Susanne Lier on European SUP Coaching Tour 2024: Advocating for injury free paddling & personalised approach

Dedicated to sharing her expertise and passion for the sport with paddlers of all levels, Susanne Lier, 4x World SUP Champion, elite athlete, Coach and SUNOVA Team Rider, kicks off the third consecutive year of her successful “Susanne Lier on Tour 2024 Europe Clinics & Workshops” encapsulating the training programme she’s been meticulously building that promises participants an impactful and highly-focused learning experience.

Her no-nonsense training philosophy, direct and transparent approach to coaching, board choice and paddling technique is as sharp and it is refreshing.

Working with Susanne on the second article, (with the first one dedicated to downwinding),  turned once again into a deep dive into our sport – both an inspiring and precise insight that cuts through the noise (and hype!) and focuses entirely on results and empowering paddlers to achieve their goals with clarity and purpose.

Hi Susanne, it looks like you have a packed schedule this year! You’re about to kick off your “Susanne Lier on Tour 2024 Europe Clinics & Workshops” starting in Frankfurt, Germany and concluding in Bournemouth, England. What’s the driver and your vision behind the tour?

Hi, yes, “Susanne Lier on Tour” is going great into the third year. I’m very excited to teach in so many different places. The events in Germany have always been a success and I’m looking forward to also teach in Switzerland and to be back in the UK. My vision as a SUP advocate, Coach and athlete, is always to promote my sport as a real sport for all paddlers. I will share my knowledge and experience and will talk a lot about material, healthy technique, training, safety and the mindset. I will reach a different SUP public in each place which makes it more interesting for me too.

When it comes to training and paddling technique, what are your findings as a SUP Coach to date? Majority of paddlers are self-taught – What’s missing in our sport?

80% of people are self-taught and try to learn from videos etc. The movement of paddling is for me something very simple and natural but also very complex. The technique comes from OC canoeing… hundreds of years ago – but the interpretation and usage of strength and speed is most of the time incorrect. There are a lot of opinions about technique out there. Not all adapted to the everyday paddler. I can’t copy a famous racer if I don’t have his anatomy and fitness. We are all different and in my coaching, I try to work with the ability of each paddler. Video analysis is a great tool and people are always amazed when they see themselves for the first time paddling at different speeds.

I’m glad that I’ve had great mentors from the beginning on my side and that I’m quite happy with my technique. I have no injuries or pain even after ten years of competing and training. Observation and conciseness of the right movement is the basis.

Who is your Tour aimed at? Can anyone attend?

I will have a different public in most of the venues. My workshops will be related to the local demand. From basic SUP clinics for the everyday paddler to Performance Clinics for racers or paddlers who would like to start racing.

There’s no age limit and everyone who wants to get more information about the sport and more skills is welcome to attend. Always the focus on the healthy and efficient way to paddle.

What can participants expect? What key challenges are you addressing when designing your clinics?

My clinics are built in two parts. The theory part is important to speak about material (for example, paddle length, blade size, boards, training, experiences, mindset etc) but I’ try to spend most time with the people on the water to practice, to try out new things, working on corrections and so on.

The Q&A part is very important for me to really have time to focus on each person in the group and to respond to their needs.

The key challenges here are the different levels of paddling in the groups. I built a complex content but easy to understand so that everyone gets enough out of it. The homework must be done at home after the clinic when everyone works on corrections and their goals.

The best feedback I’ve got from quite too many of my customers is… “I have no pain since I paddled with you “.

There’s a demand for private coaching. Are you also facilitating it?

Yes, of course. I will have enough time to coach in private sessions. I offer classes of 1 or 2 people and I build the sessions around the aims and request of the paddlers. Most of the time I start with a video analysis which is a total game-changer.

What makes a great paddler and SUP athlete? Is it versatility or specialising in one technique?

SUP is about hard work and dedication – talent is a small part of it! We have so many great paddlers and athletes out there and I’m happy to be a part of it and to call the most of them close friends. I’ve been for so many years on the racing scene and I saw so many paddlers coming and going. Training and dedication are for me a big part of the success. Technique is super important to be healthy and efficient without injury. But the most successful paddlers are who are able combine all this with a great mindset.

In my workshops I have a small part where we talk about training, preparation and goals and I call this part “Mission Possible”. Focusing on goals related to your life and abilities.

Let’s talk about healthy paddling – you’re a big advocate for injury prevention. Could you tell us what this area of training is focused on?

It’s very complex indeed and I’m working myself on it in every session. Basically, I try to paddle as efficient as possible with less energy possible. Video analysis also helps me to see small things to change. Listen to your body and if you paddle with pain there is something to change.

Work on both sides. We tend to paddle more on our good side and we should be able to paddle both sides correctly to be safe and fast in difficult conditions.

Injury prevention should be a part of your land training too. Its not a secret that I don’t like the gym much. I focus on mobility, flexibility and easy strength training for hips, rotation, antagonist muscles and agility. I’m convinced that pull ups do not make me faster ;-).

Your golden rules when choosing a performance board?

Be honest about your weight, your body shape, level, goals and the water surface you are paddling on the most. Stability is speed and you stay focus on your technique. The fastest board on the market depends always on the paddler!

In terms of competing, what’s in the pipeline for this year? Will you be able to fit any competitions in your busy schedule?

I took this year a decision to race less and to teach more. I’m also organizing for the fourth year a stop of the EuroTour in my home town in Germany Nordhausen, where I will be the Race Director this year. Additionally the Winter season in Fuerteventura was very busy with paddlers from all over the world coming to train here in paradise with me and the local crew. After 10 years of racing and training continuosly I actually like the break. I’m also a mom and my daughter needs some attention too.

I’m looking forward to share great moments during my tour with a lot of amazing people on the water.

Thank you for your insights Susanne and I can’t wait to attend your session in Bournemouth!

Susanne Lier on Tour 2024 dates:

Germany:

• 8 June: FRVS, Frankfurt
• 15 June: Fördekeks – Eckernförde
• 23 June: Nordhausen -Sundhäuser See
• 28 – 29 June: ACC Hamburg
• 30 June: SUP Club Hamburg
• 20 – 21 July: KVG Ginsheim
• 8 June: FRVS, Frankfurt
• 15 June: Fördekeks – Eckernförde
• 23 June: Nordhausen -Sundhäuser See
• 28 – 29 June: ACC Hamburg
• 30 June: SUP Club Hamburg
• 20 – 21 July: KVG Ginsheim

Switzerland:

• 6 July: Badi am See Pfäffikon ZH
• 7 July: Badi Bistro Immensee
• 12 – 14 July: Y-Plage, Yverdon les Bains

United Kingdom:

• 2 – 4 August: Northern SUP Race Team, Durham
• 09 – 11 August: Glasgow Paddlerboarder Co, Loch Lomond, Scotland
• 16 – 18 August: Norfolk SUP Racing, Norfolk
• 23 – 25 August: Active360 Paddleboarding Kew, London
• 30 August – 1 September: The SUP Store, Bournemouth

To find out more and book, click here. 

To find out more about SUNOVA, visit sunovasurfboards.com

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Follow Susanne on Instagram, Facebook and visit her Coaching page

Revisit Susanne’s tips on downwinding here

*Images courtesy of Susanne Lier