The SUP 11 City Tour (or simply the “11 Cities”) is a five-day stage race held annually in the Netherlands. Covering more than 200km, the SUP 11 City Tour is one of the longest and toughest stand up paddle board races in the world…
The epic adventure that is the SUP 11 City Tour has been completed for another year, however the memories will linger long.
The 8th annual edition of this iconic race saw records on all fronts, from the massive participation (almost 200) to the number of countries represented (27) to the incredible amount of sunshine the competitors were bathed in (the weather was perfect this year), this small, rural corner of the Netherlands certainly turned it on over the past week. → READ MORE
Starboard’s Bruno Hasulyo (Hungary) and Mistral’s Seychelle Hattingh (USA) have conquered “The Ultimate Challenge” after five days and more than 200kms of (125 miles) of paddling through the Dutch countryside, winning the 8th Annual SUP 11 City Tour to add another chapter to the story of this unique and very special race.
After establishing a big lead on the first stage, Bruno and his brother Daniel spent the next four days defending their advantage against reigning champ Steeve Teihotaata (Mistral/Tahiti), while Italian Martino Rogai (Jimmy Lewis) and New Zealand’s Marcus Hansen (NSP) were the other top five standouts. → READ MORE
Boss Man’s note: Yesterday I previewed the SUP 11 City Tour, aka “The Ultimate Challenge”, the classic five day stage race that begins tomorrow in the Netherlands. It’s one of the grandest events in the world of stand up paddling.
But while I’ve had a bit of experience with this race myself, absolutely nobody can match the experience of Bart de Zwart, the four-time champion who tomorrow will line up for his eighth-straight 11 City Tour; he’s been there every year since this race began way back in 2009. So on the eve of the race, I asked Bart to share some of his personal insights into what makes this race unique and special. Here’s what he had to say… → READ MORE
“The Ultimate Challenge” is about to begin again. On Wednesday morning, a hundred odd paddlers will be gathered on the water in Leeuwarden, a small city in the rural Dutch province of Friesland. Staring down in front of them will be 220 kilometres (136 miles) of canals and lakes, along with eleven cities (or mostly towns) that make up one of the most special races in the world of stand up paddling: The SUP 11 City Tour.
Now in its eighth year, the 11 Cities has grown to become one of the true classics on the international calendar. The race occupies a unique position in the world of SUP, providing paddlers with an extreme test: Five straight days of racing with an average of more than 40km (25 miles) per day. → READ MORE
Discover the unique world of ultra long distance stand up paddle racing with four-time 11 City Tour champion and all-round SUP explorer Bart de Zwart… → READ MORE
Entries are now open for the 2016 SUP 11 City Tour, with exactly 200 days until the start of what is arguably the toughest stand up paddle race on earth.
For the uninitiated, the 11 City Tour is a five-day, 220km (136 miles) race through the rural Dutch province of Friesland. It’s a grueling experience, both physically and mentally, but also an extremely rewarding one — it’s actually quite “fun” in its own special way. → READ MORE
If you’re not too busy for the next 47 minutes and 58 seconds, sit back and watch this very good (and very comprehensive) recap of the 11 City Tour.
Courtesy of indie filmmaker Greg Fulks, this reel does a great job of capturing the spirit of the 11 Cities, one of the longest and toughest races in the sport. The 2015 edition was a particular challenge, with brutal winds and piercing rain hammering competitors at certain points (we’ll never forget the morning of stage 2…). → READ MORE
The 2015 SUP 11 City Tour is done, and what a crazy rollercoaster it was. Congratulations to Steeve Teihotaata and Seychelle Hattingh for reigning supreme, though everybody that completed this year’s race deserves huge credit.
Click through for the final standings and full recap from this crazy adventure… → READ MORE
In exactly one month from today, I’ll be standing on the water in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden, enjoying my final few moments of normality before the horn blows to signal the beginning of the world’s longest stand up paddle race. I’ll be surrounded by 100 odd paddlers who share a similar penchant for pain and suffering.
The SUP 11 City Tour is a unique race… → READ MORE
Today is a rather special day. Monday, May 28th marks the 100 day countdown to the 2015 SUP 11 City Tour, one of the most brutal/amazing races in the world.
For the uninitiated, the SUP 11 City Tour (or just “11 Cities”) is a five-day, 200km race around the Dutch countryside. Meandering its way through the canals and lakes of the “Friesland” province, the 11 cities has become a classic fixture on the international calendar. → READ MORE
One of the most unique and special events on the racing calendar has just opened for registration. The SUP 11 City Tour, the single longest, and also one of the hardest SUP races on the planet will be happening again from September 2nd-6th, 2015.
Held in the Dutch province of Friesland, this five-day, Tour de France-style stage race is like no other stand up paddling event. Meandering its way through the canals between beautiful countryside and quaint little towns, the 11 Cities is a grueling but strangely addictive mental and physical challenge. → READ MORE
Wanna know what it’s like to not only paddle but WIN the world’s longest stand up paddle race? Check out this insightful video from Chile’s Arnaud Frennet and you’ll have your answer.
Arnaud won the Non Stop Division of the 2014 SUP 11 City Tour, a crazy, 200+ kilometre race through the Dutch countryside. → READ MORE
It only took me two and a half years, but the SUPracer.com Facebook cover photo has finally been changed.
As you will see, highlighted by the fact that I’m about to write 1,200 words on a topic most would suggest doesn’t even warrant a simple caption, I take my cover photos seriously. Like the exchange of flags between host cities at the Olympic Games closing ceremony or the inauguration of a new President, the changing of our Facebook cover photo is a weighty subject. → READ MORE
Unless you were living on Mars, under a rock, with your fingers in your ears all last week, you would have heard about a little race called the SUP 11 City Tour that went down in the Netherlands.
The 11 Cities is a unique race. First: It’s long. Very long. Over 200 kilometres all said and done. Second: It’s held across five days, in five different stages. It’s like the Tour de France of SUP.
It’s an amazing event and one that you should definitely add to your bucket list. The SUP 11 City Tour is long. It’s painful. You’ll hate it. You’ll love it. You’ll make great friends. Lasting memories. Sore muscles. Big smiles. You’ll test yourself physically. You’ll test yourself even more so mentally. Oh and your hands will be full of calluses. → READ MORE
The 2014 SUP 11 City Tour is DONE. What a crazy adventure that was. Congratulations to Bart de Zwart for reclaming his crown and showing he’s still the king of endurance paddling.
We’ll have a full recap of this crazy/painful/amazing/awesome event soon, but in the meantime here are the final standings from the solo divisions. You can also relive the week-long live blog, including daily recaps and photo highlights. → READ MORE
We’re just a couple of days away from the start of the 2014 SUP 11 City Tour… As that anxiety-inducing clock over there to the right suggests, we’re into the final countdown for the world’s longest/craziest/why-oh-why-did-I-agree-to-this SUP race.
Just over 200 kilometres (124 miles) of racing across five days. It truly is an epic adventure. Though with its maze of canals, endless green fields and place names that sound like they were plucked straight out of a Harry Potter novel (Sneek? Hindeloopen?!), the SUP 11 City Tour certainly takes some navigating.
So to give you an idea of exactly where we’ll be this week, here are the full, interactive course maps for the SUP 11 City Tour… → READ MORE
After an awesome week in Hood River, where I got to watch the world’s best paddlers up close, I’m now sitting at the airport getting ready to board another plane.
Next stop: Amsterdam. From there I’ll travel a few hours out into the Dutch countryside to the province of “Friesland” and the city of Leeuwarden. That’ll be my home base for the next five days as I prepare for the craziest SUP race I’ve ever attempted: The SUP 11-City Tour.
The 11 cities is a 200km (125 mile) stage race held over five days. It’s long. It’s tough. And I have no idea why I agreed to do this. But I believe it’s going to be one hell of an adventure… → READ MORE
So I’m doing the SUP 11 City Tour this year…
Yes, that SUP 11 City Tour. One of the most difficult (and by far the longest) races in the world of stand up paddling. Five days, 220 kilometres (136 miles) and lots and lots of pain. I’m not entirely sure I know what I’m getting myself into here, but I’m really excited about the challenge and adventure that awaits on September 3rd.
And now thanks to the support of Mistral SUP and the SUP 11 City Tour organising team, I’m going to give you an inside look at just how awesome/fun/challenging/crazy/painful this great race really is. → READ MORE
The longest, most grueling SUP race in the world, the SUP 11 City Tour in the Netherlands, just got a whole lot harder. As if paddling 220kms over five separate stages wasn’t enough (that’s basically a Molokai-a-day for five straight days), the organisers will be adding a new “Non-Stop Tour” division to this year’s 11 Cities event.
That’s right, you can now race non-stop along the entire 220km route. → READ MORE
If you had to race over 200kms on a SUP, which type of board would you choose? Probably a nice, sleek, 14 foot carbon fiber design, yeah? That’s what most paddlers would go for, but not Sam Ross from the UK, who last week paddled the entire SUP 11 City Tour on an inflatable.
Up to 45kms of flat water paddling every day for five days straight. On an inflatable.
The SUP 11 City Tour is tough enough at the best of times, even when you’ve got a carbon race board under your feet. Doing it on an inflatable SUP sounds just plain wrong. But Sam’s result on his 14 foot Red Paddle Co. inflatable shows once again that plastic blow-ups aren’t that much slower than their far more glamorous (yet far less practical) carbon fiber brethren. → READ MORE
