Stand Up Paddle Company, Laguna Beach

In the tradition of the SURFER magazine SURFER Poll Awards, sister publication SUP magazine is set to host the inaugural SUP Awards to honor the best of the stand-up paddling (SUP) industry. The event is set for September 22 at the historic Casino San Clemente and plenty of local athletes are in the running to be recognized.

Online voting via the SUP magazine website ran from July 1 through September 1 asking readers to rank the world’s top three male and top three female athletes, the top movie, expedition and philanthropic endeavor of the year. 

The awards will also name a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for a legend of the sport who played a pivotal role in reinvigorating SUP. 

Local surfers nominated among the best male SUP athletes are Dave Boehne, Chuck Patterson and Tommy Lloy of Dana Point and from San Clemente, Colin McPhillips and Rob Rojas. San Clemente’s Candice Appleby, Brandi Baksic and Terri Plunkett are vying for a spot in among the world’s top three female paddlers.

“Just being nominated among the world’s best is an honor. Win or lose, it’s a big pat on the back,” said McPhillips, a three-time world champion pro longboarder. “SUP is about the most fun you can have on the water—walking on water, getting waves. It’s one of the most invigorating and refreshing sports you can be doing in the water. I love it.” 

Boehne agrees wholeheartedly, adding that due to the rapid growth of SUP in the last few years, it must have been difficult to narrow the list down to the chosen few.

“It’s really amazing because there are so many worthy athletes who also deserve to be on this list. I can think of about 50 right off the top of my head. So to be among the nominees is just mind blowing,” said Boehne. “With so many good guys out there, it really is a pretty amazing honor. It’s neat to be a part of something like this—to see SUP get its own version of the SURFER Poll Awards.

The SUP Awards have been strategically scheduled to premier two days prior to one of the SUP’s most prestigious competitions, the Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle.

For more information and to see profiles of the nominated athletes, video trailers of the movies and expeditions and information about the SUP-related philanthropic efforts, log on to www.supthemag.com/2011-sup-awards and click on “vote.”