Not being critical in any way of the edit but Danny Ching won that race at the first buoy turn they show. Kai goes around first, then Danny with a ridiculously good inside line on a wave and pivot turn. It was the move of the race. He come from like 10th to second in one move. Look at the standard of who he passed and you know it was epic. I was expecting something big of this in the vid but to no avail. Has anyone seen any more detailed footage of this?
I was talking with another top paddler about Danny and he was saying he has the ability to stay clear of mind under pressure. For me this turn more than demonstrates that in his own mind he had already won before the race started.
Yes CMC, this was always going to be the problem with the decision to remove the webstream coverage and replace it with a highlights package - the people responsible for the edit don't understand the key moments in the race. In last year's race, the key moment was when Connor paddled over the back of a wave to catch up to Danny and Jamie on about the second lap, then ride in to the shore alongside them. It may not have looked exciting to the uninitiated, but if he hadn't made that wave, he would have spent the rest of the race 50 metres behind. The highlights video from last year doesn't include that moment.
Pretty sure Kai was around the first buoy first.
I think there's another vid of the final coming from the guys with the UFO camera.. Let's hope it shows it better.
DJ
Bring on the red thumbs.
But for people that get paid to train and paddle for a living, there was a lot of wipeouts and nose dives???
Almost makes it look like anyone could do it...
How long / how many laps are those BOP style races? Looks like a lot of carnage around the buoys and lots of luck involved with whether you get hammered by a set while rounding the cans.
Paddling in a mass pack of carnage, not my idea of fun.
Re videoing of the event> this was a difficult event to shoot as there were so many media there jostling for positions, even the Official Videogragher was impeded while shooting with photographers and other amateur video shooters jumping in his way to the point where he ended up putting his camera gear in jeopardy and dunking a $5000 camera which was a total loss. The aerial guy definitely shot the best footage, but had $20,000 worth of gear in the air.
With a few elevated scaffolds both in the water ( but out of the way) and on land, a bunch of GoPro on-boards, a jet ski and the aerial guy, they should be able to get material for an awesome video of this event, just needs a little thought, planning and control. Of course it helps also if the cameramen SUP/paddle, understand races and know what viewers want to see.
No doubt all this will happen as organisers and media work on it together to improve the coverage.
One last thing that would add tons of value both to the event and the sponsors, would be to focus also on the various personalities, friendly rivalry and the gorgeous/ talented women in the race.
This style of racing has a brilliant future ahead of it.
I think you're right Rambo, it never ceases to amaze me that Battle of the Paddle treats the video coverage with such disregard. If they had a clue, they would start with camera placements and then design the course around the angles of view, and in particular, the transition area and finish line, rather than prioritise spectators on the beach. And amateur videographers would be barred from blocking the view, security would move them on.
The first buoy turn in the final went:
1st: Kody Kerbox
2nd: Kai Lenny
3rd: Jamie Mitchell
Danny had a shocker of a start, which he talks about in this clip.
He probably had a little bit of luck in the final but he was on fire all weekend and was definitely the guy to beat. He made a big statement in the first heat by seemingly not holding back (and winning by a mile). Plus his effort in the Distance Race on Sunday was just insane - two and a half minutes ahead of the 2nd place 14 footer (and not far behind Rojas on his unlimited).
At the 2.54 mark we can see something nobody really talked about.
Somebody on the wave is riding an inflatable board!!!
Gaetan Sene finished 12th of his heat and in 30th position of the main race overall on an inflatable starboard!!
That is less than 3 mn behind Beau
Gaetan you are my hero!!
When everybody is whinging about shapes and being on an inferior board....he just went there and did it!!
Why change the format it works
It would be way less interesting if only 20 or so paddlers where in it.
