The Technical Races and Team Relays began in Sayulita, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico on Day 6 of the 2015 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddeboard Championship Presented by Hotel Kupuri.

The SUP and Paddleboard Technical Races solidified the competitors that will vie for medals and points in the finals on Sunday. Additionally, 18 National Teams competed in the ISA Team Relay Race Qualifier, and were later narrowed down to 10.

First in the water were the Men’s Paddleboard Racers, broken up into two heats where the top 8 advanced. The top Men’s Paddleboard racer was Kai Hall from Hawaii, completing the course in 27:43.

The Women’s SUP Technical Race followed. The top six of the two, 12-women heats advanced to compete again on Sunday. Candice Appleby showed her superior strength above the rest of the competition with a comfortable lead and finished in first place.

The Mexican crowd made their presence known in the SUP Technical Race as Felipe Rodriguez showed his superb local knowledge of the break and utilized uncanny angles as he approached the beach to catch waves that others could not. Felipe Rodriguez finished first before highly touted athletes such as Hawaii’s Connor Baxter, who finished second. The 12 qualifiers from each heat will merge to make for a 24-man SUP Technical Race Final of epic proportions on Sunday.