Paddling in North FinistereWords & photos: Helen TrehoretSUP Micro Adventures is one of the best parts of SUP. With the usual time constraints that we all face, it takes work to plan and execute a 10-day SUP expedition. This is why living and paddling in North Finistere is so unique; we can zip off for a quick micro-adventure at just a moments notice. The wind direction and tides are all we need to know. Grab a SUP board, tent, and sleeping bag, and we are ready. Moreover, you can choose your comfort level for these micro-adventures between extremely comfortable, comfortable, and bivouacking.https://maps.app.goo.gl/2ukeyTYaFRTerN9Z7Everybody has some link to France, but do you know Finistere, and how perfect is it for SUP Adventures? Let me guide you through the perfect adventure in North Finistere, which is adapted to three different comfort levels! This is the armchair guide to the perfect micro adventure in North Finistere.North Finistere, or as the locals call it, The Forgotten Coast. In an area of France that you have not heard about, there are no expensive ad campaigns, nor is it anything to do with the clothing brand. As the name suggests, North Finistere is at the end of the world. Untouched by the mass development that is dominant in the south, you can still find yourself alone on the sea, with only seals and kelp forests for company. They say it is like Cornwall 50 years ago.Lets zoom onto Lilia, Plouguerneau, and Pays des Abers. It is 40 km west of Roscoff and 20km north of Brest. Abers is the Breton word for river mouth, a name shared with its Welsh cousins. This is a land of a 1000 islands, with the island archipelago strutting out, protecting the land from the fiercest of storms. The islands vary in size, from being big enough to set up a military seaplane base to being only fit for basking seals and nesting birds.Journey 1: The charge of the lighthouse keeper!I take this journey with friends and family, and I want a bit more comfort! This journey starts at Lilia, the small seaside village. You glide out of the Bay de Kervenni on the high to mid tide to benefit from the ebb tide while having enough depth to glide effortlessly over the sea grass and seaweed in the bay before turning northeast to start tracking around the rocks and micro-islands where curious seals will often follow you. Following the ebbing tide, you can let yourself be taken effortlessly by the current, using your SUP paddle to guide your SUP board around hidden rocks and floating seaweed waiting to snag your fin. After only 2 km, you are rewarded with an arrival at Ile Vierge, Europes tallest stone lighthouse!This island is the site of an active lighthouse, though, like most these days, it is fully automated. However, this islands gem is the gite found behind the lighthouse. If you are a person who enjoys comfort, you can stay in the gite for the night (or two) and immerse yourself in living the life of a keeper. The accommodation is tastefully decorated to keep its identity, including traditional wooden closed beds. Moreover, the gite includes the ancient lighthouse, so you can watch the sunset after climbing all 250 steps! Make sure you dont forget the corkscrew!The outward journey ends with descending into the small dock area constructed for the lighthouse keepers. Turning west, you begin to navigate through an abundance of rocky islands before heading towards Stagadon. The other island has accommodation in the Archipelago. This is an area where you will need sharp eyes to spot the access points and practice your turns and SUP control.Journey 2: Stagadon:The charge of the sheep!After leaving Ile Vierge, you will be taken through narrow channels while gliding over pristine sea grass and kelp areas. All around you will be nesting birds and the shrill of birds calling each other. The locals (the local seals) will almost guide you if you get the tide right as you approach Stagadon; the sea floor changes from rocky to sand. At this point, the sea colour changes to a brilliant blue and green, and you would think you have landed in the Caribbean.The beach lies in the lee of the island, protecting you from the dominant westerly winds. The local Seventh-day evangelist owns the island. It is a cosy place to spend the night in relative comfort. The island has a minimum water supply collected from rainwater, and electricity is generated on the island. It is the ultimate eco-lodge!If your pockets are not deep enough to stretch to a night in the light housekeepers gite, then Stagadon is the island for you. On Stagadon, the famous Ouessant sheep were once farmed. The sheep are as temperamental as the winds that flow over these lands in the winter. But for now, the old farmhouse functions as a bothy for up to 25 people (plus a few sheep to help control the Machair).Exploring the Stagadon is a step back into island life. After a short walk, you can get comfortable in the bothy and even light the BBQ while enjoying the sunset.Once you have spent the night on the island, you break camp in the morning to paddle due south to skirt by Ile Wrach a second island with a smaller lighthouse.The abundance of lighthouses tells us that this is where you need to ensure your tides are right. A spring tide in this area completely changes the landscape, making it a current nightmare or, at low tide, a rocky, strewn, unnavigable landscape.Journey 3: Ile WrachThis is for the tough and cultured outdoorists! After completing the bay circuit, passing by Ile de Vierge and Stagadon, this option is to arrive on Ile Wrach at sunset and bivouac on the island. This is a protected area, so camping is not permitted, although small-scale bivouacking is tolerated.This is a historically interesting island. The area adjacent to the island was once a US seaplane base in World War I. The approach to the beach is lined with rocks, so its all about nailing that tide. After spending the night in the comfort of the Machair, heading off at high tide allows you to circumnavigate the island and glide over the oyster beds that litter this side of the Archipelago.Still, on high tide, you can squeeze between the islands, allowing you to complete the loop of the Archipelago! Afterwards, you can reward yourself with a glass of wine and a dozen fresh oysters!How to get to North Finistere. The nearest ferry is Roscoff, 30 km west of Pays des Abers. Turn right, and you will start your journey to Cornwall from 40 years ago!When is the best time to paddle? Any time from Easter to October. But get in tune with your tides and wind predictions to truly nail this circuit!Are you eager to try this loop? Visit www.barrachousup.com for your guide.

ARTHUR ARUTKIN: JAVAARTHUR ARUTKIN: JAVAArthur Arutkin heads to Indonesia, on an expedition to ride the empty waves of Java!At the end of the summer, the wind starts blowing all over the Indonesian coastlines. Its the time Ive chosen to go on an expedition in search for the untamed waves of Java.A film by : @arthurarutkinDirected by : @JulienBRUFilmsSupported by : @duotone.windsurfingThe post ARTHUR ARUTKIN: JAVA appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

The post ISA Launches New StandUp Paddle Commission appeared first on SUPboarder Magazine.

DUOTONE BLAST D/ LAB 2025DUOTONE BLAST D/ LAB 2025The awesome Duotone Blast D/ Lab is available to order on the Duotone website, click the link at the bottom of the page for all the details of how to get your board made to order:BLAST D/LAB IN A NUTSHELLThe BLAST D/LAB is inspired by the renowned BLAST, incorporating the planing characteristics of the large EAGLE boards. Combined with the same high-end FULL CUSTOM D/LAB construction used in the FALCON_FIN, the BLAST D/LAB stands as the stiffest, lightest, and earliest planing board in its class. In fact, it is over a kilo lighter than any other comparable board.It offers exceptional control, even in extreme winds of up to 30 knots. Its innovative VOLUME YET CONTROL CONCEPT allows users to choose larger boards without sacrificing performance. With a smooth, aggressive jibing experience and increased top speed, the BLAST D/LAB caters to both intermediate and advanced riders, providing unmatched versatility. For all the details from Duotone please click the link below:DUOTONE BLAST D/LABThe post DUOTONE BLAST D/ LAB 2025 appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

THE X FACTOR: SLALOM X RETURN OF THE FINTHE X FACTORSLALOM X RETURN OF THE FINGran Canaria GLORIA Windsurf World CupSlalom X made a scintillating debut at the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup with Pozo Izquierdo dishing up the most hardcore racing conditions seen in recent years. The worlds best racers mettle was truly tested and we hear from a selection of them about their thoughts on this new format.Words: Pierre Mortefon, Matteo Iachino, Maciek Rutkowski, Jordy Vonk, Scotty Stallman, Sarah-Quita Offringa, Jenna Gibson and Marion Mortefon. // Photos: Carter / pwaworldtour.com.PIERRE MORTEFON 1ST RACING MASTER CLASSThe racing was not easy as Slalom X was a new format that both the PWA and the racers had to get used to. The jumps and different elements were changing the tactics you normally have in slalom. It is good to have a bit of change and make new things in the racing, but I preferred it at the end when we had a normal slalom course. That was great you could play with your tactics and go faster around the course. When you had an element in the middle of the legs you needed to slow down to pass them. A mix of everything was okay, but you need to keep some normal slalom I think. I loved the high wind racing though. They are the conditions that I like. I spend a lot of time racing at home in strong winds. What I like the most is that you dont really fight against the other racers in those conditions, you fight against yourself. If you manage to go well and really push, it feels great. What is super difficult is when you are on the edge of control, then when you manage to sheet-in and push, you are going super-fast. At the end of the event, it was some of the best racing I have ever done.CHANGE OF EQUIPMENTI changed my gear at the beginning of the year. It was my first international race with the new equipment. I am really happy because the boards are super-fast and really comfortable. Finian Maynard told me I am going to love the board and he was right! The sail I used is the same, they have a different concept compared to the other brands and the designer, Alex [Udin], did amazing job. They are relatively old designs, but they are working very well. Phantom are already working on something new for next year. I was very happy with my consistency. I was not out of the top three in any final. I knew from the past that consistency always pays off especially during a long event. I was also super happy to race on the last day with the victory already secured as there was no pressure, but I still pushed it though!MATTEO IACHINO 2ND WATCH WOESI am really satisfied because it was super difficult to come back from a bad start to the event. I had no discards to play with by the end of the event. I knew that, so the whole time I was overthinking whether I should play it safe. However, to be at the top, while playing it safe is not easy in these conditions. I love this type of slalom and the gnarly conditions, which is what I love the most about racing. At the beginning of the week I had a new start watch, Bruno [Martini] bought the same watch in Lake Garda with me, and its no coincidence that we had so many over earlies at the beginning of the week we figured something must be wrong. I decided it must be the watch as there was no way I would be over early this much. When I swapped the watch, I was immediately back in the game, but the damage was already done. Physically it was very demanding. We are not used to this extreme style slalom anymore because now on the foil it is a different type of racing. Foiling is much more technical, but nowhere near as physically demanding on your body. A full week of forty knots combined with the waves was really tough. It was not easy mentally or physically. The conditions were amazing. For me, this event and Portugal in 2018 were the best events I have been to on the PWA. I love high wind racing as you can make come backs, fight and it is adrenaline fuelled. It is what I love about the sport.MACIEK RUTKOWSKI 3RD CLOSE BUT NO CIGARIt was as epic as racing gets! I was involved quite a bit with the inception of Slalom X, and I could not be happier to premiere it like this. I enjoyed the racing; you feel alive out there for sure. You are fighting Mother Nature as well as your opponents, your gear and yourself. It was hard to push it 100%, but it was rewarding to race like that on so many different levels. If you are thinking about the big picture or the world title, second place would have been better, but we have Fuerteventura coming up and I am happy with my gear, so lets see what happens. It was pure fun out there this week. Nobody got badly injured despite a lot of crashes. The jumping was fun, you could gain on your opponents if you timed it right. I like most of the features in the Super X. The fin is back for sure and Pozo is the place to do it! It is one of the windiest places in the world we love it!JORDY VONK 4TH FLYING DUTCHMAN FIGHTS BACKI was wearing a heart rate monitor during the racing, it felt like it went to 300bpm (laughs). I am pretty sure I was going close to 200bpm! On the last day I hit 178bpm, and on one of the other days it hit 190bpm! That is really high compared to normal. I dont know how much adrenaline was involved in that, but I can tell you the adrenaline levels were huge. The last two days were the best for me as I was sick at the beginning of the event and didnt have as much power as I should have done. It was hard to enjoy the first two days, but then my energy came back, and I felt so much better. This was fin racing at its best. If you love the fin, then you would have loved every single second of this racing. Of course, I was scared, but that is also the appeal of it. If it is perfectly flat and easy, it is also nice sometimes, but this was a total adrenaline rush. The whole week I used the same set up. So, I was riding my 5.8m with a 99L board and 32cm fin. One sail, one board and one fin for the whole event.SCOTTY STALLMAN LEARNING EXPERIENCEMy Pozo experience ended a lot quicker than I thought it would. I went over the back of a bit of swell into another one and it sent me into a catapult. The board came off a bit worse for wear. I think the mast smashed the nose clean off. It wasnt the biggest catapult I have had but you just never know. If you watch Pozo on the live stream it doesnt always do it justice, just how hardcore it is out there.Some of the days it was just mental with swell and chop coming from everywhere. The wind was probably 45 knots. It was totally crazy. I think they were the toughest conditions I have sailed in. When you sheet-in you have to work so hard just to keep the board on the water otherwise you can get lifted. It is not just about speed, but also control. You are conscious that other people are trying to race against you, but also you need to get around the gybes and stay in a straight line. Where it is so tricky to sail in Pozo you really have to pick your spot for the gybes. I have huge respect for guys like Pierre and Matteo and I have learned a lot from this event. They know their kit inside and out; they know the spot and they have years of experience. It was cool for me to see it and learn from that. I could not race at the end of the event with no board, but it was good just to watch these guys from the beach. The jump was cool as it gave you the chance for a bit of a redemption if you had a bad start or a poor first gybe. It was an epic event, I was just gutted I couldnt race on the last day. Hopefully, next year I will come back and be more prepared.SARAH-QUITA OFFRINGA 1ST WAVE AND SLALOM X DOUBLEThe last two days were almost survival conditions, I could not close my sail on the 5.3m. It was on the limit of safety for me. I would rather sail safe and just make it around the marks. That paid off for me and I just wanted to stay consistent. I wasnt pushing at all to be at the front of the pack, I was waiting for other riders to make mistakes. At low tide it was pretty hard even just launching through the boulders as they are all so slippery. During high tide it was not too bad as you get into deep water pretty quickly. I was in Pozo for a month, so I knew how to navigate them. My feet were extremely sore by the last day. I enjoyed the racing because normally I would never sail in these conditions for slalom. I took it as a learning experience.I didnt set any high expectations because as I said its not my conditions for slalom, but as soon as soon as the racing started, I was getting super tactical and trying to figure out where I could go in between other riders. I got very competitive very quickly. On the first day when it was a bit lighter and I was more in control of my 5.3m, that day I was so on! I could not believe it; I won four races in a row and the last two races I really had to fight for the victory and kept my head cool and finished first in some races only after the last mark. That was super exciting for me and there was so much adrenaline. There are races where you are just ahead and you just have to keep it together and finish first, which is super satisfying, but when you come from behind that feels like the ultimate!EXHAUSTIONThis is probably the most exhausted Ive come out of the water for slalom ever and in some races, I was gasping for air after the finish line. Everything was going through the roof adrenaline wise, and my heart rate must have hit 190-200bpm. I am racing with other women, but at the same time you need to keep control of your board to not fly out of the water, so it requires maximum concentration looking ahead.CAUTIOUS APPROACHI was not battling the other riders on the first leg; I was really trying to find my line and find the flattest area to go through. I was focusing on the pin, but at the same time there was so much chop, you needed to prioritise control. I was just looking at the water and where it was the smoothest. As I said I dont think I pushed 100% on the first leg once, so for me, I feel like the race was starting after the first mark. But I could see the other women like Justine and Jenna just gunning it. You could see their boards flying out sometimes and they were only just in control. I am way more careful.As I said I am very competitive, so I was immediately thinking about how to improve my stance or my sail trim or the board settings and stuff. It makes it exciting for Fuerteventura as well with this competition. I am stoked with Gran Canaria, and it is a double win in Pozo for me in waves and slalom. I have never even dreamt about achieving this; I didnt know that this could happen, so its pretty cool.JENNA GIBSON 2ND MAIDEN PODIUMI made it into second here in Pozo. I am so relieved and feel like it has been a long time coming for me to make a podium like this. Over the last five years I was unable to have the consistency to put a whole event together. The speed has always come naturally to me, but the whole race, tactics, gybes and keeping my calm has been a problem and needed some work. There are still a few issues as I dropped a lot of gybes when I was leading races. I am getting there and to be on the podium is just amazing. This is my first podium and hopefully not my last.ON THE EDGEThe racing was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone for sure. You are out there waiting for the start, and you could just feel the wind getting stronger and stronger. It was so tricky out there. The wind strength plus the water state was crazy. I absolutely love it when it is like that though. I like being on the edge like that. I am so glad we had this event. I was reluctant the first day to try the jumps after practising and crashing on both attempts. I got really bad whiplash from that. On the second day, the detour mark was not really an option as it was too far upwind, so I just had to go for it. Luckily I made the jumps on all three attempts. I was quite relieved. I feel like I could have raced better and nailed a few more bullets, but I am so happy to have come second. Every race I used my 5m and 99L Falcon, with a 31.5cm fin. I just kept that gear all week, which is all I needed. I did one day of tuning on my sail before the event and it went into turbo mode. I was pretty happy with it!MARION MORTEFON 3RD A SOLID STARTI really enjoyed the strong wind conditions, I am okay with my results, I just really wanted to race again in those conditions! I did not manage to sail at my best level I would say. I was riding with my 4.6m Patrik sail and 95 Patrik slalom board which was working great. The fights were close with Jenna, Sarah and Justine, and still all the girls were managing to clear the jump obstacle, and battle in those crazy conditions.If we are racing in hardcore conditions, its great to watch as the fight is never over until the finish line. Fin racing is completely different feeling compared to foiling and it was nice to be focused on only one discipline as we did not have to think about our choice of equipment. It was way more fun than last year, where there was a certain amount of luck in deciding between foil and fin.The post THE X FACTOR: SLALOM X RETURN OF THE FIN appeared first on Windsurf Magazine.

By Crispin Jones (Owner of Waterborn)Photos by Sarah Thornely (SUPJunkie)Now in its ninth year, SUP The Creek in Devon is a well-established, great SUP race, attracting competitors from all over the country and abroad, which typically bookends the UK race scene. We caught up with Crispin to find out how this year went.This years two-day event started at South Sands in Salcombe on Saturday, 26th October, with a tech race involving competitors taking on beach runs, buoy turns, tide, waves, and swell, as well as a stacked fleet of paddlers. Starting on the beach at the waters edge, awaiting the legendary Duck Horn to commence the race, the competitors charged out seaward for the first race turn before proceeding around the rest of the course, which could be double-checked on their competitors tea towels.Conditions were challenging with choppy, confused water from the wind and swell driven in from Fridays fading low-pressure system. Although some people took a dip in the sea, everyone was drenched in glorious October sunshine, and spirits were high. Thankfully, the sand Bar was producing some waves, which competent competitors soon used to their advantage, but those less used to waves could skirt around the breaking waves to continue the course towards Sunny Cove, then in towards North Sands, then back to complete their first lap in South Sands. Competitors run with their boards up the beach through the gated area and back out for laps two and three before finishing between the flags. During the first lap, our comms with the safety cover from Coast to Coast Water Safety soon had a few people needing escorting back to shore, which further cemented why I chose to work alongside this very professional team. Conditions were undoubtedly challenging, and huge credit goes to everyone who got out on the water and gave it their all; I witnessed plenty of grit and determination but, above all, lots of smiles. Once ashore, when the race had finished, everyone felt a huge sense of achievement. In the 14 category, Paul Simmons, Zoltan Erdelyi and Dave took to the Mens 14 podium. Annabel Page, Holly Pye and Marie Buchanan took the womens podiums.I hope that we have more Tech races across the UK that focus on a technical challenge. This will help raise the standard of our sport and help us understand and paddle safely on the sea.Distance racesSunday saw competitors take on an entirely different challenge with the distance races. Conditions were perfect, with light winds, clear blue skies and sunshine rivalling any summer day! Kingsbridge was putting on a show with a classic car rally and car boot sale setting up to make the most of the fantastic forecast and our armada of SUPs on the water; there was plenty for the half-term visitors and locals alike to see in our beautiful town. With a 1km / 6km / 12km and even a 3km (prone only) course, all abilities had something to enjoy and challenge themselves with over the weekend. The fleets set off towards the town for the first race marker, which becomes somewhat of a spectacle to behold for those watching as fleet after fleet descends on the upper marker before proceeding around their remaining course.It is encouraging to see more first-time event paddlers taking on SUP The Creek either in the leisure/challenge category with a more relaxed start line or for the first time in the Race Fleet. There were some great performances across the board, but in the 12km 14 category, Paul Simmons, Mark Salter and Denzil Williams podiumed for the Mens and mirroring their Tech race, Annabel Page, Holly Pye and Marie Buchanan climbed the steps again for the Women. Before any of the other fleets had finished, though, the Juniors well and truly beat them off the 1km course and finished well ahead of the others. We are proud to see a growing number of juniors enter.Waterborn Club locals George Stone and Fleur Everitt took the overall wins for the 1km in the boys and girls 10-14 fleet, and Darcy England finished first overall and first in the 15-17 age category.As a race director, it was so welcoming having the weather on my side for once, and the joy on everyones faces always makes the countless hours across the year worthwhile. A big thank you to our fantastic sponsors who help showcase our brilliant businesses in the area. A massive shoutout to everyone who helped volunteer over the weekend to help it run smoothly; it really couldnt go ahead without you all; a huge thank you to Sarah Thornely for stepping in at the last minute and covering our photography. And the biggest thank you to everyone who came down (or up, Cornwall lot) to paddle on our beautiful estuary and share in the stoke of SUP over the weekend.We hope to see more encouraged to try next year for our 10th anniversary of SUP The Creek.See you on the water!

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