Only one year has passed since the 1st New England SUP (Standup Paddleboard) Championship was held at the Narragansett Town Beach in Rhode Island. Since that time the sport of standup paddle boarding has exploded across the country. With this great increase in popularity the performance level of competitors has risen dramatically.

ESA South New England Co-Director Ron Belanger put all his faith in the internet surf sites on Friday night before the contest. Despite the fact that there was little or no surf to speak of on Friday, area wave forecasters called for a solid 2-4 foot swell that would hit the south side of the Point Judith Lighthouse on the following day.

The 2010 Eastern Surfing Association summer contest season got off to a late start this past Sunday when the first competition took place at Second Beach in Middletown, Rhode Island. Faced with new restrictions on running surfing events on weekends at the Narragansett Town Beach, ESA officials needed a new place to run contests. Narragansett's John Burnett, Waterfront Manager of Second Beach in Middletown, came to the rescue.

The next two weeks are jammed with surfing and standup paddleboarding events that will involve local surfers. The 2nd Annual New England SUP (stand-up paddleboard) Championships will take place this Saturday at Second Beach in Middletown.