By Andrea Swayne
The Surfing America USA stand-up paddle and paddleboard team are world champions, taking the overall gold at the International Surfing Association World Stand-up Paddle and Paddleboard Championship, May 10 through May 17, in Sayulita Mexico.
With six gold medals, two silvers and two bronze, the team handily put an end to Australia’s three-year gold run.
“This scrappy bunch was all heart,” said Greg Cruse, team manager and executive director for Surfing America, the San Clemente-based ISA-recognized national governing body for the sport of surfing in the United States. “As underdogs … they solidly beat … Australia, doing what until now was thought to be impossible. So proud of this team and the way they represented the USA.”
The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing, Bodyboarding and Surfriding.
Candice Appleby won two gold medals in the Women’s SUP Technical Race and the SUP Distance Race. Izzi Gomez and Sean Poynter earned team USA double gold in Men’s and Women’s SUP Surf. Jack Bark won the Men’s Technical Paddleboard Race and Danny Ching took top honors in the Men’s Distance Race.
“Representing the USA at the ISA World Championships was a priceless experience,” Appleby said. “I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to compete against the best athletes in the world in a top-notch event and take home two individual gold medals. I couldn’t have done it without the training and support of my boyfriend and coach Anthony Vela and the Performance Paddling Adult Training Club, as well as the Surfing America organization … sponsors, coaches and supporters.”
Team USA came in third with a time of 0:16:50 in the Team Relay event, behind runner-up New Zealand (0:16:33) and winner Australia (0:16:30). Australia’s victory was its fourth straight win in the relay event.
The full team roster included Slater Trout (Los Angeles), Chuck Glynn (San Diego) and Ching (Redondo Beach) in men’s SUP racing; Appleby (San Clemente) in women’s SUP racing and Steve Shlens (Santa Barbara) in men’s prone paddling; Carter Graves (San Diego) in women’s prone paddling; Dave Boehne (Dana Point) and Poynter (San Diego) in men’s SUP surf and Gomez (San Clemente) in women’s SUP surf and Bark (Los Angeles) in men’s prone racing. The team was accompanied by surf coach Ian Cairns, race coach Brody Welte and Cruse.
Gold medalists contributed 1,000 team points per win. Other finalists’ finishes and points contributed included Bark with a second-place in men’s prone distance for 860 points, Boehne with a 13th-place finish in men’s SUP surfing and 450 points; Trout (seventh) and Glynn (ninth) for 555 and 500 points, respectively, in men’s SUP technical; Trout, 10th place and 488 points in men’s SUP distance; Shlens, 12th place and 462 points in men’s prone technical and 10th place for 488 points in men’s prone distance; and Graves with a third-place finish and 730 points in women’s prone distance and runner-up in women’s prone technical for 860 points.
“Competing as a team was a truly incredible experience and one that I will hold close to my heart forever,” Appleby added. “It truly was a team effort down there in Mexico. Each individual medal earned by USA athletes was inspiring in itself, but it was the overall goal that really unified each team member and brought us together as a family of athletes. The momentum and support that we all took from each other day after day in competition, was what got us the gold. I’m so honored and humbled to have been a part of something so special, and so very proud to be an American. God Bless America!”
TEAM RESULTS:
- USA, 12,123
- Australia, 10,814
- Hawaii, 10,285
- New Zealand, 9,211
- Brazil, 8,191
- Mexico, 8,141
- South Africa, 7,940
- Spain, 7,799
- Tahiti, 6,465
- Peru, 6,400
- France, 5,939
- Argentina, 5,630
- Japan, 5,507
- Canada, 5,006
- Great Britain, 4,619
- Italy, 4,036
- Denmark, 3,698
- Sweden, 3,523
- Costa Rica, 2,435
- Ireland, 1,705
- Chile, 1,660
- Venezuela, 1,516
- Holland, 1,270
- Barbados, 900
- Switzerland, 715
- U.S. Virgin Islands, 700
- El Salvador, 690
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