SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers April 2014 lo-res free to read | Page 3

editor’s note Welcome, and enjoy the ride! Stand up paddle boarding has come a long way in recent years. UK SUP, in particular, is now more popular than ever with sweepers out in all conditions right across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. From the early days, when SUP was but a young pup, hanging from the coattails of other watery disciplines, we now have identity, purpose and a colourful personality all of our own. The race scene has gone from strength to strength, with both national and grass roots level competitions in abundance. SUP clubs are growing exponentially and the level of wave riding talent is going through the roof. The next generation of paddlers are already waiting in the wings, ready to kick out the old guard, and the general vibe surrounding stand up paddling is positively brimming. Rewind a few years and SUP’s renaissance signalled a feverous rallying of the watersports industry, all calling for stand up’s explosion and it being the biggest thing since sliced bread. Unfortunately this didn’t quite come to fruition, as, among other things, the global economic meltdown took hold and choked us all. Things in 2014 have a much healthier outlook and optimism is firmly back on the cards. In fact, this very publication is a sign of the times and testament to economic confidence (slowly) returning. SUP Mag UK has been a long time coming. Although other SUP related media is available there has, until now, been a lack of UK centric offerings. A number of forums have previously done sterling jobs at filling this void but a specific UK mag has been lacking. Hopefully, this new kid on the block will serve as a platform for broadcasting the diversity, stoke and enthusiasm that is UK stand up paddle boarding. Over the course of the next few issues we aim to bring you as much stand up goodness as we can from ALL areas of the sport. SUP racing, touring, river SUP, wave riding, windSUP and so on – it’s all part of this amazing discipline and therefore worthy of inclusion. Hopefully the stories and features will help lend a voice to UK SUP and go some way in helping the sport reach the next level. If you have any ideas, feedback, thoughts or fancy penning a story then we’d love to hear from you. Obviously we can’t accommodate absolutely everyone and cover everything, but we’ll certainly try our best! For now, enjoy the mag, love your sport and feel the glide… Tez Plavenieks, April 2014 [email protected] @tezwoz Photo: Paul Villecourt www.villecourt.com/paul_fr/en/