Team Australia Facing Massive Challenge At ISA World SUP Titles In MexicoThursday, 9 April 2015
Team Australia is facing its biggest challenge to its ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Titles dominance when the event is held at Punta Sayulita in Mexico next month.To be held from May 10-17, the event will feature more than 100 competitors from more than 20 countries. Competition will be held in SUP surfing, a 5-6km technical SUP race and a 20km distance race, while in prone paddleboarding there will be a 5-6km technical race and a 20km distance race.Defending champion Australia has won the title for the past three years and again boasts a line-up with plenty of international experience, but will be pushed all the way this year with the United States and Hawaii expected to name strong teams.Team Australia captain is Beau Nixon of Tweed Heads, who returns to compete in the SUP surfing along with the Gold Coast’s Jackson Close. Nixon is a regular in the stand-up world tour, while Close won silver at last year’s ISA titles and is the defending Australian SUP surfing champion. National women’s SUP surfing champion Emma Webb from Jan Juc will be making her first appearance at the ISA event.In the SUP racing, seasoned international paddler and defending Australian marathon champion Beau O’Brian (Gold Coast) will be joined by national champion Toby Cracknell (Gosford), who was part of last year’s triumphant team.In the women’s racing, former Molokai to Oahu SUP champion Terrene Black (Toowoon Bay) will contest both the marathon and technical races.Defending Molokai to Oahu champion and undefeated ISA champion Jordan Mercer (Sunshine Coast) returns in both the prone marathon and technical races. Rhys Burrows will be defending his ISA prone marathon and technical race titles and will be joined by fellow Sunshine Coast paddler Lachlan Lansdown.Australia is expected to dominate the prone events, while the SUP racing and surfing events will be the most keenly contested since the inaugural ISA titles three years ago.Hawaii is competing at the event for the first time and expected to field a powerful line-up including world champion SUP racer Connor Baxter and SUP surfers Zane Schweitzer and Mo Freitas. The US is also tipped to include a far more powerful team than in recent years with the addition of world champions Danny Ching in the men’s and Candice Appleby in the women’s.Team AustraliaSUP Racing MenBeau O’Brian (QLD)Toby Cracknell (NSW)SUP Racing WomenTerrene Black (NSW)SUP Surfing MenJackson Close (QLD)Beau Nixon (NSW)SUP Surfing WomenEmma Webb (VIC)Prone MenRhys Burrows (QLD)Lachlan Lansdown (QLD)Prone WomenJordan Mercer (QLD)For regular updates and happenings, become a fan of our Facebook page here.

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Team Australia Facing Massive Challenge At ISA World SUP Titles In Mexico

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