World's busiest coal port to suspend ship movements for Aussie paddleboard race

Ship movements in Australia's largest coal port will come to a grinding halt for three hours on the weekend to make way for a 10 km international Stand Up Paddleboard race.

The New South Wales state city port of Newcastle has been undertaking measures to shake its "coal" label and rebrand itself as an attractive tourism destination on the doorstep to the Hunter Valley wine region.

"The Saucy Jack Classic provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase Newcastle's working port and our stunning harbor city," Port of Newcastle chief executive Geoff Crowe told Xinhua on Friday.

The city's tourism industry generates 1.4 billion Australian dollars for the local economy, according to Tourism Research Australia figures.

Thus its only natural to showcase the gentrification of the port city's foreshore to the hundreds of paddlers expected to participate in one of Australia's largest Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) races, covered by local and international paddleboard media.

The sport of SUP, referred to as standing canoes with direct links to outrigger canoeing, has taken the world by storm, generating the most first-time outdoor participants in 2013, leading to professional national and international competitions.

Ship movements in the Port of Newcastle will come to a standstill on Sunday between 1000 and 1300 local time (AEDT) for Australia's final SUP race of the local season, but the first internationally ranked race for 2016, attracting Australia's highest ranked athletes in a final hit out before the professional race tour begins.

"It gives the Australian racers a gauge of where they're at before they head off on the international scene," race organizer Peter Cox told Xinhua.