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One of the things that this sport has given me is having been able to follow its evolution from almost its birth. And one of the things that we are very proud of is that, from this little place, we can reflect aloud on various concerns and problems that affect us. Perhaps not always in a completely correct way, but always to improve any area of SUP. And this without intending to be repetitive, since they are still current issues today, and it seems essential to us to return to them. It is one of those wishes that, back issues in this magazine, we longed for this season. Unity, order and rules.

A few days ago I had the opportunity, like many of you, to see the final sprint of the APP (a private organization that organizes competitive events with money prizes in some places of the planet) in Viana. The four finalists are authentic athletes in the competitive field of the SUP Race. In the first section, up to the first buoy, the one who for all is one of the great legends of this sport, Connor Baxter, took the lead. Connor suffers a fall in the first turn, a conglomerate of colours corresponding to the different boards that intertwine his nose is observed, as usual, in the middle of a small chaos of paddles and arms in continuous movement. But Connor falls and, despite recovering on the spot, is ultimately relegated to second place. It is possible that the best did not win, but this time he may not have lost. Minutes later the judges decide to give him the victory after penalizing two of his opponents.

I have seen the video many times, and as in any sporting controversy in which you are not a direct part, you can give your opinion even without knowing the ins and outs of the corresponding regulations. It’s like that foul on the limit or the penalty that not everyone sees the same. The social networks began to explote, and the groups of friends to vomit discrepancies and biased bad intentions to surface. And be careful, I’m talking about people who are well versed in the subject.

I love playing devil’s advocate. He allows you to see things from another perspective, even reaching conclusions that you would not otherwise have reached, especially when you are not an interested party. I have not seen any intentionality in the two penalized, I even think that some of them got smaller, but the truth is that whoever was first was destabilized and fell into the water. It’s been an iffy, dissenting, part of the game...but Connor, even though he didn’t cross the finish line first, took the jackpot. There are cash prizes, prestige, and some sponsors, everyone wants to win, it’s part of the goal when you’re a professional. And it is that this sport wants to continue advancing, growing and becoming strong. A spear must be broken in favour of all those athletes who dedicate hours and hours of their lives to training, improving a little more every day, and having sport as their vital objective... they are worthy of special praise. Their achievements, their rivalries and their struggles create a competitive environment that makes the sport visible to the general public, engages people and creates spectacle connotations, something very difficult to achieve today and that makes us think about the future professionalism of our beloved sport.

It’s not my intention here to decide whether Connor should have won that race or not (he’s always there, he’s a legend), or even to challenge the judges’ decision. But there is no doubt that in a competition, especially sprints and beach races, there are contacts. And there were, of course there were. In the previous series there were contacts, obstructions, unintentional blows...but there were no penalties as important as the one in the final...which, in the end, was distorted by itself.

As I told you before, coming from the prehistory of this sport gives you the possibility of having seen many things together and unfair. I focus on mine because of not getting rough. After all, they are stories that do not have much significance, but perhaps some moral. There have always been crosses in the trajectory of two boards, draftings, strategies and nonsense. I remember when canoeing started to come into this sport. It was a race in which we were less than half a dozen participants. One of them was a kayak world champion who had never stood up on the board. I seem to remember that he was second or third, obviously paddling in a kayak position, what a beast! we all said, with a paddle surfboard!, and even he received a medal with the corresponding disappointment of those who were left behind. The protests were few, but we immediately understood that this was not the essence of this sport and that the rule of limiting knee paddling had to be essential. According to this anecdote, I also remember how the vests were mandatory depending on the test or how (it still happens) according to the different federations you have to choose if you are a master, elite, Indian or cowboy category, and not always with the intention of having more awarded, which in some cases seems fantastic to me. I have always thought that if you win the Open event, then you are the champion, whether you are 17 or 91 years old, both in the general classification and in your category.

Perhaps the height of the nonsense was that local traverse when we were still transitioning between 12.6¨ to 14¨ boards, one of the few times I entered a finish line first. But it’s fair to say, my board was 14¨ and the majority of the rest was 12.6¨. Already in the Fesurf competitions, they competed in 14¨ or podiums and were distinguished for both measures. What was my surprise: when after the protests of a couple of competitors (of those who no longer do SUP) the organizer told me that they were not governed by the rules applied by Fesurf, but by those of the ISA, a higher-ranking entity, which still he kept the 12.6¨boards as main.

My logical ignorance (I admit) made me ask: “But aren’t they the same rules?¨... with very good judgment I was urged to read the corresponding regulations, which I advise you for the future, the bad thing is that I didn’t know which one, since the test posters did not specify it or said regulations were not easily accessible. Making an aside, I advocate here for institutional transparency in federations and institutions, so that both assemblies and boards can have an adequate representation of the clubs and groups that work the most for the development of sport, so that there is diversity, contributions and they are not the particular interests that come before sport. I have to admit that as a well-educated ignoramus, an old competitor, it would never have occurred to me to read such dense rules, that that is why there are coaches, managers or the control of the organization itself (which is not always done, like that day). Of course, I immediately reproached my children, their friends and their parents, for having ever competed in a popular event without having read the corresponding regulations and statutes of athletics, cycling, football, basketball, surfing, horse riding and tennis, that at that time they habitually practised, like most kids in childhood, but that even if they had done so they would be scrupulous when it came to verifying to which class: local, national or international they belonged (humorous irony).

There was no bad intention by the organization, it was simply overwhelmed by an unexpected situation, we were at the beginning. But there were protests from some of the competitors, and for this they were not prepared given the little unification of criteria at the time. That’s the key, the test had no significance, and we didn’t play for big prizes, scholarships or sponsors... at least in my case, but what if I had it? The final result was not very diligent, I was left without a medal and the organizer without a good video of the test, with how easy it would have been to improvise a podium for 14¨boards. Anyway, I still don’t know if the ISA, Fesurf and Fegasurf were the same rules or not, but what I do know is that the interpretation of the rule was very volatile and improvised, in my opinion poorly resolved, and although I was probably wrong, I was wrong without being able to remedy it and that is something that should not happen to a person who simply wants to enjoy their favorite sport in a competition, for which they have paid a registration fee, whether they are amateurs or professionals.

The moral of this amusing anecdote, if we transpose it to that of the Viana APP event, is that the competitors must know what are the criteria to be followed from the beginning, when they choose the material, turn, collide or intercede with other boards so that their competitiveness is not diminished and at the same time they do not irresponsibly hinder their opponent. The regulation must be very well specified and rehearsed. Private organizations can indeed define specific characteristics, but in general it is about unifying the rules and that we all end up getting to know them even without having read and studied a particular regulation in depth. Because if they are strong they will standardize on their own, even though the discrepancy in subjective actions will always be part of the game. In fact, and as an example, few footballers I know have studied the FIFA regulations... and some even win World Cups.

Other times we have questioned the unity of the different private organizations and federations. Undoubtedly, recent court decisions regarding the jurisdiction of this sport have helped to clarify something in the competitive field. But it should not stop there. From our point of view, training and education are basic in any activity in life. The different organizations must accredit and train correctly trained judges, and referees who know the discipline and can establish the rules of this sport and progressively improve the rules with accumulated experience. Therefore, unity is needed not only in theory but also in practice.

You know that within the various modalities of this sport, I am a great defender of the Beach Race, where it is almost impossible that compromising circumstances do not occur between competitors. Reaching a buoy with 10 riders on a wave, as well as being committed is spectacular. I have rarely seen a judge disqualify anyone when the conditions are harsh, despite the insults that the corresponding paddlers throw at each other: hey!, move away!, be careful!, site! Sometimes you dream that the test has big waves because that’s when you focus more on the middle than on the opponent. The sea always puts us in its place.

I don’t like to talk about this subject without always emphasizing the merit of the event organizers. Even those who make mistakes. We are currently lucky that tests and competitions proliferate throughout the national territory. Be careful, because not all of them meet the requirements to make them suitable. Sometimes economic or commercial interests take precedence over sports interests and, although legitimate, there is no good profit if there is no quality work and I feel that mediocrity is taking over certain events.

Whatever you propose, try to do it well. Although the test is local, it has all the basic characteristics that the competitors want to return the next year. But among them, a regulation sponsored by an entity, preferably federative, is insurance. Because it will also include basic safety and sports arbitration rules. You as a competitor have good previous information, where to park, where to unload, how and in which category to sign up, clarity in prices, clarity in the type of competition, control of the material, clear briefing, correct distances, appropriate and alternative routes according to the weather conditions, judges at critical points (buoys), note security, type of departure specified in advance, race rules, prizes (and compliance with collection in the case of money or material goods, even if only out of respect for the athlete), clarity and agility in the results, educated referees...I assure you that, as a competitor in multiple events, the ones that ultimately succeed are those that are organized with humility and great seriousness. I reiterate the need for the federations to support the efforts of good organizers as much as possible since it is not an easy task. But even in those more professional competitions the great figures begin to not appear due to non-compliance with the basic rules, and that is very dangerous.

To explain the success of a specific activity, an old fellow researcher always used civil aviation as an example. He said: “Did you know that approximately 100,000 flights are carried out in the world every day? And what is the probability of having an accident? Minimal, why? Because everything is protocolized, the rule is strict and the same for everyone”. When we unify rules and protocols, there will be less and less chance of an accident and more of the one who enters the finish line first being the one who most deserves it.

The second edition of the Arnoia SUP Challenge has been a success in participation, fun and competitiveness. This wonderful place in the interior of Ourense, has the perfect conditions for doing Stand Up Paddle, being a great discovery for riders and families who had not been to its previous edition. And for this year, the organization prepared a series of competitions and activities for the public: a long distance scoring for the Spanish Cup, the Galician Cup and Sprints of the Spanish Surfing Federation in the waters of the Miño river.