The letter M could indicate many things – and no doubt paddlers in the upcoming Shellharbour stand-up paddleboard festival might think it stands for anything from murderous or marvellous, depending on the swell around October 31.

The SUP festival’s premier event, the ''battle of the paddle’' at Warilla Beach, features a course in the shape of a capital M – and organiser Rebecca Dunning admits it is the three-day festival's most challenging feature. The race sends contestants out through the waves, back into the surf and running along the sand three times. Surf conditions can have a massive effect on the outcome.

Sounds madly mischievous.

“I have seen this race at the NSW state titles take up to an hour because the surf was so gnarly,” Rebecca said.

The annual event, to be held at Warilla Beach and on Lake Illawarra at Reddall Reserve from October 31 to November 2, is in its fourth year and attracts competitors from across Australia. 

Three national champions competed last year, and Rebecca, who owns Stand Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour, says she is looking to make the event bigger in future by drawing international competitors.

Surfing events will be run across four categories at Warilla Beach, with men’s and women’s races and two different styles of SUP competition. The shortboard events involve competitors performing radical manoeuvres while the 9ft longboard events cater for traditional moves such as hang five, hang 10 and walking the board.

A community festival will be held on Sunday at Reddall Reserve featuring flat-water events such as the new Pups on SUPS and Goats Afloat. It's an early start with SUP Yoga at 6.30am, followed by a soothing session of sound bowls performed by Susan from Solz Healing, allowing participants to lay back and mediate as the sun rises.

The popular best-dressed SUP race, with prizes for winners and best dressed, kicks off around 8am, followed by a challenging nine-kilometre event with 14ft boards on flat water that heads out to the entrance of the lake and under the bridge to the end of Bevan’s Island.

SUP sprints start at 10am and presentations finalise the competition at around 12pm.

There will be live music, ocean-themed markets and food trucks from 10am-2pm and an 18+ beach bar sponsored by Bass Point Brewing. Hustle Hut Health will provide a recovery base featuring compression and massage aids.

For further details, head to the SUP Shellharbour website or Facebook page