Over the weekend, the Shaw and Partners 20 Beaches Ocean Classic, one of the most iconic races in Australia, took place on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Traditionally raced from Palm Beach to Manly, the 20 Beaches Ocean Classic covers a 25 kilometre stretch and attracts the world’s best ocean surf ski paddlers.

With a prize pool of over $80,000 on offer this year, the race saw over 350 paddlers converge on Station Beach in the early hours of Saturday to compete in the last Australian ocean surf ski paddling event of the year.

In the men’s category Shaw and Partners Race Team member Cory Hill, who was in control of the race from the outset, took out the win in 1:25:49, comfortably ahead of Tom Norton and Kenny Rice. In the women’s division Shaw and Partners brand ambassador Danielle McKenzie won the race ahead of Jenna Smith and Molokai champion Jordan Mercer.

Both winners of the men and women’s open walked away with an equal cash prize of $10,000, a milestone for gender pay equality in the sport proudly introduced by Shaw and Partners.

The 20 Beaches Ocean Classic also marked the last race of the inaugural 2019 World Surf Ski League, a series of six open ocean surf ski races held in five different continents. Cory Hill and Hayley Nixon, both running under the Shaw and Partners Race team colours, were crowned champions in their respective categories.

On the other side of the world in France, Michael Booth, a member of the Shaw and Partners Race Team, took out the win at the Paris SUP Open 2019, securing the APP World Distance Tour Championship. Michael’s latest victory adds to his already impressive run of previous results. He has recently won the Euro Tour SUP Championship and is the first athlete to hold both the ICF and ISA World SUP Championships titles at the same time.

Shaw and Partners extends its congratulations to all Shaw and Partners Race Team athletes for their formidable achievements during the weekend.