headquarters: the Outrigger Reef Hotel. If expectations hold true, this will easily set a record, signaling a new dawn for ocean sports in Hawaii.
The Battle of the Paddle is a weekend-long stand-up paddle (SUP) exposition that offers $25,000 in elite race prize money, free SUP clinics for children, free demonstrations for Hawaii visitors and the local community, and loads of ocean entertainment. It will take place at Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Fort DeRussy, Waikiki, 9am-5pm Saturday, June 12; and 9am-4pm Sunday, June 13. The event will be broadcast live on the internet from 10:30am to 6pm (1:30pm to 9pm PDT) on Saturday; and from 10:30am to 5pm (1:30pm to 8pm PDT) on Sunday:
www.rainbowsandals.com/BattleOfthePaddle/HI/live.
Rainbow Sandals is incredibly proud to be working in association with Na Kama Kai and Tom Pohaku Stone throughout the Battle of the Paddle weekend. Na Kama Kai will present the free children’s ocean program and clinics, and Stone is the official Hawaiian cultural advisor to the event, leading all traditional aspects and ceremonies.
EVENT SCHEDULE SATURDAY, JUNE 12:
9am Traditional Hawaiian opening ceremony
9am-4pm SUP Expo & SUP demos (free to the public)
9am-2pm Na Kama Kai Ocean Clinics (free for kids, on the hour, every hour)
9:45am SUP Fun Paddle (free to the pubic)
11am Kids SUP Races
12 noon Open Age-Group Race
3pm Elite Surf Course Race
5pm Awards Ceremony
EVENT SCHEDULE SUNDAY, JUNE 13:
9am-4pm SUP Expo & SUP demos (free to the public)
9am-2pm Na Kama Kai Ocean Clinics (free for kids, on the hour, every hour)
10am-1:30pm Na Kama Kai Agility Course (free for kids)
10am Hawaii Kai to Fort DeRussy distance race
2pm Na Kama Kai Family SUP races
3pm SUP Surf Team Relays
4:15pm Awards & Closing Ceremony
“There’s something regal about standing upright and paddling along the famous coastline of Waikiki, the birthplace of the sport, that reminds you this is the sport of kings,” said Gerry Lopez, co-founder and namesake of the Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle, known best in Hawaii as the master of tube-riding at the Banzai Pipeline.
“I’ve been surfing my whole life, much of it right here in Waikiki, and the essence of surfing has always been to find the glide. The glide you get stand-up paddling is like nothing else. To be able to come back here and share that excitement with a global SUP community is a very special feeling.”
Top racers this weekend will include: Jamie Mitchell (Australia; 2009 Battle of the Paddle California champion); Danny Ching (Redondo Beach, CA; OC1 champion & rising SUP star); Noa Ginella (Hawaii; whitewater champion of last week’s C4 Waterman SUP Teva Mountain Games); Morgan Hoesterey (Hawaii; distance expert who last month paddled 70+ miles from Oahu to Kauai); Chuck Patterson (Dana Point, CA; 2009 Battle of the Paddle California champion); Slater Trout (Hawaii; teenage SUP sensation).
Online registrations are now CLOSED. However, you can register at the event site of Duke Kahanamoku Beach right through the event weekend, or at the following locations through Friday June 11:
Quiksilver Store – Waikiki Beach Walk, 270 Lewers St. Honolulu, HI 96815
Quiksilver Store – International Market Place, Waikiki, HI
Wetfeet – 820 W. Hind Drive in the Aina Haina Shopping Center”
The Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle, presented by Quiksilver Waterman Collection, is supported by Patagonia, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Kona Brewing Co., DaKine, Duke’s Waikiki, and Surftech.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jodi Wilmott, Ocean Promotion
Email or C: +1.808.258-8533
Event Information
Barrett Tester, Event Director
events@rainbowsandals.com
www.rainbowsandals.com/battleofthepaddle/HI/
Tel. (949) 276-4431 x216
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