If they were to take place would anyone be interested, what format ( or formats ) would be best??????
I like the Dave Kalama idea of organising a BOP event on inflatables &
it's up to the competitor as to what ISUP they choose to compete with.
BOP & distance race on any ISUP brand/size & width.
Match the board to the rider by the riders choice.
Conditions on the day would dictate different ISUP choices.
Would this be something that would be acceptable to the SUP er in AUS though, I have read his take on it, and it makes sense to me. but then again I am a relative newbie I'm probably putting a hole in my manners here by speaking out of turn. It's just that it looks like a good idea from a practical point of view.
format : each competitor is given a bag containing one sup , one pump, one travel paddle and a mars bar .
they then start to pump up their sup when the starting pistol goes .
the crowd goes wild ........
15min later the organizers thank the paramedics for their help and the race starts with the remaining competitors.
As crazy as it sounds SandS, with a few tweaks your suggestion would probably draw a paying crowd??
Select to expand quoteSandS said..
format : each competitor is given a bag containing one sup , one pump, one travel paddle and a mars bar .
they then start to pump up their sup when the starting pistol goes .
the crowd goes wild ........
I have been lobbying for this, and purely out of self-interest. I may yet get my way (hehehehehe).
Select to expand quoteHumanCartoon said..SandS said..
format : each competitor is given a bag containing one sup , one pump, one travel paddle and a mars bar .
they then start to pump up their sup when the starting pistol goes .
the crowd goes wild ........
I have been lobbying for this, and purely out of self-interest. I may yet get my way (hehehehehe).
or even better don't put the pump in the bag ................
N1sco One Design racing means One Design racing...you wouldn't want to be behind the eight ball from the start with the Astro Race..
Select to expand quotebradsdubs said..
N1sco One Design racing means One Design racing...you wouldn't want to be behind the eight ball from the start with the Astro Race..
Behind the 8-ball? You're thinking of the 2013/2014 Astro Racer. For 2015, they've removed the 8-ball nose cone from the Astro Racer so it is now even faster and sleeker through the water.
So I'm getting more than a hint here that at least some people might be interested in pitting inflatable against inflatable.
the best part about n1sco is that, at the turns, you can really launch into the turn in the vicinity of the bouy, and can therefore you have potentially massive pile ups with people and boards. In a bop race you'd only do this if you were a sponsored pro who doesn't overly care about other peoples' hard earned overpriced gear..it really makes for exciting , non [financially] dangerous racing, and a level playing field. I did a Bradbury on the Sunshine coast n1sco last year , where in one race, in a field of 25 , ended up coming 3rd after being 4th last at the last turn, where I just slipped around the final bouy on the inside of the big pile up! Most importantly,..there are just so many laughs to be shared. So was I the 3rd best racer on the day..no ..but , I was still standing...
In relation to different blow-ups..not sure...maybe different brands, but maybe have set in concrete, and arbitrated "class" dimensions [like K1 kayaks and sailing classes.. Laser etc]
Select to expand quoteDingleberry said..
So I'm getting more than a hint here that at least some people might be interested in pitting inflatable against inflatable.
What's your point? Purpose?
Edit, I looked back at your original post.
No.
I think Dave Kalama's argument has a lot going for it, even though it was probably meant at least in part as a provocation. We need inflatable classes for races, and for different brands to compete against each other. That may drive the much-needed technological advances needed to get iSUPs closer to hard SUPs in terms of performance. Unfortunately most inflatables are made by one company, in the same way that hard boards are (i.e.. Cobra, in that case). That is probably slowing down the rate of advance (for both hard and inflatable boards). Since inflatables are outselling hard boards 10-1 in some markets, we might actually expect otherwise that the greatest progression over the next couple of years would be with iSUPs not hard boards.
If someone could build a UL class iSUP that would downwind well - or for that matter, go in flat water as well as a hard board, I'd empty my wallet to get one. I recently bought a 16ft Starboard tandem iSUP and it's a hoot to paddle even with only one person on board. You can even surf it. At 16ft and 18 PSI, and presumably only being a single skin, it does wobble quite a bit in chop or on a wave, but for me it's been a lightbulb moment: I think long iSUPs could resurrect the UL class for flat water racing. We just need clever thinking to make the boards stiffer and to create displacement-style noses and then they'd be the obvious choice for much of the world that doesn't live right next to water and where space is at a premium. I've actually not been impressed by the 12-6 iSUPs I've tried since 12-6 hard boards aren't so much hassle to transport and store. But the relative practical and financial advantages of an iSUP increase as the board gets longer IMO.
