Well, the touring season has wound up for the year, and I find myself both reflecting on what was a fantasic summer of SUP touring here in Jämtland, but also turning my focus and energy towards training for The Last Paddler Standing. This was one of the warmest summers I have experienced in the ten years I have lived here in Jämtland. We had three weeks of nearly 30+ degrees! unheard of in these parts! I definitely was not complaining though, I must admit, I could have had those conditions the whole summer! I had the honour of hosting some amazing guests and groups this season. I had the privilage of hosting guests from France, USA and Holland, as well as locals from Sweden. It is always a question I get asked, "How did an Australian guy end up here?" well, it's a likely story of meeting a Swedish girl in Bali many years ago that lead me to move here. I love paddling here in Jämtland, and it is a joy to show others some of the best places to SUP here! There is a never ending choice of places to paddle and explore. I often discover new places every summer and sometimes these discoveries offer inspiration to develop new tours.

Now we are on the back end of the touring season, my focus has moved to competing in an ultra endurance race called The Last Paddler Standing. The LPS is held in Florida USA and is a 48 hour back yard type ultra event. Every hour on the hour, paddlers set of on a 5.3 km loop. The loop generally takes 45-50 minutes to complete, giving the paddler 15-10 minutes to come on land and eat, hydrate and rest before heading out at the top of the next hour to complete another loop. The goal is to make it to loop 48, that is 48 hours of paddling with a 10- 15 minute break every hour! As you can imagine the first 12 hours are managable, but after that it becomes tougher and tougher to not only make the loop in the required time of one hour, but to find enough time to eat hydrate and recover. If the paddler makes it to loop 48, the distance of the loop is extended 2km. This means the paddler must complete a 7.3 km loop in under an hour! this is a tough call after 48 hours of paddling and sometimes the paddler times out and the race is the winner! but some paddlers have dug deep in previous years to take the title of The Last Paddler Standing.

I competed in last years event and completed 27 loops before having to drop out due to injuries. There was strong winds in last years event and the cross wind and up wind sections were horrific! it was the bottom cross wind section that took its toll on my right shoulder and eventually forced me to drop out. It took nearly six months to get feeling back in my left hand due to nerve damage! This years lead up and training has been focused on building a strong body and a clear mindset. This has not been easy due to every day life and commitments as well as a tough year personally, but I plan on digging deep and focusing on getting to lap 48 and see what happens after that. if you are interested in following my lead up and training, I often post this on Instagram. If you want to watch the race live, it is webcast live during the event. The Last Paddler Standing is held on the 6-7 th of December 2025. I will post a link to the live link on social media closer to the race.

Thank you all who joined on a tour or took a lesson this season, and I am already looking forward to next season!

Laird.