Hennessey World Championship Paddleboard Races in Hermosa Beach
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.
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.
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.
For more information visit www.hennesseyspaddleboarding.com. ER