TORONTO, Ontario — From Paris to Tokyo and Yukon, Shara Dubeau, a Canadian stand-up paddle (SUP) enthusiast ranked 364 in SUP Racer’s 2019 Women’s world rankings, has been adding new races to her already substantial list of challenges. This year alone she placed first in the SUP Race Ardèche, third in the 130km Dordogne Intégrale and most recently won her first Championnat de France SUP Kahuna from the Federation Français de Surf.

Shara’s debut in stand-up paddle started a decade ago. “I was spending more time in Royan, a coastal town in the south-west of France and I wanted to discover water sports. I decided to rent a paddle board for an hour and after this first experience, I was hooked,” she explains. “I then taught myself how to get on and off a board by watching YouTube videos.”

“My first experience racing was in Paris. I love this city and remember waiting on a cold Sunday morning in December by the Bibliothèque Mitterand with the other racers at the starting line”, she says. “Going down the Seine, watching the sun rise and seeing the reflection of the Grand Palais in the waters was a surreal experience. Finishing the 11km race without falling was also a satisfying accomplishment for my first race”.

“Participating in races helped me meet other people who shared the SUP passion,” Shara admits. She was able to gradually hone her skills in different places and with varying levels of technical challenges.

“I travelled all over France, Spain, England and Japan, discovering paddling in lakes and white water rapids,” she adds. “One unique experience I had was jumping off a ferry as part of a race to get the best wind conditions behind me,” Shara recalls.

However, her single most memorable experience was enduring the 350km Dordogne Intégrale race. This race is normally 130km but for its 10th anniversary in 2019, a three to four day route of 350km was planned and Shara was one of the first to sign-up.

“This race required the most effort to prepare,” Shara remembers. “I had to take into account planning for stops, rests and a 30km portage. Discussing with other participants, many had a day one goal to reach 180km before midnight so that the portage could be done overnight, to optimise paddle time during the day. Preparation for this event was to think through a strategic plan,” she continues.

With her plan in place, Shara was faced with the technical and physical challenges to get ready for. “Before the race, I did reconnaissance work. I studied maps and physically traced the route to understand what challenges I may face,” she shares.
“In particular, I needed to figure out the parts of the river that are impacted by tide. I also needed to know where I would be able to get to ground without sinking in mud so I could stop if needed,” she recounts. “There were so many unknowns. I needed to get the waters mapped out.”

Keeping focus was important to maintaining rhythm and momentum throughout the race. “I set timers to remind myself to drink every 15 minutes and make sure I ate every hour,” Shara explains.

“I also practised breathing and paddling techniques to keep my rhythm of movement. As I paddled alone for the majority of the day, I focused on repetitive actions to keep me progressing steadily,” she adds.

The nature of the current had a huge impact on the physical reserve that Shara would need to maintain. “The Dordogne has a mix of flat waters that could go 30km and then change into rapids,” she says. “The last 40km were like paddling on a lake and it is much harder without a good current”.

On the second day of the race, Shara faced the Dordogne’s renown tidal bore. Described as capricious and volatile, this rare phenomenon occurs when the tide turns and starts to come back up the river.

“As the tide rises and winds push the flood tides, the waves concentrate and grow to a point where the riverbanks narrow, creating a spectacular wave,” Shara affirms.

Finishing the race in third place for the women and 20th overall for the solo category, Shara’s hard work paid off.

After countless experiences, Shara’s passion for SUP is growing. “Stand-up paddle is a great sport. I love breathing the fresh air and during those moments out there rocking on my board, I can relax,” Shara reveals.

With this year coming to a close, Shara already has plans for her next challenge to join hundreds of other competitors in the Yukon River Quest, an even more challenging 730km route, racing day and night to the Klondike on one of Canada’s spectacular rivers.

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