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NEWS: PODIUM AT THE FRENCH STAND-UP PADDLE CHAMPIONSHIPS!

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SUP

03 november 2023 0

Our GONG ambassador Pierre Girardeau scores a podium finish on his Alley FSP Pro in tricky conditions in Biarritz.

The Basque city which is currently hosting the French surfing championship for the second consecutive year, is the scene of a busy competition shedule which includes the Stand-Up Paddle Open category to which our GONG ambassador, Pierre Girardeau, took part with his GONG production quiver.

SUPer: Pierre, GONG ambassador, with an Alley FSP Pro and a Carbon Pro paddle. Photo: we_creative.

The surf conditions

Concerning the waves, the competitors had to deal with a very rough body of water. Solid waves with overhead sets came in but were a bit inconsistent and affected by the wind. Conditions far from ideal for stand-up paddleboarding, not to mention the massive current and a nasty shorebreak. This meant the heats were particularly technical and physically demanding for the riders.

The contest

21 competitors including some leading the charge in the world rankings were lined up for the first round. This left no easy road through the rounds and no room for error. Besides, the conditions promising to deteriorate quickly, forced the organizers to adapt the format by canceling the double elimination rounds.

In the first round, Pierre dominated his heat with a total of 13.33 despite conditions which made obtaining a meaningful score very complicated. Usually on his Alley 7’2, he intelligently chose to switch to his Alley 7’4 to benefit from a faster paddling speed and easier entries on the waves. A strategy that paid off since Pierre managed to reach the final where he met with some of the best riders, Benoit Carpentier, currently ranked 3rd in the world, Gabriel Bachelet, 7th in the world, and Antonin Salaverria.

In the final, Pierre scored a solid wave but did not manage to find a good enough back-up score. He nevertheless finished in a superb third place, less than a point from second place Antonin Salaverria. On the highest step of the podium, we find Benoit Carpentier.

Congratulations to all the competitors for the level displayed in conditions that were, to say the least, physical.

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