How to prepare TAWARA

Patrice, in 2022, the Tarn Water Race takes place on June 11th and 12th. In your opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful stand-up paddleboarding races. Can you tell us why?

I actually went to participate in the Tarn Water Race in 2021 for the first time. What a magnificent river!! This immense, deep gorge and this clear, fresh water. This constant slalom between the rocks and the small rapids, generally quite easy. Probably one of the most beautiful SUP courses in the world, in my opinion. A must-do.

What are the technical and physical difficulties encountered during this 78 km descent?

First of all, it’s actually 78 km, which can be covered in about ten hours, for an average level of experience. So that’s the first challenge. In 2021, it was very hot, 30°C in the shade, and therefore much hotter on the water. For me, it was very difficult to bear. In the afternoon, I felt the need to dive in every 5 km, or so, to cool off.
And then, we’re still on a small stream, for most of the river, where you have to be very vigilant at all times to find the deepest passage, to cross without hindrance and fall as little as possible.
There’s also a mandatory and very long 1.3 km portage, after 18 km of racing. So you have to have planned well in advance how to carry your board, possibly using something other than the central handle.

In 2021 you chose to go for a 3 Bay Allwater Gwened in 14’ x 27.5’’. Wasn’t that a bold choice?

I had built this Allwater Gwened almost especially for this occasion, adding the option of a flip-up fin to the rear. This fin, when it hits the river bottom or a rock, raises and lowers itself immediately afterward.

It was a bold move, even crazy, because there were only five of us paddlers or crews on rigid SUPs in this race, and it must be said that we all damaged something. I thought I’d done the hardest part and won my bet, since I arrived in Millau at the Parc d’Eaux Vives (km 55) without any damage.
But I’m a gambler, and I chose to risk this artificial kayak slalom course, even though it was suggested to avoid it by taking a slightly longer detour along the natural riverbed. And there I capsized miserably and my board violently hit a PVC protective tube on the edge of the pool, while trying to get out of the counter-current. I had of course taken in my waterproof bag the aluminum tape and the Opinel knife, essential for an emergency repair at the next refreshment stop.

This year, how will you equip yourself for your race, what board will you choose?

No more nonsense! For the next edition, I’ll be on an inflatable SUP.
I’ve chosen the French brand SURF PISTOLS and I’ll be equipped with the SURFPISTOLS 14′ x 27” RACE PERFORMANCE, which I just received and tried for the first time.

Regarding the 1 km portage due to the Pas de Soucy landslide, how are you going to manage the obstacle?

Last year, my friend Christophe “Tintin” Moulin made me a sort of removable trolley using an old skateboard truck and an old fin. I attached it to the deck and the back of my board with a bungee cord, so I could install it in my board’s fin box as soon as I got out of the water and tow my board using the carrying handle I had installed on the nose. It worked brilliantly!!!
For 2022, the same system should be used, which I think will be more practical than bringing a trolley to the landing site the day before the race and having to return there afterward to retrieve it.

What equipment and training tips can you give our readers?

In my opinion, it is essential to equip your board with a very short and shallow flexible fin, like the SURASURF 4.6’’or 9’’, or a flip-up fin, because in June the water level is always quite low. Last year, I saw some spectacular falls in front of me, paddlers stopped dead in their tracks by the fin hitting a rock.
But only the SUP RACE Inflatables 14’ and 18’ SURF PISTOLS are equipped as standard with this flip-up fin and I am starting to manufacture more and more of them, to install them on the 3 Bay rigid SUPs.

The elasticated deck net attached to the front of the board is also essential for carrying spare clothes and supplies.

Don’t forget to cover your body with long clothing and sunscreen, as the sun will be harsh in June.
A helmet and safety vest are also mandatory, and leashes are prohibited throughout the river.
I also think it’s essential to wear a pair of sneakers for the entire trip. Because, in addition to the portage at St. Soucy, you need to be able to jump off your board in an emergency when there’s not enough water left, and walk on slippery pebbles and rocks until you find enough water.