SUP champs come to Waitangi

This year’s New Zealand stand-up paddleboard race and sprint championships will be staged in the Bay of Islands over April 13-14, the first time the event has come north of Auckland.

The best stand-up paddlers in the South Pacific will converge on Waitangi to compete in over 4km, 8km and 16km courses on the Saturday, and 200m sprint races on the Sunday.

Chief organiser Bill Dawes said the inaugural Northland region secondary schools’ stand-up paddleboard championships would also be contested on the Saturday, guaranteeing “an amazing weekend of stand-up paddling”.

The weekend would not just be hotshots with flash gear, however.

“The event is for all levels of paddler, with separate divisions for each age group (from under 12 to 70-plus, and all types of boards, including inflatables and recreational boards, with lots of spot prizes and more for the fancy dress.

“If you can paddleboard for half an hour, you’re good enough to enter,” Mr Dawes said.

“It’s all about being out there on the water. Just like doing the halfmarathon — a few people are there to win it, but most are there for the fun.

“We’d love to see everyone who owns a paddleboard in Northland out there on the water. Let’s show those Aucklanders we really know how to party.”

■ Go to www.supchamps.nz for more information and/or to register.