By Jasmine Rolfe
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is riding a wave of popularity as board riders can be seen cruising along just about every coast in the world.
Originating in Hawaii, SUP can be described as a combination of kayaking and surfing and has become a trendy way to spend time on the water and be active.
SUP boards are larger and sturdier than their surf board counterparts, meaning anyone with semi-decent co-ordination can get the hang of it and it appeals to people of all age groups.
In good news for board riders, SUP is now joining surf ski in a combined event at the 2016 Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games (JPPMG) on the Gold Coast to be held on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November.
The paddling – ski and SUP event will be held on the Broadwater at Southport providing a stunning backdrop for competitors and supporters alike to come and enjoy all that the Gold Coast has to offer.
Competitors will flock from all reaches of the globe to participate in ten days of sport and nightly entertainment. Is there any better location for a paddling event than the pristine waterways of the Gold Coast?
Event ambassador Karla Gilbert (R) took 1029 Hot Tomato’s Sean ‘Flan’ Flanagan on the beautiful Gold Coast broadwater for a stand up paddle board lesson in preparation for November’s paddling – ski & SUP competition.
Competing in the SUP event this year is World Series Ironwoman and Australian SUP champion Karla Gilbert, who has also recently come on board as a JPPMG ambassador.
As well as enjoying competing in her recently acquired sport, Karla finds SUP therapeutic and another way to enjoy the Gold Coast lifestyle. She encourages anyone to give it a go and experience the Gold Coast from the water.
“We are known for our beautiful waterways and weather which make paddling the perfect craft to do so!” she said.
“I guess my favourite part of competition is testing and challenging your ability. That’s the beauty of competition; to draw out of yourself what you may not think is possible.
“Achieving a goal you set yourself to do is an amazing feeling.”
Another JPPMG ambassador and four-time winner of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon Pat Carroll enjoys paddling and ski as a hobby and agreed with Karla that the Gold Coast is the perfect place for paddling ski and SUP.
“I love being out on the water to get a break from running. My whole sporting career has been land-based so I’ve used paddling as a way to mix things up,” he said.
“Paddling at the Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games is a stroke in the right direction as it’s an exciting week of activity and fun and a great opportunity to spend time on the Gold Coast with friends.
“Plus the weather on the coast – it’s priceless!”
1029 Hot Tomato’s Sean ‘Flan’ Flanagan receives tips from three-time Australian SUP champion Karla Gilbert in preparation for the paddling – ski & SUP competition in November.
1029 Hot Tomato host, Sean ‘Flan’ Flanagan had some inspiring words for anyone thinking of getting amongst the stand up paddle board and surf ski scene and competing at the JPPMG.
“People who know me well, know I’ve lost about 30 kilos in the last year or so and it has been through playing sports, not through gym or traditional weight loss methods,” he said.
“I find going out for a stand up paddle board, I just have fun doing it and then I don’t think of it as exercise.
“For me Play it, Live it, Love it – that just says it all.”
Three-time Australian SUP champion and event ambassador Karla Gilbert will compete in paddling – ski & SUP at JPPMG.
The 10th biennial Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games will be held 5 – 13 November 2016 on the beautiful Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
The worlds biggest and best biennial masters games will showcase competition in 44 team and individual sports and attract more than 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas.
