Experience the Missing Link
© Vaude (Sophos AV)
Have you ever thought of taking an SUP on a snowboard trip? Freeriders Andi Prielmaier, Tom Mayer, Stephan Kappl and Ingo Schmitt did! They went on an expedition 300km north of the Arctic Circle in one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world, the Lyngen Alps and took their SUPs to help them cross fjords and rivers.
Although the boys never did any SUP snow surfing it wouldn’t be that far-fetched with the small, inflatable SUPs weighing a little less than 10 kilos. To get to the SUP action you’ll need to skip to 5:55.
Windy City Race
You might have missed it earlier this summer, but Chicago was another amazing stop of the Stand Up World Series Race. Yes Chicago on Lake Michigan! Chicago is not exactly the place you would think of for stand up paddle. But check out the video, you can SUP downtown, beaches are unreal, water is crystal clear, and the chicks are pretty hot!
Miles aways from the ghetto style image of the town, some of the best stand up paddlers enjoyed SUP racing with the city skyline in the background. Kai Lenny won it with ease far ahead of Connor Baxter, proving that he is definitely the best overall even when a storm hit the contest site right in the middle of the day!
Kai Lenny got rewarded for his overall accomplishments at the SUP Awards 2012 in Maui.
Riding Exotic French Barrels
© Seb Boule
Reunion island is a French territory in the Indian Ocean with amazing point breaks. Problem is shark attacks have been on the rise in the past month. On this crowded island the issue is getting crucial. The whole community is trying to understand what’s happening to the marine fauna to solve the problem. But it’s not easy. Many reasons can lead to more attacks and few decisions have been taken by authorities. Locals surfers are now often afraid to enter the water in several places. I’m not sure if stand up paddler are taking advantage of the situation but it seems like a smart alternative. To find out more get in touch with reunion island local Sebastien Boule, seems like he is still enjoying some pretty good rides!