editor’s note
The glide
Over the past few months I’ve been fortunate enough to
try/demo/test/review a variety of different stand up paddle
boarding products from a whole host of brands and
manufacturers. Flat water sticks, race weapons, stand up paddle
surfers, windSUPs, riverSUPs, inflatables and so on – there’s a
huge variety of kit available to UK paddlers, which is fab.
It’s no secret, to the those who know me, that while I love (and in fact
indulge) all forms of stand up paddling, it’s waves that really float my
boat. And yet, since starting my SUP journey, the quest for ultimate
wave performance has left me feeling disillusioned and cold after
certain sessions. Sometimes conditions don’t play ball; other times I
might be feeling tired and sluggish – not firing on all cylinders.
Look at any social media stream, check any brand website or search for
any type of SUP surfing via Google and you’ll be confronted with skinny
young upstarts paddling über small sticks. Now I’m no twinkle toes,
falling somewhere in the middle weight category, and yet I can float a
relatively small stick (most paddlers who spend any length of time in
waves will be the same). But in doing so I’d begun to lose the whole
point of why I started stand up paddling – the glide.
Over the last few months I’ve been forced to ride kit that doesn’t
necessarily arc a sick cutback or allow for contorted lip bashing.
Instead my focus has had to stick with cutting a groove through the
brine and gliding along while standing tall – the whole reason many
get addicted to SUP in the first place.
While idly paddling along a few weeks ago it suddenly dawned on me
that the beauty of stand up paddle boarding is simply floating about
– something that may sound obvious to many. You don’t even need to
be exerting a massive amount of energy. Meandering along is
perfectly fine, and actually once you put thoughts of pure
performance to the side, also a lot of fun.
Of course the upper echelons of our sport will always be a goal – also
key to the continuing success and evolution of stand up. And while I
do enjoy gliding along in a daze, I’ll always return to wanting some
degree of performance. I’ve just realised that it’s OK to offset this with
mellower sessions and just be content being out on the water.
Some paddlers will never attain the heady heights of their heroes, and
yet this won’t (or at least shouldn’t) matter. Being a perpetual
intermediate, skill wise, but a consummate pro in terms of stoke
factor is the essence of SUP and why it’s so infectious.
Aspiration and inspiration is all well and good but don’t be fooled into
thinking you have to perform every time you head out for a sweep.
Enjoy stand up paddling for what it is in its most simplistic form –
gliding across the water, enjoying the outdoors and coming back to
the beach with a huge grin on your chops.
Summer’s now in full swing and it’s the perfect time of year to get
stuck into some stand up paddle boarding action – whether you’re out
in the surf or just cruising on the flat, it’s all good! Wax up ya stick,
apply sunblock liberally and just enjoy the glide…
Hope you’re all stoked on the second issue of the mag.
Photo: Paul Villecourt
www.villecourt.com/paul_fr/en/
Tez Plavenieks, July 2014
[email protected]
@tezwoz