For its 32nd edition, the Ardèche Gorges International Marathon went all out! More than 1,800 paddlers were present, giving it their all. But this year, and for the first time, the event opened the competition to Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) enthusiasts.
Little by little, the discipline is carving out a place for itself in the whitewater world. Thanks to the perseverance of SUP enthusiasts and the numerous advances made in the manufacture of inflatable boards, it is now possible to descend rapids with suitable equipment and without worrying about the fragility of your board.
For this first Ard'river challenge, 34 river SUP specialists battled it out to cover the 24 kilometers separating them from the finish line in Saint Martin d'Ardèche. Congratulations to all the competitors for being among the pioneers of this still relatively unknown sport, which nevertheless continues to thrill us!
Check out some photos from this fantastic event shared by CKM , showing Vincent Sultana (winner of this first edition) battling it out with our ambassador Jeremy Laugerat, who once again proved his mettle by finishing 12th overall (2nd in the inflatable category) with the Air Swift . Congratulations guys!
For more information about the event, please refer to the France 3 article.
Photo credit: Nicolas Peschier/ CKM
