Unlimited Prejudice! Again!

[TallDude]

After just about four years of SUP racing on unlimited's, am I seeing the end of a class. I've noticed a number of races popping up, which don't include an unlimited class. From the beginnings of paddleboard racing, the unlimited class was the elite distance racers. I think the newest to SUP are the 5Kr's. Maybe it's just the manufactures who want to sell shorter, easier to handle boards? I'm a distance paddler. Five miles is a warm-up. 10 miles is a good morning. I just see sprinters now. Doing time intervals in the harbor, practing buoy turns. Sprints on the beach. Well my old knees can't take that anymore, THAT IS WHY I PADDLE! This is what it is coming to. People say " I saw pass the Ritz yesterday, you were cruising along, By Yourself..." Am I a dying bread of SUP racers?

[PonoBill]

Nope, that's my thing too.

[TallDude]

I can always count on you Bill, but don't you see the same thing?

[pdxmike]

When races have a 14' category as well as a 12'-6", that probably takes a lot of the attractiveness of unlimiteds out.  A lot of people might feel constrained by 12'-6 but not so many if they can use a 14'. 

Personally I think the unlimiteds are the kings of boards--the ones everyone gathers around to see at the races I've been to.

I would love to have an unlimited--although honestly the attraction for me would be cruising, and probably not racing.  I think of the first time I went to 14' vs. shorter, and assume the jump from 14' up to 17' or 18' must feel similar.  I can't believe the great deals I've seen posted on some of them. 

On the other hand in regard to them disappearing, when races that are 60 people now are 400 in a couple years, that's a very tiny percentage you'd need on unlimiteds to create the 5 or 10 that justify keeping a class open for them in the race.

[TallDude]

Years ago, it was just a handfull of guys on unlimiteds out in the ocean paddling with the surfski's and OC's. I guess I'll be hanging with those guys again. Actually, that is the group of paddlers I know best and hang with. Aside from SUP surfing, I'd buy a Hayden, or Huki, before I'd buy shorter racing SUP. Why would you buy a slower 'race board'?

[headmount]

There's a ton of guys on unlimited boards out here.  More every day... because they're the bomb.

[TallDude]

Head,
I think Hawaii is the exception. Big ocean swell, unlimited proner's, oc's, ski's, and SIC bullets. No place for the 125cc class.

[exetersup]

I thought (maybe wishful thinking) the 12'6 class was going to slowly disappear...
But probably not?
A local race series up my way is only having a 12'6 class for the 6 races this summer. I did it last year on my 14 because they didnt have a defined class or expectations of who was going to show up on what board. There was everything from 10' surf shapes to 14' Barks and Corebans.
Unfortunately, they are limiting it this year. Gonna have to get a 12'6 asap!

IMO, (and I think Kalama fans have heard this before) the board should match the rider's size. I'm 34, 200lbs, 5'10, and in the shape of a new father of 2:) I've done a lot of distance paddling and surf sup over the last few years and am pretty confident in races. But I get smoked by guys lighter than me when matched up on the same size boards. Am I just complaining or is there some viable concerns that any of you share?

Aren't 14'ers just plain faster, even for sprint races?

[stoneaxe]

I had to laugh Shawn...I think of YOU as one of the younger, lighter guys.

I'm not enetering any of the APBA races for exactly that reason. Me on a 12-6...against someone 20 or more years younger and 80-100 lbs lighter?....OK...if they drag a couple of concrete blocks behind. .

[JimK]

Hey Guys,

Don't boycott races that isn't the best.

Go enter talk to the race directors talk about solutions (how about handy capping)

Enjoy the paddling with the other paddlers... So what if you are DSQ'd are you racing for the fun & comaraderie or for "little Medals" & "plastic trophies"

If you are racing for the trophies and medals just pop me an email I'll send you one I have lots (my wife wants me to throw them out anyway)

But really just go and race and have fun and enjoy your races

JimK
www.extremewindsurfing.com

[stoneaxe]

I should restate that...not entering any of the competitive races...still going to go up and do the rec on my Starboard cruiser. Can't do this weekend though.
I am going to talk to the guys at APBA. I can understand getting away from the run what you brung...they've got some good prize money...but no 14 kills the big racers.

[Chilly]

I would hate to see the unlimited class go away. It would be bad for the sport. The unlimited class allows the SUP companies and backyard shapers to innovate and push the limits of SUP design without worrying about the restriction of a board class. There is no better way to prove their design than at a race. 

[peterp]

Denying 14's or Unlimiteds to race a series is outright wrong - where will we be going with that? Are we going to ban the surf-class as well? I'd pitch up, try and beat them on their 12'6s even if it wouldn't feature in the results sheets....

You can favour prize-money towards a class which will feed interest in that class but not deny entry, sport is too young to be anywhere near restrictive.

I'm amazed that it seems different territories are pulling in different directions seemingly independent of each other - most people want to race longer than 12'6 yet some race organisers seem hellbent on promoting the shorter class.

I urge everyone to look at the numbers in the various classes to try and work out where all this is heading.

[TallDude]

So this guy walks into Joe Bark's shop and says" I want a really fast open ocean board that fits me." Joe's eye's light-up and shows him a 19' secret weapon a new rudder system he's been working on. The guy says " but I want to race it." Joe interest fades and pulls a catologue out, " You can pick one out of here..." This is Hypothetical of course, but if longer boards are excluded from races, I'm not far off the mark. You can plug this scenario in for Mark Raapporst (won't happen in HI), Craig Richmond or Bob Reed.

[exetersup]

Ya Bob,
They might reconsider if a lot of racers show up with 14's, but I was kinda bummed when I found out no 14's. I really have no idea why they would limit it, seeing that it's kind of a local-New England, if not really local- north shore of MA type of event with a predictably small turnout (the largest races last year had 25 total?), Maybe the $$$ will bring more competitors this year, and hopefully so.
I'm out for this weekend's race because of family parties, but I'll hopefully be at one after I get my new Coreban Sigma 12'6 Vision...