Tell us how you got into SUP?
You were an avid windsurfer but
seem to have been bitten hard
by the stand up bug?
I just love being in or on the water and I am
still very much an avid windsurfer, these days
non-competitively. Before SUP arrived in the
UK, I had competed in almost every
windsurfing discipline over the years,
including wave, slalom, speed, course racing
and even tandem windsurfing! Early In 2007,
I remember seeing the first SUPs appear in
the windsurfing magazines. My first
impressions were that it looked like a bit of a
fad. Luckily, it wasn't long before I had the
opportunity to try and I was immediately
hooked. Suddenly I had the perfect activity to
get me on the water in every condition, not
just when it's windy.
added challenge of technical races and racing
in waves and love the social and travel
opportunities that competing has opened up
to me. Surfing is mainly just pure fun,
expression and adrenalin. I find SUP surfing
challenges me without the added pressure
that goes with racing. SUPing in the surf is
definitely the best and most fun way to keep
fit for my racing.
encountered travelling with our race boards to
Peru, I chose to compete on an inflatable SUP.
To my surprise, I found myself right in the
mix finishing 6th in the 23km distance race
and 5th in the technical race. At one point
during the technical race heat, I caught a set
wave from behind on my iSUP and overtook
the top five girls taking the lead! Needless to
say, from this moment onwards, racing in
waves became my number one favourite.
What’s your usual SUP
stomping ground and who do
you normally train with?
Tell us about your favourite UK
event and how you think the SUP
race scene is looking at home?
I am very lucky to be based in Salcombe,
South Devon with my partner Paul Simmons
who is also a fellow Starboard SUP
international rider and just happens to be my
training partner too. Our local training water is
the stunning Salcombe estuary and the many
beautiful beaches, inlets and rivers that
surround us here in the South Hams.
What do you prefer – waves or
racing? Every time we see
social media updates it seems
you’ve been missioning the
miles but we know you love a
liquid wall as well.
When did you realise you could
mix it up on an international
stage and what are your
competitive goals moving
forward?
That's a tricky one! I love both disciplines for
different reasons. Racing fuels my
competitive nature, I particularly enjoy the
In 2014 the UK race scene has really
blossomed, thanks to a number of UK SUP
clubs getting together to form the UK SUP
Clubs national race series. In 2014 there were
10 races in total (five distance and five
technical races) hosted from a variety of
coastal and inland locations. The great thing
about racing in the series is that you find
yourself paddling in some amazing locations
that you may otherwise never have
experienced. It’s difficult to pick one absolute
favourite as it often depends on race
conditions and how I felt on the day.
Personally, I prefer the variety and challenge
of technical racing on the open sea – the
rougher the better!
My first international SUP competition was in
2013, at the ISA World Championships in
Lima, Peru. After the difficulties we
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