This page is a summary of our most recent posts about SUP 11 City Tour

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…

Countdown: The 11 City Tour Is Only 100 Days Away (Time to Start Training…)

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City Tour

The countdown to “The Ultimate Challenge” in the world of stand up paddling is officially on: we’re just 100 days away from the 9th Annual SUP 11 City Tour, the adventure race that pushes paddlers to the limit both physically and mentally through five long stages across five very long days.

Covering 220km, the 11 Cities has become an iconic part of the racing calendar by offering a unique event that is as much a personal challenge as it is a race. From September 13th-17th, paddlers from across Europe and all around the world are going to wind their way through the rural Dutch province of Friesland while experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions: you will love and hate the 11 Cities at the same time.   → READ MORE

Next Stop… Ibiza for the ‘Vuelta’ (Or: “Why Did I Just Sign up to Paddle 345km?”)

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

Es Vedra, IbizaThe European Summer of SUP has been a blast so far, but most of my time has been spent on the media boat following the action rather than being part of it. It’s been a hell of a lotta fun, but I’ve also been itching to get out from behind the live stream camera and onto the water.

That all changes next week, because I just signed up for the Vuelta Ibiza – the five day, 125km stage race that’s basically a smaller, warmer version of the famed 11 City Tour.   → READ MORE

World Rankings: Here Are SUP Racer’s Star Ratings for Season 2017 (aka the Biggest Races in the World This Year)

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

Pacific Paddle Games

Two weeks ago, I sent out a survey to each of the world’s top-ranked paddlers asking which events they’d be competing in this year. The goal was to paint a picture of the biggest races in the world, which I think is not only an interesting insight for everyone in the sport to analyse, it also helps me to set clear ‘star ratings’ that will produce an ever more accurate World Rankings leaderboard.

Here are the results…   → READ MORE

The ‘Vuelta Ibiza’ Partners with the 11 City Tour to Create 2017 Stage Race Double Header in Europe

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

cala-xarraca-beach-ibiza-spainUp for a unique paddling adventure next June? Want to spend a week on a beautiful island in the Mediterranean? Of course you do, and now here’s your chance.

The Vuelta Ibiza, a little-known but very enticing race on the Spanish island of the same name, has just partnered with the classic SUP 11 City Tour to create a double header of epic stage races in Europe next year.    → READ MORE

Team SUP Racing: The Future?

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

11 City TourI’ve always been fascinated by the idea of team racing in sports that are otherwise an individual pursuit.

For example, I never really understood the Tour de France growing up and in turn never much cared for it. But after watching it closely one summer and understanding how it all works, I came to be fascinated by the spectacle. And there’s surely nothing more fascinating in the Tour de France than the teams.

So why don’t we see the same thing in SUP racing?   → READ MORE

220kms in 27 Minutes: Daily Video Highlights from Every Stage of the 11 City Tour

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City TourThe 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

11 City Tour: Bruno Hasulyo, Seychelle Hattingh Conquer ‘The Ultimate Challenge’ in the Netherlands (UPDATED)

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

11 City Tour stage 4
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

“This Race Will Change You” — Bart de Zwart’s Interesting Insights into the 11 City Tour

posted by Bart de Zwart, Starboard Team Rider and SUP Explorer

SUP 11 City Tour

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 11 City Tour – The “Ultimate Challenge” – Takes Centre Stage in the Netherlands This Week

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City Tour 2015“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

Entries Now Open for the 11 City Tour – the ‘Tour de France of SUP’

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City Tour 2015Entries 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

Watch the 11 City Tour in All Its Grand Glory

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP-11-City-Tour-videoIf 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

SUP 11 City Tour Countdown: One Month Until The World’s Longest SUP Race Begins

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City TourIn 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

100 Days Til The 11 Cities

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City Tour Bart de Zwart Peter BartlToday 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

Entries Open For World’s Most Unique And Special Race – The SUP 11 City Tour

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City Tour - Day 4 - jOne 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

859 Days Later: SUPracer.com Finally Has A New Facebook Cover Photo

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUPracer.com Facebook cover photo
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

219 Awesome Photos That Tell The Story Of The ‘SUP 11 City Tour’

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

SUP 11 City TourUnless 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

DONE. The SUP 11 City Tour Is Finished – Get The Full Results, Pics And Recap From This Crazy / Painful / Awesome Race

posted by Christopher Parker, Boss Man

11 city tour of friesland stand up paddling
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