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Paul Simmons
Keen to investigate what distributors thought of the debate , I was fortunate enough to catch up with one of the UK ’ s early pioneers of the sport and UK SUP
legend Paul Simmons who is also the Brand Manager for Tushingham . This was his take on the debate and an explanation as to why we might not see many second-hand 12 ’ 6 on the market !
“ Distributors react to demand and invest in stock based on anticipated trends . Starboard in the UK has only had a solitary enquiry for a 12 ’ 6 ” raceboard in the last two years , justifying the brand ’ s decision not to continue developing within this sector and the distributor not holding stock .
“ Recreationally we recognise that a 14 ’ board is more technical and challenging than a 12 ’ 6 ”, such as maintaining course in side-winds and ease of turning . Therefore the 12 ’ 6 ” touring board remains a very relevant model . However , where serious racing is concerned , the skills required to paddle a 14 ’ board effectively should not be an issue for riders of sufficient skill . There are plenty of petite paddlers racing in the 14 ’ divisions across the globe and even piloting massive unlimited 18ft + downwind boards in events like the Molokai Challenge .
It was an industry mistake to be running with both 12 ’ 6 ” and 14 ’ 0 ” raceboards for many years , making it challenging to stock the right numbers across different sizes . The width and , to some extent , the board ’ s volume are the main factors determining its suitability for a certain weight and racer ’ s ability . Of course , there are entry-level ‘ weekend ’ racers who like to be part of the scene and maybe aren ’ t at a skill level to extract the best performance out of a 14 ’ board . We welcome race organisers providing novice or ‘ leisure ’ categories that are less competitive and intimidating for those looking to have a go at racing , whether on the remnants of older second hand 12 ’ 6 ” boards still in circulation or inflatable 12 ’ 6 ” touring boards that offer a practical way into the scene .
Emily King
“ 12 ’ 6 ” is less efficient and simply slower than 14 ’, which is why many recreational paddlers of all sizes , shapes and abilities are choosing to paddle the faster , more efficient 14 ’ boards , both recreationally and in racing .”
Finally , you can ’ t write an article on the debate without speaking to someone loyal to 12 ’ 6 , and there is no one more so than Emily King winning the 12 ’ 6 National Champ title a few times ; here ’ s what she had to say ...
“ I never felt the need to migrate across to 14 ’ race board classes as it felt very much like the brands were pushing us to buy higher-priced boards ( incidentally , it only cost a few extra hundred pounds to produce a 14 ’, but the profit margin is thousands higher ).
“ Smaller or youth paddlers who are still growing and developing can paddle them without causing less strain or injury . That being said , my 6 ’ 5 ” husband loves paddling my 12 ’ 6 and does so without any problems , as do the sick guys on the racing circuit … so they ’ re still great boards for the bigger riders as we saw in the early days of sup comps .”