SUP Mag UK April 2022 issue 32 | Page 80

Here we go again !

12 ’ 6 versus 14 ’ ( Sorry )

Words : Samantha Rutt Photos : SUPjunkie , Jade Rogers www . jaderogersphotography . com & Geoff Mather http :// suptog . sphericalvisions . co . uk
OK , before you roll your eyes and say , “ Not this AGAIN !” please bear with me . This all started out quite innocently , and anyone who ’ s been a part of the SUP race community for some years will know that the debate has been fiercely argued around the world for years and still goes on in pockets here and there !
However , what if you ’ re new to SUP racing , and don ’ t know the intricacies of the board classes ? We have seen an influx of new recreational paddlers , and that ’ s slowly starting to spill over into the racing scene ( hurray !). Some of the questions new racers asked me last year , “ Why two categories ”, “ do I have to have a 14 ’ board to be competitive ”, and “ who decides the classes ?’ Just a few , so I set off to explore the answers and think the best place to start for new racers is with a brief history lesson . s t a n d u p p a d d l e m a g u k 80