Surftech team rider Candice Appleby wins 2010 Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle
Surftech’s Candice Appleby wins
Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez
Battle of the Paddle Hawaii
June 21, 2010 (Honolulu, Hi) – With head-high waves and strong gusting winds, the 2010 Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle will go down as the toughest race to date. With the strongest field of Elite racers in the world, competitors from Australia, Hawaii, Mainland USA, Japan and more gave it all they had in the challenging conditions.
Prior to Saturday’s event, Candice Appleby had finished runner-up in the Women’s Elite division, two years in a row. By 4:30pm Hawaiian Time, she would be a “bride’s maid” no more! Finishing with an impressive time of 1:35:25, Candice was the first women to cross the finish line and 32nd over-all!! “Winning the Elite Race was the answer to a prayer that I’ve been praying since the first BOP in California!” admits Candice. “To be perfectly honest I was dead after the first lap, but God blessed me with his endurance and strength and put me where he wanted me to be.” Candice finished just over a minute ahead of Australia’s Shakira Westdorp and nearly two and a half minutes in front of womens third place finisher, Brandi Baksic of San Clemente.
Saturday night did not leave much time for celebration as the long course competitors needed to be up at Maunalua Bay for the 10-mile Hawaii Kai downwind race early Sunday morning. Surftech team riders, Jamie Mitchell and Candice Appleby reached deep into the endurance tank to take on the 10-mile downwind course. “I felt good through the entire race.” said Mitchell. “I made a tactical error and picked the wrong line into Waikiki which cost me valuable time.” Jamie finished 1st in the 14′ Class Mens 30-39 division. Appleby, still adrenalized from her success in the Elite race, hammered her 14′ Bark Competitor through the head-high Hawaii Kai bumps to finish a solid 2nd in the Women’s Over-all and 1st in the Women’s 14′ Class. “The distance race was a blast.” exclaimed Candice. “The 14 foot Competitor that Joe Bark made for me worked so good. I’m so stoked to finish 2nd overall and 1st for my board class. Gotta give huge props to Andrea Moller, she’s an
animal on the downwind runs.”
The final event of the weekend many considered to be the most exciting for both the spectators and competitors alike. The SUP Surf Relays consisted of four person teams with each team member completing two laps around the triangular course. “I had so much fun during the relay.” admits Appleby. “I paddled third for my team which meant I was to do battle with Jamie Mitchell. That was an honor to say the least.”
The Lahui Kai team took first place honors and featured Jamie Mitchell, Danny Ching, Travis Grant and Brandi Baksic. Team Bark/Surftech included Candice Appleby, Slater Trout, Matt Becker and Scotty Gamble and finished a close second to the Lahui Kai team.
Congrats to Candice, Jamie, Slater and all of the Surftech team riders and employees who gave it their all in the inaugural Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle Hawaii!
Check out SurftechSUP.com for photos and more from the Battle of the Paddle Hawaii.
For more info contact:
Duke Brouwer
Surftech Marketing
831-479-4944
duke@surftech.com
Surftech on facebook & twitter
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