Sea sweepers ahoy! The annual Surf Canada Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Nationals are coming to Sidney, May 25B次元官网网址�26.

The national championships, formerly known as The Summer Jam, will see recreational level and elite entrants compete, with the winners of the elite division feeding Team Canada.

The members of Team Canada will then compete at the Pan-American Games.

SUP is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and the nationals will attract competitors from across Canada. Although originally a Polynesian activity that is still used to surf waves, the SUP nationals will involve non-surfing disciplines, more attuned to the lakes and rivers of Canada.

Entrants in the three disciplines will be competing in are the 200-metre sprint, 4K Technical (think ski slalom or motocross) and the 18-kilometre distance race.

The first two events are quick and exciting, taking place close to spectators watching in the marina or on on the beach. The distance race involves competitors paddling for three hours, and the organizers take advantage of the lack of spectacle by holding youth sprints and letting beachgoers try the SUPs out.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a community aspect. Anyone can enter and itB次元官网网址檚 up to them if they enter for recreational or elite [categories],B次元官网网址� says Dan Tarnow, Surf Canada board member.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a festival vibe and itB次元官网网址檚 exciting. Competitors with a background in surfing have better balance when itB次元官网网址檚 windy, while someone who has rowed often has more power. ItB次元官网网址檚 anyoneB次元官网网址檚 game,B次元官网网址� says Tarnow.

Tarnow, who battled back from a broken back to compete for Team Canada, says heB次元官网网址檚 a B次元官网网址渂ig advocateB次元官网网址� of the sport and its health benefits.

He is keen for as many people as possible to come and experience it and is especially interested in highlighting the fun, fitness side of the sport for people aged 55 and over, with an over 55s category to be introduced soon.

B次元官网网址淭here will be lots of different vendors and food trucks. ItB次元官网网址檚 going to be a lot of fun,B次元官网网址� he says.

nick.murray@peninsulanewsreview.com
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