Messages

31

Sneak Peeks, Rumors, and Wish Lists / Re: It’s that time of year - 2018 Race Board Gossip ?

« on: July 27, 2018, 07:59:34 AM »

No word yet on what the Allstar will be doing for next year. My current thoughts are that rather than going back down the team route is that I'll be racing on a knockdown sale 2018 Starboard Sprint in a 23 width or the 2018 Allstar in a 23.5. I was going to go down the Lightsignature road but my little voice says not to..... or at least see how their team riders do at the ICF worlds first on them.

How certain are you that Starboard team riders will compete in the ICF worlds? If you listen to ISA shill Caspar Steinfath, none of the world's top athletes have any interest in attending the ICF event. But I guess he would say that, wouldn't he?

It's not they don't want to, it's that many of them are formally contracted to the ISA and have to shun the ICF. That's the only problem the ICF has - a championship is only as legitimate as the quality of athletes attending it. If the ICF doesn't attract some of the names, it won't get the traction. However, I think they've been smart by having it as an open entry because if it starts pulling in 300 athletes and becomes a festival in itself, that inclusivity will work well for their PR and legitimacy.

For what its worth, I do know of some domestic level team paddlers are planning on going. I couldn't this year due to a date clash with a family holiday but I probably will do at some point.

It appears to offer more suitable conditions for surf racing and downwind than anything the ISA has presented thus far. The great irony of the ISA running SUP races is that they seem to want to push the events towards flat water, hence the counter-intuitive and retrograde step of transforming battle of the paddle into the nondescript "technical racing" just so that they could relegate the events to inland lakes.

32

Sneak Peeks, Rumors, and Wish Lists / Re: It’s that time of year - 2018 Race Board Gossip ?

« on: July 26, 2018, 09:22:28 PM »

No word yet on what the Allstar will be doing for next year. My current thoughts are that rather than going back down the team route is that I'll be racing on a knockdown sale 2018 Starboard Sprint in a 23 width or the 2018 Allstar in a 23.5. I was going to go down the Lightsignature road but my little voice says not to..... or at least see how their team riders do at the ICF worlds first on them.

How certain are you that Starboard team riders will compete in the ICF worlds? If you listen to ISA shill Caspar Steinfath, none of the world's top athletes have any interest in attending the ICF event. But I guess he would say that, wouldn't he?

33

Sneak Peeks, Rumors, and Wish Lists / Re: It’s that time of year - 2018 Race Board Gossip ?

« on: July 26, 2018, 09:19:26 PM »

2019 Fanatic obviously have the new Strike, the Falcon (which is now a clog) and finally the new 'Blitz'.

https://www.facebook.com/fanaticsupaustralia/

Ah, “The Blitz”... there’s a name associated with happy memories in the UK.

Coming up for 2020 from Fanatic, the new model called “Dunkirk”...

Here in Melbourne, we have a football team known as the Bombers, who, when they aren't receiving suspensions from WADA for institutionalized doping, are known to enter the stadium in home games to the sound of a London blitz air raid siren. Classy stuff.

34

SUP General / Re: Is the SUP industry tanking?

« on: July 19, 2018, 04:23:24 PM »

Yes perhaps I should have said charlatan, con man, or snake oil salesman. Anyone still trying to spin the line that stand up paddle boarding is the world's fastest growing water sport is definitely one of those.

35

SUP General / Re: Is the SUP industry tanking?

« on: July 19, 2018, 03:49:51 AM »

Yes SUP is probably tanking, yet we still see people and organisations and brands run with the old "fastest growing water sport" nonsense. It's a good way to spot a bullshitter.

36

Downwind and Racing / Re: Downwind Daze.

« on: June 14, 2018, 09:12:06 PM »

Aren't you jumping ahead a bit DJ? It's still autumn. Winter begins on June 21st.

Here in Australia, we don't bow to all that pagan solstice/equinox nonsense. According to our Bureau of Meteorology, the seasons are as follows...


Spring - the three transition months September, October and November.
Summer - the three hottest months December, January and February.
Autumn - the transition months March, April and May.
Winter - the three coldest months June, July and August.

37

Gear Talk / Re: Apple Watch Surf Apps

« on: May 26, 2018, 04:01:03 PM »

Yeah I tried Dawn Patrol and that is one of the apps that just doesn't start working - I launch it, go surfing and then find it is not ticking over or counting waves. I mean, I know I am not a great surfer, but to have a watch tell me I caught no waves, that's a slap in the face.

38

Gear Talk / Apple Watch Surf Apps

« on: May 26, 2018, 05:25:33 AM »

Has anyone had any success with an Apple Watch surfing app? I can't work out what I'm doing wrong as I've tried 4 different surfing apps and none of them works for me.

39

Gear Talk / Re: The value of an extra foot....

« on: April 17, 2018, 03:35:29 AM »

There is nothing inherently special about 14'. In fact, you will find a number of people here with fond memories of the K15. If you like glide, go the extra length for sure.

#sizematters

40

SUP General / Re: The history of SUP according to the ICF

« on: March 02, 2018, 02:55:27 AM »

Don't bother....If it gets very popular the ICF will be attribute its origin to canoes.

Or we’ll argue whether the foil or the paddle came first..... or someone will claim that Laird invented hydrofoiling too ? 

Well, as far as sup foiling goes, he pretty much did

I think it's been argued on this thread that Laird didn't invent stand up paddleboarding, Duke and the Hawaiian beach boys did. Laird just reinvented and popularised it.

Laird was foiling years ago but really, no-one was particularly interested. It was only when footage emerged of Kai Lenny foiling that it really took off. So that sort of makes Kai the Laird of foiling. And Laird is the Duke of SUP. 

41

Downwind and Racing / Re: The Rocket Ship has landed in Portugal

« on: March 02, 2018, 02:34:18 AM »

Has the X Pro been discontinued? I can't see it on the SIC website.

42

SUP General / Re: The history of SUP according to the ICF

« on: February 28, 2018, 05:18:50 AM »

From our perspective, I think this is the most important point here. However, it should be noted that you can't guarantee perfect race conditions and there was an instance in Portugal one year whereby the downwinding didn't materialise and the ski paddlers were faced with a long grinding windless long distance race. The ICF programme is completely superior (and potentially more inclusive) that the ISA format. They do need to respond to that. I suspect they won't. When I mentioned this on my facebook page, SUPracer.com Chris Parker mentioned that several of the high profile names are contractually bound to the ISA. However, if the ICF offers decent money across multiple events, how long will that last or remain relevant ?

I get the impression that SUPracer is the one who is contractually bound to ISA more so than several of the high profile names judging by the coverage he has given the ISA over the years. And other than Caspar Steinfath, I can't imagine why any of the best athletes would commit themselves to the ISA.

43

Downwind and Racing / Re: Is it too late to change the name?

« on: February 27, 2018, 07:00:55 PM »

The only one who calls the old BoP format a "Beach Race" is the guy who does the SUP Racer blog. Mind you, it is a big improvement on the idiotic and unmarketable "Technical Race".

44

SUP General / Re: The history of SUP according to the ICF

« on: February 27, 2018, 06:56:08 PM »

This is in another open thread but is much more suitable repositioned back here. Here is the ICF's proposed inaugural world champs for this year:

http://www.icfsup2018.com/new/race_info/?tab=3

It's not what I was expecting (or hoping for) but its certainly got something for everyone. The prize money isn't bad either - a decent elite could pocket 5 figures across 3 events.

That is actually a surprisingly good program - a downwind race, a BoP race and a 200m sprint series. The ISA has never got close to that comprehensive a program. I don't think they've ever managed a downwinder, and their so-called "technical" races have rarely been held in anything close to surf or BoP conditions. If nothing else, then this ICF incursion might give the ISA a foot up the arse to do things the way they should be done instead of the half arsed efforts we've seen.

45

SUP General / Re: The history of SUP according to the ICF

« on: February 19, 2018, 02:18:12 AM »

Don't forget SUP white water.

Also, I am not so certain that most average paddlers have huge respect for pros.