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WHO WE ARE

Origins

For many seasons, SUPBALL creators, Manly Kayak Centre had played their own version of Kayak Polo, known as Kayball. This innovative sport was played as an activity within the Kayak Centre’s fitness program. Unlike Kayak Polo, Kayball used round buoys for goals instead of floating nets, and was played with no stoppages unless a injury or a capsize occurred. When a goal was scored (by hitting the opposing team’s buoy with the game ball), the scoring side had to retreat back around their own buoy/goal to enable them to be deemed onside and continue playing.

Manly Kayak Centre purchased its first fleet of standup paddleboards (SUPs) in early October 2010 when they recognised the emerging standup paddleboard trend. Over the course of the following weeks, boards were used by staff in their down time and this is where SUPBALL was born.​​

Guy passing the ball in SUPBALL game

SUPBALL Begins

“It was a late afternoon in early December 2010, and after completing our usual packup it was time to have some fun, so four of us jumped on the SUPs and continued to try and better each other on what tricks we could pull off. 
 
After putting our skills to the test the Kayball game ball was thrown into the mix, followed quickly by the goal buoys. It was a simple transition from kayaks to SUPs and what emerged was a game that pushed our new-found skills to the limits!
 
After a few two-on-two rounds we named this new sport SUPBALL!”
Rooters-Heros-Vs-SUP-CUZ-5

Legends Are Born

From that first game in December 2010 the team at Manly Kayak Centre continued to play whenever the opportunity arose. As they played, new skills, techniques and game strategies developed. They soon perfected the ideal team sizes, goal distances and game play.

Manly Kayak Centre recognised the growth potential in standup paddleboarding and invested in more SUPs the following Spring. As paddleboarding in general grew in popularity there were less oppotunities for staff to grab boards to have a sneaky game of SUPBALL! The team decided that the time was right to set aside a dedicated SUPBALL timeslot on Sunday afternoons.

October 9th, 2011 was the first Sunday game of spring and had attracted a larger than expected line up of excited players: all the usual suspects from the Manly Kayak Centre (MKC) staff and friends plus a new brand of team from Manly Ocean Adventures (MOA).

SUPBALL Heats Up

“SUPBALL Sundays continued through until mid-December 2011 and became a highlight of everyone’s week. The standard of play, fitness and physicality moved to the next level as both sides revelled in the competitive environment.

What also emerged was the ever increasing number of spectators that were taking a keen interest in the game. SUPBALL games are played directly in front of Manly Kayak Centre and adjacent to the very popular Manly Wharf Hotel, resulting in a high level of exposure for the sport.”

Craig Moulds 
Owner – Manly Kayak Centre and SUPBALL

The Story Continues...

From that summer 2011/12 comp between MKC and MOA, SUPBALL grew and grew with new teams joining every year. By 2014 the sport had grown in popularity enough for Team SUPBALL to create a new dedicated weeknight competition on a Wednesday evening.

2015 saw the sport grow again to include another comp on a Saturday morning making a total of three tournaments that year.

SUBPALL is played by 28 teams of 198 players across 4 competitions and continues to grow year on year. As well as dedicated competitions, SUPBALL has proven to be a popular choice for a range of events. From corporate team building days to kids birthday parties, school groups and even hens and bucks days, SUPBALL’s versatility knows no limits!

The game has also developed a global reach with games being played in other locations in Australia as well as internationally in the UK, France, Spain, Germany, NZ and Brazil.

How to Play

Be Part Of It

The future looks bright as the community builds in Manly and beyond!

If you…

  • …want to book your own SUPBALL court…
  • …want to feature SUPBALL in an article or any other media…​
  • …want to join us for another epic season​…
  • …want to tell us how amazing SUPBALL is…
…get in touch using this handy form!​

Get in touch!

If you have any questions, please drop us a line using the form below.

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