• Sup, passing novelty or sport for all?

Stand Up Paddle is the water sport that is fascinating and conquering athletes of all ages. To understand if it is a short-term phenomenon or if it is officially a new sport, we interviewed Stefano Di Moro, owner of the FreeBie Srl company, producer and distributor of the Jbay.Zone Boards, together with his brother Giorgio. The world of water sports is experiencing years of great excitement and is continually enriching itself with new technological equipment designed for the enjoyment of young and old. The last entry that is literally invading the planet and conquering more and more fans is Stand Up Paddle. A sort of surfboard on which can moves even in the absence of wind and waves, simply standing and paddling with a paddle. In the last two years the SUP phenomenon has literally exploded, conquering a heterogeneous and transversal audience with an impressive speed like no other water sport has managed to do since the windsurfing in the 1980s. If even a company like FreeBie historically akin to the world of engines, even if electric (FreeBie is the distributor for Italy of Yamaha Seascooters – ed) it has been fascinated by the potential of the SUP so as to create a complete line of boards and accessories, such as It is believed that Paddleboarding will not disappear from our beaches any time soon.

• Good morning Stefano, take away the first fundamental curiosity; why does everyone like SUP?  

« Today the Stand Up Paddle is an established sport both in the world and in Italy and is experiencing a real exponential growth especially thanks to its” crossover “soul. The SUP is able to thrill athletes and amateurs of other disciplines, such as wave surfing, kayaking, kite, windsurfing and rowing. The reasons for the constant increase in popularity of the SUP are easily explained, using a paddleboard is very fun and rewarding. Paddling on a SUP during an excursion along the coast gives priceless emotions and practicing this sport also offers excellent training for the whole body. In some cases, the SUP Boards are equipped with a support for the installation of windsurf sails that help make these boards truly versatile. Finally, learning the fundamentals of this discipline is simple and affordable for everyone ».

• Rigid or inflatable boards? What do you recommend to those who start?  

« There are various types of SUP boards, of different shapes and materials, suitable for excursions in the company of exploring lakes and rivers up to competitions. Modern technology makes it possible to build inflatable boards with performances very similar to the rigid ones made of wood or fiberglass, while maintaining a series of advantages such as extreme ease of transport and storage, but also an excellent value for money. Even the maintenance operations are simple, in fact, after use, it is only necessary to rinse the Board with fresh water to remove sand or salt before storing it. Jbay.Zone, the brand with which we market our SUP line, bases the internal structure of the boards on an innovative and reliable technology used in the field of water sports for a long time with exceptional results, the Drop-Stitch Technology: thanks to thousands of filaments of fabric welded to the laminated PVC with which the boards are built, once the ideal pressure of 15/18PSI is reached, the stand up paddle becomes rock hard like a resin board ».

• Beginners and experts, is the Jbay.Zone range designed to please everyone?  

« For 2019 JBay.Zone has designed two different stand up paddle lines. The new All Around SUPs are built with UAL Laminated Pvc using the Drop-stitch technology that guarantees the SUP H1 H2 and H3 once the inflation pressure of 15 Psi is reached, to have maximum rigidity and low weight. These boards are ideal to start practicing this fantastic sport, starting from the Amura line, perfectly designed for those not familiar with the use of SUP while the H1 and H2 models are more responsive.   For the more experienced one Jbay.Zone has created the Comet line. The WJ2 is a Crossover Wind SUP designed for uncompromising fun that combines the convenience of a Stand Up Paddle with the adrenaline of a windsurf, thanks to the standard set-up for the installation of most of the windsurf sails on the market . The Comet J2 and J3 instead are comfortable, large and reliable paddleboards, perfect for excursions in exploration of coasts, rivers or lakes ».

• So we come to the question that everyone is asking. SUP is the future of watersports?  

« The Stand Up Paddle is surely experiencing its moment of euphoria, as has happened to so many new sports when they have succeeded in capturing the attention of the general public, let us think of the Skate of the 70s or more recently the Snowboard or the Kitesurf. Compared to these, however, the SUP has a significant advantage that lies in its ease of use, in the fact that everyone can practice it and immediately have fun, just everyone, adults and children. A sport that can also be lived in a spirit of competition but mostly it is a recreational activity and as such I don’t think it can be affected by the destructive power of fashions ». Want to try these fantastic SUPs? Thanks to the numerous SUP schools and to the bathing beaches scattered all over the Italian territory it is possible to test the JBay.Zone Stand Up Paddles during the Open Day. All information on events and models in the catalog is available on the website www.jbay.zone / www.freebie.it   »

• FreeBie is also “fun” diving with the Yamaha Seascooters

« For snorkelers with high emotion and adrenaline, FreeBie offers Yamaha Seascooters, vehicles designed for maximum diving performance thanks to a technology that uses a GearBox transmission with an electric motor and propeller, a mix that guarantees excellent hydrodynamics and great reliability, without forgetting the green side: this is about non-polluting products that do not use hydrocarbons for propulsion. Using a Seascooter during a dive allows the diver to concentrate more freely on the scenery he is admiring, improving sub-marine movements and significantly increasing fun. Thanks to the electric engine mounted on all Yamaha Seascooter models, the noise emitted is extremely reduced and does not bother the local fauna. The Yamaha SeaScooters are divided into 3 categories, designed and developed specifically for all use categories, from professionals to children who want to spend a day of family fun. The Profession Dive Series models are equipped with a special rechargeable lithium ion battery and are equipped with an electric brushless motor, and they also have support for action cams included. The Recreational Dive Series models have low weight (3.7 kg), lithium battery and an innovative dual-thruster shape to get even more maneuverability and versatility. Finally, the Recreational series models are designed for all children and young divers who want to try their hand at diving, do snorkeling or simply spend hours of fun in the water with the family. The decated website is www.seascooters.it  »