SUP Racing Tips

Further to our general Paddle Technique Tips, here are the top tips from various Pros.

Peter Bartl (AUT)

Winner 2013 SUP Eleven City Tour

  • Train your basic endurance and start with medium length races 5-10km
  • Learn to draft, practice drafting
  • Nutrition & hydration is key
  • Use a weed fin in areas where there is sea grass
  • Choose the right Paddle Length
    • the more you use use upper body, the shorter the paddle
    • the higher your frequency, the shorter the paddle
    • choppy waters: longer paddle
  • Peter’s Paddle Length:
    • Short distance < 3 km (7 cm over head 180 cm
    • Mitteldistanz < 10 km ( 13 cm over head) 186 cm
    • Long distance (15 bis 16 cm over head) 189 cm

Antony Vela (US) – (courtesy of supthemag)

life saver, prone paddler and surfer

  • Practice with  Hydration Pack
    • so that you don’t loose time fiddling around with it during race
  • Include Drills like
    • Race Start (e.g. sitting on board like World Series)
    • Turns (around buoys)
    • Switching stance (from parallel to Race Stance)
  • Focus on training your weak side

Chase Kosterlitz (US)

study his stroke in slow motion

Danny Ching (US) – “Fastest Paddler on Earth”:

watch his Lost Mills Fastest Paddler on Earth run (15 km/h average speed!) and hear is tips here

Annabel Anderson (NZ) – Fastest Female Paddler in the World

This video is aimed at beginners, but is shows you the perfect basic stroke

Nutrition Tips for Long Distance Races:

  • Hydrate
  • Electrolytes
  • Start eating early (don’t wait till you are hungry or thirsty)
  • Have a caffeine strategy
  • Take about 250cals per hour
  • Have 1000 calories 2 hours before race
  • Practice Nutrition on longer training paddles
  • Pre-Pack everything in Zip-Locks

Check out these tips in full at Riding Bumps