Michael Booth of Australia captures the men’s title
Sonni Hönscheid runs to finish line at The Carolina Cup – Courtesy Robert B. Butler
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA, USA – Choppy seas and high winds did not faze paddleboard elites Sonni Hönscheid of Germany or Michael Booth of Australia, crowned champions of the punishing 13-mile Graveyard Race at the Quiksilver Waterman Carolina Cup, held April 18-22, in Wrightsville Beach.
“I had a good start, which is rare for me, and was third around the first buoy. I am super happy with that,” said Hönscheid, the fifth-ranked women’s paddler in the world. “I tried to gain distance in the downwind before the first inlet. Fiona was in front of me, but I knew I could catch her in the flatwater, and I did. She was behind me for a while so, I kept my pace out there. Once I returned to the ocean for the final leg, I felt relaxed, had a good time and a good race.”
“Interestingly, some of the athletes that are ocean paddlers loved the conditions,” said race director Mark Schmidt. “The race had a strong side-shore wind angling from the Northeast and mainly East. Racers who knew how to work the waves and the runners had no problem, but for some, it was a problem.”
“In previous times the wind worked against me because I didn’t have the skills to compete at that level,” said fourth-ranked men’s pro, Michael Booth. “But, we’ve been working hard back home in Perth, and the conditions for the Wrightsville Beach race are the same as I train in every day. When I looked out the morning of the race, I thought, “This is just like home. You can do this.” To have it pay off, in the end, is really great.”
Michael Booth at the Carolina Cup Awards Ceremony – Courtesy Robert B. Butler
“It feels fantastic to win the Graveyard. Ever since I joined this sport I’ve really wanted to win this race,” said Booth. “This is such a major race in the sport, to have my name on the list of champions is really special.”
Following his victory in the elite standup paddleboard category, Booth captured a second Graveyard Race title in the surfski class. Due to growing demand, an elite Graveyard Race was added to the 2018 schedule to include surfski, double-ski, OC-1, and OC-2 (see media site for results). All races for the week originated and ended at Blockade Runner Beach Resort, the official resort of the Carolina Cup.
Organized by the Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club, affiliated with the newly formed Paddle League, and sanctioned by the World Paddle Association (WPA), the Quiksilver Waterman Carolina Cup attracted paddlers from more than 20 countries and most US states. About 20-percent of the athletes were from North Carolina – a rough estimate provided by Schmidt. Competitors included Olympians, world-record holders, champions, professionals, amateurs, and first-time paddlers.
A partial list of winners:
The Graveyard Race – SUP
Men’s Elite (13-miles / 21km)
1st: Michael Booth (2:03:14) Australia
2nd: Travis Grant (2:03:21) Australia
3rd: Mo Freitas (2:03:27) Hawaii, USA
4th: Titouan Puyo (2:03:43) New Caledonia, France
5th: Georges Cronsteadt (2:03:49) Tahiti
6th: Marcus Hansen (2:04:51) New Zealand
7th: Lincoln Dews (2:05:02) Australia
8th: Niuhiti Buillard (2:05:25) Tahiti
9th: Bruno Hasulyo (2:05:30) Hungary
10th: Danny Ching (2:05:35) CA, USA
Women’s Elite (13-miles / 21km)
1st: Sonni Hönscheid (2:20:35) Germany
2nd: Olivia Piana (2:23:38) France
3rd: Fiona Wylde (2:25:19) Oregon, USA
4th: April Zilg (2:28:26) NC native, now lives in CA, USA
5th: Seychelle Webster (2:29:22) FL, USA
6th: Candice Appleby (2:30:39) CA, USA
7th: Terrene Black (2:30:40) Australia
8th: Shae Foudy (2:31:32) USA
9th: Yuka Sato (2:34:34) Japan
10th: Laura Quetglas (2:37:19) Spain
The Harbor Island Recreational Race – SUP
Harbor Island Men (3-mile open race)
1st: David Young – Wilmington, NC
2nd: Jeff Berry – Rochester, NY
3rd: Dylan Henry – Satellite Beach, FL
4th: Campbell Carter – Wilmington, NC
5th: Mitch Cherry – Atlanta, GA
Harbor Island Women (3-mile open race)
1st: Tabitha Price – Tuscaloosa, AL
2nd: Samantha Stewart – Annapolis, MD
3rd: Elle Newkirk – Wrightsville Beach, NC
4th: Stella Gan – Ontario, Canada
5th: Erin Fitzpatrick – NC
The Money Island Open – SUP
Money Island Men (6-mile open race)
1st: Jeremy Whitted – Charleston, SC
2nd: David Slemp – St. Augustine, FL
3rd: Justin Schaay – Charleston, SC
4th: Steve Phillips – Surfside Beach, SC
5th: Mike Taber – Ontario, Canada
Money Island Women (6-mile open race)
1st: Heilani Cronsteadt – Tahiti
2nd: Kim Hillhouse – Lanikai, Hawaii
3rd: J Deriggi – Not Available
4th: Meg Bosi – Bonita Springs, FL
5th: Lindsay Cook – Annapolis, MD
Photo Gallery, Media Archive, Race Information
Contact:
Mark Schmidt
Race Director
Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club
P: 910-620-1835
E: Mark@WrightsvilleBeachPaddleClub.com
Robert B. Butler
North Carolina Press Release
www.NCPressRelease.org
www.RBButler.com
Permission granted for redistribution
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