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8am registration and briefing.
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Evolving board designs.
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14' Naish for open water paddling.
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15' Starboard for sheltered water paddling.
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Prone paddleboard, paddled by Stefan who is off to paddle across the Kaiwi Channel (Molokai to Oahu) using this day as a training run.
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Talking with Stefan pre race.
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12'6" Surf Race...great downwind board...upwind...umm, hope there's no head wind!
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Charlie, who bought my Starboard Pin, 'Pimped' his ride with 'Fanatic' stickers...can't think why?
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A water start, turned out to be a beach start...start your engines...
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Now you may think that the pain being displayed here is due to having paddled 20 miles - wrong, it's actually on account of having to run up the beach on shingle and shells which is infinately more painful than paddling 20 miles...race start and finish should be very probably on water...running up the beach should not be part of the race, I mean what does it seek to prove? This is a paddling event is not...
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Ryan from Bournemouth, put in a great effort and paid the price of pain, lots of pain...onya Ryan!
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'Frenchman...mon dieu!', if I had known I would have paddled harder...we all would have, he was rather quick though...followed him for a very long time, he even fell off once or twice, but he still finished a long way ahead.
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Ryan talking pidgeon French..."So, ow wuzit' fer yooo mon ami?" - "It t'was very nice. I always enjoy very much to kick English derrier"
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Young Stefan was damn quick on his prone paddleboard...when he got to the Worthing Pier, he kept going as there was no RIB to direct him...would of kept going to Hayling if he had not been stopped! He did swear a bit on the return leg, but he's over it now.
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Rich Morton...led him for 15 mile or more, until my hydration mix got the better of me, being a bit on the strong side...mental note...make it weaker next time. Nice one Rich. It was his turn to have a go at the Frenchman but it was in vain.
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So there I am thinking 'OK one last surge and I'm home' when Man Mountain Slater decides he better start trying...and boy was he trying...what a pain, can't he just deal with being beaten? Obviously not...so I hit the beach just before him after leading him for 20 miles, only he decides to run up the beach through the flags, whereas my feet are numb and the shingle feels like broken glass, so I opt not to run.
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Funny thing...when I overtook Jock Patterson at the 10 mile mark...I genuinely thought he was paddling a 12'6" board...turns out is was a new 17' Naish and therefore not in my division, he just made it look small...he finally got me towards race end...nice one Jock.
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Are we there yet?
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Come on Slater is that all you've got!...Actually it was me who had zip...fuel tank on zero, will to beat him, gone.
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Unlimited Divison winner Bobby Thatcher....reckons this was tougher than his recent 40 mile plus paddle on the Thames...he was shattered like us all.
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Rich Morton contemplates life after SUP.
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Mark Slater having a bad hair day.
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Elliot Dudley paddled an 11'6" regular Hawaiian Pro Board on account of his Surftech Mitcho 12'6" board being stuck in customs somewhere or other...the weekend before he had paddled across to France...nothing like giving yourself the best chance of success. I think we'll see him back next year hungry for a win.
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John Hibbard paddling a Starboard 'New' inspired by ancient Dutch footwear, tries to get some style points during the dismount...judges were having non of it.
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Laugh it up Charlie...
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Jay Manning's new 'Fantastic' 12'6" Board especially flown in, comes complete with support crew, RIB and 70hp Outboard...cool!
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'Where's my damn ZRE paddle?' Sorry Pete, it's on its way!
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Jay keeps the ambulance crew on high alert.
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Marie Buchanan...finished alongside Annabel Anderson
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New Zealander Annabel Anderson
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STEVE WEST
steve@kanuculture.com
UK 07 859 294 188
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Overseas + 44 7859 294 188
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mandy@kanuculture.com
UK 07 859 296 741
Overseas + 44 7859 296 741
Contact Me
FACEBOOK
For information about Steve West publications www.kanuculture.com
View books written by Steve West, a leading figure and author in the Pacific wide sport of Outrigger Canoeing.
'For anyone interested in the Pacific-wide sport of outrigger canoeing, this is the definitive look at the sport.'
Canoe & Kayak Magazine USA
Steve and Mandy West supported by Zaveral Paddles, Stylo Sports, Kialoa, Blue Chip, Starboard, XM Leashes
'One thing I get asked all the time by retailers and providers of SUP tuition, is the desire to gain and get the best technical knowledge possible. The two main benefits being it allows you to speak with confidence and authority about the sport and how to do it while satisfying the needs of your customers, in that you know what you are talking about and that have under gone some level of training. To this end internationally renowned Paddle Coach, Steve West, is now offering a fully fledged SUP consultancy service. I would strongly recommend you get Steve along to your shop / school / centre to give you and your staff a days training. Once Steve has finished with you, you will have a new understanding of the sport and the true potential that lies ahead of us!'
John Hibbard - Starboard UK