Leading the SUP freestyle game: Basssup Rider Yehor Tarasko

It seems like Yehor Tarasko can paddle just about anything and effortlessly take his SUP game to new heights (literally!) with the tricks and stunts he performs. This Ukrainian paddler, now based in Poland, is the Basssup Team Rider, and most likely one of the few freestylers and whitewater athletes at this level of proficiency in the country, who has just started coaching other riders aspiring to achieve this level of board control.

Watching his technique, you’d never guess, he’s overcome a serious injury. A few years ago, a failed somersault left him with a cervical spine injury, limiting the use of his left arm. In most of his videos, as Yehor explains, you’ll notice him paddling from the right side, not just because he’s right-handed, but due to the lingering effects of his injury making his left arm weaker and less coordinated. Yet, this hasn’t stopped him from exploring new spots and transforming them into SUP freestyle playgrounds.

TotalSUP caught up with Yehor to find out more about his SUP discipline and weapon of choice -the new inflatable Basssup  Dragon board 14×25.

Hi Yehor, welcome to TotalSUP! How did your adventure with the extreme version of SUP – Freestyle – begin?

Hello Anna, thank you for the invitation! There were two factors that prompted me to start practicing SUP freestyle. The first was the waves I encountered while vacationing at sea, stormy waves. At that time, I had already done some paddling on flat water. I was even quite good at it. But there I came across much more interesting kind of entertainment – SUP surfing! It completely destroyed me.

A week on a wild beach with tents, a storm and my sup made me realize that I wanted more than paddling on flat water, which is what I overwhelmingly had in my city.

Second: my friends Sergey Khvostenko and Elena Yankovskaya. White water extreme kayakers. They had a significant impact on my development in the sport of stand-up paddleboarding. We have always been looking for adventure. My first steps in white water SUP were under their close supervision.

But what does this have to do with SUP freestyle? It’s very simple. Always coming back from adventures, I had flat water on the river, 90% of my time on the water. And it demotivated me terribly. So I started looking for ways to cheer myself up. I tested different SUP models in the context of making “candles”, pivot turns, and so on.

Today, my skill level has grown a bit. I’m trying to implement my own style: Aggressive, dynamic, with the ability to integrate my tricks into the sport and my SUP adventures.

You are an Ambassador of Basssup. Could you tell us more about this collaboration?

Love at first sight. We met by chance during a SUP race in Poland. We are like-minded people who are passionate about what they do and I love what they do. From their inflatable paddleboards, paddles, to hard boards prototypes and more.

From left Yehor Tarasko with Basssup Co-Founder Małgorzata Majda

What does SUP Freestyle mean to you?

Total control over the paddle and body balance. It is in this sequence. Enjoy this game! It should always be fun! The ability to prepare yourself for difficult adventures in rough water or waves at spots where the water is mostly calm.

You have hosted many freestyle workshops – where does freestyle on a board start? What are the first elements?

I did a lot of individual training with some group master classes. I’m at the beginning of building my own training methodology. Being able to SUP freestyle and teaching, are not the same thing. SUP freestyle starts with the ability to walk on the board and use your paddle. One complements the other. The focus and all the hard work is always on the paddle. Unsteady footwork on the board means more work with the paddle. Better balance and efficient footwork, mean a cleaner trick element. You start with the tail sink and nose sink pivot turns which I call the candle. Everyone starts with them.

What is the absolute minimum when it comes to SUP skills to start thinking about freestyle and introducing freestyle elements to your paddling?

I don’t think there is such a minimum. Every beginner who tries to lift the nose of their board is already doing some SUP freestyling on their own. It’s more about the capabilities of the human body. Flexibility and body stretching are important. Children learn very quickly. Adults have a little bit harder time.

What’s your “top” advice for aspiring riders looking to get into freestyle and make progress?

Choose the right paddle with a large blade, preferably in a teardrop shape with a stiff and strong shaft with a T-shaped grip. Learn to use it in the context of SUP freestyle. Fall more often during your training and stay safe!

Do you need a special SUP board for freestyle?

Yes, it is necessary. And no, it is not. This is a rather deep and philosophical topic. In my tricks, I use different inflatable SUP models for better results. I don’t really like the idea of a “universal” freestyle board that will cover 100% of the tasks. It’s a dead end. At least from what I’ve seen on the market.

I have my own vision for the development of inflatable boards for freestyle and hard boards for freestyle. Collaboration with Basssup will probably lead to development of first prototypes in the near future.

I have a great desire to make a Hard Play Board for Freestyle! There is a big difference between inflatable and hard boards and with SUP freestyle there is no exception – the harder, the better.

We would like to take a closer look at the Bass Dragon board model:

What was your first impression? Beautiful shape, design. They are impressive. Good rigidity! As a rule, I am not mistaken when I like something. In the ISUP universe, this kind of shape is very rare. The Dragon has its own charisma. It guarantees adventures to its owner!

Board quality: It complies with European standards and offers long-term warranty. This is the main thing!

Why did you decide to go for the 14×25 model? Speed. I think this width is one of the narrowest for SUP.

Stability: I’m not a typical athlete, but I did quite well on the Dragon with the guys on hard boards during the King of the Bay long distance downwind competition. For technical racing, it is more demanding on the turns, you need to be well prepared!

Flat water behaviour vs heavier conditions: Equally fast on any water. Especially when downwinding. In the waves I accelerated it up to 20 km per hour, which is an impressive result for an inflatable paddleboard.

Your verdict? I love it!

Thank you for your time Yehor and keep shredding!

To find out more about Basssup, visit basssup.com

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*Images courtesy of Yehor Tarasko and Basssup