World’s best sup surfers will go to North Carolina on April 21-23, 2023 !
Salt Life and Infinity Surf proudly announces the Carolina Pro-Am to be held on April 21-23, 2023, at Wrightsville Beach, NC. For nine year’s the Carolina Pro-Am brings together the top amateurs and the world’s best sup surfers to North Carolina. Registration is now open, go to https://paddleguru.com/races/CarolinaProAmPresentedbySaltLifeInfinitySupCo2023.
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), Izzi Gomez 2019 (CA), Bernd Roediger 2021 (HI) and Candice Appleby 2022 (USA).
“The Carolina Pro Am is a grass roots vibe along while having the top sup surfers in the world to Wrightsville Beach, NC”, states Haywood Newkirk, CPA founder. Newkirk continues, “We are proud to showcase the sport and at our home break that offers some of the best surf on the East Coast.”
Since 2014, the Carolina Pro-Am has attracted the top amateur and world class 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, Giorgio Gomez and the 2022 winner, Candice Appleby (many times champion, Sup and Surf). More importantly, the Carolina Pro-Am supports the amateur divisions to help the grow the sport and the local community that 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.
From World Paddle Association