Hundreds of athletes are converging on Shoalhaven in South Coast NSW for their chance to earn the Australian Title in SUP Surfing over five days of competition.

 

Only a few weeks ago we brought you a fishing-trail-running combo event and now we’re doing it again, but this time it’s SUPing plus surfing! About two hours south of Sydney, Shoalhaven has excellent beaches, great food, and even a zoo. But from the 5th of December through to the 10th of December, the focus will be firmly in the water as Australia’s best SUP surfers battle it out to win the championship title.

What’s SUP Surfing?

SUP Surfing is effectively a combination of surfing and SUPing. You start with a typical SUP board (bigger than a standard surfboard), stand upright, and propel yourself through the water using a paddle. But then you take it up a notch by catching waves. Big waves.

Apparently SUP Surfing easier than surfing but, is it really?

Here’s footage from the 2022 SUP Surfing Titles. What do you reckon?

 

The Events

SUP Surfing: typical surfing competition except participants surf using a paddle, just like you’d use SUPing

SUP and Prone Technical Racing: 4-8km of multiple laps through the surf

SUP and Prone Marathon Racing: 15-20km of multiple laps through the surf

2023 SUP Surfing Titles Event Schedule

5th December: Event opening ceremony at Swordfish Brewing

6th – 8th December: SUP Surfing

8th December: SUP and Prone Technical Racing

9th December: SUP and Prone Marathon Racing

Why Shoalhaven?

Shoalhaven has fifty towns with opportunities for adventure on 100 beautiful beaches, multiple rivers, and scenic parks.

When it comes to water sports, the region has proved a reliable spot with residents from NSW and Victoria commonly making the trip to enjoy the multitude of excellent beaches.

Surfing Australia CEO, Chris Mater is looking forward to seeing the country’s best SUP athletes battle it out.

‘It’s great to see the Australian SUP Titles return in 2023 at a new location that has been tried and tested with the hugely successful NSW SUP Titles being held at Shoalhaven in previous years,’ Mater told Australian SUP Titles.

‘Shoalhaven is known for its variety of waves, we’re back to a warmer climate, great food and places to stay and we can’t wait to see some of the world’s best SUP racing talent converge on the region.’

The 2023 SUP Surfing Titles events stretch between Shoalhaven Heads and Mollymook Beach.

 

What else can you do in Shoalhaven?

 

Header photo thanks to @facum24 via Flickr

At We Are Explorers we take great pride in presenting content that is fact checked, well-researched, and based on both real world experience and reliable sources. As a B-Corp we uphold high ethical standards and strive to create content that is inclusive, with an an increased focus on underserved communities, Indigenous Australians, and threats to our environment. You can read all about it in our Editorial Standards.