Constants are changing
The racers took up the slack slotting in around the absence of surf – and therein lays the rub. The ISA is a surfing organisation not a racing organisation and at times this is blindingly clear. While heats or finals are rescheduled, delayed or postponed to maximise the local conditions racing belligerently goes on irrespective of tide or wind. Eight AM saw the start of the technical racing moved from the previous Saturday to Wednesday. But the racing was on Fiji time and started after nine. Not too big a deal, heats were at most twenty minutes long and delays unlikely to significantly impact upon pre-race fuelling and hydration strategies. Siting in the searing sun with little hope of shade waiting for the start might, however. It was clear that the organising committee were making every possible effort in what could at best described as challenging conditions but simple basics seemed to have been overlooked. Like using the massive on board sound system to communicate when to marshal, enter the water for a warm up, or even for pre-race briefings.
Almost all of the world’s main SUP’ing nations were in attendance bar a small few and the final line up in both the men’s and women’s was a who’s who of the global paddling glitterati. To make the men’s final was brutal, culling two thirds of the entries with no hope of a repechage to sneak in the final – it’s a long way to come for a 20 minute paddle, albeit, in one of the world’s most stunning locations. The women’s however, was a straight final. Thanks for coming! That only one female per country is allowed bears little resemblance to the female paddling scene, the lack of gender parity defies any rational logic. Is it because women are considered the fairer sex, perhaps not capable to enduring the physiological demands of racing twice in a day? I am sure the likes of Candice Appleby, Terrene Black, Marie Buchanan or any mum (Laura Garcia, Lina Augaitis) would have a compelling argument against potential objectors.
Both male and female finals were epic and showed the uprising threat from European paddlers, mostly French with a smattering of Danish and Slovak, rising to challenge the traditional elite. Casper cemented his standing as worthy title holder. Sure he held a near invisible wave to leap frog into the lead but you’ve got to be in it to win it. The French, possibly the new power house of SUP, secured 3rd and 4th with Arthur and Titouan.
