Hundreds of stand-up paddleboarders created a spectacular sight off Torre Abbey Sands on Sunday 28 June as the SUPER Festival concluded with its ambitious SUP1000 community paddle.
The event aimed to bring together 1,000 paddlers on the water simultaneously in an attempt to set a new world record while promoting vital water safety messages. Although the challenging conditions meant the target wasn't reached, with over 200 paddlers taking part, the event was still a colourful and inspiring finale to an action-packed festival weekend.
Bright sunshine greeted participants throughout the morning, but strong winds across Tor Bay made paddling more demanding and are thought to have discouraged some would-be participants from joining the record attempt. Those who did take part proudly wore buoyancy aids and leashes, reinforcing the festival's important message about safe paddleboarding and drowning prevention.
The SUP1000 challenge rounded off several days of world-class competition and family-friendly activities as Torquay welcomed athletes and visitors from around the world for the SUPER Festival and the ICF Stand Up Paddling World Cup.
See more photos from Friday at the SUP festival.
The festival began on Thursday with an opening ceremony and welcome briefing before racing got underway on Friday. Spectators lined the seafront to watch the fast-paced ICF Sprint Heats, Semi-finals and Sprint Finals, with elite paddlers battling it out over explosive short-course races. Friday evening also featured the popular Aqua Paddle event before medal ceremonies celebrated the day's champions.
Saturday brought another full programme of racing, including the technical ICF Tech Heats and Finals, where competitors navigated buoy turns and surf zones in one of the sport's most demanding disciplines. Festival Sprint races gave amateur paddlers their opportunity to compete, while SUP Polo provided a fun spectacle throughout the day.
Sunday's programme continued after the SUP1000 challenge with Festival Distance races, ICF Junior competition and the prestigious ICF Distance Races before the closing medal ceremony officially brought the event to an end. Throughout the festival, Torre Abbey Sands provided a stunning backdrop as visitors enjoyed exciting competition, demonstrations, opportunities to try paddleboarding and a vibrant festival atmosphere on the English Riviera.
