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Q & A
JSUP MANNING
MR STOKE # 2
INTERVIEW : TEZ PLAVENIEKS PHOTOS : JAY MANNING WE INTERVIEWED THE EVER-AT-LARGE JAY ‘ JSUP ’ MANNING A FEW YEARS BACK IN 2015 . WITH JAY STILL VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN PADDLE BOARDING AND SHARING THE STOKE WE THOUGHT IT WAS HIGH TIME FOR A RE-VISIT .
What ’ s your role these days with Fanatic SUP and K66 ? I am still part of the team , although it is now smaller . With budgets slashed , many riders have moved to other brands or retired from the sport . Personally , my drive , passion , and enthusiasm for SUP and Fanatic are still 100 %.
I ’ ve been addicted to SUP for 14 years , and now 50 has crept in ! But I still feel young , and I ’ m not giving my youth secret away ! Being part of the K66 team family in watersports and getting out on the water with dealers and customers is no less fun ! And now we have Duotone brands in the mix too .
How have things changed for you since we last did an interview in 2015 within SUP ? Could say again turning 50 has entered the mix ! I think the huge growth stand up paddle from COVID to the last couple of years of decline has proven to be a huge challenge .
There ’ s also less money to spend . People opting for cheap kit , not even thinking about basic lessons or SUP safety have caused issues for rescue services at times . It ’ s been tricky through 2023 and into 2024 . But hopefully , there ’ s light at the end of the tunnel now .
What have you noticed about the SUP industry in the last few years ? There ’ s definitely been a slower sales trend on premium kit . Cheap iSUPs are not helping , and a lot of the public does not know where SUP ’ s from , what it ’ s about ( or can be about ), and how to progress once you ’ ve gotten involved . I chat with a lot of dealers , shops and schools , and everyone has the same challenges . Composite hard shell boards have also risen in price , making them out of reach for many . But top-end riders will still go for this kind of SUP . They may just be a bit pickier .