The 7th annual Battle of the Paddle took place last weekend on October 4 & 5 at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point, California. For two days, Salt Creek was taken over by the world’s best SUP racers as they competed at the largest SUP race in the world. The new venue was ideal for the event, and timing was perfect as the weekend offered 4-5 foot swell and over-head cleanup sets.

Battle of the Paddle gained popularity in its early years for its progressive approach to showcase the more technical skills required for ocean stand up paddling. During races, paddlers complete multiple laps on a course that requires them to go to and from the beach. Each lap begins and ends at the beach followed by a paddle out to sea through the impact zone. After completing a buoy course in deep water, racers re-enter the surf zone and catch a wave back to the beach.

All the races were extremely close this year, usually coming down to the last wave and a sprint to the finish line on the beach. Competition was fierce and led to a very memorable event. A big congratulations to all the competitors, event organizers, sponsors and spectators for making the 7th Annual Battle of the Paddle a huge success!