Stand Up World Series Sprint Racing highlights video.

Kai Lenny takes the win in the sprints and the Overall at the All Stars World Series

The World Series Sprint Racing provided some of the most dramatic competitive Stand Up Paddle Racing yet on the Stand Up World Series, as the World’s best battled it out at the all new Yas Marina SUP Circuit for the final component of the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam.Coming into Day 2, Connor Baxter (Starboard) was sitting on top of the world, having convincingly won the first stop of the Stand Up World Series in Brazil, and then the Opening day of stop number 2 here in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, coming off a disappointing result in Brazil, Kai Lenny (Naish) battled Connor to the bitter end on the 1st day of the Abu Dhabi All Stars, having to settle for 2nd, but on the second day of action, looked calm, collected and ready for business.

Intense racing on Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi All Stars sees Kai Lenny come out on top

As the rounds progressed in the unique World Series Sprint Racing format, Kai Lenny (Naish) was looking strong, dominating each of his heats to make it all the way to the Final, inclusive of a stacked semi final heat that included arch rival Connor Baxter (Starboard). Both athletes advanced, as did 4 more of the World’s best: Zane Schweitzer (Starboard), Mo Freitas (Focus SUP), Beau O’Brien (Starboard) and Jake Jensen (Fanatic).
It was a battle for the ages, as Kai Lenny managed to take the lead on the first leg, maintaining it through the remainder of the course, as the battle continued behind him for 2 through 6, giving him the well deserved win in the Sprints.
With an on form Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) finishing in 2nd and Connor Baxter (Starboard) in 3rd, this meant that Kai won not only the Sprint Racing, but the Overall World Series event Title here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam.

Connor Baxter finishes in 3rd in the sprints, having to settle for 2nd overall

Connor Baxter (Starboard) stormed to victory on Day 1 of the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam, and looked strong through Day 2 as the Rounds progressed. Conserving energy early on, Connor then stepped up his game in the stacked semi finals, earning his place in the fiercely contested Finals.
Coming strong off the start, Connor was in 3rd coming into the first buoy, and despite some surges through the next 2 legs and into the home straight, was unable to pass Kai Lenny (Naish), the eventual winner and fellow team mate, 2nd placed finisher Zane Schweitzer (Starboard).
This result meant that Connor was unable to make it two out of two, both for the event, but also the Series, has a similar story is developing on the Stand up World Series, with Kai Lenny (Naish) and Connor Baxter going blow for blow, event for event, now both holding one event win each.

Zane Schweitzer posts an exceptional result here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars World Series

Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) from Maui puts on a performance to remember here at Stop #2 of the 2014 Stand Up World Series, finishing in 3rd place in the long distance race and 2nd in the sprint racing propelling him into 3rd place overall for the event amidst the very fastest paddlers in the world.
Zane looked strong in the long distance, but even stronger in the sprint racing, with powerful starts, slick buoy turns and impressive acceleration, giving him a well deserved 2nd place in the sprints, his best result in a long while on the Stand up World Series, strengthening his overall standings on the World Series as he moves up into 3rd place overall.
The dominance of the Maui crew at this stop of the World Series was clear, with a clean sweep for Kai, Connor and Zane across long distance, sprints and overall at the 2014 Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam.
The story also remains the same for the overall World Standings, as Connor Baxter (Starboard) still leads the ratings, followed by Kai Lenny (Naish) in 2nd and Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) in 3rd – an amazing performance from these young island Champions.

Mo Freitas posting another impressive finish here on the Stand Up World Series

Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) puts on a valiant performance here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam, with a 4th place in the long distance, 5th in the sprints and 4th overall.  With a 3rd place in the Surfing here at the All Stars Grand Slam, there is no doubt that we can expect great things from this young Champion this year, showing that he is a legitimate double threat for both surfing and racing. At still just 16 years old, his career and successes have only just begun…
Stay tuned for tomorrow when we will release the All Star Champion Line up for both men and women. You can see it all right here at www.watermanleague.com

Beau O’Brien delivers a phenomenal comeback to finish in 5th place overall

Beau O’Brien (Starboard) from Australia pulls off a phenomenal come back on Day 2, to finish in 4th place in the sprints and 5th place overall for the World Series here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam.
Beau’s perseverance saw him claw back on the home straight in a couple of crucial heats, showcasing not only his paddling speed and skill, but his grit determination and stamina. There is no doubt that Beau is a major talent to watch out for in 2014.

Casper Steinfath is presented with a sportsmanship award at the All Stars

Casper Steinfath (Naish) is awarded the ‘Sportsman’ Award at the 2014 Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam, a special award recognizing an exceptional contribution and representation for the sport, the World Series and Ocean Sports athletes in general. Casper has proved himself to be a phenomenal ambassador for the sport and demonstrated an admirable attitude and approach throughout the All Stars event, from Wadi Adventure Park to Yas Marina – all the elements that we are looking at for such an award.
The last act that sealed his candidacy for this award was having completed the grueling long distance yesterday, he watched a local competitor struggling to complete the course: Casper jumped back on his board and completed the last lap with the local athlete, encouraging him to go the  whole distance and finish in style.
There is no doubt that this is the kind of attitude and approach that we at the Waterman League want to encourage and promote to the future generations and we are extremely proud to have Casper competing across both the Stand up World Tour and Series.

Lina Augaitis puts on a show at her first World Series Race in Abu Dhabi

Lina Augaitis from Canada arrived in the UAE for her first showing on the Stand Up World Series, already an acclaimed paddler, but a new face on the Series. On Day one, she came out of the gate firing all cylinders to take a comfortable win in the long distance. Meanwhile on day 2, Lina maintained her composure and powered her way through the rounds to reach the Final heat of the day. Up against current ratings leader Angie Jackson (Fanatic), France’s Olivia Piana (Fanatic) and Slovenia’s Manca Notar (Naish) amongst other high profile athletes, it was always going to be a tough battle, as the 6 finalists lined up for one last showdown here at Day 2 of the 2014 Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam.
After a tight race, Lina finished in an impressive 2nd place behind Angie Jackson (Fanatic) in the sprint racing, giving her the much deserved overall win for Stop #2 on the 2014 Stand up World Series. It is clear that Lina will be a name to watch out for as we head through the season and make history here on the Stand Up World Series.

Angie Jackson claims redemption on Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi All Stars

Angie Jackson (Fanatic) makes an impressive comeback here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam, storming to victory in the World Series Sprint Racing amidst an elite women’s fleet.
From Round 1, it was clear that Angie was looking for redemption, dominating each of her heats on her journey to the final, taking the well deserved win. Unfortunately having to withdraw from the 1st Day of competition might well make this a throw away result for Angie, as we wait to see how the remainder of the 2014 season unfolds, but certainly Angie Jackson is looking strong after the first leg of the 2014 season.

Manca Notar wraps an impressive event finishing in 2nd place overall

Manca Notar (Naish) ones again puts on a impressive performance here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars, as her racing goes from strength to strength. Despite the fact that she trains in the snow at this time of year, wearing a dry suit, she adapted unbelievably well to the heat here in Abu Dhabi.Finishing in 2nd place in the long distance, she then went onto finish in 3rd in the sprints, right behind the event winner Lina Augaitis, taking 2nd overall for the event – congratulations to this young athlete who clearly has an exciting future ahead of her here on the Stand Up World Series.

Olivia Piana stays consistent, with a 4th and a 4th putting her in 3rd overall

Finishing in 4th place in both the Long distance racing and the sprints, Olivia Piana (Fanatic) from France has been on great form here at the Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam, consistently matching up against these elite women athletes to post another strong result on the Stand Up World Series.
Olivia was the Abu Dhabi All Star back in 2013, so continues to have a good experience here in 2014, with an impressive performance in the pool as well. As we look towards the European Cup, there is no doubt that Olivia will be a major player on this year’s Stand Up World Series.

Kelsa Gabehart continues to impress at her 2nd event on the Stand Up World Series

Kelsa Gabehart was a new face on the Series this year, with a strong finish in Brazil backed up by another strong finish here in Abu Dhabi, putting her in a strong position in the overall rankings after two events, but also placing her in 4th place overall for the Abu Dhabi All Stars, with her 3rd place finish in the Long distance and 5th in the sprints.
A great performance from this US athlete, who is looking strong as we look ahead to the US Stops on the Series and to see how the remainder of the year will unfold.

The Abu Dhabi All Stars Grand Slam makes history once again at every level

There were phenomenal performances across the board here at the 2014 Abu Dhabi All Stars, as the leading edge of Stand Up Paddling at its very best was showcased in all its forms. We witnessed the performance go through the roof in the controlled environment that the Wadi Adventure Wave pool provided, and then world class racing at its very best amidst a location that is steeped in Motor Racing history and prestige. We then embraced the paddling community in Abu Dhabi through the open racing today at Yas Marina, and then tomorrow with the Na Kama Kai Youth Clinic and Fun Team Relay Racing to take place at the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club.
This year saw a vast increase in Emirati participation, as we celebrated their involvement in the incredible sport of Stand Up Paddling, as well as a larger and even more competitive field of resident paddlers here in the UAE.
We would like to sincerely thank his Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club, ESSA (the organization for SUP and Surfing here in the UAE), Yas Marina, Yas Island, Wadi Adventure Park and Emirates Airlines. We very much look forward to an even bigger and better Abu Dhabi All Stars for next year, as we grow this event significantly looking ahead to 2015 and beyond.
Stay tuned for the release of the Abu Dhabi All Star Leaderboard and Champions coming to you following the Official prize-giving and closing Party at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club tomorrow. You can catch the highlights, recaps, galleries and much more by going to www.watermanleague.com