Stand Up Paddle Surfing

The John Madill Toyota Fraser Island Stand Up Paddle Challenge, presented by Golden Breed, got underway in perfect conditions Sunday afternoon. Chris De Aboitiz and Woogie Te Manu Marsh launched their 16-foot racing paddle boards at Inskip Point near Rainbow Beach and, with a stiff south-easterly behind them, made good time up the Great Sandy Strait.

Woogie, fresh from a fourth placing at the Honolua Bay stand up paddle surf on the Gold Coast on Saturday, led the way up the strait, his new “Penetrator” model paddle board slicing through the water at more than 10 kilometres an hour. Although the paddlers had not planned to start the marathon until the early hours of Monday, they decided to take advantage of the tailwind and put a few ks in the bank. By dark they had raced more than 25 kilometres along the west coast of Fraser and joined support catamaran Moondancer, anchored near the top of Stewart Island for a massage, a restorative Duke’s lager or two and a seafood feast.

With more sou’-easters predicted for Monday and Tuesday, the paddlers are well placed to reach Sandy Cape ahead of time on Wednesday. “We couldn’t have asked for a better start,” said Chris De Aboitiz. “We’re loving it so far but it might be another story coming down the ocean side. Hopefully we’ll get a wind shift to the north by then.”

Good conditions prevailed again Monday morning as the paddlers set off just after dawn in misty rain and with a light tail wind. Destination Moon Point, just over 50 kilometres north.

Chris and Woogie are attempting to become the first stand up paddlers to circumnavigate Fraser Island. The 300-kilometre marathon, in aid of the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia, is sanctioned by the Noosa Festival of Surfing. Supporters have already donated more than $2000, but the Challenge has a long way to go to reach the $20,000 needed to equip the new Sunshine Coast branch of the DSA.

Check out the paddle pages on www.standuppaddlesurf.com.au or www.noosafestivalofsurfing.com to follow the event and make your donation to this great cause.