North Freo SUP titles shift to Margaret River for the first time

Margaret River will host the State’s premier stand-up surfing event for the first time this weekend. Kicking off on Friday, local paddlers will be joined by a host of WA’s best competitors at Surfers Point. The 2022 North Freo Stand-Up WA State Championships run for three days in potentially challenging conditions. It will be the first time the State Titles will be held in Margaret River since the sport’s inclusion as one of Surfing Australia’s official boardriding codes. Those competing — including luminaries such as Gracetown’s Rick and Jake Jakovich — have their sights set on the 2022 Australian SUP Titles on Phillip Island in October. Southside’s break will be the main event location, with the reef break handling a wide range of conditions. “There’s a lot of excitement around hosting a SUP event in the South West,” Surfing WA events manager Justin Majeks said. “Despite some wind, we’re definitely looking forward to the WA SUP Titles touching down at such an iconic location later this week.” Mr Majeks said WA produced some of the best SUP riders in the country, with multiple national champions and experienced watermen and women preparing to compete. The weather was expected to be a major factor, potentially favouring locals accustomed to fierce conditions. Competition was set to get underway under sunny skies on Friday, with a building swell and strong south-east winds forecast for the weekend. The three-day competition features a double-elimination format and Surfing WA will stream live heat scores and results via www.surfingwalive.com.au.