SUP Paddle Clinic for All with Light Board Corp Squad: Video Highlights and Pro Tips

The Light Board Corp squad has recently dominated the latest stop in the SUP Alps Trophy race series at Lago die Alpi in Erfur. Initiated by the Light Board Corp Boss Gerd Weisner, the Light Riders organized a paddle clinic for SUP enthusiasts with Peter Weidert, 5-time ICF World SUP Champion, along with the Guest pro athlete and 2024 German Long Distance Champion, Bastian Grimm of the SUNOVA Team.

TotalSUP caught up with the Light Board Corp’s athletes to get exclusive insights and their top tips for faster progression.

Gerd Weisner, lifelong watersports professional, SUP Champion and Co-Founder of the Light Board Corp, the pioneers in hollow construction

Photo by Andy Klotz Photography

Hi Gerd, what are your top 3 tips for fast progression:

Board width… Many aspiring riders go very narrow with their board choice. What’s your advice?

• Focus on technique, paddle straight not zig zag
• Paddle 3-5 days per week, you only get out what you put in
• Join a club, go for your training as much as possible with other paddlers. You will learn to paddle in draft situations and can push and motivate each other

Board width… Many aspiring riders go very narrow with their board choice. What’s your advice?

In real racing (even in calm flat water conditions) for example, with high number of competitors the water is, especially at the start, not flat but troubled. If you are too narrow and unstable you will by far not reach your potential. You have to feel comfortable and load the energy into your blade.

Even if paddler can comfortably handle a narrow board it’s not always true that it would be faster. Waterline simulation is one of the factors to design race board rockerlines. Imagine you are 90 kg and choose a 21“ board. What happens is you sink deeper into the water than for what it should be regarding waterline. At a certain point it will not have a good water release which counter effects the less wetted surface. Do not believe that a race board is perfect for 60 to 95kg paddler weight.

In the PARADOXA line, we have four dimensions available,  I recommend:

• 21“ for 57.5 to 72.5 kg
• 22“ for 67,5 to 82.5 kg
• 23“ for 80 to 95 kg
• 24.5“ for 87.5 to 100+ kg

If you need more stability choose a board that is originally designed for heavier paddlers. It will not affect too much its performance. The other way around it will make more difficulty in reaching your speed potential in racing.

Aspiring riders often focus on paddling technique and forget about footwork… What’s your best advice for starting to move on the board?

If you think about the pivot turns, I recommend to learn it straight as it should be done with smooth cross steps from the beginning. Otherwise your mind gets used to a less smooth movement. It’s about repetition. At a certain point you will not think about it and finally it should be a natural movement for you. Most important – do not watch your feet – keep your head up.

Photo by Andy Klotz Photography

>>> Bastian Grimm, 2024 German Long Distance Champion and SUNOVA Team Rider

Photo by Andy Klotz Photography

Hi Bastian, what are your top 3 tips for fast progression:

• Train structured and diligent
• Train with people faster than you
• Never forget technique and board handling

How about the board width… Many aspiring riders go very narrow with their board choice. What’s your advice?

Well, that’s an interesting one, obviously narrower is most of the time faster but only to the point you can still control it. If you get unstable on your board, you won’t t be able to put 100% of your power into the blade and lose important time. I would suggest taking the narrowest board you can still comfortably push all out on. If you are already struggling on your board going all out in training with no one around, you’ll have a way worse time going all out in the race with all the extra chop around. That crossover point will be very different for different board types, so in the end, the best thing you can do is to test a lot and see what works best for you.

Aspiring riders often focus on paddling technique and forget about footwork… What’s your best advice for starting to move on the board?

Funnily enough, I’ll suggest learning paddling technique for that. But not in the sense of propelling yourself forward, but more in the sense of using your paddle for balance. If you can use your paddle for small balancing micro-adjustments, you’ll have an easier time moving freely on the board. Think about balancing on a rope, completely alone quite difficult but if someone gives you just a finger as guidance it’ll become a lot easier. On the board that guidance is you paddle, if you use it correctly.

Photo by Andy Klotz Photography

>>> Peter Weidert, 5x ICF World SUP Champion and Light Board Corp Rider

Photo by Andy Klotz Photography

Hi Peter, what are your top 3 tips for fast progression:

• A good paddling technique is very important
• Training with a heart rate monitor and GPS
• Join a training programme

Board width… Many aspiring riders go very narrow with their board choice. What’s your advice?

Narrow is good, but the board’s width should be in balance with the height and weight of the paddler. For me, the 22″ wide is the optimum.

Aspiring riders often focus on paddling technique and forget about footwork… What’s your best advice for starting to move on the board?

• Take a second break, before starting to move
• Analyse your technique using video recordings

Photo by Andy Klotz Photography

Light Board Corp SUP Clinic Breakdown:

• Dip the paddle blade completely: Paddle silently without turbulence or air bubbles
• The upper arm is bent: This gives you more reach and efficiency
• Apply pressure to the paddle with your upper hand: This means you can maintain the power all through the stroke
• Pull the paddle stroke with pressure up to the heel: The paddle pull is the most efficient in front of the feet
• Hold the paddle shaft vertical and not at an angle: This means you can paddle straight and have more pressure on the blade
• Stand up again and bring your hips and body against the paddle: Before taking the paddle out of the water
• Stability is key – Without stability you won’t achieve good paddle technique. Don’t use boards that are too narrow. Board dimensions relate to your body size
• Backside turn: Take a first small step with the foot on the side you are turning in and the next cross step to the tail above the fin
• Set the board up and make sure that in the introduction you are looking in the direction of your turn. Do not load water

To find out more about LIGHTBOARDCORP® designs, visit lightboardcorp.com  and check out our full interview with Gerd Weisner

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