New England Stand-Up Paddleboard Champs

Eastern Surfing Assn
Narragansett Town Beac, Rhode Island
4 July 2009

New England Stand-Up Paddleboard Champs go July 4th

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 6 July, 2009 : - - Conditions were ideal for the First Annual New England Stand-Up Paddleboard Championships, held on the 4th of July in ideal 2-4 foot surf at the Narragansett Town Beach. Competitors from all over New England showed up and were not disappointed with the waves. 'We did not know what to expect' said Eastern Surfing Association Co-Director Ron Belanger of Westerly. 

“There were some stiff winds out there which made for quite a challenge during the race.” Belanger also noted that the surf cooperated during both the Stand-Up Paddleboard surfing and traditional long board surfing competition. “The sandbars in front of the contest area were breaking just right and riders were able to pull off multiple moves and some high point rides.”

While local riders fared well in almost every final, there were some great out-of-town competitors as well. In the Open Stand-Up Paddleboard Open Race, local Narragansett veteran rider Rick Catallozzi put on a big burst of power in the last ½ mile, to edge out George Post of Hull, Massachusetts for the title. Narragansett’s Andrew Nota displayed some great form as he out stroked his brother Matt for the Junior crown. In the Senior Open division, it was another local Narragansett rider, Peter Pan stroking to the win.

In the surfing divisions, the action was hot and heavy as perfect 2-4 footers pumped into the beach with the incoming tide. George Post displayed his longtime surfing attributes, as he charged to the win in the Open Final.  Post had two great rides, working the A-frame peaks into the beach with some sweeping cutbacks and one nice tucked-in barrel on the inside shorebreak.

The ESA’s top ranked teenage competitor, Matt Nota dueled it out in the Junior Final with his brother Andrew, in what ended in one point shy of a tie. It came down to an extra point on Matt’s high scoring second wave, as he found an inside barrel and tucked into the tube as it reeled to the beach. 

Peter Pan pulled off some old style tricks to take the Senior Open crown, nailing a spinner on a left sectioning wall and a nose ride on a right hander in the inside shore pound. Mary Walton of Clinton, Connecticut took the Women’s Open title, charging into two right walls that held up just long enough to rack up points in the inside section.

In the Open Traditional Longboard Surfing division, Westerly’s Ron Belanger had a solid lead when he pulled off a dramatic 360’ fin first take-off on his second wave.  Gansett’s Pan however, nailed down the win with two perfect rights filled with multiple spinners and “Hang Fives.”  George Post took the 3rd spot in the final heat with some perfect drop –knee turns and cutbacks.

ESA officials were pleased with the turnout and reaction from the spectators on the beach.  Many beach goers had never even seen this type of surfing and the competition generated quite a bit of interest.  “We hope to run a few more of these events this summer,” said Belanger.  “We are going to add an SUP event at our next contest at Whitcrest Beach on Cape Cod on July 18th.  We will see what happens.”

www.esasurf.org

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