©Paris Sup Open
The Paris stop of the APP World Tour is one of the most iconic on the tour and a favorite among the athletes. The race takes place on the Seine, France’s third largest river, and passes many historical landmarks, including Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. This year, SIC had two athletes participate in the race: Ludovic Teulade (FRA) and Bodie Von Allmen (USA).
©Paris Sup Open
Ideal conditions in Paris
Thousands of paddlers gathered in the dark on a cold, Parisian morning eager to paddle. On the start line was a mix of elite and recreational paddlers, ready to paddle down the Seine together. Conditions were ideal, with no wind and minimal current, making for a calm paddle.
“There was a lot of excitement on the water at the start line,” says Von Allmen. “It was a party atmosphere with people dressed up in costumes, with music playing and lights on their boards. There were also a lot of spectators on the bridges cheering. It was super high energy and a lot of fun.”
SIC Global Athlete Bodie Von Allmen
A 14km race next to historical landmarks
The 14 km downwind race kicked off at the National Library and wound its way down the river before rounding an island and continuing upstream. In order to avoid the current, most of the paddlers hugged the side of the river to try and catch an eddy.
After rounding the island, the pro paddlers headed back down the river, mixing in with the recreational paddlers whose course didn’t round the island. For the rest of the course, the pro and recreational paddlers were intermixed, with both classes of racers crossing the finish line around the same time.
“Im happy; I gave it everything and I’m satisfied,” says Teulade. “This year was special with a really solid pack and lot of top guys. Paris is one of my favorite races as I’m a Parisian, so it was exciting to end the year with many people on water!”
SIC Global Athlete Ludovic Teulade
©Paris Sup Open
Maxime Hainneville ©Paris Sup Open
With his XRS 14'x22" SIC
Good performance for the SIC athletes
SIC Global Athlete Ludovic Teulade got off to a solid start, managing to stay with the lead pack for the first 12 km, before dropping back a bit. He ended up the race in sixth—a solid performance. SIC Global Athlete Bodie Von Allmen didn’t fare as well on the start line, finding himself back in 19th place. Von Allmen fought hard throughout the entire race, picking his way through the crowd, ultimately finishing in 11th.
“I feel pretty good about my performance,” says Von Allmen. “I try to learn from every race and improve a little each time I compete. There were a lot of great paddlers out and I'm grateful to be able to paddle with them. Overall, I'm happy with my result and look forward to doing better next year.”
SIC Global Athlete Bodie Von Allmen
Podium for our Italian athlete Sara Oddera
Our Italian professional athlete managed to get the 2nd Place in the Woman Pro category.
Accompanied and supported by our athlete Paolo Nardini, she brought home a great and well deserved result for the most attended SUP race in the World! Thanks also to her RS 14 x 21'5 board.
SIC Italian rider Sara Oddera ©Paris Sup Open
With her RS 14 x 21'5 board
Ludovic Teulade and its XRS SUP
This year the conditions were not the most difficult because there was no wind. The temperature was not too cold. Of course we had to warm up properly but being well equipped there was no problem.
The water was also relatively calm as the current was not very strong. Of course after having gone round the islands and when we got to the 900 amateurs the water became quite choppy, with everyone creating waves plus those caused by the safety boats so the last 5 kilometers were still quite technical!
"I used the XRS 14'0" X 20.0", it's the board I used the most this year! So I know it very well and that's very important!"
SUP XRS 14'0" X 20.0''
I paddled it for most of the long distance races on calm water but I also used it it in rough conditions, in light upwind-downwind as it's suited to those conditions as well; it’s a perfect board to progress on and be at 100% when the conditions are calmer in competitions.
"This board is super stable so I was pretty calm at the start, I know the race well and I placed myself away from the safety boats in an area where there weren’t too many good racers to have my line open and start well."
The board starts well in the planing and remains stable, I managed to accelerate without fear of falling, so I was immediately in the lead. I stayed in the lead for a long time, the board allowing me to keep a correct average speed and to place the accelerations at the right moments. The stability allowed me to be serene in the strategic moments of the two turns around the islands.
"The last kilometers were hard with a big rhythm in the lead and several attacks, the board was nervous enough to be able to slalom between the competitors and to catch the side waves. I managed to ride a boat wave on the last few meters which made me finish the race in sixth place. I had chosen a short fin which allowed me to slide well on the small waves. Very happy with this solid level on this 2022 edition!"
The Paris stop marks the last race of the 2022 season for both Ludovic Teulade (FRA) and Bodie Von Allmen (US). Both athletes are looking forward to some home-time to relax and to prepare for the 2023 season. Congratulations to Sara Oddera and Paolo Nardini (IT), Capucine Ballin-Hainneville and Maxime Hainneville (FRA) for their performance with the SIC material.
Capucine Ballin-Hainneville
TAHE/SIC France Ambassador - Tahe Outdoors Store