2015 schedules, 2014 Highlights & milestones and Holiday Greetings from the Waterman League
The Waterman League is proud to announce the 2015 Stand Up World Tour schedule
We are proud to announce the 2015 schedule for the Stand Up World Tour, featuring an ideal mix of iconic surf destinations and major global markets as the World Championship platform for the sport steps up to a whole new level.
With exciting details surrounding all events to emerge early January, we are setting up for what will be an incredible 2015. Make sure to stay tuned for all the latest and the build up to the 2015 season at www.watermanleague.com
2015 Stand Up World Tour
- Hawaii Opener: Turtle Bay Women’s Pro (6th-12th Feb); Sunset Beach Pro (10th – 18th February)
- Brazil Pro Grand Slam: Sao Paolo: 11th – 21st April
- Tahiti Pro: 30th May – 6th June (TBC)
- Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam: 26th Sept – 4th October
- La Torche Pro France: 24th October – 1st November
- Mirleft Pro, Morocco: 6th – 13th November
We are also proud to announce the 2015 Stand Up World Racing Series schedule
2015 sees a dramatic line up of events as we see iconic destinations mixed with major global markets making for the most complete and comprehensive schedule yet for the World Championship Racing Series.
The athletes will see a dramatic mix of conditions across the globe to determine who is the best all around Racer in the world, whether it be flat water or open ocean, sprint racing or long distance, the format and the locations will provide the ultimate challenge for the World’s best and determine the undisputed World Champion.
With exciting details surrounding each of the events in the 2015 season to emerge early January, we are setting up for what will be a spectacular year for World Championship Racing at it all elevates to a whole new level. Keep it right here at www.watermanleague.com
2015 Stand Up World Series
- UAE: Location tba early January: 4th – 7th March
- Brazil Pro Grand Slam, Sao Paolo: 11th – 12th April
- Location tba early January 2014: Date window: May / June
- Fehmarn World Cup, Germany: 7th – 9th August
- Kanagawa Pro, Japan: 4th – 6th September
- Huntington Beach Pro Grand Slam: 2nd – 4th October
- World Series Finals at Turtle Bay: 16th – 18th October
Kai Lenny makes history once again to secure his 4th World Championship Title
2014 proved to be one of the most exciting battles yet here on the Stand Up World Tour, as Caio Vaz (Art in Surf) and Kai Lenny (Naish) went blow for blow, event by event right up until the quarterfinals of the final event of the year in France. With 2 event wins each, a 3rd for the Brazilian and 2nd for the Hawaiian as their counting results, it would all come down to the Finals to decide the 2014 Champion of the World.
In the end, it was to be Kai Lenny’s year, as he did just enough to secure his 4th World Title, despite a phenomenal performance and year from the Brazilian Title Contender, Caio Vaz.
However, one thing is for sure, the talent pool runs so deep now that while Kai and Caio were the leading contenders in 2014, 2015 will be a battle for the ages as we see the likes of Poenaiki Raioha (F-One) from Tahiti, Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) from Oahu and Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) from Maui, not to mention Keahi de Aboitiz (JP Australia), freshly recovered from inury, the rest of the Brazilian crew and a whole host of new global talent step up to take down the greats and stake their claim on the World Championship Tour.
Make sure to stay tuned for the build up and watch it all go down live at watermanleague.com
Izzi Gomez dominates in 2014 to secure her groundbreaking first World Title
Coming into 2014, Izzi Gomez (Starboard) had won more events than anybody else on Tour and was destined for greatness. However a disappointing result at the World Tour Opener in Hawaii did not bode well for the young Champion, as she went home to regroup and prepare for the year to come.
The comeback came quickly, as despite a trip through the repechage at the next stop, she went onto win the next 4 events on the 2014 World Tour to secure her unprecedented first World Title before her 15th birthday!
Despite her dominant performance in 2014, the competition was fierce, with 2013 World Champion Nicole Pacelli from Brazil battling for contention once again, and Candice Appleby stepping up her game to finish in 3rd. Also putting on strong performances were windsurfing World Champion Iballa Moreno (Starboard) from Spain and Aline Adisaka (New Advance) from Brazil.
It is shaping up to be an epic 2015, as the talent pool deepens and the competition intensifies and we will build up to stop number one at Turtle Bay through the month of January at watermanleague.com.
Join us live from Turtle Bay from the 6th – 12th February for the kick off to a spectacular new season of the Stand Up World Tour.
Connor Baxter steps up to dominate and secure his first World Title in 2014
Connor Baxter (Starboard) had a stellar year in 2014, making no mistakes on his way to his first World Title on the Stand Up World Series, getting the better of 2012 and 13 World Champion Kai Lenny (Naish) in advance of the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay.
With bullet wins in 3 out of 5 events in 2014, Connor made himself untouchable at the Huntington Beach Pro presented by Starboard, securing the World Title in dramatic fashion.
Despite this dominant performance from Connor, Kai Lenny was right on his heels as ever, with 2 wins in the 2014 season, as was Jake Jensen (Fanatic) from Australia in 4th, Casper Steinfath (Naish) from Denmark in 6th, Eric Terrien (Bic SUP) from France in 7th and Leonard Nika (Starboard) from Italy in 8th.
However 2 of the major standouts of the year were the young Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) from Haleiwa on Oahu’s fabled North Shore, who stepped up in 2014 to finish in 3rd overall, and Zane Schweitzer (Starboard), who finished in an impressive 5th overall, but also secured the European Cup Title.
Incredible achievements by all these athletes and clearly a sign of things to come on the Stand Up World Series as we look forward to what is destined to be the most exciting year yet on the Stand Up World Series. Make sure to stay tuned for the build up and watch it all go down live in 2015 at www.watermanleague.com
Lina Augaitis steps up in 2014 to secure the World Championship Title
Lina Augaitis from Canada stormed onto the scene this year with a breakout performance at stop number 2 of the 2014 World Series in Abu Dhabi, to take the well deserved win, fueling the competitive fire and making her presence felt.
With a serious battle that lasted all year long and until the final heat of the final day of competition for the Series with Angela Jackson (Fanatic) from Australia, Lina was able to find what it took on the final stretch to secure her place in history as the 2014 World Champion.
Angela Jackson (Fanatic) put on a valiant performance all year and was within inches of a World Title when it all came down to the wire at Turtle Bay and is clearly one to watch out for in 2015.
However, it should be noted that the talent runs deep on the World Series, as we saw strong performances from Olivia Piana (Fanatic), Manca Notar (Naish), Kelsa Gabehart and many more. We also saw the arrival of Candice Appleby in Huntington Beach, an arrival that was punctuated with a bullet win in both sprints and long distance and a clear testament of what is to come in 2015 as she joins the World Series in earnest.
Make sure to stay tuned to the build up and watch all the action go down live in 2015 at www.watermanleague.com
Major Milestones reached and surpassed in 2014, as the World Tour & Series evolve
2014 has been another breakthrough year for both the Stand Up World Tour and Series, as we have now successfully reached 6 out of 7 of the World’s Continents, 14 countries, registered a few thousand participants across the World Tour, Series and Challenger Series, with TV shows aired in over 200 million homes worldwide on premium global networks.
Here are a few highlights:
- Men’s and Women’s World Champions crowned following a truly global series of events for both surfing and racing
- Over US$300,000 prize-money awarded in 2014
- Successful launch of the European Cup that has led to its secured future and the forthcoming launch of the US Cup
- Live broadcasts that drew in 100s of 1000s of unique viewers through the year
- TV shows for NBC, ESPN / ABC, Globo TV Brazil, Fox Sports Australia, France Television, Eurosport and Nippon TV (Japan) amongst other premier global networks
- News features distributed globally, from South Africa to Asia and North America to Europe.
- Front Covers of both Endemic and non endemic publications all over the globe
- The most competitive SUP surfing and racing yet, as the performance bar was taken to a whole new level in 2014
- Na Kama Kai Youth Clinics & competitions run in Hawaii, the US, Brazil, Europe & Asia, as the Waterman League continues its commitment to develop the future of the sport
- Solid foundations have been laid for what will be a dramatic year of action and pinnacle year for the sport in 2015
Wishing you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year from the Waterman League
All that remains to be said is that we look forward to seeing you all in 2015 for an all new adventure on both the Stand Up World Surfing Tour and Racing Series as the World’s best embark on their quests for the prestigious World Championship Titles.
The season will kick off in style, at home here on Oahu’s Fabled North Shore from the 6th – 18th February for the Turtle Bay Women’s Pro and the Men’s Sunset Beach Pro, as well as the Olukai Tribute to the Legends and Na Kama Kai Youth Clinic and Challenge. Make sure to join us LIVE at watermanleague.com
In the meantime, from all of us here at the Waterman League, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Aloha & a Hui Hou
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