“ I managed to grab a couple of interviews with Csillag Kocsis and our old friend Michael Booth – great to see them both at the top of their game and on the podium.”
PADDLER 35
CSILLAG KOCSIS
Due to a lack of 60 + paddlers, I had to join in with the incredibly fierce 50 + women – I gave a good account of myself but didn’ t progress, even after some top tips from Csillag Kocsis’ s father – this young paddler went on to win two golds and one silver at this event – a true superstar!
Sarah Perkins smashed her way into the final, and I could now join Matty on the mic to commentate on all the finals live, including Sarah’ s. It’ s lovely to be able to commentate when your good friends are racing – very exciting stuff. Sarah was strong but missed out after a late surge from another paddler; she was just out of the medals, but still loved the competitive but friendly spirit of the racing.
It was a long day, especially for our very supportive other halves – they fed and watered us, took photos and videos and carried boards – what would we do without them!
I managed to grab a couple of interviews with Csillag and our old friend Michael Booth – great to see them both at the top of their game and on the podium.
We could not recommend the Lake Rocks Festival highly enough. Wonderful organisation and decisionmaking from the legend that is Rudy van Haven, and we must also mention Michael Sternig and Gerd Weisner. We were made to feel incredibly welcome and couldn’ t believe how many paddlers attended the event, including many juniors- a real success, and we will definitely return.
Our next few days were spent exploring and resting, and then we embarked on the long journey home with Sarah P, who surpassed herself with even more great places to explore. Our trip was a huge success, and paddling was at the heart of it – stand up paddling has taken us both to far corners of the
“ I managed to grab a couple of interviews with Csillag Kocsis and our old friend Michael Booth – great to see them both at the top of their game and on the podium.”
world, and the Italy / Austria combo certainly worked for us. We hope that our road trip inspires you to travel – from taking a van loaded with race boards on the roof, to backpacking with a favourite iSUP, this world of ours certainly is full of wonderful places to paddle. Happy travelling and paddling!
SARAH PERKINS SAYS …
You can’ t visit Lake Garda and not be swept up by the world of watersports. I was fortunate enough to move to Italy in 2001, where I completed my PhD at the Centre for Alpine Ecology, specialising in wildlife diseases. I lived two steps from the beach, and an obsession with windsurfing quickly took root. Now a SUP obsession has taken over, and I see the old place with fresh eyes. It’ s a downwind SUP paradise.
THE‘ PELÈR’
At the northern tip of Garda, the town of Torbole is a windsurfing( and now winging) mecca and the perfect place to launch a SUP. The wind is as reliable as clockwork. In the morning, you’ ll find an offshore breeze blowing north-to-south( called the‘ Pelèr’), perfect for an early downwind session. By late morning, the wind fades, goes still for a perfectly timed lunch break, and then literally switches 180 degrees, giving way to the‘ Ora’, a thermal wind that blows onshore, south-to-north. The wind works so reliably because the Dolomite mountains
PADDLER 35