SUP

The TC Waterman Challenge and Expo is the Midwest's premier Stand Up Paddle (SUP) event. This SUP festival and the Midwest's largest SUP exposition include recreational and elite races for all ages and skill levels, free product demonstrations, free clinics, free kids races, and the Awards Luau Dinner, presented by Maui Jim, for all participants. This World Paddle Association- (WPA) sanctioned event is the site of the 2012 Great Lakes Regional Championship!

The main events, staged on the shores of beautiful Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Michigan, include a recreational, all-ages, all-skill levels, 3.5 mile course race located close offshore for spectators and on-lookers to view. The TC Waterman also boasts a distance race. The 10 Mile "Down-Winder" is open to the public and elite racers alike. Let's not forget the little ones who can enter free into the Kid’s Races and SUP Relays. The day’s events will conclude with the Awards Luau Dinner--presented by Maui Jim--served inside our main event tent, complete with a Hawaiian pig roast and Polynesian dancers. All competitive events are open to the public though registration is required.

Come visit the 2012 TC Waterman Challenge & EXPO and immerse yourself in local paddling and Waterman culture and community. Take advantage of local surf and paddle board shops, which will be providing free clinics, seminars, and demonstrations during the day’s events. Meet industry board, paddle, and SUP equipment manufacturers and distributors. Learn about the importance of our Grand Traverse Bay watershed ecology and meet with action groups like the Grand Traverse Watershed Center & Surfrider Foundation.

Whether you’re racing for the WPA points or just want to get your feet wet in the waters of SUP for the first time, the 2012 TC Waterman Challenge & Expo is the perfect way to experience the rich tradition of the Great Lakes Stand Up Paddle lifestyle.