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Hellenic SUP CUP 2015 – Stop 3: Olympic Rowing Center
July 19, 2015, Schinias, Greece—The third race of the year for the 5th Annual Hellenic SUP Cup was held at the Olympic Rowing Center facilities, home of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Racing at such a prestigious location got all the paddlers in an athletic spirit and thus was arguably the most physical SUP race ever done in Greece.
The race was part of the Pan-Hellenic Championship of Canoe-Kayak, which made the program strict and precise. The rules and demands of the Olympic sport, canoe-kayak, also applied to the SUP race this day. All paddlers had to be on the starting line bright and early the morning of the event, as it was the opening race of the program.
While the Hellenic SUP Cup is meant to be a flat-water race, the 30–35 knots of N–NE winds that morning made the race seemingly impossible. Adapting to the weather obstacles in front of them, they turned the race into downwind 2.3 km sprints. The heats would be broken into two qualifier runs and one final sprint race to declare the winners.
After a fast straightaway sprint all the way to the first buoy, competitors were challenged to put their technique to the test, with five tight buoy turns to follow. With strong side wind blowing furiously across the width of the canal, it was a very challenging race. Great battles were fought in every race of the qualifying heats, since they had to win in order to place in the final.
In the final the whole group was side by side in the downwind sprint and around the tight buoy turns, with an exciting close finish for all. The fifth annual Hellenic Cup at the Olympic Rowing Center will be a race no one will forget for years to come. The most athletic, windy, exciting race the Hellenic cup has seen yet.
Photographers: Chistos Andronis, Albina Shumkova
Results:
14’0 Men
2nd Konstantis George (Naish Javelin LE)
3rd Sirigos Nikos (Naish Javelin LE)
14’0 Women
1st Kontarini Konsatntina (Naish Javelin LE)
3rd Sirti Ioanna (Naish Javelin LE)
14’0 Boys
1st Doukas Fadon (Naish Javelin LE)
2nd Andronis Iason (Naish Javelin LE)
3rd Andreopoulos George (Naish Javelin LE)
12’6” Men
2nd Kritis Marios (Naish Javelin LE)
3rd Tountas John (Naish Javelin LE)
12’6” Women
1st Bodziak Eva (Naish Glide)
2nd Androni Myrto (Naish Nalu)
3rd Kolokousi Aggeliki (Naish Glide)
12’6” Boys
1st Kropik Ilias (Naish Javelin LE)
2nd Giginis George (Naish Glide)
3rd Papanikolaou Panos (Naish Javelin LE)
FUN
1st Theoharis Alexandros (Naish Nalu 11’6”)
2nd Vaggelis Avramidis (Naish Nalu 11’6”)
Social: #HellenicSUPcup #NaishSUP #StandUpPaddling #2015Hellenic
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