Despite hazardous marine conditions, professional standup paddleboard champion Danny Ching defended title to win the Elite Division in 1 hour 12 minutes 16 seconds in the Orange Bowl Paddle Championship at Bayside Market Place on Sunday.

“I have competed in California, Hawaii, Canada and even the Great Lakes, but here in Miami you tend to get wind more often,” Ching said. “It was a pretty good paddle. It was windy and really choppy. In other places you can sometimes ride the wave, but the waves were just big enough to knock you off.”

OBPC raises funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. The event raised approximately $75,000 total its first two years. This year, it expects to raise more than $100,000.

The competition coincided with the Surf Expo in Orlando, which added more competitors. More than 200 hundred paddlers participated Sunday.

The race was divided into a seven-mile Elite Race and the three-mile Recreational Race. Downtown Miami was the backdrop for the course that led the participants from Bayside and into the Miami River and then around Brickell Key.

Participants from around the world came to Miami to compete in one of the biggest standup paddleboard competitions on the East Coast.

Hiroaki Sowa, 37, made the journey from Osaka, Japan.

“I saw the event on Facebook, and right now it is freezing in Japan,” Sowa said. “It is nice here. Miami is great.”

COREY W. CAMPBELL

RESULTS

Elite Race – Male 18 & Under: 1. Matt Wise 1:27:59, Santa Rosa Beach. Male 19-39: 1. Danny Ching, 1:12:16, Redondo Beach, CA. Male 40-49: 1. Jim Terrell 1:21:23, Costa Mesa, CA. Male 50-59: 1. Joey Kolisch 1:34:45, Coral Gables. Female 18 & Under: 1. Bailey Rosen 1:31:27, St. Petersburg. Female 19-39: 1 Candice Appleby 1:26:05, San Clemente, CA. Female 40-49: 1 Mary Boyer 1:37:17.723, Weston. Male 18 & Under: Trapper Chechak 1:27:12, Destin. Male 19-39:1. Brad Ward 1:20:56, Sarasota. Male 40-49: 1, Chris Stephan 1:27:06, Deerfield Beach. Male 50-59: 1. Brad Ramer 1:26:16. Male 60 And Up: 1. Sandy Deeley 1:40:41, Ocean City, MD, Male 19-39 (14’+): 1. Darian Hildreth, 1:45:32, Key West. Male 40-49 In (14’+): 1. Thomas Maximus, 1:20:32, San Clemente, CA. Male 50-59: 1. Conrad Garcia Sr.1:57:28, Miami Lakes. Female 19-39: 1. Savanah Baus, 1:27:24. Male 50-59 (Other Vessel): 1. Gary Wise 1:05:16, Santa Rosa Beach. Rec. Race –

Male 18 & under: 1. Kelvin Maldonado 38:57, Arecibo. Male 19-39: 1. Pablo Rendon, 37:05.835, Male 40-49: 1. Bob Capwell 41:21, Palm City. MALE 50-59: 1. Timothy Battle 39:11, Miami. Male 60 And Up: 1. Bill Whiddon, 37:05, Miami. Female 18 & Under: 1. Annette Garcia 43:00. Female 19-39: 1. Cat Uden 43:38, Hollywood. Female 40-49: 1. Cindy Capwell 44:41, Palm City. Female 50-59: 1. Andrea DiSante 40:37.765. Male 19-39: 1. Jake Portwood 33:58, Oakland Park. Male 40-49: 1. Dave Meadows 37:30.176, Santa Rosa Beach. Male 50-59: 1. Warren Anderson 51:39.693, Weston. Male 60 And Up: 1. Jimmy Lewis 38:44, Haiku, Hawaii. Female 40-49: 1. Laura Talbert 50:43, Santa Rosa Beach. Female 50-59: 1. Ana Garcia 58:15.181.

Men’s soccer

FIU coach Kenny Arena announced the signings of Nico Midttun and Marvin Hezel.

Midttun comes to FIU from Boca Raton, where he played center for Boca Raton High School and USSDA Weston FC.

He earned first-team all-county all four years at Boca Raton, posting 32 goals and 54 assists. He chose FIU over Duke, North Carolina and St. John’s.

Hezel is a defensive back from Waldshut, Germany, where he played for SC Freiburg. As part of his U-19 team, he helped SC Freiburg win the 2011 German Cup.