Paddlers from across the US are at Madeira Beach for the Gulf Coast Stand Up Paddleboad Championship

Madeira Beach, Fla. - Madeira Beach will be ground zero for the SUP world this weekend. That’s Stand Up Paddling .

It’s a sport where paddlers take to the water on large, oversize surfboards. They either stand or kneel and paddle through the water as if they were paddling a canoe.

Today hundreds of paddlers will be competing in the Gulf Coast Stand Up Paddleboard Championship . The elite division race features a 9 mile course around Treasure Island. Competitors start and finish just north of John’s Pass in Madeira Beach.

There is also an open division competition that features a 3.5 mile course off Madeira Beach. Both races feature cash prizes. The race begins at noon and the awards ceremony is set for 3:00 p.m.

According to Brody Welte, a bay area fitness guru, Stand Up Paddling has exploded in the Tampa Bay area. He operates Stand up Fitness on Gulf Boulevard in Madeira Beach which caters to the SUP community.

Welte says people are drawn to the sport because it offers a good workout. Men on average burn 800 to 1,000 calories an hour. Women on average burn between 500 to 700 calories per hour. Welte says that’s more calories than similar workouts on an elliptical machine or treadmill.

For more information on Saturday’s race visit the event’s website.