2018 Sup Carolina Cup Recap With Jonathan Bischof, CLO

What a week it was at the 2018 Sup Carolina Cup! We spent 4/17 - 4/23 in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina for the seasons first big stand up paddle board race. The Sup Carolina Cup is an epic weekend filled with good vibes, great food, and incredible paddle boarders.

The week is broken up into clinics and training, races, and parties. 3 different race courses allow SUPers from all backgrounds to compete. Harbor Island is a 3.5 mile fun circuit, Money Island is a 6.5 mile rec. circuit, and the big boy is the 13.2 mile Graveyard Elite, which sets the stage for pros like Michael Booth, Soni Honscheid, and Travis Grant to battle it out for Sup Cup Supremacy.

Windy training day on the Money Island course for some elite pros. @starboardsupnorthamerica @starboardjapan @supcarolinacup @carolinacup

A post shared by Vermont Ski and Sport (@vermontskiandsport) on Apr 19, 2018 at 7:11am PDT

This year along with my usual entry into the Money Island race, I got the chance to chat with some BIG NAMES in the paddle board community and everyone seems to agree on one thing, paddle boarding is FUN. The biggest tip for the week was to just get out on the water and have fun with your friends, family, and furry friends. Nothing beats a day out in the sun floating around, eating snacks and having a good time. Don't forget the waterproof speaker! Take a look at what some of our new friends had to say:

@FionaWylde

“We all just wanna have Fun” #sup #paddleboarding #standuppaddle #paddleboard #fun #enjoylife @starboardsupnorthamerica @starboard_germany @starboardjapan @starboard_sup_spain @starboard_sup_australia @starboardsup @fiona_wylde @supcarolinacup @supracer

A post shared by Vermont Ski and Sport (@vermontskiandsport) on Apr 19, 2018 at 12:42pm PDT

Marcus Hansen

Having fun with a purpose #sup #standuppaddle #standuppaddleboard #paddleboarding #fun #purpose @marcushansen4321 @supcarolinacup @nspportugal @nspfrancesurfnsup @nsp_spain_italy @nspbrasil @nspsupdk @eurotoursup @supracer

A post shared by Vermont Ski and Sport (@vermontskiandsport) on Apr 20, 2018 at 4:26am PDT

Shae Foudy

Have lots of fun on the water this summer. Shae Foudy professional athlete sup racer and team rider for infinity boards shares her passion. @supracer @supcarolinacup @infinity_sup @shaefoudy #sup #standuppaddling #paddleboarding #standuppaddle #fun #ocean

A post shared by Vermont Ski and Sport (@vermontskiandsport) on Apr 20, 2018 at 1:15pm PDT

Travis Grant

Travis Grant 2nd place men’s elite in the Sup Carolina Cup talking about the NSP dugout paddle board design for recreational performance seeking paddlers. #sup #standuppaddleboard #standuppaddling #paddleboarding #paddleboard #standuppaddleboarding @nsp_spain_italy @nspbrasil @nspfrancesurfnsup @nspportugal @nspsurfnsup @nspbrasil @nsp.japan @travenormous @saltcitysup @seacoastpaddleboardclub

A post shared by Vermont Ski and Sport (@vermontskiandsport) on Apr 22, 2018 at 3:55am PDT

Results

Graveyard Elite Mens

1. Michael Booth - Starboard
2. Travis Grant - NSP
3. Mo Freitas - Boardworks

Graveyard Elite Womens

1. Sonni Honscheid - Starboard
2. Olivia Piana - 425 PRO
3. Fiona Wylde - Starboard

For the results of Money Island, Harbor Island, and the kids race, click here.

Closing Remarks

Its was such a wonderful time in Wrightsville Beach this year with new friends and old. After the cold snowy winter in Vermont, having warm air and water to play in was awesome. As a sports educator, my goal is to stop, look, and listen to all the pros so I can bring back techniques to my students and clients, which I accomplished and then some.

I had a great time chatting with Shae Foudy, Marcus Hansen, Fiona Wlyde and Travis Grant, and really got to know them better as people and athletes. The ever approachable Jeramie Vaine, who is sorta my unofficial coach gave me another tons of game changing technique tip. There is so much information to share regarding paddle boarding; as a sport, an industry, and a recreational activity. But here I'll try and condense it down to 11 SUP Technique observations from the Carolina Sup Cup 2018

1. Physical fitness is more important than ever to succeed at all levels regardless of your technique.
2. Shorter paddles and even smaller blade heads are more prevalent than ever.
3. Dig the Dugouts as a paddle board design factor. I saw more being used than ever before. As a matter of fact four, companies that never had them were using!
4. Embrace the dugout, don't expect when you first get on it to feel like a flattop. Put some time in and if you're open to change and versatility and I expect it will blow your mind.
5. Learning the relationship between distance per stroke verses strokes per minute if you want to get faster.
6. Not all things are constant and sometime adaption for efficiency must be undertaken
7. Building volume utilizing proper technique and having three different speeds in your stroke is key
8. Nutrition and hydration for pre and post I cant say enough about` just do it.
9. Mobility, flexibility and stability of your shoulder joint and shoulder girdle will allow you to paddle injury free.
10. Being versatile in all type of waters and conditions should be a prioritization in your training.
11. Finding the correct length of reach in your paddle stroke can lead to stance, balance, and power improvements.

I hope you enjoyed our coverage of the 2018 SUP Carolina Cup and we wish you all an awesome 2018 stand up paddling season. And don't forget, we offer in-person and remote video coaching to improve your technique while enjoying your time on the water.

Jonathan Bischof
Chief Learning Officer (CLO)

Sup Carolina Cup Week wrap up 2018 Were ready to share all what we saw and learned feel free to call us. #standuppaddleboarding #paddleboard #standuppaddling #standuppaddleboard #sup @nspsurfnsup #wrightsvillebeach @supcarolinacup @starboardsupnorthamerica @qbpaddles @travenormous @nspportugal @vasatrainer @velocitek @strongfirst

A post shared by Vermont Ski and Sport (@vermontskiandsport) on Apr 22, 2018 at 6:41pm PDT