TAMING THE TARN
SUP International|Issue 44 - Mid Summer 2024
Patrick Cruywagen heads to the south of France to take on what he calls the most beautiful paddleboard race in the world, the 78km Tarn Water Race.
PATRICK CRUYWAGEN
TAMING THE TARN

Allure of the Tarn

Before this race, I had never been to the Gorges du Tarn, but after watching countless YouTube videos about the Tarn Water Race, which starts at the top of the gorge in the gorgeous village of Saint Chely du Tarn and finishes 78km downstream at Saint Rome du Tarn, I just knew that I had to come and experience it at least once. It was just too beautiful of a paddling opportunity to pass up on. For a place to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it must be an area of extraordinary natural beauty, and the Gorges du Tarn certainly ticks this box repeatedly with each turn of the fast-flowing river.

As we registered for the race in La Maléne and picked up our bibs and trackers, the forecast from the race director Pierre Toussaint, was not very good: “According to all the top weather apps we are in for an afternoon of thunderstorms tomorrow, so we have had to shorten the race to 18km.”. I won’t lie, I was massively disappointed, especially after traveling all the way from the UK. Plus, the hours and hours of training over the last few months, only now to be told that we would be paddling less than a quarter of the route!

I quickly snapped out of it and told my crew that we should go and paddle the first 10km of the route, that way we could see what we were in for while at the same time making the most of our time in this beautiful place. Plus 18kms is not far and should be a doddle.

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