CANMORE – A four-peat champion and caped crusader were top dogs at Sunday’s (July 14) 2019 KCPO SUP Cup in Canmore.
The annual stand up paddleboard race got underway at Quarry Lake and competitors did their best to balance and navigate the “W” shaped, 2,000-metre course.
SUP Cup at #Canmore’s Quarry Lake. pic.twitter.com/24rWytsFwn
— Jordan Small (@jordiesmall) July 14, 2019
With a superhero look, wearing a shiny turquoise cape around his neck, Calgary’s Chris Prince crossed the finish line in first at a time of 13:08.
“I’d say wearing a cape really helped me get home,” Prince said. “I'd just like to say that everything’s better in a cape … this event is about fun, not necessarily the winner of the race, so I just want to bring a bit of the enjoyment to it, too.”
He said the course was challenging, especially making clean turns on the lake.
Finishing second was Penhold’s Robb Hobbs and in third was Edmonton’s Jared Hewko.
The top local was Brandon Olsthoorn, finishing fourth overall.
Jolena Hove, from Gunn, Alberta, finished first in the women’s category at a time of 14:10.1. It was Hove’s fourth consecutive victory at the Canmore SUP Cup and she said the competitive edge has increased in the race.
“The pressure is on because it’s becoming a very popular sport and the ladies are getting closer and closer to me every year,” Hove said, owner of Paddle Culture. “Hopefully next year I can make it five years in a row and I love coming out here.”
For a full list of results, visit Zone 4.
For more, please see the July 18 edition of the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
