Carolina Cup Fun for All!

Erin Macdonell

SUP is a lot of things to a lot of people. Why? SUP offers so much! The sport is easy to start with lots of learning progression for those who want to challenge themselves further. There are a variety of ways to enjoy SUP: surfing, yoga, racing or paddling for pleasure. Whether it’s a physical or personal journey, SUP is there for you. It doesn’t matter your age or skill level, just get out there. Don’t be afraid to try and push yourself. The Carolina Cup in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina is the largest SUP race on the East coast. It offers a great opportunity to do just that. If you want a chance to feel pure SUP stoke with 600 SUP enthusiasts, this is the place. You’ll be emerged in the best SUP vibe anywhere!

The Carolina Cup offers the best of everything in 3 days to over 600 paddlers from around the world. All with varying ablities and goals. There is Southern hospitality, top notch clinics from the world's best paddlers, Sunday Kids race, SUPyoga Instructor Certification, dealer expo with board demos and, of course, the races! Three different races of different lengths to accommodate every paddler; 3 mile Harbour Island, 6 mile Money Island and the infamous, grueling 13.5 mile Graveyard! The 3 mile and 6 mile races are on the inland waterway. The challenges here are paddling with tide, current, wind and people! Each race attracted over 160 paddlers. Needless to say, the start is not for the faint of heart. The 13.5 mile adds ocean excitement to challenge the more skilled paddlers. This race is a beach start with a beach finish with an upwind, against the current inland waterway leg.

Danny Ching

Annabel Anderson

The Carolina Cup attracts some of the biggest names in SUP. This year did not disappoint. Danny Ching won his 3rd Carolina Cup in a row and Annabel Anderson won her 2nd consecutive Carolina Cup. The best part is you don’t have to be a world class paddler to experience living your dreams or meeting new challenges. Just the courage to step outside your comfort zone and go for it.

Super proud of Barrie, Ontario Chief Paddle Chick, Ariel Amaral who did just that and did it well!

From Ariel Amaral:

I went to Carolina Cup this year determined to complete the Graveyard 13.5 mile SUP Race. This is a tough race for everyone but what makes this more challenging for us Northern Canadians is that the race is in April and this year, my training waters in Barrie are still frozen.

I set my goal and worked hard towards it despite the weather. I got help from an incredible personal trainer Cathy Housser, at Fitness Infuzion, an all woman gym in Barrie. We worked my cardio and strength and I managed to get on the water 3 times before the big race.

As race day approached, I practiced the route in my mind, broke it down into manageable sections, decided where I would eat and drink and most importantly, I visualized not just completing but finishing with a nice wave, a big smile and a strong run towards the finish line. It was a tough race, the wind didn't help, I was tired, cramped up, and became sore but I stuck with my plan and as I rode a small wave in, I was beaming!!!

No matter what your goals are, if you approach it with patience, understanding and determination and a lot of love, anything is possible.

I'd like to send a big thank you to my family, and my paddle family/sponsor Blu Wave SUP who helped make this dream possible.


You don’t need to go to The Carolina Cup to start your SUP journey or feel the SUP stoke! Grab a SUP Sista and get on the water. Experience it for yourself. Push yourself at a local SUP race or try a SUPyoga class. Join SUP’n Girls or start a SUP’n Girls in your area. Get on Board! No mater what be “Proud To Paddle Like A Girl”!