Observations From Our Summer of Coaching and Attending SUP Races

Our Race Services Division has been busy traveling these last 2 months, coaching and learning a ton! Our quest for developing a more robust and easy to understand training platform for performance technique has matured and come to full fruition. You can say that we have been “interning” before we graduate and all the clinics and privates are our final exam.

Challenging the norms and helping to promote stand up paddle boarding as a real sport with technique rich skills is an important quest for our company. The skills and techniques we employed at races like The Carolina SUP CUP and The Charles Island SUP CUP are utterly simple and reproducible and nothing more efficient. See below our observations from our coaching sessions and interacting with attendees at the races.

1.) Paddler boarders are an awesome and incredibly passionate group of people.

2.) Over reaching is a common bad habit for many.

3.) Creating power should be a fundamental skill that is hard wired before attempting speed.

4.) Changing bottom hand position purposely up or down the paddle shaft can have a major effect on power, stability, and control. (ask me why!)

5.) When you’re trying to be fast or get faster, being comfortable anaerobically is a non-negotiable skill that you must develop.

6.) Interval training with some type of measuring system for heart rate and MPH will help validate technique changes and tweaks.

7.) All racers must be able to sprint off the line at a high level of stress for at least 100 yards. This requires TRAINING and PRACTICE!

8.) If I’ve said this once, I’ve said it 100 times; train off the water with resistance and cardio training. A proper deadlift and developing cardio zones will change your life! (We can teach this!)

9.) When the side chop and/or boat wake gets crazy breathe into your core (diaphragmatic breathing) and get lower using your hips, knees, and legs more aggressively and dynamically. Think of shock absorbers on an off-road vehicle.

10.) Align your paddle on a running beach start with handle forward, blade back and have it ready on the side you will start paddling on.

11.) Whether you’re using hip rotation or a hip hinge, make it a small but decisive movement.