September 1, 2013
by Christopher Parker (@wheresbossman)

Welcome To Tiki Racing Month: The Countdown To The Battle Of The Paddle Starts NOW


Tiki Racing Month
We’re only four weeks away from the 2013 Battle of the Paddle.

The BOP… The Super Bowl of SUP… The largest stand up paddle race in the world…

This is the big one. The one race that attracts virtually every top paddler from across the globe. This is where names are made and careers defined.

However the BOP isn’t just the biggest race of the year for the paddlers, it’s also an event that every single SUP fan around the world wants to follow. And they want to follow it LIVE…

Well now, thanks to Starboard and their famous Tiki mascot, that’s exactly what you can do: Starboard will be presenting wall-to-wall live coverage of the Battle of the Paddle here on SUPracer.com all month long. From daily BOP updates to live coverage of the race itself, this is your home for complete Battle coverage.

Connor Baxter Battle of the Paddle

Starboard’s Connor Baxter in action during last year’s Battle of the Paddle. The young gun has been in fine form this year and will surely start as one of the favourites on September 28th (© Servais/Rainbow Sandals)

TIKI RACING MONTH runs from September 1st to October 5th and gives you complete Battle of the Paddle coverage in three parts:

1. The Lead Up… The Battle is only four weeks away so it’s time to start getting excited and looking ahead to what’s in store on race day. We’ll have daily BOP updates right through September, including previews, predictions, video highlights from past Battles, interviews with the most influential paddlers, as well as guest posts from the elite racers themselves.

So check in on SUPracer.com every single day this month for the latest updates…

2. The Live Coverage… On Battle of the Paddle race day (September 28th & 29th) we’re going to step it up with complete, non-stop live coverage of the entire event. We’ll be live-blogging the entire weekend, including minute-by-minute live updates during the main event, the Elite Race, as well as real time photos plus video highlights. We’ll even have play-by-play live updates during the distance event, which is going to be a massive race in its own right this year.

So if you want to follow the Battle of the Paddle LIVE, this is the place to be. Unfortunately there will be no official Battle of the Paddle webcast again this year… But if you can’t make it to Dana Point don’t despair – we’re going to keep you in the loop right here on SUPracer.com with 100% live coverage of the event.

3. The Recap… The Battle of the Paddle isn’t finished when the winner crosses the line at Doheny State Beach, not by a long shot. In the week after the event we’re going to deliver you the best post-race coverage. From awesome video highlights to the most epic photos (hint: there’s always carnage at the BOP), as well as race recaps, insights and reflections from the paddlers themselves.

BONUS GIVEAWAYS… Just to make it even more fun, Starboard has donated a whole stack of cool schwag that we’ll be giving away all month long as well as during our live coverage on race day. So keep an eye out for random trivia questions every week for your chance to win (make sure you’re following us on Facebook so you don’t miss a thing).

So there you go… TIKI RACING MONTH…

The BOP is coming and thanks to Starboard, your home for the Battle of the Paddle is right here on SUPracer.com. We can’t wait for the big race and we’re really stoked to have Starboard on board to help us deliver the best possible Battle of the Paddle coverage to you, the Stand Up Paddle racing fan.

So get ready: The countdown to the biggest SUP race of the year starts now…

Battle of the Paddle Elite Race

Oh how the paddlers love that first buoy turn… (© Servais/Rainbow Sandals)