Still think there is validity in having a 12'6 and under class. What needs to disappear altogether is the word "stock".

I think his real point to this is in the bottom paragraph of the article in the link below.

www.davidkalama.com/2010/06/21/my-two-cents-the-bop/

There is also a lot of talk on the US forums about how big guys can never win this division as the parameters of 12'6 design simply do not allow added width, thickness etc at the 12'6 length to allow the same hull speeds for lighter riders.

It does seem that the 12'6 class was to encourage people into the sport to begin with so that average joe on his QE2 Surf SUP could also race. That kind of changed with the advent of 12'6 race boards to clean up the division. Funny thing is though, now you have guys on 12'6 race boards beating guys on 17' race boards so the designs have obviously progressed a little since racing a QE2 Mal surf SUP. They can't be in the same division.

Maybe all competitors should ride the same boards in the bop events , but then all the talking about the merits or lack of different boards wont happen , the talk will then switch to has has the best training , diet , power balance thingo , talent , luck.

I would like to see say a Jamie Mitchell do time trials on every different design out their and i rekon their would be not much difference in the times at the wash up.

Engine is number 1.

Teatrea,

scotty and i discussed this a while back, about having 1 manufacture build 10 or so boards, like Lahui Kai or DC all the same then put top paddlers in a race.

good coverage for brand and good for the paddlers. BOP style with more than 1 in and out to bring the surf into play.

dont worry, as with ALL types of competetion/racing some will find a way to whinge.....ie im bigger therefore the board doesnt go as well due to the water line.....hahahahaha but DUDE your bigger therefore stronger...get over it.

I in no way would suggest that the 12'6 class should dissapear. It seems to be the most exciting class right now with BOP etc. I fully agree this is the way forwards to get people interested in this sport. The SLS thing is a great example. I also fully agree that the bigger guy thing is whinging. I was simply presenting someone elses views.

Geez, I'd kill for a 12'6 displacement BOP type board not necessarily to race but the ins and outs thing appeals to me even just for fitness and fun.

My point is that this class began as the punters class but the shapers have worked so hard to make this length fast with great designs that it seems irrelevant to race these boards against standard surf SUP. It was about participation before, now it's about money and being very fast. If you want a punters class, maybe another lower length flat bottom type board needs to be considered.

If there are going to be classes in racing perhaps the design parameters need to be more fixed rather than just length. You don't race KX80's in the 450cc category do you?

There will never be any such thing as a punter's class, unless you exclude all winners from future participation by "graduating" them to pro classes.
Every race discipline ever dreamed up has proven this.
Lots of things start out as amateur fun, but it is never long before money and dedication from a few raises the bar to exclude the "punters". Equipment "arms races" intervene as well.

To promote SUP, it would be better to focus on participation and training than competition.
The ski industry is a model for this, being pretty much the only sport I can think of where recreational participants are considered more important than competitors.
Even at the Winter Olympics, less than 10% of Whistler was dedicated to the competition, the rest of the mountain remained open to the "punters".
One of the many reasons why I love it.

Edit, looke ike aus301 and I are saying teh same thing.

What is BOP ?

I had to laugh about his comments on open class SUP racing being like F1 or open class motocross.
Dude, you are going at 8-10kph. I don't care how you look at it, it's a snail race. It's a lot like lawn-mower or bar-stool racing. Fun, but NOT FAST !!
That's fine, but don't pretend you are challenging the laws of physics with your warp speed progress.

There's Klingons on the Starboard bow
Starboard bow, Starboard bow
There's Klingons on the starboard bow
Starboard bow, KAPTAIN !!!!!

Yer Ken, has anybody selected mini's on Grand Turismo, same same. Exciting still.

PTWoody said...

The best point made in favour of 12'6" as an ongoing race class in the Standup Zone forum is that 12'6" is fundamentally easier to transport to race meets, especially interstate and overseas.

The best argument against 12'6" is that it limits the speed of SUP racing, whereas people like Dave Kalama would like to see SUP become the fastest solo paddle sport on the planet. That's the only way for SUP racing to be regarded as an elite sport.

Until there is enough money in the sport to aid elite paddlers to travel the world with their unlimited boards, then we may have to stick with 12'6"

And KenHO... there are no Klingons on Dave Kalama's Starboard bow. He rides Naish.

at the moment all sup racing is the slowest paddle( as in using a paddle) sport and i can't see that changing any time soon. it's just the nature of the game using a long paddle

Yeah buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut........worrying about the speed difference between Warp 12.6 and Warp 17 is about as silly as this.




SUP is many things, good things even, but it ain't FAST. Neither is swimming. Snail races. The entertainment factor comes from other aspects.
People who take stuff too seriously take the fun of it for others.

PTWoody said...

The best point made in favour of 12'6" as an ongoing race class in the Standup Zone forum is that 12'6" is fundamentally easier to transport to race meets, especially interstate and overseas.

The best argument against 12'6" is that it limits the speed of SUP racing, whereas people like Dave Kalama would like to see SUP become the fastest solo paddle sport on the planet. That's the only way for SUP racing to be regarded as an elite sport.

Until there is enough money in the sport to aid elite paddlers to travel the world with their unlimited boards, then we may have to stick with 12'6"

And KenHO... there are no Klingons on Dave Kalama's Starboard bow. He rides Naish.

you can go first on paddling a 14-18ft board out and back through the surf mutlipule runs in one race

Let 14's race in BOP. If need be, have a few extra little trophies;
Line Honours
14 Class
12'6 Class

16's/17's/18's is starting to push it. But provided the paddler is competent, and the waves are small, then 16-18's would also handle BOP (Battle of {the} Paddle).

Rule Number 1 - it's for fun and participation !

Race Organisers need to have some common sense too... No point sending 40 people off the beach at once, into a head high dumping shore break !! Carnage !! No matter what craft you are on !!

-------------------
PS - I remember going to a house party in King Cross / Surry Hills, talking to a girl who was doing the "Bondi to Coogee Swim" the following day. I knew that a decent Southerly swell was coming that night, with a decent Southerly wind, and I told her, "well don't be surprised if the organisers send you all down to Coogee and swim it in reverse back to Bondi.... Sunday 6 o'clock news, at least half of the swimmers had to be picked up out of the water, because the swell, chop, wind, was too difficult for them, and many climbed up onto the rocks (very dangerous)..... Mind you, some would have been training in pools ! (fools!)... A case of the organisers getting it badly wrong, and they are probably lucky that everyone survived.... If there was a death, and if I was the coroner, all fingers would be pointing to those organisers.

"These fat guys should just harden up a bit and lose some weight!!!!"

Yeah ..... oh hang on,. that's me .....

These fat guys should just harden up a bit and lose some weight!!!!

Sounds like a comment from a small man!

Wonder what would happen if the heavy weight boxers said that to all the light weight classes?

These light guys should just harden up a bit and gain some weight!!!!

More to the point, not everyone can afford or wants to carry around 3 race boards either.
It's why windsurfing racing died in the mid ninties. (by the way the strong/heavy guys were fast).
People got sick of the gear war and racing just about dissapeared all together.
Good regulations and rules, learning from the past could avoid it happening to SUP racing.

I know your taking the piss Jacko.
You will have the pleasure of screaming at me when I drop in on you at the mambo.

I will be the one screaming out "remember me, it's fatty".

Dogs will be on the pies, I will be training on pizza.