It’s been a packed September month full of action. From extreme racing in the canals of Holland during the 11-City-Tour to the windy KIA Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup, to the spectacular Battle of the Paddle California to the high performance SUP Surf World Tour at Huntington Beach California – I have been on the road non-stop for nearly a month enjoying competitions and good times with people from all over the world. Now it finally seems, that things are slowing down so I can catch my breath and relax. 
Paddling with the World's best in Holland
In Holland for the 11-City-Tour we paddled a distance of 220 km over 5 days, which is equivalent to a marathon a day. I was very nervous at the start of the race, but as we started covering distance I figured that I could keep up with the leaders of the field. It was a very scenic tour, but the weather conditions were harsh and played against us most of the way making it difficult for all paddlers! After 3rd stage I was in 4th place looking to catch legendary Aussie paddler Paul Jackson who was over 1 minute ahead of me in the time-rankings. I felt strong on the 4th and 5th day and took two consecutive stage wins, which came as a surprise to everyone and not least myself ! I was super stoked to finish in 3rd place overall beating paddlers who have been and still are my heroes !
Finished after a good day of paddling in Holland
After Holland I returned home to Klitmøller, just in time to compete in the KIA @ Cold Hawaii Community SUP contest. The waves were really fun for the competition and I had some good heats at my local surf break. I made the finals and once again I was completely surprised. In the final I beat Brazillian champion and World class SUP surfer Kauli Seadi!! It felt so unreal to overcome such a solid competitor like Kauli right at home in front of all my friends. Definitely an unforgettable day
Fun familiar waves gave me the extra boost to take on Kauli and secure 1st place
Hardly did the excitement of winning vapor before I hit the road again. Destination California, objectives being the Battle of the Paddle and the SUP Surf World Tour. First up was the Battle of the Paddle, which is by far the biggest SUP race event in the world! This was my first “Battle” and again I did not expect too much, but ended up getting some very good results.
A 2nd place on the Long Distance in my age group, a 2nd place with my Naish relay team and a 15th place in the Elite Race, which determines the very best paddlers in the world. I learned so much about racing during this event as well as meeting nice people from every corner of the globe.
The BoP; a truely spectacular and fun race both with and against the waves
From the BoP in Dana Point I shot North up to Huntington Beach. Here I teamed up with my Naish teammate Kody Kerbox and prepared for the World Tour SUP surf event. We scored some great waves both before, during and after the contest. Huntington is known as “Surf City USA” and the lineups sure were packed with all kinds of surfers!
I made it to the 3rd round in the main event falling short to Tahiti’s Patu L. and Maui phenomenon Slater Trout. I feel that I could have surfed better, but at least now I know what to improve on for the next event. Thanks Martin and Kai !
World Champion and Naish team-mate Kai Lenny took 4th place at Huntington and solidified his campaign for becoming 2011 SUP World Champion
Now I am heading North again. This time not for a contest, but just a week of chilling out with some good friends and family. Hopefully we will score some big waves on the Lost Coast. Stay tuned to find out 
- Casper
