2021 Carolina Pro-Am Presented by Salt Life & Infinity Surf
Salt Life and Infinity Surf proudly announces the Carolina Pro-Am to be held on November 13-14, 2021 at Wrightsville Beach, NC. The seventh annual SUP Surf event brings together the top amateurs and the world’s best sup surfers to North Carolina.
The Carolina Pro-Am Presented by Salt Life and Infinity Surf is a three-day Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Surf event, drawing the world’s best Professional and Amateur Paddle Surfers along with the First Comp divisions and the exciting Bully Board tandem body board division.
The Carolina Pro-Am was brought to life in 2014 by local businessmen and avid surfers Haywood Newkirk and Jason Colclough with a vision of bringing the best sup surfers from around the world to come and take in the North Carolina surf and local hospitality. The event also presents the Haywood Newkirk Sr. Award which is awarded to the competitor with the best combined results in both Pro Open and Pro Longboard divisions. Past recipients include Jarrod Covington 2014 (NC), Kieran Grant 2015 (Florida), Bullet Obra 2016 (Hawaii) Martin Letourneur 2017 (France), and Izzi Gomez 2019 (CA). Pro division was not contested in 2020 due to Covid.
“We are excited about hosting the 2021 Carolina Pro Am and to again include the Pro divisions given last year’s postponement due to Covid to continue the success we have had for seven years”, states Haywood Newkirk, CPA founder. Newkirk continues, “We are proud to showcase the event and at our home break in Wrightsville Beach, NC for the world to see.”
Since 2014, the Carolina Pro-Am has attracted the world’s top amateur and Pro competitors including Colin McPhillips (3-time World Longboard Champion), Caio Vaz (2016 APP World Champion), Izzy Gomez (2-time APP World Champion), Emmy Merrill (2-time ISA World Champion), Mo Freitas and Giorgio Gomez and a host of many. This year, the CPA will follow the Carolina Cup paddle race on November 6-7th in it’s 10th year and to have many competitors hold over to show off their surfing talents.
Most importantly, the Carolina Pro-Am supports the amateur divisions to help the grow the sport and to keep the competitors coming back to Wrightsville Beach. The support of the local community has allowed the Carolina Pro-Am to become one of the top sup surfing contests in the country and the longest running Pro-Am event in the world. With the continued support and recognition provided the World Paddle Association and many media outlets, the Carolina Pro Am is the SUP surf industries premier events. In addition, CPA offers the “First Comp” division for first time sup surf competitors, Masters Pro division (40+) and the Bully Board tandem body board division for all levels of competitors and family to enjoy.
“The Carolina Pro-Am contest has always been a fun and competitive event with great hospitality from the locals in Wrightsville Beach”, states Byron Kurt, President of the WPA. Kurt continues, “The CPA continues to be the best Pro-Am SUP Surfing event in the world and offers the most competitive field in all divisions.”
The Carolina Pro-Am will be covered by local and international media from WPA, TotalSup, Standup Journal, and Supconnect. For more information, go to Carolina ProAm facebook and www.worldpaddleassociation.com. To register and get more information, go to https://paddleguru.com.