Matt Argyle : photo courtesy SAS
SUP News
Insurance and coaching are other issues on tap
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 March, 2010 : - - BSUPA is pleased to announce that we have finally, after three months of hard negotiations, our own insurance policy. This means to members and to others within the industry that BSUPA is now separated from the British Surf Association club scheme, and BSUPA is a stand alone organisation, representing stand up paddle surfing/ SUP riding for flatwater, inland and surf in the UK.
We are very grateful for the start that we had with the BSA scheme and we shall maintain close links with them. So what does this mean ?
BSUPA will be able to offer members third party insurance, we have insurance cover for events, we now have a BSUPA affiliated club insurance scheme and cover for our BSUPA coaching scheme. We will be publishing the summary of insurance cover on the BSUPA website as soon as we have received it. The cover is underwritten by UK insurer Royal and Sun Alliance. All current BSUPA members have been transferred onto the new scheme automatically and don't need to do anything.
Coaching
Next week BSUPA will launch the coaching scheme for SUP in the UK. The first batch of BSUPA instructors will be put through their paces on our Level 1 Ready to Ride instructors course. We will unveil the BSUPA affiliated school scheme and the full BSUPA training scheme next week. We will also be offering schools the chance of free accreditation with BSUPA providing they enter into a voluntary code of practice and they have qualified BSUPA instructors in their school for the 2010 season.
More dates will be issued for instructor training course in Poole, Harlyn Bay (Cornwall) and West Wittering.
Events
Due to the lack of response from some event organisers in developing the concept of pure distance and pure surf events we have no option but to run the same format as last year (dual surf and distance events) on the weekend events, however we are going to have two distance events (paddle round the pier, Brighton and Animal Windfest, Poole) that will count towards the BSUPA UK Distance Racing Championship. The concept is the same rules as 2009, with the exception being :
* the surf events will be the best score from three out of the four events go forward to the Championship (meaning you can miss one and still win overall)
* the best results from four out of the six distance events go forward (meaning you can miss two and still win overall).
* the board length categories for distance will be 12ft 6" and below and 12ft 7" to 18ft.
Dates are:
West Wittering - 2XS - 15th & 16th May 2010 Surf and Distance Race counting in BSUPA series
Brighton - July 4th Paddle Round the Pier - Distance Race - counting in BSUPA Distance series
Poole - Animal Windfest - 10th & 11th September - Distance Race - counting in BSUPA series
Swansea/Gower, (date TBA - Probably September) - Surf and Distance Race counting in BSUPA series
Isle of Wight, - early October (date TBA) - Surf and Distance Race counting in BSUPA series
Watergate Bay, Cornwall - 16th 17th October - Final event - combining surf and the last distance race in the series.
So in effect we have 6 distance events and 4 surfing events. Lets hope mother nature is as kind this year as she was last! If you are an event organiser and you want to add to this schedule please get in touch. BSUPA is now able to provide SUP event insurance, providing certain safety/procedural prerequisites are met, much reducing the finacial burden on running events.
Fun Days
We had a fantastic fun day at West Wittering in February, BSUPA committee member and fitness expert Jock Patterson came to X-Train on West Wittering Beach and helped coach advanced riders, and Simon Bassett gave lessons to less experienced folks. This was a great event (and it was free for BSUPA members and non members). The next event fun event will be held at Gwithian Beach, Cornwall in July. Full details to follow.
Regional Representative.
BSUPA is about to announce who are regional reps are in the UK. We have a number of people lined up to take on this role. They will act as a focal point for Stand Up Paddling their local area, feeding information back to BSUPA HQ and being able to help out if issues arise such as access limitations (with the full support of the BSUPA committee team). If you are interested in being a Regional Rep please get in touch with us.
Industry Sponsorship Scheme.
BSUPA has contacted all the major SUP industry players in the UK to see if they will be our sponsors for 2010. We are happy to say that the response has been great and to date four brands have stepped forward to support us. You will be seeing their logo on our rash vest, our website and on stationary for the 2010 season. The opportunity to sponsor BSUPA is still open (deadline is 31st March 2010). If you are interested please contact Matt Argyle (matt.argyle@bsupa.org.uk).
British Waterways and Environment Agency Licenses
This eagerly anticipated development is going ahead, unfortunately the meeting with both the EA and BW has been put back to April 7th, but in principle we have agreements that BSUPA members will be able to get a discounted license from BSUPA to access BW and EA waters (hopefully including South West Lakes opening up flat water event potential in the Cornwall and Devon area). This has been one of the major aims of BSUPA in 2010. Currently we anticipate, once we have full costings from the EA and BW, that we will reduce the BSUPA membership fee (which we have not increased in 2010) and have extra 'bolt ons' for the licenses to cover the cost (this is because some members who live on the coast felt that they would not use in land waterways). We hope to bring you more news after April 7th.
RNLI Leaflet
BSUPA and the RNLI are producing a SUP safety leaflet, we have provided the RNLI with a safety scheme and some images of people SUPing to help educate people how to SUP safely on beaches in 2010. It should be pointed out that BSUPA attended the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) conference at the end of 2009 and the many safety organisations concerned reported that non of them had any official beach safety incidents in 2009 that involved stand up paddlers - so well done guys, lets keep that record up! An electronic version of the safety leaflet will be available on the BSUPA website as soon as the RNLI release it.
Offers of help.
Thank-you to all the kind people who offered to help BSUPA after our last appeal, we shall be taking you all up on it if we have not already. Special thanks to Gareth Grant, who is stepping up to organise the BSUPA Wales event with Robin Bramhall. Without their help this event would not be happening.
www.bsupa.org.uk
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Matt Argyle
SUP - Surfersvillage
