The inaugural COREBAN GREAT MELBOURNE PADDLE stand up paddle (SUP) race has been run and won by Torquay's Matt Lumley at Green Point, Brighton Beach earlier this month.

The race, dubbed "Legends of the Bay"?, was run in light winds and mostly flatwater conditions on a 2x4km circuit course. "Lummers"? bounced back from a long winter lay off due to injury to win the 8km race in a blistering time of 52 mins 9 sec. This follows on the heels of his commendable second placing in the SUP surf competition at the Corona Classic Merimbula just one week earlier.

Lummers finished the race strongly on his Naish Javelin, leading home Andrew Hocking (Starboard K15) by a margin of just 21 seconds. Peter Wilson (SIC F18) came in third, 2 minutes further back, followed closely by Warwick Lee (Starboard K15).

Lummers' victory was aided by an error made by pre-race favourites, Cam Hosking and Woogie Marsh, who both missed a marker buoy on the first lap of the course, leading to their disqualification. But if anyone was due some good fortune, it is most certainly Lummers, given his run of injuries and related health complications, which saw him hospitalized for an extended period earlier this year.

45 paddlers took to the water, split more or less evenly between men and women. With a winner-take-all cash prize of $500 up for grabs in both SUP and racing mal divisions, a single prone paddler, Ben Owinsky, braved the elements to join Lummers on the podium. However Lummers had to overcome a 6 minute handicap start given to all entrants of the women's division. This proved to be inadequate, as the leading men overtook the women within the first lap.

Nevertheless, the women continued on with their own class battle. The all-conquering Rea Haare (Naish Glide 14') appeared to be in control of the race after the first lap, but was surprisingly overtaken in the run home by the fast finishing Lynda Lim on a Lahui Kai board. The battle for third was an absolute nail biter, as newcomer Jean Ringrose Coyne (Naish Glide 14') held off teenager Kristi Page (C4 Vortice 14') by a mere second. Kristi was also the second placed Junior, edged out by a strong performance from Taylor Jenkins on a Naish Glide 14'.

Following the main event, a 2km Social Paddle Race attracted a further 35 entrants. With an emphasis upon fun and with the aim to encourage people who had never raced before, the field included children as young as 6 years old. Bragging rights at the end of the race were claimed by Simon Baum, who had commendably backed up from his 5th placing in the 8km race just half an hour earlier. Among the women, Lisa Danne finished strongest, recovering from an untimely mid race spill to take the honours. Taylor Jenkins was the first junior home, completing a clean sweep of both races for the 17 year old.

Aside from the major cash prize, which was made possible courtesy of Coreban and the Sandringham Community Bank Branch "? Bendigo Bank, many other lucky draw prizes were donated by the likes of SHQ Boardsports, RPS "? the Board Store, Stand Up Paddle StKilda, Mike Fry SUP, O'Neill Wetsuits, Quick Blade paddles, Balin, Island Tribe Sun Protection, Global Surf Industries, Starboard, Dakine, Trident, FCS, Flying Objects, Kialoa, Fernwood Fitness and Surf Tech.

But without a doubt, the most mouth-watering prize of the day was the Coreban Fusion Wood SUP board and paddle, valued at over $2,200. The lucky winner was Tony Lewis, who paddled in the 2km race as a fairly recent convert to SUP. Tony is very eager to try out this Coreban bad boy in the east coast surf. Congratulations Tony.

The Great Melbourne Paddle is intended as an annual event, opening the summer season of stand up paddle races on Port Phillip Bay. SUP VIC plans to bookend the season with a weekend surf carnival at the end of summer. Details will be announced as they become available.

supvic.com