SUP The Creek 2024

Now in its ninth year, SUP The Creek in Devon is a well-established, great SUP race, attracting competitors from all over the country and abroad

By Crispin Jones (Owner of Waterborn)
Photos by Sarah Thornely (SUPJunkie)

Now in its ninth year, SUP The Creek in Devon is a well-established, great SUP race, attracting competitors from all over the country and abroad, which typically bookends the UK race scene. We caught up with Crispin to find out how this year went.

This year’s two-day event started at South Sands in Salcombe on Saturday, 26th October, with a tech race involving competitors taking on beach runs, buoy turns, tide, waves, and swell, as well as a stacked fleet of paddlers. Starting on the beach at the water’s edge, awaiting the legendary ‘Duck Horn’ to commence the race, the competitors charged out seaward for the first race turn before proceeding around the rest of the course, which could be double-checked on their competitors’ tea towels.

Conditions were challenging with choppy, confused water from the wind and swell driven in from Friday’s fading low-pressure system. Although some people took a dip in the sea, everyone was drenched in glorious October sunshine, and spirits were high. Thankfully, the sand ‘Bar’ was producing some waves, which competent competitors soon used to their advantage, but those less used to waves could skirt around the breaking waves to continue the course towards Sunny Cove, then in towards North Sands, then back to complete their first lap in South Sands. Competitors run with their boards up the beach through the gated area and back out for laps two and three before finishing between the flags.  

During the first lap, our comms with the safety cover from Coast to Coast Water Safety soon had a few people needing escorting back to shore, which further cemented why I chose to work alongside this very professional team. Conditions were undoubtedly challenging, and huge credit goes to everyone who got out on the water and gave it their all; I witnessed plenty of grit and determination but, above all, lots of smiles. Once ashore, when the race had finished, everyone felt a huge sense of achievement. In the 14’ category, Paul Simmons, Zoltan Erdelyi and Dave took to the Men’s 14’ podium. Annabel Page, Holly Pye and Marie Buchanan took the women’s podiums. 

I hope that we have more Tech races across the UK that focus on a technical challenge. This will help raise the standard of our sport and help us understand and paddle safely on the sea.

Distance races
Sunday saw competitors take on an entirely different challenge with the distance races. Conditions were perfect, with light winds, clear blue skies and sunshine rivalling any ‘summer’ day! Kingsbridge was putting on a show with a classic car rally and car boot sale setting up to make the most of the fantastic forecast and our armada of SUPs on the water; there was plenty for the half-term visitors and locals alike to see in our beautiful town. With a 1km / 6km / 12km and even a 3km (prone only) course, all abilities had something to enjoy and challenge themselves with over the weekend. The fleets set off towards the town for the first race marker, which becomes somewhat of a spectacle to behold for those watching as fleet after fleet descends on the upper marker before proceeding around their remaining course. 

It is encouraging to see more first-time event paddlers taking on SUP The Creek either in the leisure/challenge category with a more relaxed start line or for the first time in the Race Fleet. There were some great performances across the board, but in the 12km 14’ category, Paul Simmons, Mark Salter and Denzil Williams podiumed for the Men’s and mirroring their Tech race, Annabel Page, Holly Pye and Marie Buchanan climbed the steps again for the Women. Before any of the other fleets had finished, though, the Juniors well and truly beat them off the 1km course and finished well ahead of the others.  We are proud to see a growing number of juniors enter.

Waterborn Club locals George Stone and Fleur Everitt took the overall wins for the 1km in the boys and girls 10-14 fleet, and Darcy England finished first overall and first in the 15-17 age category. 

As a race director, it was so welcoming having the weather on my side for once, and the joy on everyone’s faces always makes the countless hours across the year worthwhile. A big thank you to our fantastic sponsors who help showcase our brilliant businesses in the area. A massive shoutout to everyone who helped volunteer over the weekend to help it run smoothly; it really couldn’t go ahead without you all; a huge thank you to Sarah Thornely for stepping in at the last minute and covering our photography. And the biggest thank you to everyone who came down (or up, Cornwall lot) to paddle on our beautiful estuary and share in the stoke of SUP over the weekend.

We hope to see more encouraged to try next year for our 10th anniversary of SUP The Creek. 

See you on the water!