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Posted on 11. April 202411. April 2024 by Ed

SUP World Rankings Season 2024 Start

SUP Race enthusiast have been waiting for this moment: The start of the highly anticipated Stand Up Magazin Top Ten List by SWR.

We just finished the last weekend with the Spring SUP Race where some but by far not all of the known names competed in an ICF sanctioned race that held all 3 SUP disciplines: Longdistance, Tech. and Sprint. There is not much movement yet but some of the known names are on the score board and some other lesser known names too.

Next weekend we are looking at the Battle for Hercules in Spain. We are sure the field will be shuffled quite a bit as we may anticipate for the Spanish SUP Elite to show up for this race.

Men Longdistance

Just like in 2023 Donato Freens is very busy with his race schedule and his second place in Italy got him into the first place. Normen Weber who is probably easy 20 years older than Donato keeps up quite well. He finished 4th in Italy against many young guns. The name to look for here is Ray Taguchi, we have serious doubts that Rai jumped on a plane and flew back to Japan after this race. Is he spending the SUP Summer in Europe? Or was is visit in Italy at quick stop in Europe? We will know soon.

Rank	Name	Nation	Points	Races	Last Result	Change
1	Donato Freens	NED	1174.2	3	2. Spring SUP Race	↑ 3
2	Normen Weber	GER	863.56	3	4. Spring SUP Race	↑ 8
3	Rai Taguchi	JPN	863.2	2	1. Sprint SUP Race	NEW
4	Ludovic Teulade	FRA	815.24	2	6. Spring SUP Race	↑ 3
5	Bode von Allmen	USA	797.85	4	3. Dana Ocean Challenge	↓ 5
6	Thomas Dusart	FRA	758.6	4	5. Mays SUP Race 53	NEW
7	Danny Ching	USA	697.2	3	1. Dana Ocean Challenge	↓ 4
8	Joep van Bakel	NED	582.05	3	2. Winter Cup Kempen	↓ 3
9	Natapat Koman	THA	553.8	2	2. SUP Addict Champ.	↓ 3
10	Ricardo Rossi	ITA	518.4	2	5. Sprint SUP Race	NEW

Women Longdistance

The points collected at the Spring SUP Race were not enough to change the current podium for the women. But when looking at the points distribution, then it becomes clear that if it look Samantha Eastburn 4 races to get to her points and Laura Quetglas only one to get to hers, that US races don’t weigh as much as European ones. We anticipate big changes to this list after the Battle for Hercules this weekend.

Rank	Name	Nation	Points	Races	Last Result	Change
1	Samantha Eastburn	USA	406.22	4	2. Dana Ocean Challenge	→
2	Juliette DuHaime	ARG	405.75	2	1. ProSayulita SUP Open	→
3	Soryn Preston	USA	402.05	3	1. Dana Ocean Challenge	→
4	Laura Quetglas	ESP	385.5	1	1. Spring SUP Race	NEW
5	Kunthong Supatchaya	THA	316.2	2	1. SUP Addict Champ.	↓ 1
6	Vira Lemekha	UKR	310.4	2	2. Florence Paddle Games	↓ 1
7	Susak Molinero	ESP	308.4	1	2. Spring SUP Race	NEW
8	Petronella van Malsen	NED	297.5	1	1. GlaGla	↓ 3
9	Cecilia Pampinella	ITA	246.72	1	3. Spring SUP Race	NEW
10	Lia Venturelli	ITA	242.52	2	7. Spring SUP Race	NEW

Men Tech. Race

Once again Donato Freens is leading the charge with the most races, but if Rai sticks around in Europe Donato will have to work hard for his lead.

Rank	Name	Nation	Points	Races	Last Result	Change
1	Donato Freens	NED	954.02	2	3. Spring SUP Race	→
2	Rai Taguchi	JPN	616.8	1	1. Spring SUP Race	NEW
3	Filippo Mercuriali	ITA	539.7	1	2. Spring SUP Race	NEW
4	Tomasso Pampinella	ITA	416.5	1	2. GlaGla	↓ 2
5	Cameron Tripney	RSA	416.34	1	4. Srping SUP Race	NEW
6	Christian Andersen	DEN	379.6	1	1. ProSayulita SUP Open	↓ 3
7	Ricardo Rossi	ITA	370.08	1	5. Spring SUP Race	NEW
8	Leo Nika	ITA	368.9	1	3. GlaGla	↓ 4
9	Ludovic Teulade	FRA	339.24	1	6. Spring SUP Race	NEW
10	Itzel Delgado	PER	332.15	1	2. Pro Sayulita SUP Open	↓ 5

Women Tech. Race

We do not recognize many of the names in this list. We see Cecilia Pampinella paddling strong. With Paris Katniss from the US we might have a dark horse on our hands here. Paris last race was in Mexico at the ProSayulita SUP Open were she was 4th. Who know maybe we have new name to look out for from the US. Time will tell.

Rank	Name	Nation	Points	Races	Last Result	Change
1	Paris Katniss	USA	431.77	2	2. Spring SUP Race	↑ 8
2	Cecilia Pampinella	ITA	385.5	1	1. Spring SUP Race	NEW
3	Cieplinska Malgorzata	POL	297.5	1	1. GlaGla	↓ 2
4	Laura Quetglas	ESP	246.72	1	3. Spring SUP Race	NEW
5	Lemekha Vira	UKR	238	1	2. GlaGla	↓ 3
6	Duhaime Juliette	ARG	237.25	1	1 ProSayulita SUP Open	↓ 3
7	Marta Apanasewicz	POL	200.46	1	4. Spring SUP Race	NEW
8	Zusanna Tylingo	POL	190.4	1	3. GlaGla	↓ 4
9	Sofia Finer	MEX	189.8	1	2. ProSayulita SUP Open	↓ 4
10	Jessica Matos	BRA	181	1	1. Aloha Spirit Festival	NEW

Men Sprint

Besides for Filippo Mercuriali this was pretty much a season opener he already won the sprint race at the Florence Paddle Games but the points there were so low that all the other racers from that race were not able to hold on to their position after the Spring SUP Race. Since SUP Sprints seem to be the least favorite race category we don’t anticipate for this list to change anytime soon.

Rank	Name	Nation	Points	Races	Last Result	Change
1	Filippo Mercuriali	ITA	718.02	2	3. Spring SUP Race	→
2	Cameron Tripney	RSA	616.8	1	1. Spring SUP Race	NEW
3	Normen Weber	GER	539.7	1	2. Spring SUP Race	NEW
4	Sergio Cantoral	ESP	416.34	1	4. Spring SUP Race	NEW
5	Iwai Sota	JPN	370.08	1	5. Spring SUP Race	NEW
6	Rai Taguchi	JPN	339.24	1	6. Spring SUP Race	NEW
7	Doukas Phaedon	GRE	308.4	1	7. Spring SUP Race	NEW
8	Samuel Peska	CZE	277.56	1	8. Spring SUP Race	NEW
9	Antonio Morillo	ESP	246.72	1	9. Spring SUP Race	NEW
10	Linus Karlsson	SWE	215.88	1	10. Spring SUP Race	NEW

Women Sprint

This list pertty much represents the top results from the Spring SUP Race. We have three American ladies still in this race and recognize one of the OGs in the SUP Sport, Candice Appleby. Its great to see she is racing mostly in California. It sure would be great to see her sometime join some races in Europe.

Rank	Name	Nation	Points	Races	Last Result
1	Cecilia Pampinella	ITA	385.5	1	1.Spring SUP Race
2	Susak Molinero	ESP	308.4	1	2. Spring SUP Race
3	Kyriaki Logotheti	GRE	246.72	1	3. Spring SUP Race
4	Sabine Fischer	SUI	200.46	1	4. Spring SUP Race
5	Marta Apanasewicz	POL	154.2	1	5. Spring SUP Race
6	Candice Appleby	USA	131	1	1. Afterglow Series 1
7	Maria Metta	ITA	123.36	1	6. Spring SUP Race
8	Samantha Eastburn	USA	104.8	1	2. Afterglow Series 1
9	Laura Quetglas	ESP	92.52	1	7. Spring SUP Race
10	Lindsay Weidner	USA	83.84	1	3. Afterglow Series 1

Posted on 5. October 20235. October 2023 by Ed

SUP World Rankings Update after the ISA SUP Races

It is getting late in the year but the SUP Season is far from over. We concluded the first SUP World Championships in a series of three organizations who claim SUP World Titles. In the meanwhile we have been keeping track all year round of a unified system that keeps track of SUP races around the globe based on mathematics. We believe, even if its not completely flaw less, this system is by far the best the SUP Race community can get.

With that being said we don’t want to take away from the athletes accomplishments. For example Shrimpy who just made it back into the top 10 with only 4 races on to board. Shrimpy has been in and out of the top 10 since the APP race in Spain. Compare this for example with Manuel Lauble with 11 races, Shrimpy is only 424 points behind, but has 7 races less. Imagine Shrimpy showing up for a European SUP Summer. He be dominating everybody on this list. This is why we still need a unified and agreed upon SUP Tour that everybody goes so the race count of these athletes is not all over the place. The APP has been trying to do that since day one but sadly had not figured out how to gain the loyalty of the international SUP community, but that is another topic for the season finale.

Now lets celebrate the new entries and amazing performance from all the SUP athletes out there.

Men Longdistance

As mentioned all the newcomers stem from the ISA, except Manuel Lauble who racked up some local results in Germany. Normen Weber is German Champion and 1. at the Bavarian Waters SUP race that gave him the points needed to move in 2nd place. Despite Donato Freens 13th place in the ISA he will be very had to catch unless he sits out the ICF SUP Worlds and Normen makes podium, but even that wont be enough, he would have to do really good in Paris in December as well with Donato not being there.

Rank	Name	Country	Races	Points	Change
1	Donato Freens	NED	13	3872.97	→
2	Normen Weber	GER	10	2886.68	↑1
3	Christian Andersen	DEN	8	2602.25	↓1
4	Manuel Lauble	GER	11	2493.44	NEW
5	Bruno Hasulyo	HUN	7	2493.44	→
6	Michael Booth	AUS	6	2252.18	→
7	Ludovic Teulade	FRA	6	2237.45	↓3
8	Noic Garioud	FRA	4	2180.56	NEW
9	Blue Ewer	UK	7	2171.46	↑1
10	Shuri Araki	JPN	4	2069.2	NEW

Women Longdistance

The ladies competitive SUP is much better to follow than the men. The women top 4 pretty much fall in line with the ISA Worlds. Esperanza Barreras ramains the undisputed worlds number one. Despite her 2nd place at the ISA Duna remains in 4th position as she is missing out on one race. Sadly Mariecarmen Rivera did not make the cut she sure would deserve it after her great showing, but she is just not present enough to get into the top ten. For now she remains on rank 16.

Rank	Name	Country	Races	Points	Change
1	Esperanza Barreras	ESP	9	2895.8	→
2	Anna Tschirky	SUI	12	2628.64	→
3	Cecilia Pampinella	ITA	9	2206.77	→
4	Duna Gordillo	ESP	8	2018.45	→
5	Tanja Ecker	GER	7	1144.67	↑1
6	Candice Appleby	USA	6	1009.55	↓1
7	Emma Freja Pedersen	DEN	7	913.89	→
8	Claudia Postiglione	ITA	6	885.89	→
9	Iona Rivet	FRA	6	829.56	NEW
10	Petronella Van Malsen	NL	5	824.21	↓1

Men Tech. Race

We notice here that the race count in this category is way lower than in the longdistance, therefore Shrimpys 1st place has moved him right into rank two. Christian Andersen has twice as many races as Shrimpy, one more race and Shrimpy could move to the top. Lets see what happens next month in Thailand. Noic also made the list with his 2nd place in France but he has one race less than Shrimpy. We can now all look forward to the ICF Tech. Races that for sure will look a bit different than the ISA.

Rank	Name	Country	Races	Points	Change
1	Christan Andersen	DEN	8	2710.93	→
2	Shuri Araki	JPN	4	2225.65	NEW
3	Connor Baxter	USA	4	2016.8	↓2
4	Ollie Houghton	NZL	6	1786.65	↑1
5	Davide Alpino	ITA	6	1758	↓3
6	Noic Garioud	FRA	3	1599.9	NEW
7	Donato Freens	NL	6	1570.18	↓1
8	Blue Ewer	UK	6	1490.18	↑2
9	Fernando Perez	ESP	5	1467.32	↓2
10	Claudio Nika	ITA	5	1467.32	↓2

Women Tech. Race

Esperanza dethroned Cecilia Pampinella. These two been going back and forth all year long. Sadly Cecilia did not do too good in France. Her 10th place and Espes win did set them apart by many points now. Mariecarmen Rivera and Melanie Lafenetre both came into the top 10 with their podium placement at the ISA.

Rank	Name	Country	Races	Pts	Change
1	Esperanza Barreras	ESP	7	2016.73	↑1
2	Cecilia Pampinella	ITA	8	1526.13	↓1
3	Juliette Duhaime	ARG	5	1334.44	→
4	Anna Tschirky	SUI	6	1035.8	↑1
5	Caroline Kuntzel	DEN	4	970.19	↓1
6	Marie Carmen Rivera	PUR	6	881.26	NEW
7	Melanie Lafenetre	FRA	3	853.8	NEW
8	Fiona Wylde	USA	3	831.8	↓2
9	Claudia Postiglione	ITA	6	773.27	↓2
10	Duna Gordillo	ESP	3	749.3	↓3

Sprint men

If you look at the race count of the athletes you can clearly tell that we have a lack of sprint races in this world. Why race organizers shy away makes no sense to us here at the Stand Up Magazin.

Christian Andersens disappointing final miss, still gave him the push to move to the top, but by a really slim margin ahead of Claudio Nika who was third. In fact if you look from rank 2 to 4 its the ISA podium in reverse. Unfortunately the final 4th did not make top 10: Aaron Sanchez 397.98 point for that one race were not enough. This circumstance allows us to compare his score with Filippo Meruriali who also has only one race but 504 points. Filippo won the Agios race in Greece. That race must have ranked higher in the scale. We might speculate that has to do with the fact that the ISA does not pay price money and the race in Greece was an ICF World Cup with a big prize purse.

Rank	Name	Country	Races	Points	Change
1	Christan Andersen	DEN	2	800.16	↑6
2	Claudio Nika	ITA	2	773.74	NEW
3	Ollie Houghton	NZL	2	713.65	NEW
4	Noic Garioud	FRA	1	589.6	NEW
5	Andrey Kraitor	BUL	1	576	↓5
6	Itzel Delgado	PER	2	571.65	NEW
7	Ondej Petrak	CZE	3	535.04	↑1
8	Matyas Soukup	CZE	3	506.93	↓6
9	Linus Karlsson	SWE	2	506.93	↓6
10	Filippo Mercuriali	ITA	1	504	↓6

Sprint women

The women sprint rankings are a bit all over the place. We did see many sprint races in eastern Europe and with the lack of participation of the well known paddlers this list was and still is dominated by eastern European ladies. The ISA event has now created a bit of a mix. It would have been great to see Linda Syrovatkova racing in France to find out how she stands against the rest of the field.

Rank	Name	Country	Races	Pts	Change
1	Linda Syrovatkova	CZE	5	523.42	→
2	Caroline Kuntzel	DEN	2	507.4	↑1
3	Cecilia Pampinella	ITA	2	479.62	↑1
4	Iva Dundova	CZE	3	452.25	↓3
5	Marta Apanasewicz	POL	2	404.95	↓2
6	Melanie Lafenetre	FRA	1	368.5	NEW
7	Lucie Raab	CZE	5	302.1	↓2
8	Mariecarmen Rivera	PUR	1	294.8	NEW
9	Anna Tschirky	SUI	2	262.6	NEW
10	Skadi Langbein	GER	2	251.4	↓3

ISA recap

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Posted on 8. September 20238. September 2023 by Ed

Adria SUP Challenge new racing event

A new event in the SUP Alps Trophy

Photos: Uroš Kekuš Kleva

SUP enthusiasts of the NNN club (“Do something for the nature”) from Koper – Capodistria, Slovenia port town on the Adriatic coast near the Italian border, organized an Adria Sup Challenge (ASC) event, an international SUP competition on September 2nd and 3rd within the legendary SUP racing cup – SUP Alps Trophy, a competition with the longest tradition in Europe.

More than 110 participants from eight European countries and Thailand gathered in the Water Sports Center in Koper to show their sup performances on the waters of the Bay of Koper. The ASC organizing team has set interesting racing courses for the 12 km long distance race (4 laps of 3,0 km) and the 2,5km lap for technical race.

Among the participants we find well-known faces of top European sup competitors according to world rankings, winners of European sup competitions and finalists of the last ICF World Championship in Poland, Normen Weber from Germany and Hermann Huslein, Thailand.

The SUP Alps Trophy series events connects well-known tourist destinations in Austria, Germany and now also in Slovenia. This year, Adria Sup Challenge (ASC) event was accepted into the SUP Alps Trophy family as a new member. This SUP event is the only SUP Alps Trophy competition on the “sunny side of the Alps,” and the only one on the waters of Adriatic Sea. During two competition days, more than 110 sup paddlers competed in seven races on the waters of the Bay of Koper. Racing courses took place in front of the city beach filled with crowds of spectators and fans. The best elite paddlers tested their SUP skills in the longdistance race 12km, the recreational paddlers in the 3km fun race, and the kids (U12) on the 1km track.

In the men’s 12km distance race the strong international competition dictated a very sharp paddling pace from the first stroke and thus, with high temperatures and high humidity, have created difficult competition conditions for the competitors. Multiple winner of SUP competitions on Europe sup races, Normen Weber (Germany) and Hermann Huslein (Thailand), immediately took the lead and seized control of the race in their hands, who could only be followed by Vasilis Samniotis (Greece) in third place. After a fierce fight in the last turn and a long sprint to the finish, Normen Weber crossed the finish line first, ahead of Huslein and Samniotis.

In the women’s categories on 12 km long distance cours, the 16 years old Csillag Kocsis (Hungary), showed extraordinary performance, SUP skills and paddling technique and she was undoubtedly in a class of her own. An incredible performance was also shown by Naja Pinterič (Slovenia), otherwise the European junior champion in kayak, who competed for the first time at such international sup competition and for the first time in the elite category. She beat in a close finish sprint the multiple Slovenian national champion Maja Dolžan, who took the third place.

Kids Race also found a place in the ASC event. The youngest (U12) showed all their sup knowledge and skills and they easily completed the 1000m course. There is no better view than a racing course full of youthful energy, intransigence and an enviable level of sup paddling.

Also competition in the “fun category”, where a large number of recreational paddlers tested their strength on a 3km course was set up. They showed their paddling skills and combativeness and proved that even with inflatable paddleboards is possible to be fast, very fast. After crossing the finish line and returning to shore, obvious fatigue was visible among the competitors but also big smiles on their faces. They got a huge round of applause from the spectators and other ASC competitors on the shore – all became winners of the ASC fun race.

On the second day of the ASC competition, the organizers prepared a 2.5 km lap for the technical race.

In the beginning of the racing day the men racers competed in two qualification heats on the 5km technical race course (2 laps) and after the women’s final race in the final short course race of 2.5 km (1 lap) sprint technical paddling battle. The first 5 according to places from the each qualifying group went directly to the finals + 6 paddlers by time. The ladies competed only in one race – the 5km final race, as only 15 women took part in the technical race.

Within the ASC technical race, Slovenian paddlers also competed for the titles of Slovenian national champions.

In the qualifications and in the final short sprint men’s “technical race”, sharp sports fight for positions immediately took place on the competition field of the Bay of Koper. The absolute fastest in the final, after a stunning paddling performance, was once again Normen Weber (Germany), who overtook Vasilis Samniotis from Greece and Hermann Husslein (Thailand) in a sharp extended finish sprint.

Among the girls, young Csillag Kocsis (Hungary) once again demonstrated her superiority. She crossed the finish line first with a 4:25 minute advantage. Naja Pinterič Slovenian kayaking champion and the hope of the Slovenian women’s stand up paddling, took second place again. The bronze medal was won by Penny Tsaoutou (Greece) after a sharp fight with Maja Dolžan (Slovenia).

The technical race also gave us new national champions of Slovenia.

Patrik Šime Olič (Keka, Portorož) was the fastest in the men’s category, and became the new Slovenian national champion on “home waters” of the Bay of Koper. This time, he was stronger than Luka Kožar (Supklub, Ljubljana) and Tomaž Jensterle (Supklub, Ljubljana).

Naja Pintarič (ŠD Pemupi, Brežice) is by achieving 2nd place overall in the Sup Alps Trophy technical race, also became the new national champion of Slovenia in the technical discipline. Maja Dolžan (Supklub, Ljubljana) took the second place, while Natalija Fon Boštjančič (Supklub, Ljubljana) won the bronze medal.

The Adria SUP Challenge event took place at the extraordinary location of the Water Sports Center in Žusterna and on waters of Bay of Koper. Event location Water Sports Center in Žusterna is connected to historic city center of Koper by the coastal promenade, a walking path among the Mediterranean greenery and a beautiful city beach, where hundreds of swimmers and spectators gathered to watch the ASC sup races. The water sports center is equipped with all the infrastructure for water activities, which enabled the ASC organizers to hold a really nice sports event. Despite worse weather forecasts and the threat of a stronger wind, the weather was “quite kind” to the organizers and paddlers, so that despite the high temperature and humidity, the sup competitors had ideal competition conditions.

In the evening, the competitors enjoyed in hospitality of the ASC organizetional team and later explored the Mediterranean vibe of the city of Koper. The Port of Koper gives the city of Koper a touristic pulse, where Cruise ships often stop on their journey around the Mediterranean. There is also a sports marina, many pleasant bars and restaurants and historical sights of Istrian architecture.

The 1^st edition of Adria Sup Challenge event proved to be a superbly organized and competitively successful sports event, which places Slovenia and City of Koper on the international SUP map. Thus, the city of Koper, as a tourist and sports destination, is more and more decisively positioned alongside internationally recognized tourist destinations.

The gathered SUP Alps Trophy family and the guests of the ASC event, gave the organizers ASC TEAM a long round of applause for all their diligence, professionalism, efforts and hospitality, and they made a promise the organizers that they would definitely return to Koper for the 2nd edition of ASC sup event next year.

Posted on 9. February 20239. February 2023 by Ed

ICF announces date for Stand Up Paddling World Championships

The 2023 International Canoe Federation Stand Up Paddling World Championships will be held in Pattaya, Thailand, from November 15-19.

The ICF confirmed the Thai beach destination will host the season-ending event over five days of festivities both on and off the water. The ICF will soon announce details of a series of events especially designed for recreational and amateur paddlers, which will run alongside the elite competitions for the world’s best athletes.

The ICF is set to confirm an exciting year of SUP events, with up to six events leading into the world championships and a world cup in Sarasota, Florida, the venue for the 2024 and 2026 ICF world titles.

Several of the events will offer qualification pathways for the ICF World Championships, although competitors will also be able to qualify in Pattaya. The ICF will also once again team up with the popular North American Carolina Cup event.

“We are thrilled this year to provide even more opportunities for the planet’s best stand up paddleboarders to compete in world-class events,” ICF SUP committee chair, Noemi Horvath, said.

“We are taking the sport to exciting venues on three continents, which will provide great opportunities for paddlers from all corners of the globe. And our world championships this year will be a real festival of SUP, providing events for paddlers of all levels, and a feist of activities both on and off the water.

As always our focus will be on growing the sport. Our development programs have been very successful and will once again be an important part of this year’s calendar. And we will continue to look at ways to make SUP more accessible for athletes around the world.”

The full ICF SUP calendar is set to be released later this month, and will include nomination details and any assistance the ICF will be able to offer participants.

Posted on 6. January 20236. January 2023 by Ed

boot Preview F2 at the Beachworld

Also this year F2 will be present at boot 2023. The German-based company is internationally active and presents its novelties there. At the booth you can find a wide range of SUP boards, kite, wing, sails, windsurf boards and accessories. This time the focus is on the newly optimized e-fin. In addition, a test at the pool with the current E-SRFR will take place on site.

Booth F2 Fun&Function GmbH, Hall 17, 17C05, 17C11 & 17D61

The F2 E-Fin

What the pedelec does for the e-bike, the F2 does for its new e-fin. The special thing about it is that it recognizes when you start paddling. Every paddle stroke into the water is supported with a decent power boost. Of course, the F2 E-fin also has a manual mode in which the power can be regulated continuously in continuous operation. The regulator unit is designed in such a way that it can be optimally attached to the paddle while surfing and cruising or simply held in the hand. The F2 E-fin comes with a US box and slotbox adapter and can therefore be easily mounted on all types of equipment. Not only SUPs, but also surfboards, kayaks and small inflatable boats can be equipped with it, offering a faster and more power-saving ride. The F2 E-fin has an all-in design, which means no external battery or even cables, just fin and radio controller.

E-SRFS:

We love surfing! Of course we don’t want to say goodbye to the classic surf style but our brand new F2 E-Surfer is just too tempting for us not to chase it through the North Sea. Equipped with a whopping 4.5 kW and a runtime of up to 60 minutes, our motor comes from German craftsmanship and was made with a lot of care and love for the sport.
Air into the board – start the engine – let’s go!

New Collection in our Ladyline

F2 „Tropical“

The new F2 Tropical expands from 2023, next to the “Happiness” Line our Ladylines. The F2 Tropical SUP forms the basis as a solid all-round SUP with optimal
optimal performance for the ambitious beginner to the experienced SUP rider.
The Tropical Line offers here the possibility to complete his outfit with the matching accessories such as paddle or wetsuit from the Tropical Line.

Board: 10,0‘
Length: 305 cm
Width: 80 cm
Thickness: 15 cm
Finns: 2 fix Softfinns
1 entfernbare US-Box Center Finne

Board: 10,5‘
Length: 320 cm
Width: 80 cm
Thickness: 15 cm
Finns: 2 fix Softfinns
1 removable US-Box Center Finne

Fresh Wind with the Strato + Roundsail Packet

The latest addition to our sails is the “Roundsail”, which can be perfectly combined with SUPs like the Strato. It is optimal to use the wind for you while sailing.

SUP Riding with our Glide SUP & Allround Wing Combi

The F2 GLIDE ALLROUND WING offers completely new experiences and yet is an easy entry into already familiar (SUP) terrain. Lightweight, equipped with vision windows, intuitive to use and thanks to the three sizes it can be used for any weight and skill level. In addition, it can also be used in minimal wind, which makes the new F2 GLIDE ALLROUND the perfect family companion and should not be missing in any SUP equipment. Both optically and technically, our new GLIDE SUP fits perfectly with our new WINGS. In addition, the GLIDE SUP and all other models of this series are equipped with a windsurfing option, so that both “old windsurfers” and youngsters get their money’s worth and the Stand Up Paddle repertoire can be expanded.

Posted on 7. June 20227. June 2022 by Ed

SUP Alps Trophy Insider Story

Its been a while we heard a story of some paddlers taking the wrong turn. In this case our paddler(s) managed to paddle 200m in the wrong direction and still end up on podium.

Thank you Gerd Weisener for this Insider Story:

Gerd-Weisner-SUP-Racer — Gerd is passionate SUP Racer, founder of the brand light corp and head of the SUP Alps Trophy. (This man is busy.) Foto ©ICF

SUPRACE LOVERS – INSIGHTS OF THE LONGDISTANCE PRO – 2. TOURSTOP SUP ALPS TROPHY – LEGEND OF OX

The first SUP Alps Trophy tour stop, THE LAKE ROCKS at the beautiful location in Kärnten, Faaker See, has been a great success and many new faces from Slovenia, Hungary as well as some friends from Italy competed against the Austrian and German SUP racers.

The 2nd tour stop was hosted at lake Wolfgang in the beautiful town St. Gilgen and is as well a real SUP FESTIVAL – LEGEND OF OX – an iconic event. Besides many elite paddlers from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia we have been happy to see a huge participation from Czech Republic and Poland including some of their top youngsters and legends as well as international elite paddlers like Andrey Kraytor starting for Bulgaria, paddling against Ole Schwarz and Normen Weber.

Allow me tell you some insights of what happen from my perspective in the men’s pro longdistance race:

The SUP Alps Trophy Top Ten 2022 will be a hard catch. The number of participants and quality of paddlers is getting better and better each year. This race series will be the breeding ground for future top athletes in our territory as well as the largest gathering of SUP racing enthusiasts.

At the start line we saw former Olympians in canoe sports, hungry youngsters, national champions and proven masters that have won medals in the last ICF World Championships.

The race course has been like a large tech race with many buoys. Each round was around 3,4 km in a total of 3 rounds. Start line to the first buoy has been 550m and as expected the top paddlers as Ole Schwarz, Normen Weber and Andrej Kraytor have been at the forefront with a new face that did impress quite a lot, Manuel Lauble.

Austrian champ Christian Taucher followed with Bransislav Sramek and Hermann Husslein not far behind. In the next pack there have been many paddlers including me and it has been a big mix of new and old faces. After the 4th buoy, rock´n roll started and the 2 leading paddlers Andrey and Ole took the wrong direction forgetting about one buoy and had to take 200m extra not to get disqualified. Normen Weber and Manuel Lauble did not make that mistake.

In the field behind it has been a new and occasionally happy circumstance to find a lucky draft from Ole and Andrey to split with their usual competitors.

My favorite new paddler in this longdistance was Manuel Lauble. He was improving most this year as did my friend and dark horse Hermann Husslein who had a fall in front of me at the first buoy and did paddle hard to finish with a strong 6th place. The podium has been earned by a clever Normen Weber, a heavily improved Manuel and a superfast Ole in 3rd.

Funny story behind Oles’ wrong turn: At night we have had dinner with Ole, Normen, Hermann and Olaf Schwarz (father) and I asked: “Ole, why didn´t you hear your father scream when you turned the wrong direction?“ Simple answer, he was paddling with earbuds, paddling with the beat. No complain it works, he is fast but 3rd.

Cheers

Gerd

P.S Excited to hear your impressions about your race – doesn´t matter fighting for top ten or top 30… and what happened in the elite women’s field ?

SUP Alps Trophy LEGEND OF OX Longdistance

SUP Alps Trophy Ranking 2022 after the 2nd Tourstop

Next Tourstop SUPALOT 18.-19.06.2022

Posted on 30. March 202230. March 2022 by Ed

Armie Armstrong: SUP Athlete turned foil entrepreneur

(From the print issue #20 summer 2021)

I’m not even sure where to start with Armie Armstrong. We’ve known each other for a relatively long time. Armie came to Maui often during the summer months when SUP was just about the hottest new trend. We first met when we were paddling the Maui2Molokai SUP race. We were on our way back from Molokai to Maui after my first M2M race eight years ago. I even had Armie on the cover that year. That was the 6th issue in the fall of 2014, that memorable SUP race where cover was shot would give us enough content for a story on its own. This was a time long before wings and foils. It was a time when the world revolved around downwind racing in Hawaii and big events like the Battle of the Paddle.

Armie and I met time and time again at different events. It was typical Armie when he wanted to compete with his foilboard at Molokai2Oahu in 2017. However, he was banned from doing so. The race officials were skeptical. I only know few people who bring more enthusiasm to something than Armie. The year after, however, the organizers could no longer ignore the trend and SUP foiling was allowed at M2O. Armie was there, of course, but didn’t finish very well. But that didn’t matter, because at that time it was mainly about the pioneering performance.

Armie was back on Maui in summer so we spent a day together. That’s when the idea was born to do an interview and introduce Armie a bit closer. For those who do not know his story we have an interview where we get to meet Armie and learn more about his amazing product.

Armie is always ready for action. Left: wing skate on Maui. Right: SUP Brand in 2015, too late for SUP and too early for foil.

Aloha, Armie! Really great to see you again. It’s been a while since we last saw each other. I think it was at the 2019 Gorge Paddle Challenge when you were exhibiting your foils. One memory however that has stuck with me in particular, though, is when you tried to cross the Ka’iwi Channel with a foil back at M2O 2017, but race officials prohibited it. As I recall, that was a prototype that looked like it was made in a garage. A lot has happened since then. Tell us the story.

Yes, that was one of my first foils. It was a “high aspect” foil and I wasn’t really good enough to control it. Nowadays this foil would probably win races, but back then it was too fast and too maneuverable for my skills.

How did you end up with a foil like that and after all your brand?

Answer on next page.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

Posted on 17. March 202217. March 2022 by Ed

Aloha Spirit Festival APP World Tour Qualification

Aloha Spirit Festival Kicks off the APP World Tour Qualification Series as Four Athletes join the 2022 Athlete Roster

lhabela, Brazil, Tuesday 15th March: Last weekend marked the first qualification event for the 2022 APP World Tour which awarded the top two men and women at the Aloha Spirit Festival a sought-after spot on the World Racing Tour.
Who would get these four coveted spots would be decided over two races: a 10km distance race and a short-form technical race on the beach, determining who has what it takes to compete against the best in the world on Tour.
After a weekend of highly competitive racing after two years of a dormant SUP scene in Brazil due to Covid-19, experienced APP athlete, David Leão, was first to secure the men’s spot with a 1st place across both disciplines. Joining him on the podium and eventually on Tour, was 3 X Brazilian Champion, Arthur Santacreu, who put on an excellent performance over the weekend.
On the women’s side, Pan-American SUP champion, Lena Guimarães, occupied the top spot across both events securing her a deserved spot on Tour. Roseli Novloski stood alongside her, who placed second in both the distance and technical races.
David, Arthur, Lena and Roseli all occupied the top two spots on the podium across both disciplines, making them irrefutably worthy of the spots on the Tour, whilst reinforcing that there is some incredible talent coming out of Brazil.
The APP World Tour are incredibly excited to both welcome back David Leão and initiate the newcomers on tour and where better to do it than the first event of the year in Santa Monica, California where the campaign for the 2022 World Title will begin.

Vendée Gliss is Announced as the Official European Qualifier for the 2022 APP World Tour, taking place from the 14th – 15th May

Following on from the success of the first APP Regional Qualifier in South America, Europe will be the next step in the qualification process for aspiring APP Athletes, with the well respected and celebrated Vendée Gliss event being established as the Official European Qualifier for the 2022 APP World Tour Season.

Taking place from the 14th-15th May in St Jean de Monts in the beautiful ‘Vendée’ region of France, the Vendée Gliss has long been one of the go to races in Europe given the calibre of the conditions, athletes attending and local organization. This year will be no different, and as such will once again provide the perfect proving grounds for European qualification for the Tour.

As was the case in Brazil, the Top 2 Men and Top 2 Women overall across downwind / distance and technical races, and, that are not already qualified for the Tour, will earn their places for the 2022 Season to battle it out with the best of the best on the APP World Tour.

We look forward to the energy generated at the South American Qualifier transferring over to Europe as we continue to build up to the dramatic return of the APP World Tour this summer for what will be an incredible season of action ahead.

Posted on 10. March 202210. March 2022 by Ed

ICF to partner with the Carolina Cup

This is an interesting piece of news we just discovered in the feed this morning: The ICF is partnering with the Carolina Cup… I instantly had some thought going trough my mind. Didn’t the Carolina Cup partner up with the APP just a few month ago? Wasn’t the C.C. traditionally a qualifier for the APP? (Could not find anything on the APP website right now about this.)

Partnering up with races is a common business model for organizations to sanction races. The EURO TOUR for example runs entirely on this model and the APP has partnered with numerous organizers in the past and present. We see this in Germany where local races are under the umbrella of the National Canoe Federation, or in Switzerland where the Surfing Association has partnered up with the Canoe Federation creating SUP Suisse. The only organization that has not done that, and they are kicking themselves probably for not doing this is the ISA.

Now the ICF is stepping in starting to sanction races across Europe namely the ICE Race in Switzerland and now the big coup is the Carolina Cup coming in April, as well as an event in Salzburg and Budapest.

I was going to write a whole lot more but then had to decide to rather speak it into a camera:

This is the PR that just crossed the wire:

The International Canoe Federation is excited to announce it has teamed up with one of the biggest stand up paddle events on the planet as part of an incredibly busy 2022 SUP season.

The Carolina Cup on USA’s east coast attracts hundreds of paddlers every year, and this year will also double as an ICF ranking race for both technical and long distance courses as part of the ICF world series.

Under the memorandum of understanding, athletes competing in the Carolina Cup will have a chance to pre-qualify for the main draw of this year’s ICF world championships in Gdynia, Poland, avoiding the pre-event preliminary qualifications.

Carolina Cup race director Mark Schmidt said teaming up with the ICF was the perfect fit.

With the International Canoe Federation’s long established base in paddle sports, we look forward to being the first stop on the ICF point series that qualifies for their championships,” Schmidt said.

The Carolina Cup from April 30 – May 1 will kick off the ICF’s 2022 world ranking series. Athletes will then head to Thun, Switzerland, for the opening ICF world cup, followed by events in Prague, Salzburg and Budapest.

ICF SUP co-ordinator, Hoichan Kwon, said he was proud to have the Carolina Cup as part of the ICF SUP calendar.

We have an exciting event calendar lined up for this season, and now the Carolina Cup will take it to another level,” Kwon said.
Since 2015 the Carolina Cup has rightly been considered as one of the world’s premiere SUP events. It will attract many of the world’s best paddlers, so we re thrilled to be giving these athletes an opportunity to book their tickets to our world championships.”

The SUP world cup planned for Moscow has been cancelled, but Kwon is confident a replacement location will be announced soon.

Board rental and transport services will be available at all European events.

Posted on 30. November 202130. November 2021 by Ed

ICF World Cup and World Championships

The International Canoe Federation has reinforced its reputation as the major event organiser for stand up paddling with confirmation it will host three World Cup races in addition to its world championships in 2022.

The ICF provided the only world-class competition for SUP athletes in 2020 and 2021, including the record-breaking world championships in Balatonfured, Hungary, earlier this year. Athletes voted with their feet and are already preparing for next year’s ICF world titles in Gdynia, Poland.

The world cups will be held in Thun, Switzerland, in early May, in Budapest, Hungary, in mid-June, and at a soon-to-be-announced third destination in August. The second world cup in Hungary will be organised by the same team who hosted this year’s successful world titles.

The overall winners of each world cup will gain automatic qualification for the September world championships, including full travel, accommodation and entry fees.

The ICF has also announced that due to the anticipated high number of entries for the world titles in Poland, a series of world ranking events will help ease the qualification path.

The ICF is in discussion with potential hosts in Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Ukraine and Turkey. Athletes will earn world ranking points at these events, which will help determine the start list at the world championships.

The world championships will remain open to all competitors, but world ranking points will allow top athletes to progress straight to the main draw.

Newly elected ICF President, Thomas Konietzko, said the ICF will continue to work to provide opportunities for the world’s best SUP athletes to compete.

“Already we have shown our commitment to the continued growth of stand up paddling, and these announcements today further builds on our strong relationship with the SUP community,” Konietzko said.
“As the only organiser of world-class competition in the past two years we have further cemented our partnership with SUP athletes, and it is important we continue to provide competition opportunities.
“Our role is much more than just the organiser of a once-a-year world championships. This sport is practiced around the globe for 12 months of the year, and by providing more world-class events we are opening the door for more opportunities for athletes to compete at the highest level.”

The ICF will offer board transport and rental services to all the events to make logistics easier for athletes, allowing access to top-of-the-line hard racing boards.

The International Canoe Federation is also excited to announce it will officially sanction the 2022 SUP 11 City Tour, one of the most gruelling but most popular annual stand up paddle races.

“We are thrilled the organisers of the 11 City Tour have decided to partner with us next year, and are confident this will be the start of a long and fruitful relationship,” ICF SUP co-ordinator, Hoichan Kwon, said.
“In the longer term we are looking at the possibility of hosting a SUP ultra-marathon world championships, and the 11 City Tour is a fantastic platform for a race like this.”

Full details of the ICF SUP world cup races and world ranking events will be revealed soon.

Posted on 22. October 202122. October 2021 by Ed

New Starboard SUP Suits

Six new Starboard SUP Suits with high wearing comfort

The water sport stand-up paddling is also gaining in importance as an all-season sport with the right clothing. With functional techwear from Starboard, breathable, elastic and absolutely waterproof thanks to 3-layer material made in Croatia, all paddlers can now also use the golden autumn days for tours on the water and significantly extend the season. The comfort of the specially designed Starboard SUP Suits is noticeably higher than neoprene. The fit and extra features support the paddling movement. Depending on the air temperature, additional warming layers can be worn under the dry suit, comparable to ski touring clothing. Latex cuffs, taped seams and high quality zippers close 100% tight.

Due to the great success of the SUP Suits Allstar developed by Starboard Germany, three additional models are now being launched. The addition of the Blend, Sprint and HD series suits brings the Starboard portfolio to six models, covering the full range from suits for the occasional recreational paddler to suits for professional paddlers who train year-round for races and long tours. Product videos in German illustrate each feature. The new website also features helpful info such as sizing charts and a directory of retailers: www.starboard-techwear.com/

Starboard Sprint

The top model with hood and face mask for extremely cold days or bad weather.

Ultra Flex Clima Core outer fabric: Breathable, stretch, waterproof with a 20,000 mm water column.
Comfortable and waterproof collar construction.
Waterproof pocket on the thigh.
Two inside pockets (one waterproof and one open for DeepL access).
Created in 3 colors, in three color options for women.

Starboard Allstar

The bestseller of recent years, now with revised collar construction, even more waterproof.
Ultra Flex Clima Core outer fabric: breathable, stretch, waterproof with a 20,000 mm water column.
Body-hugging cut, stretch panel on the back for paddling movement.
NEW: waterproof inner pocket and an additional open pocket with DeepL access. Created in 2 colors, available in three color options for men and women, in 10 fits each.

Starboard Blend

NEU: Das Einstiegsmodell in die Starboard Techwear.

Produced in the same high quality material as Sprint and Allstar: Ultra Flex Clima Core outer material. Breathable, stretch, waterproof with a 20,000 mm water column.
One-piece back panel, allowing the chest, waist and hip area to be cut approximately one size larger.
Robust neoprene cuffs on the arm, making it suitable for SUP stations. Latex cuffs on the feet, thereby downward 100% waterproof.
Waterproof inner pocket and additional open pocket with DeepL access. Single color laid out, two color options available for men and women in 10 fits each.

Starboard HD Pro

HD stands for heavy duty, so a high functionality even with heavy use. With Cordura reinforcement on the seat and knee area for demanding use such as in white water or also for canoe paddlers and other water sports enthusiasts. Here instead of membrane a waterproof film.
Ultra Flex Clima Core outer material: breathable, stretch, waterproof with a 20,000 mm water column.
The new Starboard HD Pro is equipped with a latex cuff on the legs, arms and neck, guaranteeing 100% waterproofness. Waterproof inner pocket. Five uni fits.

Starboard HD Allstar

The best of both worlds: As tough as the HD Pro with Cordura reinforcements on the seat and knees. As comfortable as the Allstar at the neck with its intricate neoprene collar construction and waterproof front zipper.
Ultra Flex Clima Core outer fabric: breathable, stretch, waterproof with a 20,000 mm water column.
Waterproof inner pocket and additional open pocket with DeepL access. Five uni fits.

Starboard HD Element

Double layer concept with stylish jacket. The waterproofness allows – depending on the temperature – to work with base and mid layer (onion principle).
Ultra Flex Clima Core outer material: breathable, stretch, waterproof with a 20,000 mm water column.
Fitted with a latex cuff on the legs, arms and neck, guaranteeing 100% waterproofness.
With Cordura reinforcement on the seat and knees for demanding use.
Also suitable for other water sports like kiting and windsurfing.
Waterproof pocket on the thigh.
Five plain fits in one color combination.

Posted on 25. February 202125. February 2021 by Ed

Virtual World Stand Up Paddling Challenge

We had brought up the topic of Virtual SUP Races again and again. It started with the idea of the M2O organizers last year. The M2O became a huge success as a virtual race and after that other SUP races followed suit with a virtual version.

The idea of a permanent, worldwide virtual SUP race series began to take root in some people’s minds. Even the APP Tour did a virtual “Speed Challenge” via Instagram and crowned the SUP Surf World Champion via Instagram videos. So why not expand it a bit and give the SUP world a platform where you can compete against each other in a serious way.

Just such an idea has now been presented to us by Austrian SUP pioneer Mario Lach:

ARE YOU READY FOR THE VIRTUAL WORLD STAND UP PADDLING CHALLENGE 2021 ?

Grab a SUP board and take part in one of the Virtual World Stand Up Paddling Challenges – No matter WHEN & WHERE – Paddle on the given distances to compete virtually against your SUP friends or improve your personal best time, training times. Directly after paddling your result will be visible in the viRACE app with ranking.

ABOUT VIRACE

viRACE is an app that for the first time allows paddlers to participate in a “virtual” event. It can be used as a compensation offer after cancellation of an event, as a training tool or simply for fun by all paddlers – live updates regarding the intermediate results of the other participants and the marked favorites are given directly to the ears via the headphones. There are also route-specific announcements for additional motivation during the challenge.

Timing, registration and tracking is handled directly via the app. In addition, there is the possibility of a GPX upload via the website https://virace.app

How does it work?

To participate in the SUP Challenge:

1. Get your self a Raceticket
2. Download the viRACE App for Android & iOS on your smartphone
3. Log in to the viRace app with your account – you create your login when you buy your race ticket
4. Pick your challenge and let’s start the race!

TIP: Take your smartphone & headphones with you on the water for your live updates – so you are always acoustically informed about your split times, as well as rankings of your friends – in addition, there are even more features!

Included in your sign up fee:

Access to the viRACE app with ranking & time measurement
Start number (printable)
Certificate (printable)

SAFETY & FAIRNESS
We are for safety & fairness in sports – every participant has to make sure that his health and physical constitution meets the requirements to participate in the respective virtual competitions. Virtual competitions are held according to the respective federations in the countries or the ISA & APP rules!)

More info| Mario Lach | info@supcenter-wien.at | Tel. +43 699 183 292 33

Posted on 19. August 202619. August 2026 by Ed

Casper Steinfath Departs Naish

Casper Steinfath has announced the end of his 17-year relationship with Naish, closing one of the longest and most recognizable athlete-brand partnerships in stand-up paddling. The six-time ISA World Champion was more than a Naish team rider: he became one of the defining athletes of SUP’s formative years and helped carry the sport from Hawaii to Europe and beyond.

From Denmark to Hawaii: Casper Steinfath’s Early SUP Years

Casper Steinfath became an icon of stand-up paddling during the early days of competitive SUP. As a protégé of Robby Naish, the young Dane arrived in Hawaii at a time when the modern SUP racing scene was just beginning to take shape.

Steinfath was part of a generation of European SUP pioneers who regularly migrated to Hawaii to train, race and measure themselves against the athletes at the center of the rapidly growing sport.

At the time, Naish was heavily invested in stand-up paddling. Robby Naish himself had been among the early Maui watermen exploring SUP and downwind paddling alongside names such as Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama and the late Loch Eggers.

Turtle Bay 2012 – Casper Steinfath and his iconic Boardshorts | 📸 @standupmagazin

For Naish, a company with decades of experience in windsurfing and board development, SUP was a natural progression. The brand quickly became one of the major forces in the emerging industry.

It was in this environment that Steinfath was able to showcase his talent and ambitions alongside athletes such as Kai Lenny, another longtime Naish team rider and Robby Naish protégé.

The Stand Up World Series and the Golden Era of SUP Racing

Around 2011 and 2012, competitive stand-up paddling entered an exciting new phase. The Stand Up World Series brought international athletes together and helped turn SUP racing into a truly global sport.

VIKING ON TOUR

Caspers Vikinghat became iconic. This was a Stand Up World Series SUP Race in Abu Dhabi during the big days of the international SUP Series that sadly has disappeared within the last few years.

Casper and Naish were in the middle of it. The boards in the picture were designed for a Naish One Design World Tour called N1SCO, and idea attempted by Naish and BIC but never took off.

Hawaii remained at the center of that movement.

During the summer months, athletes from around the world came to Maui to experience the famous Maliko Run and compete against the sport’s best paddlers. Later in the year, many returned to Hawaii for the Stand Up World Series Finals at Turtle Bay on Oahu.

Casper Steinfath with Naish teammate Kody Kerbox and Connor Baxter at the Stand Up World Series (SUWS) at Turtle Bay 14 years ago. At the time, Naish had one of the strongest teams of young athletes in SUP. Connor Baxter, in the back, may remain now as one of the longest SUP Team Riders in the industry with Starboard.

📸 @standupmagazin

These were formative years for modern SUP racing, and both Casper Steinfath and Naish were at the forefront.

At the same time, Europe was experiencing its own SUP boom. Races appeared across the continent, participation grew rapidly and Steinfath traveled extensively, promoting both the sport and Naish SUP equipment. He was “The Viking on Tour.”

Over the years, Casper Steinfath and Naish became almost synonymous with one another.

World Titles, Expeditions and an Early Move Into Foiling

Pionoeer Work in Foling: Kattegat Crossing in in 2021 | 📸 via Casper Steinfath

Steinfath’s career continued to develop far beyond those first races in Hawaii.

He became one of Europe’s most successful SUP athletes, collecting multiple ISA World Championship titles and establishing himself as one of the most recognizable personalities in international stand-up paddling.

His ambitions also extended beyond traditional competition.

Steinfath completed ultra-long-distance SUP expeditions in the waters surrounding Denmark and increasingly began experimenting with foiling as the technology emerged.

While still riding for Naish, he became one of the early athletes to explore SUP foiling and downwind foil possibilities. One of his standout projects was a crossing from Denmark to Sweden on a SUP foil — years before downwind SUP foiling developed into the rapidly growing discipline we know today.

The project was typical of Steinfath’s career: Part adventure and Part exploration of what was possible with new watersports equipment.

One of our early interviews with Casper 11 years ago. Back then he was often a guest at Kai Lennys house and we conducted an interview on the organization of the sport.

Casper was always very involved in the organization of the SUP Sport to the point where the ISA made him a vice president in the efforts to unify the sport.

His statements are a testimony to the decade long effort to get SUP include SUP in the Olympics.

Casper Steinfath Leaves Naish After 17 Years

Now, after 17 years together, the Casper Steinfath–Naish relationship has come to an end.

The change comes several years after Robby Naish sold the company to European distributor Kubus Sports. Steinfath nevertheless remained with the brand, making him one of the longest-serving team riders associated with a major watersports company.

On August 19, Steinfath announced his departure on social media, describing Naish as much more than simply a sponsor.

“All good things eventually come to an end, and today I’m saying a heartfelt goodbye to Naish.”

Steinfath emphasized how deeply the brand had become connected to his life and career:

“Looking back over the last 17 years, Naish was always so much more than just a sponsor or the boards under my feet – it was family and became a big part of my identity!”

“Thank you for being a true mentor from day one. Your guidance and belief in me helped shape not just the athlete I became, but the person I am today.”

“Thank you Naish for standing by my side through all the highs, the lows, and everything in between. It has been one hell of a ride, and I am forever grateful for every single moment.”

What’s Next for Casper Steinfath?

What comes next for Casper Steinfath remains unclear.

He has not been a regular competitor on the international SUP racing circuit for some time and has not made the transition into the rapidly developing competitive scenes around SUP downwind foiling, parawinging or wingfoil racing.

But that doesn’t mean Steinfath has disappeared from the watersports world.

The Danish waterman remains a Red Bull athlete and continues to inspire the community through his projects and adventures. Away from the water, Steinfath is now a father of two and is also an active pilot.

Whether his departure from Naish signals a new equipment sponsor, a different direction in watersports or simply the next chapter of his life remains to be seen.

The End of an Important Chapter in SUP History

The announcement is significant beyond a simple sponsorship change.

Casper Steinfath and Naish were closely connected during an important period in the development of stand-up paddling. Their partnership stretches back to a time when international SUP racing was finding its identity, European athletes were traveling to Hawaii to learn from the sport’s pioneers, and races such as the Stand Up World Series were helping create the first truly international generation of professional SUP athletes.

Steinfath went from being a young European talent arriving in Hawaii to becoming a multiple World Champion and one of the most recognizable ambassadors for the sport.

Naish, meanwhile, continues to develop equipment across several watersports categories, although the brand that once played such a prominent role in SUP racing has largely disappeared from the competitive SUP scene in recent years.

After 17 years, the partnership between Casper Steinfath and Naish may be over, but its place in the history of stand-up paddling is firmly established.

The Stand Up Magazin has been there since the beginning. We saw the ups and downs of the sport and as of 2026 we depend on our readers support.

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Posted on 21. December 202421. December 2024 by Ed

Connor Baxter joins Maui Fire Department

Many have been wondering why Connor Baxter was not at the ICF SUP World Championships in Sarasota. After all he was the defending champion in Sprint and many of us would have loved to see him going head to head with Andri Kraitor. While the word was already out in the street, now it is official: Connor Baxter just graduated from the Maui Fire Academy. Zane Schweitzer one of his best friends and long time Starboard Team Colleague was there and was super stoked on his friends accomplishment:

A world-class athlete and true warrior, Connor holds the title of the world’s fastest paddler and multiple world championship titles. And now, he’s stepping up as a champion for our community.

We at the Stand Up Magazin congratulate Connor Baxter to his accomplishments in the sport and to his new chapter in live. Despite Connor having a fulltime job now, we are sure he will remain a figure in the Sport and active in the water. He is part of a recently installed council for the SUP Sport by the ISA and we seen him continuing creating content for Starboard.

We remember a young Connor in the early days of SUP the Battle of the Paddle:

Stand Up World Series (APP) Finale 2012

Posted on 27. November 202027. November 2020 by Ed

A decade with Connor Baxter

No one has dominated the SUP sport like Connor Baxter. He was a teenager at the very beginning of the sport, back when SUP was practically all downwind racing and surfing. Connor was born into the Maui windsurfing scene just like Zane Schweitzer and Kai Lenny. The three of them practically grew up together hand in hand. Just like Annabel Anderson, Connor was declared SUP athlete of the decade by SUPracer. How has Connor experienced the last ten years? What memories have remained and what lessons has he learned? I asked Connor if he would like to write something for the Stand Up Magazin and since we all have to stay more or less at home, he spontaneously said “yes” and wrote down how he experienced the last decade of SUP.

Connors memories

The past ten years have been a whirlwind! If someone had told me at the age of fourteen that in ten years I would win multiple world titles, travel the world, meet so many amazing people, marry the love of my life and become a father – I would have laughed! I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime in such a short period of time…all because I fell in love with the ocean when I was young.

Growing up on Maui was one of the biggest reasons I ended up competing at the level I’m at today. Maui’s ocean conditions are constantly changing and because of this an incredible group of athletes live here. I was fortunate enough to have guys like Laird Hamliton, Dave Kalama, Robby Naish, and others as role models to look up to. I’m also extremely fortunate to have very talented friends and competitors like Zane Schweizter and Kai Lenny. We were always pushing each other and trying to one up each other everyday, which has made us into the athletes we are today. Zane is honestly the most humble, positive, and craziest kid I know! Our parents competed at the same events back in the day for windsurfing, and when we met, we instantly became best friends! We even share the same birthday, making us practically brothers! When we were just eleven and twelve years old, Zane and I were traveling the world for windsurfing, mainly to Japan, Europe and all across the USA. We had so many good times winning events, surfing river waves in the middle of cities, paddling alongside icebergs in Patagonia, and surfing man-made waves in the desert in Abu Dhabi. Along with the good times of course came some not so great times. Once we actually got stuck in Puerto Rico’s airport because of a storm. We were unaccompanied minors and Zane and I tried to break out of the room where we were being held. A few days later the storm finally passed and Zane and I were able to fly to Bonaire to compete in the windsurfing event. To this day Zane and I continue to travel, compete, and train together. It’s been a life long friendship that I am extremely grateful for.

When I first started paddling, I was mainly just going downwind chasing guys like Dave Kalama, Mark Raaphorst, Ekolu Kalama, and Livio Menelau. I was that kid chasing the older guys every day and learning from the best.

Watching and chasing them got me where I am today. My real addiction to paddling started when I was fourteen and got a taste of a victory at the Maui-to-Molokai event back in 2009. Winning this race showed me what I was truly capable of and gave me a new hunger to start taking on this new water sport. From there it was all a blur…event after event, trip after trip, and of course lots of losses and victories along the way.

left to right: Dave Kalama – Livio Menelau – Mark Raaphorst – Ekolu Kalama – Connor Baxter (Photo: Karen Baxter)

After that iconic shot of me on the podium with Ekulo and Dave beside me, things really started to take off! Events started to pop up around the world, and that’s when life on the road and competing almost every weekend began. The first big event I traveled for outside of Hawaii, was the infamous BOP in Southern California in 2009. This was a huge turning point for our sport and started a new style of racing which is actually my favorite – surf racing! That second annual BOP at Dana Point was the most exciting and entertaining event I’ve ever been to. The surf was pumping and we had a six mile course in and out of the surf with a beach run to finish off each lap. The beaches were packed with spectators and competitors, and every major SUP brand had a tent. That year I got absolutely smoked and ended up finishing 19th, but that only added fuel to my fire. Later that year in July, I crossed the Kiwi Channel for the first time and set a new record as the youngest stand up paddler to cross the channel. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but with the support of my family I was able to do it in six hours and fifty-six minutes and finished in 89th place. That year was a year of learning and defeat. It was also the year of the birth of a future champion. After being in the atmosphere of competing on such big stages with hundreds of paddlers from around the world, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

At the first 11 City Tour ever, Zane and I went to see what it was all about, as well as to test our physical/mental strength. To be honest, all I remember from that event were the hot meals after paddling five hours every day, the free massages, and that crazy Dutch guy (Bart De Zwart). I went into that event thinking I was going to win it and quickly learned I had a lot more work to do. Going home after that event, I started to paddle with Bart more on flatter days at Kahului Harbor, instead of just going on downwinders. Bart had me meet him every morning at the harbor to do laps in the flat water. I remember getting dropped off by my mom, training for an hour or more, and then jumping on the Maui bus to go home and do some online homework. Paddling with Bart De Zwart was one of the biggest turning points in my career and a huge factor in some of my successes early on. Also just to make it clean once and for all…I learned the infamous “choke stroke” from Bart! On some of those crazy windy Maui mornings, I saw Bart choking down on his paddle to lower his wind resistance. Back then the recommended paddle height was a double shaka over your head. I was using longer paddles when I was fourteen then I am today at twenty-five. The choke stroke always felt natural to me and has won me some of my biggest victories.

SUP Showdown 2014 (Photo: Mike Jucker) left to right: Danny Ching, Kai Lenny, Connor Baxter, local beauty

Two years later, I won my first Molokai-to-Oahu. Then shortly after that I won the Battle of the Paddle in the famous battle with Jamie Mitchell and Danny Ching. The competition got harder and more serious, so I kept on adapting, training, traveling, competing. The birth of the racing side of the Stand Up World Series started in 2012 in Fiji. This was a crazy event with a small group of elite athletes and where the rivalry really started heating up between Kai and I. Kai would win an event and then I would win an event. This back and forth went on for the next five years. The Stand Up World Series was the place to be, with some of the bigger prize purses and all of the top paddlers. From my first event, till today I have supported the tour through the ups and downs. These past few years after the switch to APP things have really been going in the right direction and its been incredible to compete in events in huge cities around the world like New York, London, Osaka and Paris – all putting SUP on a bigger stage.

Of course along the way, as with any new sport there has been the Paddletics (paddling politics). Two federations have decided they should own the sport and should be the governing body. At the end of the day both federations have their points and I understand both sides, but the athletes are the ones suffering from this nonsense. At the end of the day, the ISA has been there from the beginning and organizing some of the most amazing events.

They also put SUP on the biggest platform the sport has ever seen, the Pan American Games. The racing styles ISA uses are exciting, up to date and challenging. The ICF on the other hand is newer to sport of SUP. They have only had a few World Championship events that showcased their traditional style of racing; sprints, marathon, and they even added in a technical race. That event was ran very well, and they treated the athletes at the top level.

Left Connor wins the Olukai on Maui several times his finish line crossing becomes legendary. (2016 Photo: Karin Jucker)

With the competition only rising at all events, athletes are beginning to focus more on one discipline. Things have definitely heated up over the past twelve years and the pressure to preform has only gotten more intense for me. Personally, I’ve felt this pressure at every event I compete in, from the two hundred-meter sprints to fifty-four kilometer distance races, just because I’ve won these different types of races in the past. This has definitely caught up to me in the past two years, making the motivation and the drive to win feel overwhelming at times. It wasn’t until I was back on the start line of a surf race or even a downwinder that the drive to win was back. Events where you have to just “grind it out” have never been fun for me, so I lost all motivation. I kept asking myself “why am I doing this?” at the start line. Whereas at events like the Pan American Games, ICF Worlds two-hundred-meter sprint and the APP technical sprints in Paris, I was jumping up and down because I couldn’t wait to race. Shifting focus and choosing the events I truly want to compete in has brought out a new excitement that I haven’t had since the early days of racing. This was my plan for 2020 season, but unfortunately everything has changed with the current state of the world. With the coronavirus and becoming a father, this year has been one the craziest but also most fulfilling times ever. Winning a race is cool but watching your son grow up, laugh and smile is like no other feeling in the world. This time home has really reminded me of what’s important and what I still want to achieve.

Lost Mills 2015: Is Rami Zur getting a beer shower? (Photo: Mike Jucker)

Looking forward to next year, I want to focus on the APP tour and also grow the sport back here at home in Hawaii with a downwind series. On top of that…it would be amazing to see this court case between the ICF and the ISA resolved! Stand Up Paddling is one of the few sports that brings the fresh water and salt water together and I know we have something so different and exciting that it belongs in the Olympics. Most importantly, I want to be the best father I can be for my son Trestle and take him along to all my events just like my dad did with me as a child.

Posted on 16. September 202616. September 2026 by Ed

Donato Freens ESL Champion 2026 Interview

The moment Donato writes SUP History | 📸 via ESL

Donato Freens has made SUP racing history. The Dutch athlete is the first-ever European SUP League (ESL) champion, securing the inaugural season title after a demanding series of races across Europe.

For Freens, the title represents more than another trophy. Behind the success are years of hard work, personal sacrifices and the support of his family, coaches and sponsors.

With the European Championships and ICF World Championships approaching, there is little time to celebrate.

We caught up with Freens to discuss his historic victory, the challenges of the ESL season, the financial realities of professional SUP racing and his ambitions for 2027.

First of all: Congratulations! What does it mean to you to be the very first ESL Champion?

It has been a very emotional win for me. There is a whole world behind the scenes that people don’t always see, with struggles inside and outside of SUP, difficult moments, sacrifices and a lot of uncertainty.

For me, one of the biggest things is having people around me who believe in me. My parents, trainer Giorgos, my coach Angelo and the people close to me have supported me through a lot. They see the work behind the results, not just the podiums.

My parents especially have been there throughout the whole journey. They have supported me through the highs and lows, the travel, the uncertainty and all the sacrifices that come with trying to build a career in this sport.

We have dreams together and we know what we are chasing and where we want to go. Winning the first ESL Season Title feels like confirmation that we are moving in the right direction.

At the same time, it doesn’t feel like the end of anything. It makes me even more curious to see where I stand in the upcoming races against the best athletes in the world.

Can you recap the ESL season for us a bit, what were some of the highlights?

The whole season had different challenges. Some races suited me better than others and I think that is what made the overall title special. To win a tour, you cannot just be good on one type of course or in one set of conditions. You have to keep showing up.

Santa Pola was probably my favorite in terms of racing. I felt it had the highest level of competition and the conditions really tested us. Those are the races I enjoy because you immediately see where your level is.

I also really enjoyed Taranto in Italy. The people there were amazing, the atmosphere was great and of course managing to take double gold made it a very special weekend for me.

The final was probably the most emotional moment. Everything came down to the technical race and there was a lot on the line. Being able to perform under that pressure and finish the season on top is something I will remember for a long time.

Some of the race dates were quite spaced out. How did you stay focused and fit during the longer breaks?

Speed Freak is Donatos second name! | 📸 SUP Alps Trophy

For me the ESL was part of a much bigger season, so there was never really a period where I could switch off completely.

Between the ESL races I was racing other international events, training and constantly working towards the next goal. Our team tries to look at the whole season instead of preparing for every event separately.

The difficult part is actually managing fatigue. You want to stay sharp for the ESL, but at the same time there are World Cups, European Championships and World Championships that you also want to perform at.

Mentally I try not to think too far ahead. I focus on the next training block or the next race and then move forward from there.

How do you see the level of interest in the ESL on the ground? Is the impression that it is mainly a Spanish affair correct?

I understand why it can look like a Spanish affair from the outside, but I think there is a little more behind it.

A big reason for the strong Spanish participation is Deportivo Parres. They are a very powerful SUP community and they support the tour strongly, so naturally you see a lot of Spanish athletes involved.

But you see the same effect in other countries where there is a strong local community behind an event. RTW Raciborz in Poland, Taranto SUP Academy in Italy and Deportivo Parres in Spain are good examples. These communities are passionate about the sport and they bring a lot of athletes to the start line.

So for me, the participation is not only about nationality. It is also about how strong the local SUP community is around each race.

That is actually one of the strengths of the ESL. When you have a strong club or academy behind a stop, you immediately feel that energy on the ground.

What do you think should happen to entice more athletes to follow the full tour?

I think the biggest things are calendar planning, prize money and support for traveling athletes.

Athletes need to know the calendar early. If the dates are announced far enough in advance, we can actually plan the season around the tour instead of trying to fit races into an already full schedule.

There also needs to be a strong reason to follow the whole series. A meaningful overall prize purse, travel support, accommodation partnerships or start-money incentives for athletes who commit to the complete tour could make a big difference.

I also think continuing to work closely with strong local clubs and communities is very important. They are a huge part of what makes certain stops successful.

The sport has many professional-level athletes, but financially we are still far away from being a fully professional sport. If following a tour costs more than an athlete can realistically earn back, it becomes difficult, even if they really want to race.

The ESL had prize money advertised. As a champion, were you able to use some of that money to attend other events?

Absolutely. Prize money in SUP is not just a bonus. For most athletes it goes straight back into the season.

Flights, board transport, rental cars, accommodation, food and race entries add up very quickly. Especially when you are traveling almost every week.

So yes, the money I earn from racing helps me get to the next event. I am basically reinvesting it into my career.

That is why I think prize money is so important for the ecosystem of the sport. It allows athletes to keep racing, which gives events stronger fields, gives sponsors more exposure and ultimately helps the sport grow.

📸 ESL

Infinity has been a great sponsor for you. How did Infinity help you through the season?

Infinity has been a huge part of it.

Of course they give me equipment that I genuinely believe is some of the fastest equipment in the sport, but the relationship goes much further than simply receiving a board.

Dave and the people around Infinity believe in me and in what I am trying to achieve. Having that support behind you makes a big difference, especially during the difficult periods of a season.

Team effort with Infinity being a crucial part. | 📸 Donato Social

They have helped make it possible for me to travel, race internationally and keep chasing these goals.

And again, that sits alongside the support I get from my parents as well as Giorgos and Angelo. When I am standing on the podium, I am not really standing there alone. There are a lot of people behind that result.

That is something I am very grateful for.

What other events are you going to attend before the ICF Worlds in Italy?

The season is definitely not finished yet.

Straight after the ESL final I am heading to Greece for the European Championships and another World Cup. After that the focus continues towards the ICF World Championships in Italy.

I am really excited for these next races because the level will be extremely high. Winning the ESL gives me confidence, but now I want to see where I stand when we bring together many of the strongest paddlers in the world.

That is the exciting part for me.

What are you expecting from the ICF in the future? What direction would you like to see the sport going?

I would like to see SUP become more unified and easier to understand.

Right now we have different organizations, championships, tours and ranking systems. For athletes who have been in the sport for years, we understand it, but for someone outside of SUP it can be confusing.

I think the ICF has the ability to bring a lot of structure, professionalism and international recognition to the sport.

What I would like to see is a clear international calendar, strong World Cups, meaningful rankings and a pathway where athletes know exactly what they are competing towards.

At the same time, I hope SUP keeps its identity. We don’t want to lose the culture and community that made the sport special in the first place.

The dream for many people is obviously the Olympic Games. I think that would be massive for SUP, but we should also make sure we build a strong professional sport regardless of whether or when that happens.

Do you hear anything from the ISA in terms of SUP? Are you in touch with the Dutch Surfing Federation?

Personally, I don’t hear a lot from the ISA at the moment regarding SUP.

I grew up competing within that side of the sport as well, so I have a lot of respect for what the ISA has done for SUP historically, especially through the World Championships.

At the moment, though, most of my international racing is focused around the ICF, ESL, EuroTour and other major international events.

In the Netherlands I am in contact with the federation and I definitely think there is potential to improve the pathway for Dutch SUP athletes.

For a small country we have produced some very strong paddlers, and I would love to see more structure around the next generation. The Ziets family in the surfing are doing a lot of heavy lifting and representing the Netherlands very well.

What are your personal SUP goals and plans for 2027?

For 2027 I want to take another step towards becoming the best paddler in the world.

I don’t want to focus too much on one specific ranking or one specific title because there are many important races in SUP. My goal is to become an athlete who is capable of winning anywhere, whether it is technical racing, long distance or sprinting.

📸 ESL | Full blast into the next season.

I want to keep improving physically, technically and mentally.

The ESL title is something I am incredibly proud of, but it also makes me hungry. I know there are still areas where I can become much better.

The long-term goal is simple. I want to see how far I can take this.

I have my parents and Coaches Giorgos, and Angelo and the rest of my team around me who believe in that dream, and as long as we feel we are moving forward, I am going to keep chasing it.

Thank you so much Donato for your time.

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Posted on 3. September 20263. September 2026 by Ed

EURO TOUR Royan Strong Women’s Field

The EURO TOUR returns to the Atlantic coast of France from September 18–20, 2026, with Royan hosting the next major stop of the season as part of the Weekend de la Glisse. With €8,000 in prize money, a five-star EuroTour rating and what is shaping up to be one of the strongest women’s fields of the year, Royan has all the ingredients for an important weekend of international SUP racing.

The actual EuroTour competition takes place on Saturday, September 19, at the iconic Pontaillac Beach, where the athletes will face a short and potentially very intense ocean Technical Race.

A Technical Race Built for Spectators

Rather than another traditional long-distance race, Royan puts the emphasis firmly on technical ocean racing.

The planned course is 2.5 kilometers, consisting of two 1.25 km laps with a beach section between them. Depending on participation numbers, athletes will race through qualifying heats before advancing into a small or grand final.

That format should make positioning, buoy turns, board handling and beach transitions every bit as important as outright paddling speed. Add Atlantic Ocean conditions to the equation and Royan could produce exactly the kind of unpredictable racing that has always made Technical Racing one of SUP’s best spectator disciplines.

The first races are scheduled to begin at 10:30 on Saturday, with the awards ceremony expected at around 14:00.

Rivera, Barreras, Frey and LeBlanc Headline Women’s Field

The women’s competition is already developing into one of the main stories of the event.

Marie Carmen Rivera of Puerto Rico, Esperanza Barreras of Spain, Alba Frey of Spain and Canada’s Maddi LeBlanc are among the international athletes announced for Royan.

There is plenty of quality in that group.

Rivera has been one of the most consistent international racers of recent years, while Barreras brings enormous experience and remains particularly dangerous whenever racing moves into open-water conditions.

Alba Frey has meanwhile established herself firmly among Europe’s leading racers in 2026 and already started her EuroTour year in impressive fashion, winning the women’s competition at the season opener at boot Düsseldorf ahead of Rivera.

Maddi LeBlanc adds another international dimension to the field. The Canadian has continued to build her racing experience on both sides of the Atlantic and returns to EURO TOUR competition after finishing seventh at Düsseldorf earlier this year.

With more entries still possible before race weekend, the women’s competition could become one of the deepest international fields we have seen in Europe this season.

International Racing Matters More Than Ever

There is also a bigger story behind Royan.

The 2026 SUP season has once again demonstrated how difficult it has become to maintain truly international professional racing. Many events increasingly draw predominantly regional fields, while prize purses are often spread across numerous races, categories and championships.

For professional athletes, that creates a difficult reality.

Championship titles and ranking points remain important, but athletes also need races that provide meaningful prize money. With industry sponsorship considerably more difficult to secure than during SUP’s earlier boom years, travelling internationally simply to collect another title is becoming increasingly hard to justify.

That makes events willing to put substantial resources behind elite racing particularly valuable.

Royan’s €8,000 prize purse sends an important signal. Supporting events like this ultimately means supporting athletes who continue to invest the time and money necessary to race internationally.

And international fields are ultimately what give a professional race series its relevance.

More Than Just a SUP Race

Royan also benefits from being part of something considerably bigger than a stand-alone SUP competition.

The Week-end de la Glisse has its roots in the surf and skate culture that developed around Pontaillac in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The concept was revived in its current form in 2016 and has developed into a three-day celebration of board sports and ocean culture.

Alongside the SUP racing, the 2026 festival includes surfing, longboarding, bodyboarding, skateboarding and numerous beach and watersports activities, together with a festival village and free concerts on Pontaillac Beach.

For SUP racing, that setting matters. Instead of competing in isolation, the athletes become part of a larger watersports event with an audience that extends beyond the established SUP community.

Royan Also Becomes Part of the Road to the ICF Worlds

There is another practical reason why Royan could attract international racers this year.

The EuroTour is once again offering board transport, while rental equipment can also be arranged for athletes travelling without their own race boards.

Even more interesting is the connection with the ICF SUP World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy, from October 14–18. The EuroTour has announced that transport to the World Championship venue will also be available.

For international athletes trying to piece together a European racing campaign, logistics like these can make a significant difference.

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Posted on 1. June 20261. June 2026 by Ed

Code Foils Teamrider Jake Dailey on Downwind Foiling and the Hawaiian Channel Crossings

We at the Stand Up Magazin are always excited to connect with athletes who live and breathe the ocean. Few embody the spirit of modern downwind foiling quite like Jake Dailey from Sydney, Australia. Known as one of the fastest downwind foilers on Australia’s East Coast, Jake has built a reputation through countless hours on the water, chasing bumps and refining his skills in some of the fastest runs in the world. With the Hawaiian channel races just around the corner, we were happy to catch up with Jake and learn more about his journey, training, equipment, and expectations for M2M and M2O.

Aloha Jake, thank you for your time.

You are knee deep in Downwind Foiling and reputation has it you are one of the fastest guys in Australia. Can you give us a quick intro about yourself?

Thanks, Mike, for having me on. My name is Jake Dailey. I’m 26, from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. I’m a carpenter and an addicted waterman. Whether it’s surfing, fishing, or foiling, my life revolves around the ocean. Growing up, I surfed all my life until I found foiling….

Nice, you grew up in Sydney and you are a child of the ocean. Can you tell us what makes Downwind Foiling so special to you?

From a young boy, surfing and the ocean were my life. It’s where I spent all my spare time with family and friends. Foiling really allowed me access to places in the ocean I never dreamed of. As a surfer, I’m always chasing that endless wave, and for me downwind foiling is that. Downwinding to me is the ultimate. So many variables and skills have to align to make it possible. There is a very special feeling you get, almost a vibe, from being kilometers from the coast, just you, your board, and a paddle.

Can you give a quick overview of your local crew and how you guys organize yourselves for your DW runs?

My local runs are quite short, usually around 13kms from Long Reef to Avalon in south winds, and during summer the reverse. Our local crew consists of around 30 guys from various skill levels. Personally, I have a run with 5 of my best mates. We all chip in for a downwind car that gets left at the beach, which makes it possible for me as I work 7-3 and it gets dark quickly during winter. Although it may be short, it is still one of the fastest runs in the world.

Word has it you are coming to Hawaii this July for the channel crossings. Can you tell us how you are training up for that?

Yes, very excited for the Hawaiian races. Training is honestly very difficult during this time in Sydney. We have very sporadic winds, the majority being offshore, and onshore swells, so every chance I get conditions I’m out there. For me, I try to train on the smallest possible foil and in the hardest conditions I can find. I try to focus on consistency and building confidence in my ability and the gear. On the down days, I try to run to improve that cardio needed for the longer runs like M2O.

In foiling it’s all about speed and flow, can you talk a bit about the Code gear?

Very lucky to be supported by Code Foils. Even before I was a team rider, I saw the quality in their gear. The R foil range is really what made downwind foiling possible for me. Personally, downwind foiling is all about matching your foil with the conditions. It makes all the difference, especially here in Sydney. On our big southerly days, we can have big-period swells moving well over 40km/h, so riding foils that can keep up is where I find my flow. For me, the 680 and 600 are what transformed my foiling.

The new Race Tails look amazingly fast. Can you quantify how much faster?

Absolutely love the new Race Tails and haven’t used anything else since their release. I’ve smashed all my personal best times recently, and I have never felt this comfortable at speed before. The new tails really extend the top end of your foil’s range without a huge compromise on paddle-up and low-end performance. These new tails unlock a newfound acceleration that projects you forward. This allows you to get up and over and reach through swells you wouldn’t have previously with minimal effort. These tails are extremely efficient and are a must-have for any foiler looking for flat-out straight-line speed.

Designer Notes

Our race tails are tuned for efficiency, control, and stability at speed. Every detail is designed to reduce drag and maintain momentum when it matters most. The Race Tails don’t replace the R Series, they sit alongside it as a specialized option for those focused on racing.

Find your Race Tail here

That sounds great. You are well equipped for the Hawaiian channels. What are you looking forward to the most doing the M2M and M2O?

Yes, very excited. Code’s been cooking up a storm and I’m feeling very comfortable on our race gear. Personally, I really enjoy M2O. I feel most at home in big swell and open ocean conditions you get in the channel, much like we get on the East Coast of Oz. But besides the racing, I really love being part of the downwind community. Such a big family of frothers, and I can’t wait to send some runs with everyone in the beautiful warm waters of Hawaii.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge in these races?

The Hawaiian races really highlight every aspect of downwind foiling. On Oahu, your ability to navigate backwash is tested. Maui and the Paddle of Luma test your fitness with short sprint races and a nearly 2km flatwater pump-in. M2M highlights your ability to read big, fast bumps, and M2O is really a mix of all the races. Big ocean bumps, line choice, backwash, boat wake, and a long offshore wind pump finish. Mastering all races for me is a huge accomplishment and, regardless of race results, I feel very lucky to be a part of the sport, Hawaiian culture, and the community.

Thank you very much Jake. I am looking forward to meeting you when you are here in July.

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