Weather Conditions and NC's April Zilg Dominate 10th Carolina Cup

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C., Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ranked second in the world in women's standup paddleboard, North Carolina's April Zilg overcame punishing weather conditions and captured both the Graveyard Race and APP Sprint titles in the 2021 Carolina Cup.

"It feels absolutely amazing, like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders," said Zilg. "Ten years ago, I didn't even finish the race. So, I vowed to stick with something until I could master it. This is the tenth anniversary of that race. It's an amazing feeling to stay focused and see it through."

California's Danny Ching picked up his fourth Graveyard crown in the men's division after a string of victories in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Ching won the race by more than two minutes, with racers facing brutal 30-40-mph headwinds on the final stretch.

Connor Baxter of Hawaii navigated the weekend's 4-10-ft. seas and gale-force winds, followed by a 50-yard dash to the finish line versus Denmark's Christian Anderson, to snag the men's ocean sprint title.

After the final race, the weekend's Deep Atlantic low weather system continued to move farther out to sea, revealing a bit of blue sky with slowly improving wind and sea conditions to come.

The Carolina Cup will be the only official Association of Paddlesurf Professionals event in the world in 2021. The "Cup" featured seven races, accommodating skill sets from beginners to pros, all based at Blockade Runner Resort in Wrightsville Beach.

More race results:

The Graveyard Race (distance race for elite and professional)
Male Division Winners:
1. Danny Ching, CA, USA
2. Titouan Puyo, New Caledonia
3. Tommy Buday, Canada
4. Shuri Araki, Japan
5. Connor Baxter, Maui, HI
6. Itzel Delgado, Peru
7. Daniel Hasulyo, Hungary
8. Kaelan Lockhard, Australia
9. Tyler Bashor, CA, USA
10. Arthur Arutkin, France

Female Division Winners:
1. April Zilg, NC, USA
2. Kimberly Barnes, FL, USA
3. Okuaki Rika, Japan
4. Juliette DuHaime, Argentina
5. Kattie Carpenter, Grand Rapids, MI
6. Wendy Tillett, Quebec, Canada

APP Ocean Sprints (sprint race for elite and professional)

Male Division Winners:
1. Connor Baxter, Maui, Hawaii
2. Christian Anderson, Denmark
3. Arthur Arutkin, France
4. Casper Steinfath, Denmark
5. Josh Riccio, Maui, Hawaii
6. Shuri Araki, Japan
7. Itzel Delgado, Peru
8. Rai Taguchi, Japan

Female Division Winners:
1. April Zilg, Lake Hyco, NC
2. Rika Okuaki, Japan
3. Giannisa Vecco, Peru
4. Juliette DuHaime, Argentina
5. Caroline Kuntzel, Denmark

Money Island SUP 14'

Male Overall Winners:
1. Steve Phillips, Wilmington, NC
2. James Nickerson, Lender, TX
3. Austin Winkler, Charleston, SC

Female Overall Winners:
1. Jenna Blackburn, Wilmington, NC
2. Kristin Thomas, Laguna Beach, CA
3. Stella Gan, Canada

Harbor Island SUP 14'

Male Overall Winners
1. Jeff Berry, Rochester, NY
2. Steve Johnston, Wilmington, NC
3. Don Finn, Walls, NJ

Female Overall Winners
1. Rachel Cantore, Bluffton, SC
2. Karin Helfmann, Atlanta, GA
3. Brittany Carey, Annapolis, MD

Six-person Outrigger Canoe

Male OC-6 Team
1. Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club  
2. National Capitol Area Outrigger Canoe Club, Washington, DC
3. Charlotte Outrigger Canoe Club, NC
4. National Capitol Area Outrigger Canoe Club, Washington, DC

Female/Male OC-6 Team  
1. Kent Island Ocean Canoe Club, Chester, MD
2. Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club, Wrightsville Beach, NC
3. Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club, Wrightsville Beach, NC
4. National Capitol Area Outrigger Canoe Club, Washington, DC

The APP is recognized and sanctioned as the official world championship tour for standup paddling by the International Olympic Committee's Federation for Surfing Sports and the International Surfing Association.

The 2021 Carolina Cup was organized by the Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club and presented by Kona Brewing Company.

Click here for Carolina Cup Race Results 

APP Review Day #1 Carolina Cup

APP Review Day #2 Carolina Cup

Media Contact:
Mark Schmidt
Race Director
Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club
P: 910-620-6914
E: [email protected]

Holly Mawdsley
Director of Communications
APP World Tour / Waterman League
P: +44 7580 779 536
E: [email protected] 

Robert B. Butler
North Carolina Press Release
www.NCPressRelease.org
www.RBButler.com

SOURCE Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club