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The Harima-Nada Cup, held on May 22nd, is a heartwarming race that many paddlers in western Japan look forward to every year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be postponed for two years.
It was a huge event with about 150 paddlers participating, from kids to seniors, mainly from the Kansai area.
From Team KOKUA, riders Sho Kikukawa, Tomoatsu Sugiyama, Kenny Kaneko, and Natsumi Baba participated.
As the sun rose higher, the onshore wind became stronger and the mirror-like surface of the sea began to become choppy.
This course involves three laps around rectangular marks, totaling 6km. All marks are rounded clockwise, making it a technical course that many paddlers find difficult.
Up to the first mark, there was an upwind, but the offshore side leg to the second mark tested our ability to cope with crosswinds and side swells. Then, to the third mark, there was a downleg. Winning or losing depended on whether we could catch the swell or not. The fourth mark was again a sidewind.
Below are the reports for each.
KOKUA RiderShoki Kikukawa
M's 6km Raceboard class under 14.0ft
3rd place (0h 38m 15s)
Board: KOKUA FLY PRO 22.5
Paddle: KK HIGH ASPECT
"The shallow terrain made it difficult to get off, and although I got on the board once, I ended up losing time, but I managed to make a comeback on the upwind. I was able to get a feel for the FLY PRO 22.5, which I was riding for the first time on the downwind and sidewind legs. I made a move on the second lap and made it to second place, but on the downwind leg of the third lap I couldn't take advantage of the swell well and finished third . This was my first time using the FLY PRO in a race, so I used the 22.5 , but once I got into it, I felt the 21 would have been sufficient."
KOKUA Rider Tomoatsu Sugiyama
M's 6km Raceboard class under 14.0ft
2nd place (0h 38m 07s)
Paddle: KK CLASSIC Regular
"On the up-leg, where it's hard to make a difference from the start, I just let it flow and rowed while watching the other rowers' movements. On the down-leg, I was conscious of not missing out on the swell and getting left behind. I was running side by side with the leader (Kaneko Kenny) in the middle, and was looking for a good opportunity to make a move towards the second half, but I had an accident where I fell into the water and got tangled up in seaweed, so I ended up in second place. Although I fell into the water, I was in good shape on the side and down-leg that day and was able to come back from the battle for second to fourth place. I wanted to fight for the lead together until the end.The KK CLASSIC Regular I used grips the water firmly, making it easy to dash when you want to break free. It also drains the water smoothly at the finish, making it easy to transition to the next paddle. It has no quirks, making it the perfect paddle for mastering the basic strokes.
Baba Natsumi
W's 6km Raceboard class under 14.0ft
1st place (0h 43m 01s)
Board: KOKUA FLY PRO 21
Paddle: KK HIGH ASPECT
Fin: KK WIZARD
"This time I used a FLY PRO 21. I usually paddle a FLY PRO 24, so I was a little concerned about my balance on the side legs, but the uplegs and downlegs were no problem and I actually had a nice gliding motion. In races where both men and women start at the same time, the women inevitably have to paddle for a while through rough waters caused by undertow, but the V-shaped bottom keeps the boat from tipping to the left or right, so it was able to handle choppy waters, crosswinds and side swells. Since the race was held in my home prefecture of Hyogo, I was able to paddle in a relaxed and enjoyable manner."
M's 6km Raceboard class Kenny Kaneko won the under 14.0ft event (0h 37s 39m).
At this tournament, Team KOKUA made it onto the podium in both the men's and women's categories.
The number of SUP enthusiasts is growing nationwide, and the number of participants in SUP races is also on the rise, but the Kansai region seems to be particularly hot for SUP racing. The calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea make it an ideal place to hold races.
If more races are held in the Kansai region in the future, the SUP scene will surely become even more exciting. We have high hopes for the success of KOKUA riders from Western Japan.
