SUPWA Events Calendar 2018 upated 21 Feb

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SUPWA is the State Association for Stand Up Paddle Sports in Western Australia.

Stand Up Paddle Origins

 Stand Up Paddling or SUP has its roots in Hawaiian surf tradition. This tradition was revived recently by modern big wave surfers, notably - Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama and Brian Keaulana (to name a few) as an effective cross training tool. SUP is now one of the world’s fastest growing leisure activities and sports – People from 6 years of age through to people in their 80s and beyond are paddling. How Awesome!

The Hawaiian tradition of SUP permeates the lifestyle. The Hawaiians refer to the "Aloha spirit", which is one of acceptance and kindness. This is further coupled with "Mahalo" which refers to gratitude and thanks. Whilst these are Hawaiian in nature and origin, they are the best words to describe the local SUP community and people involved in the sport worldwide.

The SUP community in WA is all about the Aloha Spirt and the SUP Life is now being shared by thousands of West Aussies so Mahalo goes out to our Hawaiian friends.

There are many disciplines of SUP, which also makes it one of the most accessible water sports on the planet. There are 5 disciplines of SUP in WA which form the 17 events run by SUPWA in WA:

· Surfing

· Downwinding - surfing waves over distance with the breeze

· Technical Racing - racing in the surf break around a buoyed course

· Flat water Marathon - distances ranging from 5km to 20km

· Flat-water Sprint - sprint distances from 200m to 2km

There are particular boards for each discipline, but there are many 'all round' boards that allow you to get into the sport and get a feel for the discipline that suits you. Check out your local shop to demo a board or take lessons.
If you would like to get involved become a SUPWA member and enjoy the benefits of SUPWA and being part of a fantastic community of paddlers that are keen to share ideas and have fun.