Redbull Heavy Water 2017:
The most intense SUP event in the world
- By Lauren Barley
The Red Bull Heavy Water Event was held on Friday 20th October, living up to it’s name with a 10-15ft swell taking on the worlds best male SUP paddlers over a 12km open ocean course, from Ocean Beach to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The conditions were brutal this year, with competitors saying it was the most challenging course to date. The huge swell, cold water, poor visibility and low hanging fog definitely set the mood of the event.
Amongst competitors this year for the first time ever was Australian SUP Paddler; Michael Booth, who took out 5th place, saying the event was “totally incredible!”
Booth decided to cancel his trip home to W.A after winning the Japan Cup and spontaneously deciding last minute to head back to San Francisco where he was weeks prior, to try something a little different.
“The Heavy Water Event was by far one of the most unbelievable races I have ever competed in. It was a combination of adrenaline, excitement, apprehension and channelling my surf skills… as well as hoping for a bit of luck to be on my side”.
With Ocean Beach defeating some of the world’s best paddlers, Booth said he was stoked to finish the race, let alone come away with a top 5 finish.
The format consisted of a ‘W shape’, two laps of battling in and out of a heavy and vicious shore break.
Describing the race as a “gloomy, big, brutal mission”, Michael said he lost count of the amount of beatings he took over the 1.5-hour race.
Booth described the first lap as a bit of a gamble, taking risks early on and familiarising himself with the conditions, getting a sense for the temperamental Mother Nature he was rivalling with.
“I tried to really relax and enjoy it, not necessarily approaching it as a race, but more as a mission that I wanted to accomplish, facing some of the biggest waves I have ever seen, with sets up to 20ft”.
Michael said at no point during the race did he know where he was across the field, explaining that the race was very much a one man for himself event.
“I was absolutely exhausted during the race, fatigue kicked in very early and I really just had to tell myself to power on”.
In the second lap of the course, Booth said he was faced with the “biggest wave he has ever seen”, breaking just five metres in front of him, bailing on his board and managing to snap what was supposed to be an ‘unbreakable strap’.
“I got absolutely pounded, taking one of the heaviest two wave hold downs of my life”.
Michael said the Heavy Water Event was the most physically and mentally challenging events he has ever competed in, saying, “it didn’t feel like a competition, but more like a survival of the fittest”.
Despite all of this, Booth said he would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
“I have never felt such a sense of accomplishment for just finishing a race, it was unquestionably the most intense, but rewarding experience of my life and I am already excited to do it all over again next year”.
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