Battle of the paddle gets moved from Doheny Beach!
The new location for the (Rainbow Sandals) Battle of the Paddle in 2014 is Salt Creek Beach, only a few kilometers north of the previous location, but worlds away in terms of swell quality and spectator vantage points. Thanks to the more Western facing beach, Salt Creek picks up more swell in the prevailing conditions during October which will prove to make the racing more exciting for spectators and racers alike. In previous years Doheny has been pretty flat, which although fair and very easy to see who’s coming where, it’s not as exciting as a 6 foot set rolling through the pack! Last years event had over 1000 competitors, and with the extreme growth of stand up paddling as a sport, 2014 is set to break records.
Reasons for the move are being kept under wraps, but reports from California are saying there was some conflict between the state parks authorities and the event organizers. No matter what the reasons are, Salt Creek is a bigger venue and arguably better for competitive racing.
Just wait for it, October is going to be a massive month for Stand Up Paddling. Starting with the Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle at Salt Creek Beach in California on the 4th and 5th of October 2014. There's no word yet on whether our Australia dream team of paddlers will be in attendance, but if they are, the Californians better prepare the podiums!