目次
On Saturday, October 15th and Sunday, October 16th, the All Japan SUP Championships were held under clear autumn skies at Yunokori Beach in Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
The spread of the coronavirus occurred just after the 2019 tournament, and this year's All Japan Championships, postponed for two years, was more highly anticipated than usual.
In the elite class, 43 men and 8 women participated in both the 14.0ft and 12.6ft classes.
Team KOKUA will be represented by Nariakira Shimazu, who carries the hopes of his hometown, Minamata, where the event was held, as well as 17-year-old Yu Tachibana, who joined Team KOKUA in July, Kenny Kaneko, and Natsumi Baba.
For Shimazu Shigeaki and Tachibana Yu, this was a warm-up for the ISA World Championships, which was held in Puerto Rico immediately after the All Japan Championships.
[Day 1: Distance]
On the first day, the distance was about 14km.
Starting on the water, the racers made a large lap around the island, stopping off at Yunoko Beach, which appears and disappears with the tide, before heading back out to Shiranui Sea. After passing Cape Wadamisaki, the Minamata River came into view. The racers then went upstream along the Minamata River, turned around, and then followed the same course back to the beach, making for a varied course for a distance race. As the racers could be seen from the shore, spectators could easily watch, and the cheers of support never ceased at each point.
Up, side, down, flat, choppy, from ocean to river.
The conditions changed with each leg, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete, and the differences in course selection and attacking positions made a difference. Physical strength, tactics, and technique - all elements were required to win.
Although he was unable to win the fierce battle for third place in the men's competition, Shimazu Shigeaki's paddling was impressive as he hung on to the top players despite the pressure of being in his home country and competing in the All Japan Championships for the first time.
Tachibana Yuu rowed steadily on any surface, keeping up with the third-place runner and finishing in fourth place.
Natsumi Baba was in a one-on-one battle with the top athlete, and in the final leg she was in a dead heat, but was unable to close the slight gap and finished in second place.
[Day 2: Technical]
On the second day, the technical course was about 1.7km long. It went around Yunokojima Park and ran on the sandy beach that appeared when the tide went out. The course took advantage of the terrain, and although the angle of the buoy turn was shallow, just like the distance course, the difference in conditions was apparent even in the short leg.
The men's race consisted of two heats, with the top 10 advancing to the finals. The qualifying round consisted of one lap, and the finals consisted of two laps. The women's race consisted of only the finals, which were a one-shot contest.
Ninoshima Island, which extends from Yunokojima Park, has a promenade along the edge of the island, allowing spectators to follow the athletes. The Yunokojima Kangetsu Bridge, which spans the park, also offers a view of the returning athletes from directly above, allowing the cheers of support to reach the athletes' ears at all times.
The men's competition was exciting from the qualifying heats onwards, with it being unclear until the very end who would advance from the qualifying heats to the finals.
The final saw even more changes in the rankings, making it an exciting event to watch.
The battle for third place was intense in the technical section, just like in the distance section. On the first lap, Shigeaki Shimazu was ahead, but on the second lap, Kenny Kaneko held off and won the battle for third place. He truly showed off his veteran technique and racing skills.
In the women's competition, both Tachibana Yu and Baba Natsumi got off to a smooth start and got off to a good start.
Baba Natsumi rounded the first mark in first place, but the positions changed during the subsequent buoy turn, and she was unable to close the gap after the turn, finishing in second place. Tachibana Yuu kept a cool head and finished in third place, maintaining a distance from the fourth-place rower.
Although Team KOKUA did not win in all events, they were able to demonstrate their true potential.
Below is the player report:
[Nariakira Shimazu]
Result:
[Distance] 4th place
[ Technical ] 4th place
[Distance]
“I fell in the water at the start and started in the 20th place.
In the early stages, the wind gradually picked up, and there was backwash in the small swells. The board picked up the backwash well, allowing me to easily catch up with the leading group and finish in 4th place. The board's ability to pick up the swell so well helped me out at a crucial moment."[Technical]
"The conditions were mostly flat. I used the classic Skinny paddle.
I chose this paddle because it has a good catching sensation, is light due to the skinny shaft, allows me to feel a strong grip on the water even when increasing my pace while paddling, and is less likely to cause lactic acid to build up.
Thanks to that, I was able to paddle with the leading group in the early stages, and by making good use of the smooth performance of the board, I was able to finish in 4th place.
[ Yu Tachibana]
Result:
[Distance] 4th place
[ Technical ] 3rd place
"In the long distance race on the first day, I got off to a slow start and spent the first 4km chasing the runner in front of me. I caught up with the runner in third place on the downwind stretch from the third buoy to the fourth buoy, and from there we drafted each other, and I still had plenty of energy left. However, I was left behind on the upwind stretch from the fourth buoy to the third buoy, and I ended up finishing in fourth place.
On the second day, in the technical section, I was able to row in a good position on the first lap, but on the second lap it became physically tough and the riders behind me gradually caught up, but I managed to escape and finish in third place.
At this All Japan Championships, I was able to identify my weaknesses and weaknesses in rowing, both in long distance and technical events.
It also made the gap between me and the top runners clear, so it was a good race that will help me in the future."
Natsumi Baba
Result:
[Distance] 2nd place
[ Technical ] 2nd place
"In the distance race, I kept an eye on my opponents, but decided to make my move in the second half. From the start, I maintained a position where I could draft, and on the river legs I tried to set my own pace and catch up on the final leg, but I struggled with the choppy water on the side and ended up in second place. In the technical race, I got off to a good start and was in the lead until the first and second marks, but I gave up the inside at the second mark and couldn't close the gap after the turn, so I came in second. I realized that I needed to hone my technique and racing instincts in order to close the small gap to the leader. I had been practicing hard with this All Japan Championship in mind, so the result was disappointing, but I have a good feeling for next year. I changed my board to a 22.5 width and my paddle to an HA Skinny in the second half of this season. My speed increased dramatically, and the stable ride helped me on any sea surface. I also didn't tire out until the second half of the race, and I was able to pick up the pace when it mattered and row with great force."
Kenny Kaneko
Result:
[Distance] 5th place
[ Technical ] 3rd place
"The main event was a fantastic, high-level race. I did my best given my current situation, but the level of the top two young riders was extremely high and I just couldn't compete. I feel that the SUP racing scene in Japan will become very exciting over the next few years. I would like to spend a little more time training and racing next year and see how I can compete with the next generation of paddlers. (Quoted from Kaneko Kenny's Instagram)"
Almost all of the podium finishers at this tournament are teenagers, already active on the world stage and winning titles, and young athletes are increasingly making inroads in the top ranks.
Team KOKUA put up a great fight at the All Japan Championships, the highest level race of the season.
Junior riders are also taking on the world stage and already have the ability to compete on equal terms with overseas riders.
With Japanese athletes now becoming top-ranked in world championships, the potential for these two young junior paddlers is limitless.
In true their own way, they will no doubt lead the SUP racing scene in the future. We can't take our eyes off their future success.
Kaneko Kenny and Baba Natsumi are now in the middle generation of the elite class, but they still want to continue to set an example for the younger generation.
What kind of spectacle will they show us at next year's All Japan Championships?
I'm sure it will be an even more spectacular view.
