Improving Your Stand Up Paddleboarding E-Book

Andy Burrows

• Herausgeber: Fernhurst Books Limited
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Stand Up Paddleboarding is the fastest growing water-based activity worldwide. Thousands have tried it, with many more taking it up each year. It is easy to make the first steps to stand on a board and paddle. But many want to take this further – be it paddling greater distances, starting to race, SUPing in the surf, using it to improve their fitness or enhancing their well-being through yoga. To develop your SUPing requires a combination of improved technique, skills, fitness and mental attitude. This book will help anyone interested in SUPing get better at it. It shows how to improve your efficiency, technique, skills and physical capability before exploring the different ways of participating and the equipment you need. It suggests that seeking continuous improvement and rising to personal SUP challenges can help you enter the flow state, which enhances happiness. Packed with photos and photo sequences, this book provides both the inspiration and a blueprint for understanding how to improve your SUP capabilities in the area you choose.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO IMPROVE

IMPROVE YOUR EFFICIENCY

IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE

IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS

IMPROVE YOUR PHYSICAL CAPABILITY

PARTICIPATING

BEING PROPERLY EQUIPPED

THE FLOW STATE, MASTERY & HAPPINESS

INTRODUCTION

Stand Up Paddleboarding is special. Many elements of the activity make it attractive to people of all physical abilities. Being able to stand on the water creates a very different viewpoint from sitting. Furthermore, most people can progress to standing on a board and paddling within minutes.

SUP offers a higher degree of freedom when compared to most watersports. With equipment that is easily transportable, it is simple to organise and embark on a trip. The paddle affords propulsion in any direction and can be used successfully in calm or challenging conditions. It’s an activity where you can go out on any day and not be beholden to the weather or the wind.

SUP has opened up access to the water for thousands who never entertained canoeing, windsurfing or surfing. During the 2020 lockdowns, SUP inflatable sales were such that suppliers across the UK and Europe ran out of stock.

Now participation in SUP clubs and groups is building across Europe. People who started out on a ‘try it and see’ basis are becoming SUP addicts. They enjoy the blend of physical, spiritual and social experiences.

SUP offers incredible variety. Calm and flat, to wind, waves or flowing river: there is always something to challenge yourself and learn from. Go out for a run, and your mind can wander, and your legs will take you automatically where you want to go. This is a time to switch off and relax. Go out on the board, and your mind becomes sharpened as it examines the dynamics in front of it. Which way is the wind blowing, where is the swell, are my hands vertical? Paddling is like a mantra taking you towards a meditative state. The mind cannot wander; instead, it intensifies in the moment. In a world where most of us suffer from the inability to focus for longer than a few minutes, SUP can demand total attention.

The growing popularity of SUP is being reflected in more dedicated participation in organised events. The SUP race calendar continues to grow across Europe. But it is noticeable how many people enjoy going out in social groups. To feel the spirit of adventure with others provides excitement and confidence at the same time.

Meanwhile, there is a growing group of adrenaline junkies hopping on waves or flying down white water rapids. SUP yoga has offered a fresh and different challenge to the land-based practice and has consequently generated a large following. In short, SUP appeals to a vast body of people of different ages and interests.

We wrote this book to share our thoughts on how anyone can get better at SUP. Many books have already been written covering the basics of the stroke to help those starting out. We wanted to help people who can already SUP to do it better. We wanted to inspire them with the desire to continuously improve, experiment and enjoy.

Humans are happiest when striving. An easy win is not as satisfying as a hard-worked-for reward. It’s part of the human condition.

Our proposition is that happiness is found in taking part in the journey to be better. It’s not the destination that will make you happy.

SUP has been fantastic for us in different ways. For James, SUP literally changed his life. As a young teenager, he was overweight and bullied. His first experience on a SUP saw him easily ‘beaten’ by his sister. This ignited something in him and, within two years, he was one of the top three paddlers in Spain. Since then, he has completed the 11 Cities (a 220km race in The Netherlands) on four occasions, won podium positions on the Eurotour (a series of Europe’s biggest SUP races) and is now a highly recognised SUP coach, operating his own business out of Javea on the Costa Blanca in Spain.

For Andy, a person in his late fifties, SUP has been a journey of technical learning and broader life lessons. As a result, he has become fitter, stronger and more resilient. He was lucky to meet James at his first race in Javea three years ago. Andy was on a 10-foot inflatable, and James was on his 14-foot race board in seas with a 3m swell. James won that day and covered 10km in half the time it took Andy to do 5km on his knees. Since that day, he has come a long way on a SUP board, and even recently competed in the SUP World Festival. But he recognises that he still has much to learn!

These days we often go out and enjoy training together. We have very different lessons to learn, but SUP brings us together as an activity, a sport and a compelling common interest.

We hope our love and enthusiasm for SUP radiates through this book. Whatever your interest and ability, we hope you enjoy its content and find some useful ideas and tips to inspire you on your SUP journey.

James and Andy training together in Javea

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY EFFICIENCY?

Have you ever been paddling with someone who appears to be putting far less effort into their stroke than you are, yet they are going at an equal or greater speed? You are digging into the water with each stroke, searching for an extra litre of oxygen per breath, and they just seemingly dance along, ready at any moment for polite conversation. Your board tips as you shift weight between feet as you change sides. There is a fumble as your bottom hand goes to the handle of your paddle, and you miss a stroke in the process. Your board surges and then slows between strokes. Your blade splashes as it hits the water and again as it leaves. Your body starts to sway as you tire, your head is slumped forward, your arms feel fatigued and your legs tremble.

Meanwhile, their board remains perfectly flat; their paddle knifes the water cleanly before each clean catch and exits with the slightest splash. They seem to get twice the glide, yet everything appears seamless, calm and smooth. Their posture never changes, and their rhythm remains metronomic. Their balance is untroubled, with their head located directly over their body and the board’s centreline. They always seem to have time to scan the environment for waves, boats and weather conditions. Welcome to the world of the efficient paddler.

Efficiency is the holy grail of professional athletes, particularly in disciplines such as long-distance running. Sports scientists continuously study the relationship between optimal stride length, cadence (stride rate) and leg strength. Pause for thought and compare the complexity of paddling with that of running. There are more external variables to contend with in paddling, and the physical movements are more demanding. Paddling is intrinsically inefficient. Therefore, every paddler needs to know what factors contribute to efficiency.

Efficiency is about doing more with the paddle and board with the feeling of less effort. Improving efficiency is an opportunity open to everyone who stands on a SUP.