SAN DIEGO, California – After greater than six weeks of deliberations and intense critiques we’re happy to announce the winners of the 2020 Supconnect Awards. After nominating 30 or so males, ladies, groms and blogs in line with class, and an abundance of manufacturers and retail outlets within the get up paddle business we have in any case narrowed down the extraordinarily proficient pool of nominees to the overall selected winners.

With over 120,000 perspectives and greater than 26,000 interactions of the Awards it’s been an excessively meticulous adventure to get so far. In following our standards for opting for the winners (Ambassadorship, Involvement, Efficiency and Strengthen), to lend a hand us come to a decision the winners of those awards, we right here at Supconnect undergo a particularly rigorous procedure in settling on the winners. We seek the advice of and obtain comments from our advisory board, whose individuals are made up of those that are passionately concerned within the recreation of standup paddling and who’ve a singular take at the recreation, we remember the various 1000’s of interactions with the Awards from lovers and shoppers, we upload in our personal comments from our editorial board and we have additionally had in depth comments and call with manufacturers and outlets within the business. We have now had masses of from side to side emails and private telephone calls to get the most efficient comments imaginable that we will on our nominees. So with out additional ado, listed here are the winners for the 11th Annual Supconnect Awards:

1. Mike Shoreman

Canada’s Mike Shoreman is the inspirational powerhouse of the game. Referred to as ‘The Unbalanced Paddleboarder’ he is without doubt one of the most beneficial names within the World SUP group. A real ambassador of the game and previous Paddle Canada SUP trainer. Mike misplaced his sense of steadiness from a neurological situation in 2018. After retraining his mind to stroll in most cases once more Mike returned to the water in 2019 because the SUP Protection Professional for the Canadian Secure Boating Councils Media Day. His upward thrust endured as he then gained Canada’s biggest inspirational talking pageant. His award profitable speech “PADDLES UP” went viral on a number of platforms together with The Energy of Positivity and Ashton Kutcher’s website and has racked up 3.2 million perspectives on-line. His speech unified the World SUP group with a motion the place masses of paddleboarders raised their paddles up of their nations in fortify of the ones dwelling with bodily and psychological well being demanding situations. We will’t wait to look what he does subsequent.

2. Zane Schweitzer

Maui’s Zane Schweitzer is also referred to as “Zaniac.” Placing apart the more than a few rumors in regards to the legend, right here are some things we all know in regards to the guy. Amongst his sports activities, he windsurfs, surfs, foils, sup’s, fishes, dives, filth motorcycles, … and on it is going. At all times with a grin, a contagious just right vibe, and up for whichever journey you throw his method, he’s a top-tier racer and one of the vital biggest innovative sup surfers on the planet. He is also greater than only a aggressive beast despite the fact that and is without doubt one of the professional ambassadors for Standup for the Treatment, serving to carry consciousness for breast most cancers analysis. Schweitzer additionally hosts early life clinics right through the 12 months the place he stocks his love, wisdom and fervour with the following technology.

3. Itzel Delgado

Peru’s Itzel Delgado used to be offered to standup paddling when he used to be 14 years outdated and used to be straight away hooked after gazing his father compete within the 2013 ISA SUP Video games in Lima. Following his Father’s footsteps, it did not take lengthy for Itzel to earn his position at the Peruvian Nationwide Crew the place he is since accomplished a Silver medal on the ISA Video games in El Salvador in addition to a Bronze medal on the 2019 Pan Am Video games. With a love for going rapid, Itzel excels in distance racing but in addition enjoys including browsing and foiling into the combination. Itzel has been quietly creeping his method up the sector ratings on each the APP and Paddle League and can indubitably proceed to make his nation proud sooner or later.

1. Maddi Leblanc

Should you google the phrase interest you can to find its definition approach ‘robust slightly managed emotion.’ Input Canada’s Maddi Leblanc who breathes the game of paddleboarding like air. Maddie began her coaching at age ten and as a tender teenager she based her annual SUP race fundraising initiative ‘On Board’ which raises budget and consciousness for most cancers and honors her two shut buddies who she misplaced in 2011. She has raised over $40,000 for the Canadian Most cancers Society and constructed a group round her. Maddi arrived at the racing scene in 2016. By means of the top of that season Starboard signed her as a staff rider and is a WPA Stage 1 paddle trainer. In 2018 she took the total Elite Feminine Class with the Ontario SUP collection. Just lately Maddi represented Crew Canada on the ISA Global Championships in China. When she’s no longer busy operating on her Masters thesis she is at the water and she or he is motivating her friends to be the most efficient they may be able to be.

2. Vania Torres

Peru’s Vania Torres is certainly one of Peru’s main girls in SUP browsing and has been making a reputation for herself at the world scene over the last few years. Since 2018, Vania has been persistently mountain climbing the ranks at the APP Global Excursion and maximum lately had her highest end but rating #Three on the planet. Vania is at the Peru Nationwide Crew and has competed at each the ISA Global Championships in addition to in SUPs inaugural debut on the Pan American Video games the place she were given the silver medal. Vania is one proficient younger girl with a vivid long run forward of her. We would possibly not be shocked if she rises to the highest in the following few years.

3. Maggie Adams

San Diego’s Maggie Adams is the founding father of Blue Paddle SUP and SUP Chat. Maggie brings a spirit of inclusivity and a laugh to SUP, staying within the spirit of stoke and spreading pleasure anyplace she is going. While being a aggressive athlete, racing herself most commonly on a neighborhood degree, Maggie by no means turns out to disregard that SUP is in regards to the a laugh and the camaraderie that the game helps. At all times bringing snacks, further tools, sharing wisdom…Maggie is a real SUPerSTAR!

1. Jade Howson

California’s Jade Howson is a fierce competitor at the water however a complete sweetheart on land that likes to play the ukulele and hang around with buddies. Jade has been to maximum races in a 12 months than maximum folks in a life-time and (to make it all of the extra spectacular) the grom likes to assert height effects. With reviews on a large number of native occasions and a few top-tier competitions, the California paddler is turning into an increasing number of aggressive and an outstanding SoCal skill. At an excessively younger age Howson claimed a Bronze medal for staff USA on the ISA Global SUP Championships in Denmark. She then adopted up that Bronze medal with a Gold medal on the ISA Championships in Sprints in El Salvador ultimate 12 months. As she builds on those early accomplishments, Howson is a paddle powerhouse within the making and we will’t wait to look her formally input the massive leagues as she graduates from her ‘grom’ standing.

2. Campbell Carter

North Carolina’s Campbell Carter lately became 15 and has been racing at the East Coast for a couple of years. As a member of the Wrightsville Seashore Jr Elite staff and SIC Maui Jr staff Campbell is indisputably an up-and-comer to be careful for. Campbell is hardworking, devoted, and fascinated about his waterman targets and works at Wrightsville SUP and trains on the facility beneath Jarrod Covington. He likes to be at the water and paintings with early life to percentage his love of the water. When no longer paddling, Campbell trains 12 months round with crossfit, swimming, browsing, operating, and outrigger and is a straight-A scholar!.

3. Zane Saenz

Oahu’s Zane Saenz is a tender ripper from the North Shore of Oahu who at 16 years outdated excels at all of the watersports he’s concerned about. Whether or not he is SUP browsing, racing or foiling, he manages to make his radical and inventive technique to driving waves glance clean and flowing. Zane lately gained each the Mens SUP browsing and SUP foiling divisions at Braddah Mels Waterman Surfing Championships at Makaha and he additionally gained the 2019 USA Nationwide SUP Surfing Championships U18. Zane’s final objective is to competes on APP Global Excursion complete time and sooner or later win an international identify.

1. Starboard

Starboard is without doubt one of the maximum globally recognized SUP firms on the planet. Starboard used to be based and created by means of Svein Rasmussen, a champion windsurfer, in 1994. Starboard SUP is without doubt one of the main innovators of Stand Up Paddling, with one of the vital maximum complete vary of shapes and era choices! You’ll to find most of the height athletes within the SUP area driving a Starboard SUP, whether or not or not it’s Global Champion SUP racer Connor Baxter, or SUP browsing Execs and Champions Izzi Gomez, Sean Poynter and Zane Schweitzer. Starboard has a wide selection of goods starting from knowledgeable ranges to novice forums and the whole thing in between.

2. SIC Maui

SIC “Sandwich Islands Composites” is the imaginative and prescient of grasp shaper/dressmaker, Mark Raaphorst. SIC forums are impressed naturally by means of elite racing, but in addition from a life-time of courses discovered. Those courses have resulted in a name for one of the vital quickest, smoothest gliding, maximum maneuverable forums on the planet. SIC could also be noticed as an innovator if it is in composite or hole building, its Lively Guidance Machine and its futuristic Standamaran™. Whether or not you’re a seasoned professional in both open or flat water racing or the weekend surfer. Whether or not you might be in search of higher health, traveling or simply all-around a laugh; SIC has one thing for you.

3. Badfish

Primarily based in Salida, Colorado, Badfish SUP is a partnership between shaper and dressmaker Zack Hughes and whitewater park dressmaker Mike Harvey. Badfish makes SUP forums for whitewater rivers, flatwater and the sea, with a mountain taste. Badfish forums are designed to be strong for novices and ripable for professionals.

1. Riverbound Sports activities Co

Proprietors Teri and Corey Carlin run a small circle of relatives SUP store in Tempe, AZ and are one of the vital toughest operating {couples} supporting the SUP Trade. They’re nice ambassadors of the game, supporting SUPIA, the ACA and are a Qualified Autism Middle providing paddling reviews in Arizona. Whether or not you meet them in particular person, over the telephone or on-line (the brand new COVID commonplace), they’re nice and pleasant sources to renters, inexperienced persons, traveling, health & race fans ~ close to and a ways! They promote and hire a big segment of manufacturers: SUPs, Kayaks, paddles, protection tools and equipment. They even promote land and electrical forums and paddles! As paddlers and reliable clothes shops of a lot of our native waterways, they may be able to inform you about, or take you to the most efficient puts in AZ. They supply courses, and frequently host or sponsor SUP yoga, health and race occasions. They’re provider excellence winners with TripAdvisor and 5-Famous person rated on Google, and Yelp. They get numerous referrals from satisfied shoppers.

2. 101 Surf Sports activities

101 Surf Sports activities (San Rafael, California) is a complete provider Water Sports activities Wearing Items Store that specialize in Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), Inclined Paddleboarding, Windsurfing, Kiteboarding, Surfing, and Kayaking. They provide the San Francisco Bay House a complete vary of courses, tools leases, board restore, kayak garage, get up paddleboard garage, boat garage, and guided excursions. They bring about tools from the top class producers together with Naish, Starboard, Jimmy Lewis, NeilPryde, O’Neill, SUPreme, SIC Maui, Severne, Carve Designs, Dakine, NRS, Bark, Surftech, and Focal point Hawaii.

3. Blue Planet Surf Store

Blue Planet Surf Store is Hawaii’s SUP and Foil HQ since 1993. For surfers, by means of surfers: BP provides the largest number of Stand Up Paddle and Foil forums and gear within the state of Hawaii and most likely anyplace. BP has offered 1000’s to Get up Paddleboarding thru loose SUP Clinics, courses, and educational movies on YouTube. The team of workers’s venture is to lend a hand shoppers have extra a laugh at the water. The blueplanetsurf YouTube channel has a world target market with over 20,000 subscribers and includes a new video each Saturday. Blue Planet founder/ proprietor Robert Stehlik co-hosts a weekly Stand Up Paddle coaching crew, Hawaii WPA races, is a PSUPA trainer teacher, competes in world SUP races, and loves designing cutting edge tools for watersports. The store carries Blue Planet forums and gear for all talent ranges from novice to knowledgeable in addition to high quality tools from different manufacturers, together with Jimmy Lewis, Starboards, Da Kine, and plenty of extra.

1. Kevin Krohn

2. Tony Weaver

3. Keith Bolen

Congratulations to the entire winners of the 11th Annual Supconnect Awards. We could not be extra happy with the effects and we are hoping you might be too. Keep tuned for an in depth breakdown of why we decided on our winners.

Additionally, be searching for the Folks’s Selection Awards the place we acknowledge the highest alternatives in keeping with votes for each and every class!