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The SUP boarding community came together in force last weekend at Bewl Water for a fantastic festival of SUP boarding and a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title attempt! Hundreds of SUP boarders and their families and friends enjoyed a huge range of activities on the water, checked out all the latest gear in the SUP village and relaxed in the sun on the lawns surrounding the lake at Bewl.
Dan Charlish, Director of Armada Events said, ‘We are delighted that the event went so well and people had such a good time. To see so many people of all ages on the water having fun – from beginners through to experienced racers and pro’s – is exactly what the SUP Armada is all about. And then to finish off with this huge effort to successfully break the World Record with 390 SUP boarders around a mile course just finished the festival off perfectly.’
Alongside the beginner taster sessions, SUP team races, SUP yoga and intermediate sessions the event also included competitive SUP racing for the first time, with the UK SUP National Series Races and the Red Paddle National Junior Championships taking place as part of the day. Head of Water Safety at the event, Andy Gratwick from Easy Riders, said, ‘We had a huge variation of activities taking place on the water but the venue is ideal for this kind of event and the boats and safety crews worked hard to ensure everyone had a fantastic (and safe!) time on the water.’
An atmosphere of fun ran throughout the day, highlighted by a large number of fancy dress superhero’s taking to the water during the Record attempt. Organisers were also delighted with how many families and children signed up. Dad of three boys Christopher Reed came with his family and said, ‘This was a perfect festival for families. We brought our 3 young boys and they camped for the first time – and loved it. They tried loads of SUP activities and then went out and broke a World Record. You guys certainly know how to create great memories for people!’
Sarah Cramer, Head of Marketing at Neilson said, ‘“What a fantastic event to be part of! I was bowled over by how many people took part; all ages, all abilities and from all over the country. SUP is an ever-growing part of what we offer on a Neilson holiday, and it was wonderful to meet so many people who make it part of their life back in the UK too. The Neilson team loved taking part in the record break attempt – and on a personal level, I’m so glad we smashed it!”
A ‘SUP Village’ of industry partners exhibited all the latest gear on site, and the event attracted many of the big names in the SUP World whilst also receiving fantastic support from companies such as Neilson and Nuffield Health. Over £2,000 was raised for charity through the hire of SUP boards to participants, which will support the work of the Armada Trust by funding a number of grassroots SUP projects, helping the sport reach young people who would otherwise never have the opportunity to get involved.
For the full set of Dave White’s photos from the day please see: http://www.davewhite.photography/History/2016/SUP-Armada/
For more information please visit www.suparmada.com