As keen observers of the watersports market, we were genuinely surprised by the recent news that Fanatic has launched a new inflatable SUP model (iSUP). The brand had withdrawn from SUP racing a few years ago and stopped producing hardboards. In the post-COVID era, the common narrative was that Fanatic – like many other brands – was struggling with a saturated market. Consumer behavior had shifted from buying equipment to experiences, leaving many companies with unsold inventory.
According to industry sources, Fanatic had several thousand unsold iSUPs in stock. If these figures are correct, that’s the equivalent of several overseas containers full of goods – undoubtedly a costly burden. That was about two years ago. Today, however, Fanatic seems to have regained the capacity and confidence in the market to introduce a brand new iSUP model. This development is as impressive as it is encouraging – especially given that there have been only sporadic signs of a full-scale market recovery in the SUP sector, particularly in terms of oversupply and price pressure.
Sven Richter, Head of Subsidiary at Boards & More, emphasizes to Stand Up Magazine that a complete withdrawal from the SUP segment was never planned:
“We never actually planned to get out of SUP completely. SUP has developed just like many other trend sports before it – such as inline skating or snowboarding. The peak was certainly bigger for SUP, but the progression is comparable. When a sport goes through the roof, many so-called ‘manufacturers’ or retailers jump on board – although most of them were garage companies selling cheap, poor-quality boards from the Far East. When the hype dies down, these suppliers disappear again. What remains are those who take the sport seriously and offer high-quality products.”
According to Richter, Fanatic has always focused on the sporty user and specialist retailers – and not on discount prices.
“As our target group has always been sporty users and specialist sports retailers, we don’t have a problem with the discounters and the lowest price points. The 200-euro boards were never an issue for specialist retailers anyway. We could have launched the new boards earlier, but our warehouses were still too full. Now that the situation has calmed down, it’s the right time. The feedback from retailers and the sales are very good – which of course makes us happy.”
The launch of the new Fanatic BLITZ AIR SLT is therefore more than just a new product – it is a signal. The model is available online for € 609.00, including board, pump, paddle and transport bag. Fanatic is deliberately positioning itself above the cheap segments that flooded the market during the pandemic boom and is instead focusing on quality and durability in the mid-price segment.
Boards & More, based in Molln, Austria, is the parent company of Fanatic and a heavyweight in the international water sports industry. With brands such as Duotone (windsurfing and kitesurfing), ION (clothing and accessories), SQlab (bike ergonomics) and WOO (sports tracking) and an annual turnover of around 118 million euros in over 105 countries, the company has in-depth market analyses and the necessary infrastructure for strategic decisions.
In short, Fanatic’s return to innovation could mark the beginning of a more stable, quality-oriented chapter in the SUP industry.
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