Paradise is just a paddle stroke away
A Dutch SUP brand inspired by the Polynesian inventors of paddleboarding.
The MOAI brand was founded in 2017 as part of a family-run water sports company based in the Netherlands. The owner of the company is Pleuni Holthausen. She founded her watersports company in 2009 with the aim of creating the most innovative and highest quality watersports products in the industry, offering a modern design at an affordable price and appealing to the recreational market.
The name MOAI comes from the monolithic human statues, the so-called “Moai”, which were created by the inhabitants of the island of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. The island of Rapa Nui was discovered and settled by Polynesian explorers who traveled the Pacific Ocean in canoes. It is believed that these statues were created by the people of Rapa Nui to worship their ancestors, the discoverers of the Pacific.
With the MOAI brand, we want to pay tribute to the people of Polynesia , who also invented the sport of surfing and paddleboarding. Our board designs are inspired by Polynesian culture and history.
As the child of a water sports family, Pleuni grew up on the water. Her father built sailing boats and they spent every free weekend on or near the water. You could say that water sports are in their DNA.
Pleuni started her water sports company by importing dinghy boats. After a few years, she also started selling inflatable SUP boards. With the introduction of the MOAI boards in 2017, we wanted to make a difference: An affordable but high-quality leisure product with an eye-catching design.
MOAI currently sells inflatable SUPs, but the product category has also been expanded to include kayaks, boats and water sports merchandising. Pleuni: “MOAI is not just about stand up paddle boards and not just about products. We see MOAI as a lifestyle. We want to connect our leisure audience and create the perfect experience on and around the water.”
As a Dutch company, our MOAI products are sold throughout Europe. However, this year we are also expanding to Florida in the United States. Our products are sold through various water sports dealers, retailers and via our own website moaithebrand.com.
Our most popular products are our touring and all-round SUP boards. Some of these boards are designed so that they can be used for both SUPing and kayaking. Recently we have also seen an increase in demand for yoga SUPs and our children’s board, which has a unique banana design. We are currently expanding our SUP category with new designs in beach mood and natural colors. We are also expanding our yoga offering with the introduction of balance boards and yoga mats. We are very excited about these products and new categories.
With every sale, we also want to give something back. We support several charities that share our passion. Everyone deserves to enjoy the outdoors. Through donations and volunteering with nature and humanitarian organizations such as WWF, surf therapy organizations and dog search teams, we as a brand try to do something meaningful.
The water sports industry has expanded enormously in recent years, particularly in the area of stand up paddle boards. There are many brands with different products on the market. As MOAI, we continue to focus on our mission and vision. The water sports industry has grown tremendously, especially the SUP board market. The range is now so broad that you have to find a way to stand out. We need to think ahead and continue to strengthen our brand. We have to stand up to big brands with big investors.
As a brand, we want to inspire people to enjoy the beauty of nature and our world to the fullest. We will continue to strive to achieve this with the most accessible, high quality and complete watersports products, merchandising and related products we can offer. MOAI. Paradise is just a paddle stroke away!