With Labor Day weekend around the corner, the unofficial conclusion of summer has arrived. But for folks living anywhere near the New York metro area, the holiday weekend marks the beginning of one of the globe’s biggest gatherings of paddling talent and potential. With a massive standup paddling festival headed to the Big Apple, paddlers have plenty of opportunities to close out the season in style — and on the water.
Standup paddling’s premier competitive circuit, the eight-stop APP World Tour, is making its marquee mainland U.S. stop at the New York SUP Open from August 31 to September 7.
And while last year’s inaugural event drew rave reviews from both fans and competitors alike, organizers are upping the ante for 2019. With a variety of amateur races, pro competition, free clinics, live music and much more on the docket, this summer swan song is one you won’t want to miss.
Labor Day weekend will feature an inclusive schedule of fun and paddling action for the entire family. Whether you’re a SUP newcomer, weekend warrior or seasoned pro, there will be plenty to do.
Labor Day Weekend Highlights
The action kicks off Saturday, August 31 with pro-am, amateur and youth racing coming to the shores of Long Beach, New York. Staying true to the theme of active participation, amateur paddlers will be able to choose from a variety of long-distance course options (9km, 6km, 3km and 1km), meaning the NY SUP Open has an open-water race to fit every paddlers’ skill level — or competitive level, as there’s also on-water clinics and an open team event on multi-paddler SUP boards.
The Labor Day weekend will also feature technical racing in the surf and a charity downwind run in aid of Surf For All, whose mission is to make surfing accessible to all, regardless of challenges faced. In addition to racing action, attendees can enjoy the opening-round trials of the APP World Championship Surfing Tour, or even test their own skills with Pro-Am, Amateur and Youth surf competitions, as well as a new Open SUP Longboard exhibition event. Pro, Pro-Am & Amateur Competition. Board storage and covered changing facilities will be provided at the Skudin Surf venue site.
Of course, you don’t need to be a SUP enthusiast to get in on the action. First-time paddlers can get their feet wet in the APP demo pool with top professional paddlers including April Zilg and Zane Schweitzer leading paddling clinics and exhibitions throughout the weekend.
Off-water entertainment will include live music, DJs, movie premieres, vendor booths and several social events including awards ceremonies and after-parties, plus a red-carpet kick-off event on Friday night (Aug. 30) at local restaurant-bar venue Minnesota’s that is open to the public.
Suffice it to say, Long Beach is the place to be for Labor Day weekend. Check newyorksupopen.com for the final social activities schedule, plus registration for all competitive events, and heat draws for the surf and sprint racing.
Pro Competition Preview
Once the Labor Day weekend festivities have concluded, surf performance will take center stage. The weekdays following the festival will feature the culmination of the APP’s World Championship Tour Surfing stop in Long Beach, as the world’s best battle it out at stop No. 2 of the 2019 tour. While American Fiona Wylde and France’s Poenaiki Raioha won the women’s and men’s first rounds at the 2019 Sunset Beach Pro, the waves in Hawaii and New York are completely different beasts. Iballa Moreno from Spain, and American Sean Poynter won New York last year (both going on to claim the women’s and men’s 2018 world championship titles, respectively). But don’t be surprised to see an upset win, especially in smaller surf.
APP World Tour Sprint Racing — always a fan favorite — will hit the shores of Long Beach on Thursday, Sept. 5, for what promises to be a thrilling day of competition. Last year, stormy conditions wreaked havoc on the field as competitors raced in and out of the turbulent surf zone.
While it’s unlikely that paddlers will have to deal with similar conditions this year, racing in and out of the surf zone always produces exciting action and you can expect this year to be no different.
New Caledonia’s Noic Garioud took home the win during the Men’s Sprint earlier at this year’s last APP World Tour stop at the London SUP Open––albeit on a flatwater course. With surf added into the equation, you can’t overlook American podium stalwart Connor Baxter, who took claimed victory on the shores of Long Beach after last year’s rough-and-tumble sprints.
For the women, Seychelle Webster and April Zilg both looked very strong in London, finishing 1-2, respectively. But once again, the surf variable opens up the possibility for Wylde, Annie Reickert or someone else to make a strong run.
Statue of Liberty Pro Race Preview
The New York SUP Open will culminate with the much anticipated State of Liberty Pro Race on Saturday, Sept. 7, with the race action basing out of Pier 26 at Hudson River Park on the west side of Manhattan.
This 11-kilometer pro distance race will feature an epic battle of elite standup paddlers as they race past NYC’s most dramatic landmarks — including the Statue of Liberty — and the unmistakable Manhattan skyline. Racers also earn points toward the 2019 US Cup powered by the World Paddle Association, which provides qualification opportunities for the 2020 APP World Tour and accumulates points from a series of five other top US races (Carolina Cup, Salt Life Columbus Cup, Olukai Ho’olaule’a, SIC Gorge Paddle Challenge and October’s Battle of the Bay) toward the crowning of a men’s and women’s US Cup Champion.
At last year’s New York showdown, Candice Appleby and Shae Foudy battled all the way to the finish, with Appleby notching the hard-fought victory. Unfortunately, a recent injury will prevent Appleby from defending her victory, while Foudy’s status is unclear after injuries have sidelined her for much of 2019.
Seychelle looks to be the favorite after sweeping both the Women’s Distance and Sprint races in London. But also keep an eye out for Zilg and Wylde. At this weekend’s Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge, Zilg won the Women’s Elite race, while Wylde took home overall honors after winning the Double Downwinder the day prior.
The Men’s field looks to be equally stacked with the likes of Michael Booth, Noic Garioud, Arthur Arutkin and several others that figure to be in contention. While Arutkin won this exact same race last year, Booth won the Men’s Distance race in London back in May and has been on a tear this summer during the Euro Tour. Meanwhile, Garioud figures to also have some momentum on his side having just won out west at the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge.
No matter who ends up on top, the Statue of Liberty race is sure to be a thriller. The iconic Liberty Island backdrop is one thing, but a challenging course that levels the field is another: tidal currents and chaotic side-chop of Upper New York Bay give any of the pros a chance to contend. Make sure to catch all the action with the APP’s on-site coverage on their Facebook page and APP TV, or better yet, soak up all the excitement of the 2019 New York SUP Open in-person.
Register and learn more about the 2019 New York SUP Open.
2019 NY SUP Open Schedule
Saturday, Aug 31:
7am: Call for Surf Competition
7:30am: Trials kick off
10am – 12pm: Distance Race
2pm: Early Rounds of Technical Racing
6pm: Podium for Day 1 of competition (Trials / Distance Racing – all divisions)
8pm: Social Event
Sunday, Sept 1:
7am: Call for Surf Competition
7:30am: Surfing Competition begins
10am – 1pm: Technical Racing
2pm: Podium for Day 2 of Racing Competition
4pm: Surf 4 All Downwind Paddle
6pm: BBQ and celebration at Ted’s
Monday, Sept 2:
7am: Call for Surf Competition
7:30am: Surfing Competition begins
Noon: SUP Longboard Exhibition event
5pm: Awards for SUP Longboard Exhibition event
Tuesday, Sept 3:
7am: Call for Surf Surf Competition
7:30am Surfing Competition begins
Wednesday, Sept 4:
7am: Call for Surf Surf Competition
7:30am Surfing Competition begins
Thursday, Sept 5: (Reserve day for Surf Competition):
7am: Call for Surf Competition (if competition not complete)
10am: APP World Tour Sprint Racing
2pm: Awards on the Beach
7pm: Formal Awards and After Party
Saturday, Sept 7:
10am: Briefing and Welcome to Manhattan
10:30am: Athlete Warm up
10:50am: Athlete line-up at Start Line
11am: Race Start
1pm: Lunch, Music, entertainment & Open Party
2pm: Official New York SUP Open Awards Ceremony
2:30pm: Replay of Live Broadcast of the Race
3:30pm: Live Music & Entertainment
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The article was originally published on Standup Paddling
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