The Ultimate SUP Showdown aired on CBS Sports Network one week ago and, despite being overseas at the time, I managed to sneak in a private viewing of the whole show.

The Showdown has stirred up a lot of chatter and debate over the past couple of months. The event attracted a good chunk of the world’s best to Waikiki and “you can be on television” was the big selling point to the athletes. So now that it’s finally aired in public, I figured I’d give an in-depth review of the show for those who didn’t get a chance to watch.   → READ MORE

After all the fanfare in the lead up to last month’s event, we’ll soon get to see exactly what the Ultimate SUP Showdown looks like on TV. The hour-long broadcast on CBS Sports Network – one of the Showdown’s main selling points – is happening in just 10 days.

So if you weren’t on the beach in Waikiki last month and wanna see how it all went down (and if you live in the States…), you don’t long to wait: The Showdown will air on CBS Sports Network Sunday 21st September @ 3pm East Coast, 12 noon California and 9am in Hawaii.

This TV broadcast is absolutely critical to the entire Showdown model. The organisers are literally betting everything on this first broadcast being a success: The plan is to have CBS (or any of their competitors) frothing over the coverage and wanting to order a multi-stop, full broadcast tour for next year.   → READ MORE

The Ultimate SUP Showdown definitely impressed. A well run event, a deep field of big names, top level prize money paid out (in cash) at the lavish awards ceremony and, best of all, a whole bunch of unique innovations.

Some of those innovations worked very well (loved the Formula 1-style starting grid, the excellent treatment of the athletes and the next level TV production), while others misfired.

However there was one innovation that stood out above the rest, at least from my perspective perched up in the judging tower overlooking the action: The “Y Race” …   → READ MORE

Connor Baxter and Annabel Anderson have just won Honolua Surf Co.’s Ultimate SUP Showdown here in Waikiki, Hawaii. The Starboard duo proved yet again they’re the best, defeating an all-star lineup to claim one of the biggest races of the year.

After two full days of world-class surfing and racing action, it all came down to the 15-minute ‘Showdown’ grand finale, a slalom race in the surf that featured a who’s who of the paddling world.

Living up to their superstar status, Connor edged ahead of Kai Lenny to claim the Showdown finale race, with Danny Ching, who had to fight through the pack after being relegated to the second starting row, coming home third.

The action has literally just finished so click through for the results…   → READ MORE

UPDATE: The Showdown (and our live blog) have now finished. Massive congratulations to Annabel Anderson and Connor Baxter, your 2014 Ultimate SUP Showdown CHAMPIONS.

Get the full Ultimate SUP Showdown RESULTS, including a recap of the action and some pics from today. Or you can just relive our live coverage below to see how it all went down…   → READ MORE

I didn’t really wanna write this post. It’s Saturday night. I’m in Waikiki. I could be out having fun… Instead, I’ve been sitting here in my hotel room for hours, pouring over the start list for tomorrow’s Ultimate SUP Showdown, running scenario after scenario through my head and trying to figure out how on earth I’m going to make any meaningful predictions in an event that includes so many talented paddlers and that features such variable, unpredictable racing conditions.

The two-day Showdown starts tomorrow morning. It’s the event we’ve all been waiting for. Following weeks and weeks of major news about major things, finally it’s down to the serious stuff: The action on the water.

But who’s it gonna be? This is such a stacked field…   → READ MORE

Honolua Surf Co.’s Ultimate SUP Showdown has been one of the most eagerly-anticipated SUP events of the year: Big names, top level prize money and a major TV deal with CBS.

Part surfing, part racing, the Ultimate SUP Showdown is gonna be big. Danny vs Travis vs Connor vs Kai vs Zane vs another couple dozen of the world’s best. And that’s just on the men’s side.

The women’s Showdown is shaping up to be one of the most competitive events of the year. Although the invite-only field is small (48 men and 16 women), the names are anything but: Annabel, Jenny, Candice, Sonni, Lina, Shakira. Good luck picking that one.   → READ MORE

Honolua Surf Co.’s Ultimate SUP Showdown has certainly been generating some buzz lately, so much so that the it’s become one of the most highly anticipated events of 2014.

We already knew there’d be big names and a big prize purse, however things really went next level when we revealed that Showdown 2014 will be broadcast across the USA in prime time, thanks to a major deal with CBS Sports Network.

And now, according to the giant countdown clock I just spotted on Instagram, the Showdown is only 16 days away. Time flies.   → READ MORE

While the focus is on Hawaii throughout July thanks to SIC’s Downwind Month, the spotlight will continue to shine on the Islands deep into next month courtesy of one major event. From the 16th to 18th August we’re going to see one of the most competitive (not to mention most interesting) races of the year: Honolua Surf Co’s Ultimate SUP Showdown in Waikiki.

As we revealed a couple of weeks back, the Showdown is aiming to go next level in 2014: The prize money is top tier ($25k), the lineup of talent runs deep, the after party is expected to be something else and most paddlers I’ve spoken to were stoked on the novelty of Draft Day. However it seems the real story behind this event is a major TV deal that Showdown organisers signed last Friday with CBS Sports Network.   → READ MORE

As we revealed last week, Honolua Surf Co’s Ultimate SUP Showdown is set to go next level in 2014, with a prize purse that rivals the Battle of the Paddle and an elite invitation list that’ll make it one of the single most competitive races we’ve ever seen. Danny, Travis, Connor, Kai and five dozen others from the top echelons of stand up paddling. For the first time outside the BOP, we’re going to see all the big guns go head to head.

The Showdown is an elite, invite-only event and one of its coolest features are the personal invitations that each athlete will receive from the chief organiser, Boyd Jeffery. Let’s call it Showdown: Draft Day.   → READ MORE

Honolua Surf Co’s Ultimate SUP Showdown is one of the few events that’s been on everyone’s radar this year, however up until now it’s also been a little mysterious and secretive. Well this week I got a peek behind the scenes at Showdown 2014 including the prize money, format and a preview of some other very interesting developments. And I gotta say the whole thing is looking rather impressive…

The 2014 Ultimate SUP Showdown is happening from August 16-18 in Waikiki, Hawaii. The weekend combines SUP surfing and SUP racing into one event. First up there’s a standard SUP surf contest, then there’s a regular SUP race, before the top finishers from each will meet up in the Showdown, a grand finale that aims to combine surfing and racing (think: Battle of the Paddle on steroids).

This year the Showdown will have a super elite field and a big prize purse, while a few other very interesting things are happening behind the scenes. So click through for all the info…   → READ MORE

One week ago we saw the unveiling of the Ultimate SUP Showdown, a brand new stand up paddling event that has a lot of potential but up until now has been pretty mysterious. I’ve had a week to reflect on how the event was run, where it’s going and what it could mean for the sport. Here’s what I came up with…

The first ever Showdown was held in Waikiki last Tuesday August 20th, as part of Duke’s OceanFest. In case you’ve been living under a rock (on Mars), the Ultimate SUP Showdown combines both SUP surfing and SUP racing in the one event, with the top finishers from a separate surf contest and sprint race coming together in the main event – the ‘Showdown’ finale, which is a race through the surf. The goal of the organisers is to create a stand up paddling athlete that’s equal parts surfer and racer.

That’s the theory anyway, but how did it stack up in reality? The short version: The first ever SUP Showdown was a success. Not perfect and still plenty of work to do, but a very solid start. The long version…   → READ MORE

A few names you may just be familiar with are heading down to the beach in Waikiki this morning for a brand new event that’s still shrouded in mystery but could deliver a lot to the sport of Stand Up Paddling.

The Ultimate SUP Showdown debuts at Duke’s OceanFest here in Hawaii today and features a pretty stellar roster. Just a few of the paddlers that’ll be competing include Jamie Mitchell, Connor Baxter, Travis Grant, Zane Schweitzer, Matt Becker, Chuck Patterson, Noa Ginella, Riggs Napoleon, Aaron Napoleon, Mo Freitas, Vanina Walsh, Travis Baptiste, Candice Appleby and a whole bunch more. Meanwhile doing the roaming beach interviews is the man himself, Dave Kalama.

Not a bad score for the Showdown’s first ever event…   → READ MORE

Something big is brewing in the world of Stand Up Paddling, with a new event in the early stages of development that could deliver a lot for the sport and the athletes.

Combining both SUP racing and SUP surfing, it’s called the “Ultimate SUP Showdown” and is set to debut at Duke’s OceanFest next month. Many of the sport’s biggest names are already backing the project, which will showcase its unique new format at Waikiki on August 20th.

While the Duke’s event will be the initial public unveiling of the Showdown, organisers are already planning a multi-stop tour for next year that may feature some of the most significant prize money the sport has ever seen. The Ultimate SUP Showdown, and the subsequent “Tour” that it will eventually form, has already received strong support, with paddlers at the inaugural event set to include:   → READ MORE