Wrightsville Beach woman dominates wind and world competition at Carolina Cup

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Ranked second in the world in women’s standup paddleboard, North Carolina’s April Zilg overcame punishing weather conditions and captured both the Graveyard Race and APP Sprint titles in the 2021 Carolina Cup.

“It feels absolutely amazing, like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders,” said Zilg. “Ten years ago, I didn’t even finish the race. So, I vowed to stick with something until I could master it. This is the tenth anniversary of that race. It’s an amazing feeling to stay focused and see it through.”

California’s Danny Ching picked up his fourth Graveyard crown in the men’s division after a string of victories in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Ching won the race by more than two minutes, with racers facing brutal 30-40-mph headwinds on the final stretch.

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