Cool times are ahead
WHEN reigning world stand up paddleboard surfing champion Shakira Westdorp defends her title in September the surf is probably going to look like Broadbeach did yesterday – only it will be lot cooler.
That’s because the 2017 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship is going to be held off Copenhagen beaches in Denmark.
This is fine for Westdorp because she won the Queensland SUP surfing state titles yesterday in marginal surf.
Westdorp said the win had fired her up after she felt burnt out from finally winning a world title on her fourth attempt late last year.
“I kind of burnt out and I hadn’t really been back on my board except for a competition in Hawaii,” she said.
“But to get back on my SUP and to have a win has definitely brought the fire back.”
Despite average conditions yesterday, Westdorp showed why she’s the world champion and found a few decent left-breaking waves to throw big turns on.
“It was pretty fun considering the conditions we were dealt but the organisers managed to find a bank which held up all right through the competition,” she said.
Though the Gold Coastbased Westdorp stressed it wasn’t an easy win.
“There are a few young girls who are biting at my heels – I’ve got to treat all competitions the same, I can’t afford to make any mistakes and miss out on these events,” she said.
It was the goofy-footer’s first win since her phenomenal effort in huge Fijian waves at Cloudbreak last year.
She conceded she didn’t know what to expect when she arrived in Denmark. “I don’t know, I think it might be a beach break like today rather than huge overhead waves we got at Cloudbreak,” Westdorp said.
“There is a lot of tough competition to go through before I get there, I’ve just got to focus on what I can do.”
Steve Morley won the open men’s final of the event.