Hello again from the Travemünder Woche/O’pen Skiff European Championships, on a day when the elements did their very best to send everyone home with great memories of great sailing in great conditions. A fantastic finale to a fabulous week, with boats of all shapes and sizes enjoying the more settled wind and waves to show why the Travemünder Woche has become one of the biggest sail boat gatherings of the European sailing calendar. 
 

A veritable UFO in the stand up paddle market, the BIC SUP Cross is a super-versatile “hybrid” board that is attracting more and more new riders. Ideal for family excursions, totally suitable for yoga/fitness, the perfect platform for fishing trips, it’s got a rich and varied range.

Nevin Sayre, a five-time U.S. National Windsurfing Champion and four time college sailing All-American, has become acutely aware of what’s hampering youth sailing in the USA. Sayre is now hyper-active in creating awareness of the issues, sharing his thoughts in this interview with Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck.

It’s been a fantastic long weekend of competition here at Sopot, Poland, from 23 to 26 may where 55 young sailors from 4 different countries came to test themselves against the other best-in-class racers at round 2 of the 2019 O’pen Skiff EuroChallenge, after an opening round in Palermo, Sicily, and before the final round at Mandelieu on the Cote d’Azur of southern France later this year. 

It's been a strong start to the season for Techno 293 OD with the Techno+ World Championships that finished in late April in Portimao, Portugal. Heavy conditions, motivated riders, and at the end the new champions, come from the four corners of the world.

Following the release of the "Pro" version last month, we now have the pleasure to announce the release of the brand new Techno Wind Foil 130 ACE-TEC.

Following the changes that happened at the turn of the year concerning BIC Sport/Tahe Outdoors France, the O’pen BIC is changing name too and will henceforth be known as O’pen Skiff.

The brand new Techno Pro Wind Foil 130 is now available in the shops ! This much-anticipated board and foil combo is highly innovative, filling a gap in the market for the growing number of riders wanting to enjoy windsurf foil-boarding. 

The 2019 international calendar was finalized following a very successful year!

Inspired by the presence of our event patron, sailing legend Sir Russell Coutts and challenged by a week of changing conditions that evolved from ultra-light to very strong, the 133 young sailors present here in Manly Bay, Auckland, New Zealand for the 2019 World Championships have risen to the occasion. They delivered us a week of excellent, tight racing all done with the sense of fun and fair play that is synonymous with the O'pen BIC concept.

The O’pen BIC World Championships will be starting at the end of December down-under in New Zealand, the home of Russell Coutts, legendary five-times Americas Cup winner. He will be present at the event, to oversee the organisation and to mentor the young sailors. This exceptional world sporting superstar is heavily involved at the grass roots level with his local club, as well as on the international stage, creating learning and training programmes for sailing that are very much based on the core principles of enjoyment and passion.

BIC Group has received an offer from Tahe Outdoors to purchase its subsidiary BIC Sport. The transaction is expected to be finalized by December 31st 2018 and is consistent with BIC’s strategy to focus on its core activities (of stationery, lighters, and shavers), while the Tahe Outdoor Group has being looking to expand its activities in watersports, making BIC Sport a logical acquisition.

From Norway to Israel, from Portugal to Poland, 236 racers from 22 countries made their way to Varkiza, Greece, from 20st to 27th October for the last big international competition of the 2018 Techno 293 season. Four titles were up for grabs during an intense week of action on the water and on dry land: Junior (Under 15) Boys and Girls, and Youth (Under 17) Boys and Girls.

The Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires have ended. Alexandros Kalpogiannakis (GRE) and Giorgia Speciale (ITA) catch the plane home as winners of the 2018 Youth Olympic windsurf titles, raced and won on BIC Sport Techno + boards.

The Youth Olympic Games are taking place in Buenos Aires from 6th to 18th October. The sailing competitions (windsurf, kitesurf and catamaran) are happening just over 30km west of the city, at Argentina’s famous San Isidro sailing club on the shores of the immense Rio del Plata river delta. The Olympic Committee has once again selected the Techno 293 OD as the official competition board, and the 48 athletes who had qualified from 2017 and 2018’s national and international Techno events are here in Argentina for the showdown.

You’ve been reading about her adventures for years in the pages of Standup Journal, but who is Lou Bouvet? Like many Maui kids, Lou was exposed to the ocean at an early age. But in her case, the sup paddling experience actually began before she was even born.

Stand Up Paddling round Tahiti in Polynesia… Between the crystal clear water of the lagoons, the exceptional wildlife and the incredible Polynesian culture, it must be most paddlers’ ultimate dream. Our brand ambassadors Jeremy and Ludovic Teulade, plus Agathe Rodier, lived the dream and went to Polynesian paradise at the beginning of this year. Something to bring you some southern cheer as the autumn weather settles in.

Who in the world has never dreamed of visiting Venice one day ? The canals, the gondolas, the exceptional architecture, the sense of mystery and romance…Italy’s pearl is literally brimming with charm and interest, but imagine for a moment if you could go and explore this unique city, paddling on an SUP.

« The green wave », is in fact the name of the blog, protest, and individual action “group” recently created by Carine Camboulives and Emmanuel Bouvet, watermen and sensation-seekers at heart. In their first episode under the new flag, they ask what effect climate change might have on something as fundamental to all of us as the waves on our seas.

They come from every corner of the globe for similar reasons. Once again they gathered for week of fun and firendship, this time in Liepaja, LATVIA for BIC Techno 293 and BIC Techno 293 WORLDS 2018.
There is the video...

The 2018 O'pen BIC North Americans brought families from Hawaii, Florida, California, and everywhere in between to the beautiful Buffalo Canoe Club in Ridgeway, Ontario for this epic and unorthodox kids sailing event.

Over 300 young competitors from all over the world have made the journey to Liepaja, Latvia, with entrants from as far afield as Japan, Peru, Oman, Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Argentina, America and China, as well as a large number of European countries.

The sailors were ready to go if the wind ever showed, and their patience eventually paid off, with enough “wind” rustling the sails to finally complete one race in each category, U13 and U17, before it disappeared again.

In early April 2018, Julien Colonge and Anthony Calvet, two young semi-pro skiers, set off on a voyage to north Norway for their « Combø Norway » experiment. The idea of the project was to mix ski and kayak, allowing them to access by sea some of the best but inaccessible cross-country ski locations. While we wait for the film of their trip to come out this autumn, here's Julien Colonge's astonishing account of their ultra-extreme raid.

For O’pen BIC and Techno 293 One Design, BIC Sport’s two One Design classes, the business end of the season is fast approaching with two World Championships taking place in quick succession, just one day apart, at the end of July and beginning of August.

For over 2 years Peter Durham has been the director of BIC’s SUP (Stand Up Paddle) division and is refusing to temper any efforts to keep the French firm’s position in among the biggest players in the world market. Always smiling and open, the friendly New Zealander gave us a warm welcome to his office in the company’s headquarters in Vannes to talk to us about his work and reminisce about his own personal odyssey. Here’s our meeting with a businessman who’s as invested in his field as he is passionate about it.

He is undoubtedly the most famous of all French shapers. Over the last twenty years, when he started working with BIC, hundreds of thousands of boards have borne his name. Despite this success, this shaper has always kept a low profile. An encounter with a heavyweights of shaping worldwide. A portrait by Romain Ferrand

The 23rd and 24th of June will see the 5th running of the BIC Sport/Ouest France Morbihan Paddle Trophy at St Goustan, in the legendary Golfe de Morbihan. This mass gathering of Stand Up Paddlers is as popular as the level is high, each year seeing more and more enthusiasts of the discipline taking part, and the event is now established as the second biggest of the season.

Indefatigable travellers, board fanatics, and eco-warriors, Manu Bouvet and Carine Camboulives, along with their two young daughters, recently made the journey to Sao Tomé & Principe, two tiny islands off the west coast of Africa, bringing home another incredible travelogue of their adventures. From the vantage point of their stand up paddle boards, they help us understand the true beauty of our planet, and the dangers that threaten it.

Making its appearance in 2017, TOUGH TEC thermoformed technology, combining a solid polystyrene core wrapped in a polyethylene skin, has sparked something of a revolution in the windsurf and stand up paddle markets ...

Carine Camboulives and Manu Bouvet meet up with the Race For Water Odyssey on Easter Island. The around the world expedition that aims to draw up the first global assessment of plastic pollution in the ocean has a lot to teach us about our favorite environment.

130 windsurfers from 27 countries have gathered in Mondello, Sicily for the Techno293Plus European Championships. The event being a Youth Olympic Qualifier for Europe has attracted some top talent, not only from Europe, but also Asia, South and North America wanting to test their skills against the best.

Iranian surf culture is starting to swell as people take to the waves. Farid from Tehran learned to surf in Ramin, a village in the southeast corner of Iran on the Gulf of Oman ...

As the O'pen BIC class grows rapidly, more and more events are being added all the time. Check out the list of more than 65 O'pen BIC events in North America to find the events near you!

On the ride again" is a regular feature written by Carine Camboulives and Emmanuel Bouvet for the Adrenaline Team blog. BIC Sport brand ambassadors, they're on a permanent quest for new experiences and are both seriously into their Stand Up Paddle Yoga, whether it's at home in France, or on a stretch of water in some far-flung corner of the world on their travels. In the latest chapter, they share some of their secrets and experiences, and offer some basic rules to help you get the most out of this simple, enjoyable and regenerative new sport.

40km paddle racing in New York. The Teulade brothers/boys accepted the challenge,preparing in the minutest detail for the race. They even had a plan for winning it, but that was counting without an incredible comeback by Kai Lenny. Here's the story...

The South American qualification tournament for the Youth Olympic Games has kicked off in style. The 23 windsurfers from 7 countries, who have come to Paracas, Peru for the regatta have not been let down. The sun, the wind, the atmosphere – an unbeatable combination for a perfect week of racing.

True to the spirit of the brand, the Oxbow team comprises a group of passionate young French ambassadors, high-level riders and watermen seeking new thrills and a lifestyle that keeps them in contact with the ocean. Their aim: to have fun discovering new spots and new sensations.

The principle aim of the Russell Coutts Sailing Foundation is to introduce children to the joys of sailing and to help each participant to grow in character and personal confidence. Scuttlebutt editor Craig Leweck caught up with Russell Coutts for an update.

Last September, the Teulade brothers, Jeremy and Ludovic, went to explore the magnificence of the Crystal Coast in North Carolina. With more than 135km of wild, varied coast including the Outer Banks islands, and Cape Hatteras, it seemed like the perfect place to test the latest developments in Oxbow’s SUP board range...

12 races completed over 4 competition days, in an unusually windy Singapore. There were 3 qualification places in both men's and women's Youth Olympic Games windsurfer event being contested by 11 Asian nations - with the 12th country...

Following a brilliant 2017 season that included a magnificent World Championships on Lake Garda, and a Euro Challenge progressing strongly on all fronts, the 2018 vintage is already looking to be even more promising : a World Championships in sunny Barcelona and already 3 recognised rounds of Euro Challenge.

2017 draws to its close in a very positive way for Techno 293 OD, and its new sister class, Techno PLUS, which had an unbelievably high entry at its inaugural stand-alone World Championships and was officially recognized internationally by World Sailing. Two key elements that give Techno 293 OD a highly promising future and a great 2018 season!

After launching their first range of kayaks, including the celebrated Bilbao, Tobago and Ouassou, that marked the start of the 2000s with their totally innovative design, BIC Sport has now unleashed a second, brand new kayak series. This new range of boats has a simpler design, all conceived and built in the unique BIC Sport style...

From 13th to 17th of November San Isidro Sailing Club in Buenos Aires hosted the 2017 South American Windsurfing Championships. The event was a great chance for the Techno293 Plus sailors to test the venue of the Youth Olympic Games in 2018.

The Techno 293 World Championships which were taking place in Salou (Spain) from 21st to 29th October have come to an end with another day of exciting racing. For 338 athletes from across 30 countries it will be a week to remember!

The final round of O’pen BIC Tour, from 28^th – 30^th October at La Grande Motte in the south of France, was a fitting climax to the 2017 season, with some strong conditions and a talented field of 66 racers from France, Spain and Italy. It was not just the final round of the 2017 O’pen Tour, but also the end of the 2017 Euro Challenge.

Day five of racing at the Techno293 World Championships was completely different to anything the competition had seen before, and that allowed a different set of sailors to take advantage of the changed conditions.

Racing is essencial, fun is important. But most important for all is the safety of all 338 kids here. For that BIC Techno 293 One design class is using very sophisticated electronic systems to make sure at the end of each day all are back ashore safe.

The 2017 Techno293 World Championships have finally kicked off and everyone is excited to show off what they are here to do.

The Techno293 World Championships are the chance for talented youngsters from around the world to test themselves against the best as they’ll go head to head with over 330 athletes in Salou, Spain between the 21st and 28th of October.

The second round of the 2017 O’pen BIC Euro Challenge, which took place in Rimini in the principality of San Marino, was a full-house in every respect, setting a new record for the number of participants at this Challenge tour, started in 2016. More than 100 (101) competitors made the trip over...

On Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October, the legendary Pacific Paddle Games took place. This international competition held this year in California at Dana Point is very much the unofficial World Championships of Stand Up Paddle Race. All the big specialists in the discipline were present, including a number of Frenchies, among them the Teulade brothers and Martin Vitry, racing for the Oxbow team.

Looking for a time to relax? Want to learn paddeling? Come and join us on Camp Crystal kai next May 15 – 21, 2017, at North Carolina’s Crystal Coast.
This retreat is a health and wellness stand-up paddleboarding retreat where you can experience an all-inclusive, week-long adventure in one of the Southeast’s premier vacation destinations.
Paddleboard through paradise along 85 miles of gorgeous coastline and escape for a week full of fitness, relaxation, and fun on the water!

The curtain falls on the O'pen BIC 2017 World Championships which was held in the waters in front of Circolo Vela Arco. Starting from July 31st the event brought to Lake Garda’s Trentino's shores no less than 187 young athletes competing to earn the title of O'pen BIC World Champion.

Twelve nations are in Circolo Vela Arco, by the famous lake Garda, Italy, represented by almost two hundred young sailors competing in the O'Pen Bic World championship until the end of the week.

12 races in great conditions, wind averaging from 12 – 16 kts each day. Exciting and media friendly with the M course sailed for the first time in a high stake Techno 293 event.

167 sailors from 31 countries participated in the Techno 293 Plus World Championships in Quiberon France – the first of the qualification events for the Youth Olympic Games.

The Techno+ World Championships, taking place from the 15th to 20th July in France at the French National Sailing and Water Sports Centre on the Atlantic coast, got underway in fine style this weekend, with the traditional parade of all the national teams, followed by the opening ceremony...

After 2016’s record-breaking season for numbers of participants at both the World Championships in Torbole, Italy, and at the European Championships in Sopot, Poland, the Techno class braniacs took the ambitious decision to separate the two classes, Techno 293 OD and Techno 293+,...

Meanwhile, the O’pen BIC World Championships is making its final preparations at the Arco sailing club in Italy ! From 31st July to 5th August, this extremely busy sailing centre on Lake Garda will welcome the very best O’pen BIC skippers on the planet.

With the backdrop of America’s Cup 35, thirty-two O’pen BIC sailors, ages ten to fifteen, participated in the America’s Cup Endeavour O’pen. The kids and parents represented ten different nations from around the world, and hailed the event as the “experience of a life time”.

The 35th America’s Cup match is now set between Emirates Team New Zealand who will challenge Oracle Team USA. While the Challenger and Defender Teams are preparing themselves for the ultimate sailing contest, 32 youngsters, representing 10 countries, ...

In total contrast to all modern means of transport, the Kwai, one of the last remaining sail-powered transport schooners. is the vital supplies link for the La Ligne island chain, lost in the vast empty expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It also carries passengers to and from the islands, continuing the essential service of assuring contact with the rest of the world.

BIC Sport (France) reaches agreement with FLOW Sports, Inc. (USA) for the worldwide rights to operate, market and sell SIC (Sandwich Island Composite) stand up paddle board products.

The 2016 season was marked by a record number of participants at the World Championships at Torbole, Italy, and at the European Championships in Sopot, Poland. With 474 riders lining up for the Worlds, and taking into account the rapid progression of the new Techno+ class, the decision has been taken to separate the Techno 293OD and Techno 293+ events this year, with their World Championships on different dates and at different venues.

BIC Sport has been well known for years for offering reliable and long lasting watersports products. However, we are always striving to make stronger, lighter and better boards for our customers.

After years of experience and research in molding, we are proud to release in 2017 a ground-breaking technology. TOUGH-TEC construction is another big step forward in terms of durability, while offering more lightweight and lively boards*. (*compared to previous DURA-TEC technology)

Wishing everyone an excellent 2017 with a maximum number of unforgettable watersport sessions. We hope your year has already started in great style!

Our entire 2017 product range can be viewed on line, and the 2017 vintage is rich with promise, plenty of new toys in all categories.

The two companies, OXBOW, the leading French surfwear brand, and BIC Sport, the world leader in Stand Up Paddle equipment, are delighted to announce their partnership agreement for the manufacturing and marketing of a complete range of OXBOW-branded STAND UP PADDLE boards. Designed by OXBOW, the range will be manufactured and distributed in France worldwide by BIC Sport, available as from March 2017.

It's 5:30 a.m. It's still dark and all of Paris is asleep. Actually, not all of it. 600 stand up paddle fans were gathered at the Paris Salon Nautique at portes de Versailles. The participants gradually came to life as each donned their neoprene and lycra in order to participate in the world's largest stand up paddle race!

Nine O’pen BIC sailors from North America will join twenty-three from other countries for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bermuda for the America’s Cup Finals, and to compete in the AC Endeavour O’pen, June 15-18, 2017. On Saturday, June 17, O'pen BICs will be The Halftime Show between Race #1 and Race #2 of the AC Finals, broadcast world wide. Accommodations, entry fee, charter boat, and meals are being provided by BIC Sport and the America's Cup Event Authority.

From 22 to 30 October, some red hot windsurfing competition on the waters of Lake Garda, as the BIC Techno 293 OD and BIC Techno 293 Plus World Championships touched down in Torbole, Italy. A record edition with 474 competitors, for the first time from all 5 continents, turning these World Championships into the biggest ever One Design event in windsurf history

'I think the windsurfing movement is growing everywhere in all the world’.
That’s the opinion of windsurfing legend and four time Olympic medallist Allesandra Sensini who was at the opening of the T293 and T293 Plus World Championships in Torbole, Italy. It’s hard to argue with her, either, given the quality of competition which has already graced Lake Garda through the first half of those championships.

The 500 world’s very best young windsurfers at Garda Lake on BIC Techno 293.

The world’s very best young windsurfers are set to descend upon the Northern shore of Lake Garda between the 22nd and 29th of October, as the tenth annual BIC Techno293 World Championships touch down in Torbole, Italy, along with the BIC Techno293 Plus World Championships.

On the occasion of the release of the Surf by Superfrog gamme,TheCarrot Cake,many of you proposed a logo to accompany the board.
Discover all the creations of many participants and especially the winner logo...

Billy Besson and Marie Riou eventually managed to finish 6 rounds of racing in the Nacra 17 class at the Rio Olympic Games, despite Billy's injury. Victim of a disc hernia just before the Games, he nevertheless managed to race all the rounds despite being in considerable, continuous pain. He was particularly handicapped in the heavier winds (where he's normally unbeatable), but still managed 1st, 1st and 3rd place finishes on the day when the wind was lighter and more stable. Big up to both of them for their determination and tenacity in the face of such adversity!

Biggest windsurfing club in Europe, place we all love for the atmosphere, hospitality and challenging sailing conditions will host another big event again. Worlds biggest windsurfing class BIC TECHNO 293 is coming to SOPOT for BIC Techno 293 Plus and BIC Techno 293 One design European championships. See you all in Poland.

The 2016 O’pen BIC World Championships 2016 took place from 18 to 23 july at the ENVSN (National Sailing and Water Sports School) at Quiberon in France. These World Championships were the biggest in the history of O'pen BIC, which celebrated its 10th birthday this year. 205 competitors from 15 different countries raced from 18 to 23 july.

Paddling out to the peak in the early morning, walking through the woods in search of a new break, EARTH SURF is much more than just surfing. It is a way of life, where exploration and adventure prevail on performance under the spotlight. It is bringing you back to the essence of free surfing. Take this whole journey as an escape from the outside world, fun and relaxing, Deep into Nature.

BIC Sport wins the Ecoride Gold Medal for the second Year Running.

The BIC SURF Team had chosen Tenerife (Canary Islands) for the video shooting of 2016 BIC SURF and SUPERFROG product ranges. The Franco-Spanish team discovered the island, its beautiful landscapes and clear waves, guided by its locals from the Surf Club Tenerife. From surf spots in the middle of green mountains in the North to windy little harbors of the South, the Team never stopped moving and surfing to bring you back the very best of Tenerife in this trip video.

While walking on the Ho'okipa sand, a mythical spot on the north coast of Maui (Hawaii), Carine and Manu met. Over the years, this couple has established a travel diary worthy of Captain Cook .

In december 2015, at the annual Observeur du Design gala evening, held at the famous and prestigious "Cité des Sciences" de La Villette, Paris, BIC Sport received the Etoile du Design award for the SUP Earth Biscayne 12'6. Its innovative concept, materials used in its construction, and its excellent design, convinced the jury at this, the 17th annual Prix de l'Observeur du Design.

A look at the motivations and passion for SUP Surfing with BIC SUP ambassadors Connor Bonham, Matt Hite, Casi Rynkowski and Jimmy Blakeney as they surf and explore in Barbados on the new 2016 Wave Pro Surf series. 

A look at the motivations and passion for SUP Surfing with BIC SUP ambassadors Connor Bonham, Matt Hite, Casi Rynkowski and Jimmy Blakeney as they surf and explore in Barbados on the new 2016 Wave Pro Surf series. 

Alexis Deniel came to participate in the first round of the World Tour, which was played in Hawaii. At the end of this competition that brought together the world's best in this discipline, he delivered his first impressions to the Telegram newspaper.

Last month, Carine Camboulives, Manu Bouvet and their 2 daughters left their Maui home for a coastal village of Chile for a 6 month house exchange and SUP adventure. Between the endless point-breaks and the mountain lakes there is a new life to embrace and an experience to share.