With Tahiti and Carolina just around the corner, this weekend marks the end of The Paddle League pre-season as a triple header sweeps New Zealand, NorCal and the French Riviera. But while the NZ SUP Championships (rebranded to the “Hoe Toa” race this year) and Santa Cruz PaddleFest (now in its 32nd year) are mainstays of the early season calendar, the Villefranche race in the south of France is fresh out of the box.
It’s always promising to see new events pop up as this sport evolves, and it’s even better when they’re in such a postcard-perfect location. Add in the event’s claim of being created by paddlers for paddlers, and I’ve been curious about the Villefranche race ever since I noticed their slick Instagram campaign a few months ago. → READ MORE