Spread Your Wings
- Sarah Thornely
- Jun 9
- 5 min read
Do you overthink new things, new skills or feel unsure about taking on something that is completely new to you, or feel is way out of your comfort zone? It’s quite a common issue but I don’t know that I’ve ever had it.
Trying paddleboarding for the first time some 13 years ago when it was a fairly new sport has led to a completely new way of life for me and one that is dominated by stand up paddleboarding but especially the racing side.
I first stepped onto a paddleboard in 2012 and enjoyed it enough to paddle once a week with my Club and even try it on holiday where I wobbled about on the sea. Winter came and I could not really imagine anything worse than paddling in the cold. My Club did every week though, sometimes breaking the ice to get on the water but I decided I would wait until the next year and make it my warm, summer pastime.
Winter came, and with it an emergency op for a life-threatening condition and that is when I thought I should find a good pastime and paddleboarding seemed the obvious one. As soon as I was better, I tested the water again. I LOVED it, and immediately bought a very smart Red Race board, 12’6 x 30 and it felt good. Regular paddling with my Club followed and later that year I entered my first competition. It was a baptism of fire, with a messy start line but I managed to place in my age category, winning a medal and standing on a podium aged 53. It was then that I realised I must be quite competitive as all I wanted to do was buy a carbon race board!
For the next five years my Red Race became my second board, and when we travelled to NZ and Australia, we bought another Red to take with us. My husband and I had so much fun with those boards; they were sturdy, well-made and the perfect size for touring or even a fun surf!
When home, the boards were left inflated constantly as we had the space and spent many adventure paddle days with our Club. They were perfect for going places where you would never take your precious carbon board. I learnt so much on those adventures, getting a board in and out of the water in precarious places, having to launch superwoman style to get on the board, lifting the board from the tail end to climb vertical steps out of a river – all done safely under the great tutelage of someone with a huge amount of experience.
The Red boards saw a lot of action – my board collection grew rapidly and in 2024 one of the boards had become superfluous to needs and was snapped up by a good friend and instructor. He saw the Red Race 12.6 x 28’ as a great board to introduce his pupils to racing. I love that this board has a new life with someone else.
With the huge surge of paddleboards being bought over the last few years, many paddlers have, and can only have, an iSUP. Many of those people do not even know there is a healthy race scene in the UK and across the World (even though I am trying desperately to educate them on this!) but latterly iSUP racing has become more of a thing.
Paddlers are hopefully now realising that they can race on any kind of paddleboard. If you pop to your local Aquapaddle, which is like Parkrun for paddlers, you will see a multitude of craft and many inflatable paddleboards.
There are also some incredibly strong paddlers, who only use or race an inflatable; take one Helen Trehane from the South coast of the UK. She has been a regular on the race scene for many years, and whilst others have moved onto carbon race boards, she has steadfastly stuck with her trusty Red.
Helen began racing in 2014, when all categories would start together, which at the time she felt was quite daunting. Once the hardboards and iSUPs were separated, she soon started to place consistently in the iSUP category and has pretty much been on the podium ever since. Recently, Helen felt she needed a new challenge and has been given the chance to compete directly with her inflatable Red in the hardboard class of the National Series and in the first race of 2025 she came 2nd overall. This was a fantastic achievement up against what should be faster carbon race boards! It has given her a renewed enthusiasm for racing and training harder.
Helen think iSUPs make the racing scene more accessible to people who perhaps don’t have the resources to own a hardboard, somewhere to store it and a means of transport. She thinks without iSUPS the sport could feel rather elitist to those looking in. Helen really is a role model of someone who uses what she has regardless of what others do and is doing very well out of that situation.
On the international scene, and over the last few years, the International Canoe Federation has encouraged juniors travelling to their World Championship events to paddle on inflatable boards believing this to make the competition more accessible to them. Many international events have fun race classes, one design races and juniors and adults of all ages, enter in droves. These competitions are certainly not only for the elite and for those who feel they want to be a part of an event, these categories are perfect.
In 2025, I have been lucky enough to become a Red Ambassador and have been given a 14 x 28 Sport+. I love a 14-foot board because I now prefer a bit of something in front of me and so this seemed like the perfect choice. I know I will get many miles in with this board, from regular club paddles, adventure days, book and writing research and the odd race! Yes, even I have decided to get back on that treadmill and when the need arises, I will be racing the 14 Red!
So back to you; have you ever raced or do you think it’s not for you. I certainly did until I tried it all those years ago so if there is just a little part of you that is intrigued, pop down to your local Aquapaddle or check to see if there is a fun race happening at a club in your vicinity. You could also ease yourself gently into the GBSUP National Series by entering their Challenge Tour.
I implore you to ‘spread your wings’ - you just never know where it might take you and I promise you something, you will meet the nicest of people. I am always happy to help with any advice or encouragement.
Further Links
Like Helen I avoided going to a hardboard just to prove that you could surf, race and downwind on an all round inflatable… you don’t necessarily need all the gear… to do what you want to!