And join the ZONE !

Well, nobody’s perfect. …

Thanks to Brice !

Short video thanks to Brice and his photo camera, the resolution is really low but it’s better than nothing… Waves were crap !

When SUPsurfing in front of paparazzis it’s easy to get caught in a bad position….

I’ve learned it few month ago thanks to GongSUP rider Patrice Guénolé aka “l’ours”

Here is what he was saying :

“”"IMO, the key is in the trajectory. Take a look at the last online video, sexy wave, (http://www.gongsup.com/Sexy-wave.html?lang=fr) and you’ll notice that as long as the trajectory is downward or even parallel, the board doesn’t spin out. As soon as the board goes upward in the face of the wave, it spins out.
You need a hollow section and speed. Doing them hit or miss with the tail in white water and pushing like an animal isn’t my favorite move, …

You also need to have your shoulders on a vertical line with your hips and your feet. The first attempts, we push like a beast to spin out and consequently we fall in the slope as soon as it spins out because we were already unbalanced. Remain really straight, it is the second key.
Longboarding it is pretty technique. SUPing it is much easier, the paddle gives is a support in the face of the wave that helps to remain straight while beginning the rotation.

The rotation …The more forward on the nose you are, the more radical it is. The more you push with your back hand, the more radical it is. The more you turn your hips, the more radical it is… IMO, the best is to leave the slope regulate the rotation.
It generates stuff like long nose rides followed by rotation… It is awesome. Well, yeah, at the beginning, you need to push hard !

The last part of the trick is the hardest one. Riding waves fin first is a good training . The key to take off fin first is to put the front foot really forward on the board and to paddle at the last moment to break the row effect. Then you’ll discover other versions of the 180 with or without swivel, frontside or backside, varial or doble swivel, in the roller, in the floater, in the cut back … countless possibilities, awesome
The most difficult 360 is : 360 helico to switch to varial ! Frontside it is hot, backside I nearly break my arm 2 days ago …
Anyway …
In summary : Find small waves, go front side down the line, walk unhurried in diagonal to the nose, when it gets hollow push on your toes to sink the rail from the nose, similar as a roller from the nose, and it’ll start to turn

Ciao “”

It Works !!!


pics by Jordan Crawford www.windsurfjournal.org

Small waves, sunny winter weather in Perth, 3 SUP boards to try and a photo camera … !

short video of 1 wave in Gran Canaria last winter, I didn’t even know someone was filming, I just found it out.

After few month in knee to chest high waves, I scored some nice ones this week end at Lancelin.

3 to 5 knots offshore wind, no more than 3 surfers at the line up and overhead waves, it was good !

Rosie and me stayed at the Lancelin lodge ; on Sunday we paddled around the reef from backbeach to Eddies, got some waves each and back to the beach ;
On monday I launched from the windsurfing area and went straight over the reef, scored some awesome waves with only 1 surfer at the line up, meanwhile Rosie took a paddle to Lancelin Island, we catched up later so I had a go on her ski, and she had a go on my SUP !
Other activities included walk in the sand dunes, diner at the pub, and romantic walk along the beach…!

SUPfrance is a blog I created in May when I realized how hard it is hard to find information about Stand Up Paddle in French.

And day after day, it attracts more and more visitors, it looks like I gonna have to upgrade it soon to a “real”website !

to take a look at it : www.SUPfrance.com