Hennessey World Championship Paddleboard Races in Hermosa Beach

Danny Ching SUP

Redondo Beach's Danny Ching will be exchanging his double blade surf ski paddle for a single blade SUP paddle in Saturday's Hennessey's World Paddleboarding Championships. Photo

Over 100 of the world’s top ranked stand-up and prone paddlers, including Redondo Beach’s Danny Ching and Australia’s Jamie Mitchell, will compete in the 2011 Hennessey’s-WPA World SUP and Paddleboard Championships on Saturday, September 17 at the Hermosa Beach pier.

Ching and Mitchell have gone head to head in stand-up competitions on two occasions, with each registering one win.

Jamie Mitchell paddle
Australian Jamie Mitchell, show winning the Hennessey’s U.S. Paddleboarding Championships in Redondo Beach in 2006, will compete in the SUP division at the 20011 Hennessey’s World Championships in Hermosa Beach on Saturday, Sept. 17. Photo

The prone paddleboard division includes this year’s Catalina Classic winner Brad Thomas of Redondo Beach, and last year’s Classic winner Adam Buckley, of Hermosa Beach, as well as LA County lifeguard stock paddlers Mike and and Brian Murphy.

catalina Classic winner Brad Thomas

Last month's Catalina Classic winner Brad Thomas will compete against last year's Classic winner Adam Buckley. Photo by Ken Pagliaro

The elite race, starting at 10:45 a.m., is a spectator-friendly, three lap triangle, covering seven miles. Paddlers will start on the beach south of the Hermosa pier, round the committee boat at the end of the pier, proceed north approximately one-quarter mile, then paddle out one mile and return to the pier. The finish will be a run up the beach.

A four-mile qualifier for the SUP elite race will start at 7:45, followed by a three-mile fun race at 9:30 a.m.

Ten-year age groups will compete on stock, 14-foot and unlimited prone paddle boards; and on 12-foot-6, 14-foot and unlimited stand-up paddleboards.

Following the race Hennessey’s Tavern on Pier Plaza will host an awards luau, featuring roasted pig, live music and board raffles.

Hennessey's Paddle Championships

The Hennessey's World Paddleboarding Championships course is a spectator-friendly, three lap triangle off the Hermosa Beach pier.

For more information visit www.hennesseyspaddleboarding.com. ER

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