Latest news about inflatable stand up paddle boards.
Watch Michael Booth and Bruno Hasulyo test out the latest Starboard inflatable against a regular carbon design at the company’s HQ in Thailand. The results might surprise you…
Starboard has been working on its new “Airline” tech that aims to bring inflatable race boards more in line to the performance of traditional carbon creations, and judging by this video they’re getting mighty close to parity.
The undisputed leader in the world of inflatables, Red Paddle Co, has just announced the 2nd annual edition of its epic “Dragon” World Championship, an event dedicated to Red’s crazy, four-person behemoth of a paddleboard that’s helped reinvigorate the sport with its unique, team-oriented take on racing.
The 2018 Dragon “Worlds” will be held on Fuschlsee (Lake Fuschl) in the mountains of Austria from August 31-September 2, and you can watch the trailer above then hit up the official Dragon site for all the details.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this is probably the most fun you’ll ever have on a paddleboard…
In brief: France’s Arthur Arutkin and Spaniard Susak Molinero have won the world’s largest SUP race, as 700 paddlers braved zero-degree weather today to participate in the bucket list adventure that is the Paris Crossing.
Arthur won a photo finish with defending champ Bruno Hasulyo, while the Viking Casper Steinfath was just seconds behind. Susak was a clear winner in the women’s, with Frenchwoman Melanie Lafenetre claiming the runner-up spot.
But the real result from today’s race was the number of paddlers on the start line… → READ MORE
One of the funnest races of the year is happening right now on Barbados: The Red Paddle Co Dragon World Championships. Sunday saw the qualifying round for the main event, the four-a-side race on the 22ft long “Dragon” boards, along with a fun little downwinder along the island’s white sandy coast. → READ MORE
One of the funnest events of the year is happenings this weekend on the golden shores of Barbados, where the first annual Red Paddle Co “Dragon World Championships” will take place. Teams of four from around the world will battle for glory and bragging rights on these ridiculously-fun, 22ft long ‘Dragon’ boards.
Here’s a little glimpse we got of the Dragon at the GlaGla Race in France back in January (I expect we’ll see a few less wetsuits this weekend…). Follow Red Paddle Co on Instagram and Facebook to join the adventure over the next few days. → READ MORE
On the spur of the moment recently, I grabbed my Red Paddle Co inflatables, jumped on a plane and took a last minute trip to Thailand with my old mate Nick and new friend Rachel to explore the islands. We didn’t really know what we were looking for, we just knew *why* we were doing it: for the adventure. → READ MORE
Here’s a little glimpse of our recent adventure through the islands of Thailand with Red Paddle Co.
It was such a fun week exploring with Rachel Cook, my old mate Nick and video man extraordinaire Taylor Fischer. I can’t wait to share the full edit with you soon, and I’m reeeally excited to go more paddling adventures this year (Iceland, perhaps?). → READ MORE
Following the massive success of the GlaGla race back in January, the second stage of the 2017 Alpine Lakes Tour took place on the weekend at Lake Aiguebelette (no, I can’t pronounce it either) in the French Alps.
Aiguebelette is a famously quiet lake in a nature reserve where the wind hardly blows and motorboats are forbidden, which makes for dead flat water conditions. It’s actually famous for its rowing events with the world championships taking place here a couple of years ago. → READ MORE
So who else wants to go on a paddleboarding adventure? If you dream of jumping on a board with all your gear, paddling off into the sunset with your best mate/partner/fellow adventurer and finding a deserted beach to camp out and explore, here’s your chance to get that dream trip kickstarted.
Inflatable pioneers Red Paddle Co. are in the middle of their “Create Your Adventure of a Lifetime” giveaway, where they’ll be kitting out a pair of lucky paddlers with not only top of the line paddle boards but also all the gear you’ll need for a real adventure on the water. → READ MORE
Take a look at this unreal footage from yesterday’s big GlaGla Race in the French Alps, where Martin Letourneur, Leo Nika and Olivia Piana led a field of over 300 paddlers around a very cold but very beautiful Lake Annecy.
The sight of hundreds of paddlers charging off the start line is absolutely amazing → READ MORE
Check out this awesome drone footage from today’s GlaGla Race here in the French Alps, featuring the crazy 22ft inflatable from Red Paddle Co known as the Dragon.
In case you haven’t been following this story over the past few months, the ‘Dragon’ is a 22ft long behemoth that’s been designed for a unique style of teams racing. → READ MORE
Hands up if you want to go paddling in Barbados.
Red Paddle Co, the world’s leading inflatable brand, has today announced what might just be the funnest weekend of the year: The inaugural Dragon World Championship, a season-ending headline event for Red’s new four-a-board teams racing concept that will be hosted on the paradisaical Caribbean island from October 28-30. → READ MORE
Have you ever wanted to grab your paddleboard and just escape? Spontaneously disappear off the grid and explore beautiful destinations from the water? Somewhere in the Greek Islands, perhaps?
Well that’s exactly what UK couple Jay Haysey and Bethany Mercer did recently, and in case the winter blues are getting you down, they documented the whole thing to give you some new year’s inspiration. → READ MORE
Red Paddle Co., the specialist inflatable brand widely considered an industry leader, has introduced several new features to its 2017 race board range that further close the gap on carbon sleds and give pump up fans another reason to smile.
Red is certainly one of the most innovative brands in the sport, constantly tinkering and tweaking in their ultimate quest to create lighter and stiffer inflatables that can achieve both performance and portability. Unlike manufacturers that make all types of boards, Red goes all in on their one area of expertise. Inflatable stand up paddleboards are all they do, which is probably why they continue to push the blow-up boundaries so well. → READ MORE
Well this is definitely one of the more unusual news items in the world of SUP racing. It’s also one of the most awesome: Red Paddle Co, the pioneer of inflatable stand up paddle board design, has just released a four-person, 22ft-long race board called the Red Dragon. What’s more, they’re launching a global team racing league called the “Dragon World Series” that sounds like ridiculously good fun. → READ MORE
While the “Race to the Midnight Sun” is currently underway in the Yukon Territory of Canada, another paddle expedition has just begun in the land where the sun never sets. And this one’s even longer.
Meet Antonio de la Rosa of Spain, the guy who’s just started a 2,200km (1,367 miles) paddle around the Arctic. → READ MORE
Ok so this was definitely the most entertaining race of the EuroTour so far; The Red Paddle Co “XL Race For Glory” at the Iberdrola Bilbao World SUP Challenge here in the beautiful Basque Country yesterday.
Forty paddlers. Five giant inflatable paddleboards. One crazy fun sprint race. → READ MORE
Highlighting that the EuroTour isn’t just about serious, elite racing, it’s also about having a damn good time, Red Paddle Co. has signed on as the official inflatables partner, with the British brand set to feature their boards in a series of fun races at every stop.
In addition to the main events, each leg on the 14-week Tour will feature Red Paddle Co races on both the 10’6 whipper snapper boards and those big, beautiful, 17ft “XL Ride” behemoths. → READ MORE
In case you somehow forgot to follow us on Facebook or Insta, here’s a great little clip that’s been doing the rounds the past 24 hours.
Dave Kalama and friends taking over Maui on the aptly-named “Invader” giant inflatable stand up paddleboard from Imagine Surf. → READ MORE
When it comes to performance, inflatable stand up paddle boards are fast closing the gap on their carbon fibre cousins. Inflatables have proven themselves worthy (or even superior) alternatives on the rivers and in the humble world of recreational paddling, but the hardest nut to crack has definitely been the race board market.
Perhaps that’s about to change… → READ MORE
