Team Hobie is Ready for this Weekend’s Spectacular Pacific Paddle Games

Surf spills and racing thrills are on tap at this weekend’s Pacific Paddle Games (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), a SUP extravaganza. The event is unique, with a challenging technical course that winds its way in and out of the surf zone. If the waves are pumping, the luck of the draw threatens to mix up the leaderboard.

Headquartered at Doheny State Beach in Hobie’s hometown Dana Point, the PPGs offer something for everyone. The world’s elite standup paddleboard racers will battle it out in front of an excited crowd, but there are also youth and master’s divisions and a hotly contested distance race.

RELATED: Race Tips From the Hobie SUP Team.

Attendance is free, as is trying out Hobie’s standup paddleboards at the West Marine Demo Zone. Paid parking is available at Doheny State Beach. Don’t miss it!

We asked the Hobie SUP team to share their thoughts about this year’s PPGs. Here’s what they had to say:

Lexi Alston, California: I am mostly looking forward to the conditions at PPG, I am hoping for lots of waves that will make the races more interesting to watch and even more fun to compete in. The element of surf and choppiness adds to the excitement of the races and keeps me focused and alert. My favorite PPG moment was the first year the event was held during the sprint race. I was on a solid wave and did a smooth turn around the inside buoy and it felt really great and I had a lot of strength during that race. Also my favorite moments of PPG also happen out of the water when I get to hang out with my family, friends and teammates.

Kane Johnson, California: I am always excited to see who the new kid on the block is that nobody has heard of who comes in and stirs things up! Also, the hammer buoy (named for its placement squarely in the surf zone) is super fun to keep an eye on. Since I spend most of my time in the demo zone my favorite memory is just getting to stoke people out on paddling by helping them get out on the water on one of our boards. The only specific memory I have, that I thought was awesome to experience, was the dominance of Mo Freitas in the men’s final last year. Quite a performance.

Byron Kurt, California: The PPGs give me another chance to compete in the biggest and most prestigious races in the world and against the best competitors while doing the sport I truly enjoy. There are so many memories from the last 8 years (PPG & Battle of the Paddle combined). Even with the finishes that I have had in the past, the relay race is probably the most fun and memorable because you get to compete with your team members; that is more important than individual finishes. I do have to add, I don’t think that there will be a paddler to finish as high as I have at the same age. I’m proud of that.

Martin Letourneur, France: What I am the most excited about the PPGs this year is to spend some time with the paddling community and my Hobie friends/team mates at the biggest event of the year. Every year the PPGs deliver some of the greatest moments in our sport and I’m excited to have another shot every year at trying to make history for my sport. My favorite PPG memory is definitely my top 10 finish in 2015 at the Technical Race.

Colin McPhilips: What I look forward to the most for the PPG is seeing the new faces from around the world show up to give it their all. I don’t really know who the new big thing is in the racing world so I’m always excited to see some new blood show up and give everyone a run for their money! Its really exciting seeing the top guys go at it in the turns and bang some rails, keeps it exciting. My favorite PPG memory is always the come from behind by catching a bomb and just like that you’re tied for first. Every year it seems like someone gets the wave a t the right time and boom, they’re back in the race! That’s what makes this format so much fun for us spectators.

Bullet Obra, Hawaii: I am very excited about the PPGs! It is the biggest event of the year for us, they do a really good job with the venue. The surf races are always the most exciting races of the year to watch and we get to have the whole Hobie crew there cheering us on!

Michael Skelly, Dana Point, California: I enjoy having such a big event with so many people attending/participating a mile down the street from where I live. I have several PPG and Battle of the Paddle memories as I have done the open race in all of them, and was a caddy for a pro racer in all of them, but I think my favorite was the one held at Salt Creek with such a big clean and consistent swell because it was such a novelty.

April Zilg, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina: Waves! I always love the uncertainty of the technical race and the chaos that the surf zone creates. Heat 1 of the technical semifinals last year I finished alongside some of the ladies that ended up winning the whole event! It was a fun heat and I had a really good run.

Now that you’ve got the 411, come on out and join us in cheering on the Hobie team!