It’s been another great racing season for the Comox Valley Compass Adventures (CA) Junior elite SUP (Stand Up Paddle board) Team.
Coaches Stuart and Andrew Robinson have worked closely with the team for the past few years.
Many of the team members competed in the Vancouver Island Race series with races held in Victoria and Comox. Worthy of mention is 15-year-old Liam Cursley, who competed in the men’s division and finished first in the Port Alberni Downwind Challenge, second in the Island series race in Victoria, and first in both the short course race and long distance race held in Comox, before a foot injury prevented him from competing in the final races of the year.
At the Vancouver SUP challenge, Team members Sam Fitz-James Salvail placed fourth overall in the Youth male category, Emma Wong placed second and Sage Hayer fourth in the youth female category. Mia Wheatley-Maltais won second place overall in the women category, just behind Shannon Bell who ranks 11th in the world.
At the Hood River, Oregon venue, the Columbia River Gorge Challenge offers an international event attended by the best SUP athletes in the world. During this weekend of competition, team members Cursley, Hayer, Fitz-James Salvail, Wong and Wheatley-Maltais all successfully completed the short and long distance courses.
The long distance course is an eight miles downwind race. This is the second participation of the CA SUP Team at this event. Wheatley-Maltais won the long distance race (at 14 was put in the 15-17 years old category).
The season wrapped up in beautiful Okanagan, at the Kalamalka Classic SUP Festival, an annual fundraiser to preserve the lake and also the Canadian venue for national championships.
All team members present (Sage, Sam and Mia) completed the short and long distance races with success. Hayer placed fourth in the 10 miles crossing and Wheatley-Maltais won her second Junior Canadian title. She was crowned Junior Queen of Kalamalka.
Congratulations to all the SUP athletes from Compass Adventures!
Many thanks goes to Compass Adventures: coaches Stuart and Andrew Robinson, Ocean Racing Association for their efforts in fundraising and support of the athletes, all the parents that make it happen for their kids, bringing them to all these events.
