While most Stand up paddlers slave away training for hours at a time, some people think of the weirdest stuff to gain that extra second in a race. Many of these crazy contraptions have been banned in official Stand up paddle racing, but lately there's been a new development - the 'bum rope'. 

What? Yep, thats right - people are calling it the bum rope. Invented by a couple of french guys, it's pretty much an elastic band attached between you and your board. One end attaches to the leash plug on the back of your Stand up paddle board, the other end is tied around your waist. It allows you to lean heaps further forward (for a longer paddle stroke), relying on the elastic to bring you back upright once your stroke is finished. Longer paddle strokes mean more power for longer, equating to more consistent top speeds and quicker finish times. 

New inventions for paddling aren't unheard of in the fast growing sport. Lately we've seen multi-hulled stand up paddle boards and twin bladed paddles outlawed from competition, both developments proving to be (controversially) of tangible advantage to paddlers. 

Some say the Bum rope not going to be of any benefit. Others like forum regular, David John say "I'd like one from the front as well. That would mean I could only fall left or right reducing my falls by 50%." Sounds like a great idea in theory - but only time will tell if this new idea catches on. 

What do you think? Voice your opinion in the forums. 

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