I’d been sitting in Bali chilling and surfing with my girlfriend for the last few weeks, when I got a WhatsApp message from Ollie, Starboard sup product manager, asking if I could stay around for a bit longer. He was coming out to the “island of the gods” for some testing and said he would like my help with that. Well, it’s not often you get invited to test the next generation of SUP toys from a bunch of crazy innovators - so, of course I immediately accepted!
During the weeks before Ollie called I’d spent most of my time stand up paddle surfing around the point breaks of the Bukit peninsula. I was usually the only paddler on the line-up. For sure I caught lots of perfect waves, having a lot of fun but I was looking for something more than that.
I was missing the thrill of having some new boards under my feet and to discover wave after wave how to adapt to the new board, the new paddle, or the new fin setup.
I think in surfing, as everything else in life, we should challenge ourselves from time to time to forget the ordinary, step out of our comfort zone and try something new. That’s what I love the most about board testing and that’s another reason why I couldn’t refuse Ollie’s invite. I think that if there is a common trait through athletes is that they love to learn continuously, it’s how they get so good at what they do. And that’s the feeling I also have when I am out there testing new shapes, new rockerlines, new rails. You learn how to adapt to the new tool under your feet and you hopefully learn how to evolve your surfing to a next level.
There’s something magic that happens when you can turn your ideas into shapes and when you can help others to assess the pro and contra of innovations that came out of the mind of the shaper. Not so many people have this privilege - to be kept in loop of your favourite brand’s research and development program. Believe me, it’s a true pleasure.
The island of Gods
Esta historia es de la edición Autumn 2018 de SUP International.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición Autumn 2018 de SUP International.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Turning Points
With spring in the air and the start of a new decade, thoughts naturally turn to what we can do differently in the name of betterment. Finn Mullen reflects on some changes to consider when looking to improve your SUP surfing.
THE CLOSE OUT- TREV'S GREAT BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE
I have had my fair share of great birthdays, usually coinciding with a national holiday in a country that I’m visiting. But this one was a bit different.
Paddle Science #18 - The Body Fortress. Boosting Immunity
At this time of year, the rate of infection for colds and flu normally tends to slow down as we enter warmer, springtime months. However, if you’ve been anywhere at all in the world recently, then there’s one word you can’t escape at the moment: Coronavirus. Infection rates, mortality rates and prognostic data are changing daily at the moment. As a new virus none of us have previously been exposed to it, meaning that currently, we have no immunity to it. It’s only through being infected by a virus that our bodies are able to make the right antibodies to not only enable us to recover but to also help protect us from any recurrent and future infection from it. If you’re keen to stay well and keep getting out on your SUP board this spring, then focussing on boosting your immune system is a positive step to take.
Ceylon Stories
Like a teardrop on the tip of the Indian sub-continent, Sri Lanka is a little tropical El Dorado of beautiful landscapes, rich cultural heritage and people with incomparable kindness. Thanks to its favorable exposure to the swells of the Indian Ocean, the has a large number of good waves along its incredible southwest coast where French pro Alexis Deniel and his partner Melanie had an unforgettable experience this winter. Discover their colorful journey through this dream destination sharing its jewels after decades of civil war and the tragedy of the 2004 tsunami.
Polar Bear
In 2019, the Polar Bear showed the world his teeth. After a fourth place in the toughest SUP race in the world, the Red Bull Heavy Water, the now 19-year old Christian Anderson became World Champion in November in the Technical Race at the ISA World Championships in El Salvador. He also won the U-18 title on the Euro Tour with an 11th place overall. What’s behind the young Dane's rise to power?
SHADENFREUDE
TEST REPORTS
Desire Lines
We were on the outskirts of Helsinki, scouting a new destination for our sup camps. Just 45 minutes’ drive from the city, the untouched nature of the Nuuksio National Park stretched out before us. Mirror-smooth lakes, wild herbs and an impressive fauna waiting to be explored over on board or on foot via the many desire lines made by the land mammals.
Magical. Mystical. Epic.
Alexandra is a club ambassador and SUP racer for Bray Lake; relatively new to the SUP scene she completed her first race season in 2019. She participated in her first international event, the Gla Gla, 2020, and placed 1st Brit, 8th lady and 81st overall, out of a mass start of 637 paddlers. Here she shares the highlights of her first Gla Gla experience.
Green Medicine
As a keen outdoorsman and busy GP, Paul Sampson has come pretty close to attaining the mercurial work-balance. When not busy with his patients, he can be found hiking, climbing, paddle boarding, wild swimming… anything that gets him outside soaking up the great outdoors and reconnecting with nature in the beautiful South of Cornwall.
Depth Charge
Many of us have are staying away from the beach for a while, some are confined to our homes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still train for the surf. If you try the following for just one week you’ll see results, never mind three months…
