What do you do when you’re a former multi-medallist and Wildwater Canoeing World Champion (C1, C2) moving onto the next chapter? You go rip the rapids on carbon SUP race boards! On the eve of the 39th edition of the legendary paddle race –Marathon international des Gorges de l’Ardècheand the last stop of the 2023 EuroTour – we’re catching up for a quick chat with the Champion and Light Board Corp, Nicolas Peschier.
He will be competing on the LIGHTBOARDCORP® PARADOXA board in the 27 km stand-up paddle race, starting from the Pont d’Arc and ending at Saint Martin d’Ardèche.
From an impressive sporting career in slalom canoeing to stand-up paddleboarding… How did you get into SUP and the competitive aspect of the sport?
I do a lot of climbing now but I miss being on the water. I was in the French National Team for seventeen years, so I need that. I don’t have the facilities to do slalom at home so I turned to SUP. It gives me new sensations and keeps me in shape.
Why whitewater paddling and how do you avoid injury?
I live 100 meters from the river so it couldn’t be easier for me 😉 To avoid getting injured, you have to be aware of the water level, be able to see far ahead to anticipate obstacles and not hesitate to get down on your knees if necessary to avoid falling.
What are the main things to look out for when whitewater paddling?
You have to respect some basic safety rules. No leash, a lifejacket, a helmet and avoid being alone on the river.
We’re catching up in the run up the Marathon des Gorges de l’Ardèche. What makes this event unique, especially for SUP athletes?
This race is in my backyard, so for me it’s already very special, but for SUP it’s a big challenge on the river because for 24km there’s a series of rapids that aren’t very big but are never easy and it’s not the same way to read the water as in the sea. There’s also between 1500 to 2000 people in canoes and kayaks for the start so it’s an amazing atmosphere.
Can you tell us more about your collaboration with Light Board Corp?
A few years ago I started paddling a bit and already with a Light Board Corp thanks to Kayak-Online who gave me a board. Now I paddle a bit more and naturally I turned to the Light Board because I think it’s the best carbon SUP at the moment.
What’s more, I was able to paddle this in Summer on an inflatable when I didn’t have my carbon board yet and I was really surprised by how well my inflatable 3L MFT Platin SUP race board 14×25 glided.
What’s your board set up for the Marathon des Gorges de l’Ardèche?
I’m lucky enough to get the new Paradoxa 🙂 So that’s the one I’ll be paddling with, I’ve just added a little deflector at the front because there’s going to be some water and some nice waves…
Thank you for your time Nicolas – paddle fast and… safe!
There’s been a lot of buzz since the launch of the LIGHTBOARDCORP®PARADOXA and its debut at the SUP Alps Trophy 2023 SUPALOT stop. The Light Riders have been sweeping the podiums ever since and are now ready for the final leg of the SUP racing season. In the run up to the 2023 ICF Stand […]
“Trust me, I’m an engineer…” and one that definitely rips on the world SUP stage, despite a full time career. TotalSUP caught up with Peter Weidert, two-time ICF World Sprint Champion* and the Light Board Corp Team Rider, to talk about juggling work, training, board testing and design collaboration. We also wanted to find out […]
With nine National Titles to his name and top podiums, including the undisputed wins on both flat water and in the oceanic conditions this season, Donato Freens, the Light Board Corp Team Rider, continues to excel on his SUP journey which is backed by razor-sharp focus and staying “dedicated, disciplined and driven”. These objectives have […]
LIGHTBOARDCORP® PARADOXA, the new racing board in carbon hollow construction, made its debut at the SUP Alps Trophy 2023 SUPALOT competition arriving by plane just before the event and it was a board launch with a bang! Straight out of the box and into the race, the Light Board Corp Team Rider Peter Weidert, used the […]
Depuis 1984, c’est l’une des courses phare dans le monde du kayak. Mais depuis 2016, Le Marathon International des Gorges de l’Ardèche, aussi connu comme le Marathon de l’Ardèche ou tout simplement, le Marathon, est ouvert aux planches de stand up paddle. L’Ard’River Paddle Race, nom donné à la course de SUP le jour du […]
Le SUP de rivière est en plein essor. La France dispose de superbes sites pour succomber à cette pratique. Au cœur de l’Ardèche plus besoin de convaincre les amateurs de successions de rapides, ils sont servis. Le club de kayak Vallon Plein Air organise la 35ème édition du Marathon International des Gorges de l’Ardèche le […]
The 31st March will see the 1st ever 100% SUP Race on the Ardèche. Paddlers will paddle under the iconic Vallon Pont d’Arc for the SUP’Air Ardèche . The race organised by the team behind the international kayak marathon Gorges de l’Ardèche will follow in giant footsteps. The race is the 1st of its kind is […]
Elle a déjà tout d’une Classique ! De par le lieu, le format de course et l’expérience de son équipe organisatrice, la SUP’Air Ardèche, 1ère édition réunit sur le papier tous les éléments pour faire de cet événement une SUP Race à succès. Reste plus qu’à tester le jour-J ! Le 31 mars, l’arche emblématique […]
Breaking news! Hungarian 2017 Long Distance ISA World Champion Bruno Hasulyo is leaving a 10-year collaboration with Starboard and brother-partner-team-mate Daniel to join LIGHTCORP, a collaboration between Kayak-rooted company Nelo and surf-and-snowboard company Lightboard Corp. His paddle sponsor is also a new one. Exclusive interview! So Bruno, it sounds like you have a big announcement […]
Use of cookies
This website uses cookies in order to make it easier to use and to support the provision of relevant information and functionality to you.
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
3rd Party Cookies
We use a set of third party tools to provide information on how our users engage with our website so that we can improve the experience of the website for our users. For example, we collect information about which of our pages are most frequently visited, and by which types of users. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!