The eyes of the stand up paddleboard racing world will be focused on Hobie’s hometown Dana Point this weekend. The Pacific Paddle Games (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) is big, big, big. This extravaganza headquartered at Doheny State Beach promises something for everyone: thrilling technical racing; surf spills; open, youth and masters competitions; and the world’s best pro stand up paddleboard athletes.
Taking in the spectacle is free of charge, as is trying out Hobie Stand Up’s boards at the West Marine Demo Zone. Paid parking is available at Doheny State Beach. Come on by, and when you do, watch for these elite Team Hobie paddlers in the pro competitions:
April Zilg has held down a top ten spot on SUP Racer’s world rankings all year. The North Carolina resident is always having a good time. Her goal is to catch the biggest wave from furthest outside at some point during the event. “Winning the whole thing wouldn’t be bad either, but I think that’s everyone’s goal!” she says.
April’s prep has included a lot of surf zone paddles, plenty of beach sprints and extra surfing. “Not a bad way to train. I cut back a little on the flat water training because this race is as much about luck as it is about training,” she adds.
Last year April finished ninth overall. She can’t wait to go head-to-head against the best women paddlers in the world. “It’s inspiring, motivating, and badass. I’m really honored to be among them.”
Bullet Obra has jetted in from Hawaii for the biggest event of the year. The surf and downwind technician says it’s even more important to him as a Hobie team rider since it’s a home game. “I have been training really hard for this race adding a lot of technical training to my normal routine, like beach starts, buoy turns and lots of surfing on my 14-foot Ascend race board. With such a high level of competition there will be no room for error,” he says.
He’s been in town for two weeks, maximizing his time at Doheny State Beach. He’s looking to build on his 2015 22nd place finish. “With all of my time put in I would be very happy to finish within the top 10,” he says.
When he’s not on his race board he’s busy SUP surfing on his Colin McPhillips PRO model. He says it is very light, fast and responsive.
Jorge Quintana calls the warm waters of Puerto Rico home. He’s prepared for his first Pacific Paddle Games by working on his sprints; he already has long distance dialed in, from September’s SEA Paddle NYC.
“My goal is to give my all in this unique race format with a very challenging field of athletes. I want to make sure I make it through the qualifying rounds of the technical race to the finals,” he says.
Jorge has recently gotten into Hobie Cat sailing. He thinks it helps with his SUP paddling, particularly open ocean and downwind. “It’s teaching me to read the ocean from a different perspective,” he says.
It’s hard to believe Lexi Alston is only 14. She’s a terrific, rising SUP paddler. Last year Lexi was 7th overall among the elite ladies. SUP Racer ranks her 10th worldwide. She’s comfortable at Doheny too, living nearby.
“My goals for the PPGs have been set higher this year. Last time was a surprise for me. I didn’t realize how close I was to the top five. This year I want to aim for top five,” Lexi says.
She’s prepared by spending a lot of time on her race board in the surf. It’s a fun form of training. But she doesn’t discount the mental game. “I try not to overthink the situation and just go with the flow of things,” she says. That must be where the desire for a pet rat comes in. She’d like to name him Harold.
Frenchman Martin Letourneur brings a European flair to his stand up racing. He’s had an excellent year so far. His goal is to do the best he possibly can. “Above all I want to have fun with everyone at the biggest SUP show of the year,” he says.
Martin went back to university in September so he hasn’t had the time to train as much as he’d like. Still, he says he’s ready for some intense racing. He’s capable; last year he was 8th overall among male paddlers.
He’s surf ready, coming off a third place finish at last weekend’s French Tour of SUP Surfing, and fourth overall in the national rankings. “It will help me make the most of the surf parts of the races for sure,” he says.
