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Bizzle’s rant with…
Joe Thwaites
Is it just me who doesn’t get SUP polo? Isn’t it just a
less fun version of Aussie SUP Ball which is basically
half-cut SUP based rugby? Now I can certainly see
the appeal of that but – I do like a drink and wrestle
sometimes.
Moving on foiling seems to be the in vogue activity
everyone is talking about at the minute. But how
easy is it for the average middle aged paddler who
actually has the funds to purchase one? From what
I’ve seen and heard it’s a lot harder than it looks in
paddle mode and some of the accidents where riders
or other water users have been hit by the foil look
truly apocalyptic. But hey, it’s new and if Kai Lenny
can do it anyone can right?
The new style of shorter boards certainly look fun,
offering a crossover option that will work for light
wind windsurfing and/or kite surfing as well as
having boards that also perform well in the surf with
the paddle (as originally intended). It’s certainly
something Loco will be introducing for 2018 so stay
tuned for that.
For those of you who haven’t come across
me yet it’s probably worth giving you a bit of
background in an effort to justify my
ramblings. I’ve always had a big passion for
watersports. I found SUP 10 years ago and
was one of the first schools in the north of
England. About five years ago I took the
brave step of starting Loco which continues
to go from strength to strength. My main
SUP passion is hands down surfing which
has taken me all over the world and
continues to stoke my SUP fire up here on
the east coast.
That said for me, as a bit of paddle surfing purist,
surely you’re disconnected from the thrill of riding
the wave, the spray churning up in your face as your
drive hard off the bottom and how do you make a
paddle stroke when you’re taller than you were
before the foil engaged? Moreover where do you
practice? First attempts at your local break would be
pretty irresponsible (reefs, hell no!) and it’s not like
the UK has a myriad of slow peeling waves that have
travelled thousands of miles across the Pacific?
Foiling is an exciting development but I think most
people will find it hard work until either the foils get
much better or would be owners migrate to Maui or
Australia where the endless peelers seem to reside.
In terms of UK, foiling versatility is going to be key in
my humble opinion where the board has the option
to add a windsurfing rig or kite so you can effectively
foil in 10 knots with a 4.7m sail or a 5m kite and still
have the option to lose the foil completely and surf
an actual wave with your preferred quad or thruster
set up. It’s certainly a topic that splits people’s
opinion and one I’ll be watching with interest as it
continues to roll out.
Social media SUP groups run by characters
controlling content has to be one of my biggest pet
hates right now. I mean, surely it’s about giving
everyone a fair go to express their opinion and share
their experiences. It’s a real shame for newbies
coming into the sport who stumble across these
groups as they’re only seeing 25% of the full SUP
story. There’s a lot more to SUP than is promoted.
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Hopefully these opinions
haven’t upset too many
people. Until next time…
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