©MxhPics / SIC Maui
Saturday, January 22nd during the first big SUP event of the year, SIC Maui officially presented the new XRS to the international SUP scene and the 720 participants of the GlaGla Race. The Lake Annecy arena was perfect for this pure flat-race board to showcase its full potential.
Many remarked that the XRS stands out with its sharp lines and powerful look. French top athlete Ludovic Teulade tackled the 15 km long distance with the XRS 14’x20’’, landing him in 5th place, just 13 seconds shy of the winner Bruno Hasulyo.
TOP CONDITIONS
Ludovic Teulade “The atmosphere was great, and there were a lot of paddlers and spectators at the event. Initially, the morning temps greeted us at sub-zero, but it warmed up quickly for ideal conditions. The turquoise water was flat with no wind, and the lake’s mountains created a fantastic atmosphere.”
AN INTENSE AND HIGH-LEVEL RACE
“The race was intense from start to finish. I was positioned on the left, but the course went right. With more than 700 paddlers on the same starting line, it meant going back almost a kilometer to correct my course. I paddled hard to catch up with the leader at the first buoy and the Duingt Castle. Bruno (Hasulyo) and Clément (Colmas) then advanced from the pack. At the third mark, they already had a 10 seconds lead. It took me the whole race to come back. Titouan (Puyo) took the draft, and we helped each other. I managed to come back to the level of the Roc de Chère after more than one hour of chasing them. It was hard. The race accelerated with a sprint after the last buoy, where I had a mishap and almost fell but managed to place 5th, smashed.” - L.T.
THE XRS IS INTUITIVE
“I was happy to be able to battle in this race with the XRS. It’s one of the fastest race boards SIC Maui has ever designed and the first that is specifically for flatwater racing. Without it, at this level, I couldn’t have done better than 10th.
It’s a very stable board, even at 20 inches wide. I was able to pass the small chop well. It was easy to turn even on my bad side. It helped me a lot, especially on the last mark. The XRS has a great glide when you push it. It responds and accelerates. It’s good in the draft, even on the side and at high speed. It’s an ultra-intuitive board. When I unpacked it on Saturday morning, it made a big impression with its sharp nose and fine outline.” - L.T.
Men’s long distance ranking
1. Bruno Hasulyo (Hungary)
2. Clément Colmas (New Caledonia / France)
3. Fernando Serra (Spain)
4. Quique Hurtado (Spain)
5. Ludovic Teulade (France)
6. Aaron Sanchez (Spain)
7. Titouan Puyo (New Caledonia / France)
8. Oleksii Sidenko (Ukraine)
9. Donato Freens (Netherlands)
10. Tom Auber (France)
XRS PERFORMANCE PROFILE
The design concept for the XRS developed from our highly successful X Series flatwater board, perhaps designed ahead of its time, when the market was focusing on all-water designs. The XRS is now the latest release of a specialist flat water board, fusing the “X” name with the award-winning RS.
In a world full of cross-over boards, the XRS race board is a master of one thing - flat water racing. Purpose-driven, the XRS provides the best possible length to the width aspect ratio, delivering a stable platform for a racer to power up for speed.
The flat bottom with the proportionally wide tail offers this foundation, and with an effective waterline, the XRS allows paddlers to achieve unrivaled acceleration. It’s a purebred board with a one-track mind: to beat the clock, to win!
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