Saturday December 4th 2010 was a historic day for the SUP world with the first ever SUP race across Paris. Here we finally go with our report and some amazing pics.
100 riders were registered, but due to poor weather conditions (air temperatures below 0°C /32F and water temperature below 5°C/41F, strong winds and snow forecasted) the local authorities only authorized 30 riders to take the start.
At 6am, the riders met at the European Microsoft headquarters, one of the event sponsors, to have a typical French breakfast and get dressed for the race.
The riders meeting was at 6h45 and at 7h15 everyone jumped on the buses provided by the organization to go to the start, close to the “Bibliotheque Francois Miterrand” where the boards were waiting for them.
The competitors got to the start at 7h45 still in the dark to do the last pre race preparations such as installing the fins, not easy in freezing temperatures and when you need to break the ice out of the finbox, and warm up…
The race started on schedule at 8h20 under a cold but beautiful sunrise.
Eric Terrien, riding on a Nidecker 14′ took the lead from the start. For those interesting the board details, the Nidecker SUP R&D team is currently working on a 14′ production board based on the successful prototypes used by Eric in the Jever SUP World CUP, the Paris Crossing as well as other pan European races, that with the Nidecker All Water 12’6 Race allowed Eric to win 20 of the most important SUP races across Europe.
He had a hard time after 15mn of racing when he actually overheated, as used to train in the warm waters of Fuerteventura his main concern before the race was to get cold, so he overdressed and finally got too hot…A few minutes later he decided to take off his gloves which was a good decision and a radical way too cool down.
Still too warm, with no fluids to drink but too competitive to give up, he used all of his mental strength to keep going and concentrated on his paddle technique so he could manage in keeping a comfortable lead, and won the first SUP race ever accross Paris, 11km in 1 hour 03 seconds.
In the afternoon, the appointment was given to Nautic for fun races on the basin Nautic, a participant 30aine Men, Women and Juniors were reunited for the race on foam boards provided by the organization whose career was a standing start, crossing the pool in its length, go around a buoy in the shape of skull and came to 2 / 3 of the return.
Annabel Anderson, who had already won the ladies’ 10km race, showed that she was equally at home on a 14″ foam board and also won the sprints in the pool.
Wondering why she is so fast? Check out our Fit for SUP section, where she reveals her best exercises.
ALL RESULTS:
Results – 10 km Seine Crossing
Men
1st Eric Terrien (Nidecker)
2nd Gaetan Sene (Naish)
3rd Amaury Dormet
Women
1st Annabel Anderson
2nd Fabienne d’Ortoli
3rd Laurence Leguillette
Results – Sprint Nautic
Men
1st Gaetan Sene (Naish)
2nd Renaud Noyelle
3rd Eric Terrien (Nidecker)
Women
1st Annabel Anderson
(Starboard)
2nd Liz Wardley
3rd Laurence Leguillette
Juniors
1st Arthur Arutkin
2nd Julien Bru
3rd Julien Bouyer
Here are some impressions from the historic race across Paris with friendly permission of Robert Etienne / Nidecker
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