For me, the long hot Summer has been a double-edged sword. It’s been great to be super busy getting new people into the sport but it’s also been a long time without much in the way of waves and wind.
While it’s novel at first, when you’ve been SUP’n for some time, you start to want more than glassy river paddles with friends, more than pottering along the coast glancing down at the fish and rocks below the surface. I am certainly one of those people who would like “more”, some more adrenaline, some more excitement, some more wind for my wind sport thirst or for my downwind habit, and some more waves, of course! So now the Autumnal change is bringing what I’ve been craving for all season, I feel very much ready for it. It’s been a long time coming. This issue we’ve got “more”; more options, inflatable wave SUP, Foiling surf SUP, serious new long boards, a very compact iSUP, a downwind iSUP, a rock’n’roll surf SUP, the ideal step-into the waves SUP and a HD tough iSUP. If like me you’re also looking for “more”, sit back, think of what space you’ve got in the garage and work out a good plan that will convince your partner, that you need “more” in your life, well just one more board…
On test new for 2019 we have Fanatic’s new Vector Net Technology (VNT) Allwave 8’9 - a proven shape in a great value but super tough spec, looking sharp. Red Paddle’s 8’10 Whip, is an iSUP designed to be ridden in the surf and slipped into your suit case, the premium iSUP brand’s refined newest shape. Even more refined is Red’s potentially-revolutionary Compact iSUP that packs down to half the size of a normal inflato. Also from the future we have arguably the most non-SUP looking board we’ve ever tested, the new JP Foil 7’0 Pro board – it looks more like a foiling kiteboard.
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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…
