The first ever Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Festival at Emirates Palace takes place on Friday March 21, and organisers Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddlers are encouraging everyone to make their way to the iconic location in the UAE capital where fun activities and races will be on the agenda.
SUP basically involves a large wide surfboard used to ride by standing on it and then using a paddle to move yourself around.
A variety of races for all ages will take place during the course of the day at the beach which includes 1km (adults, juniors and kids), 3km (adults and juniors) and 6km (adults).
There will also be a mini SUP triathlon which consists of a 200m swim, 500m beach run and a 500m paddle. The final race of the day will be the 200m sprint race where paddlers will battle it out in a knock out format to be crowned the fastest paddler in each category.
For those interested in taking part in the race, you don’t have much time as registration for the races closes tomorrow (Monday March 17). Registration must be done by visiting www.premieronline.com.
Entry fees are Dh200 for adults, Dh100 for juniors (13 to 16), and Dh100 for kids (12 and under). You can enter as many races as you wish and each participant must sign a form to ensure they can swim.
Prizes will be awarded for the top three finishers and a raffle draw will also take place with all proceeds going for World Water Day, which is on March 22. Each participant will receive a race T-shirt, a lunch meal and a BBQ dinner ticket.
The BBQ takes place after the races at the Emirates Palace Marina where the day will be finished with the awards ceremony and a SUP movie on a big screen underneath the lights of the palace.
And if you’re not keen on doing SUP, then organisers are giving free entry to spectators – which gives you the perfect opportunity to cheer the participants and hopefully be convinced to take part in future events.
In fact, spectators will even have the chance to try their hand at SUP as a number of sponsors will be providing free demonstrations.
And if spectactors want to stay for the BBQ, then tickets are available for Dh75. Jen Scully of Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddlers said it promises to be a day of great entertainment.
“It will be a really exciting atmosphere and a fun day out for families,” said Scully. “SUP is a fun activity and a great sport to be involved in. It’s the fastest growing water sport in the world and the thrill is so great. It’s a great family activity and the sport has its health benefits physically and mentally. Overall it’s just fun.”
What: Emirates Palace SUP Festival
When: Friday, March 21
Where: Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
Contact: For registration and more information visit www.premieronline.com
