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BEHIND THE BRAND … With SUP Inflatable’ s
EMMA & GARY
INTERVIEW: DAVID PARTRIDGE PHOTOS: SUP INFLATABLES
WE MET FOR THE INTERVIEW DURING A RAINSTORM IN SEPTEMBER. THINGS NORMALLY QUIETEN DOWN AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT EMMA WAS AT THE BACK DOOR OF THE WAREHOUSE IN
WIMBOURNE, DORSET( A CALM STRETCH OF THE STOUR JUST A
100 METRES AWAY), TALKING THROUGH A TRIAL PADDLE WITH A
COUPLE. TAILORED ADVICE ON THEIR CHOICES ABSOLUTELY CAPTURED WHERE SUP INFLATABLES FEEL THEIR UNIQUE SELLING POINT( USP) IS.“ GETTING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THE PADDLER, TAKING EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT.”
So, what’ s your background in the sport: Gary:“ I was a windsurfer in the early’ 80s. Dad had a windsurfing shop, so I grew up with windsurfing, then wakeboarding, mountain biking and all the diversification of water sports. Seventeen years ago, paddleboarding arrived, and immediately, I knew it was accessible and relatively easy to do; you could get on a board and paddle. The early market was water sports enthusiasts looking for something to do on a calm day, but I knew this was going to grow.”
Emma:“ I am from Halifax, and water sports weren’ t really a thing for our family. I travelled a lot while working in marketing. I got on a SUP in the Middle East, maybe 11 years ago, and loved it. Back in the UK, I found myself on a mountain bike ride, overhearing Gary talking about windsurfing. We met and immediately sensed our passion for the sport. Gary is great with IT. I am passionate about addressing and engaging with the needs of women and understanding what people want from a sport. It was clear we could work together well, and here we are nine years on.”
And SUP Inflatables? Gary:“ I looked up the domain names Inflatable Sup had gone. It was a balloon business, so SUP Inflatables was next. I had a friend who developed the website, and right at the beginning, we wanted lots of information and advice. The info zone was critical then, as SUP was new, and it remains critical now, as people need good advice and help in making choices. The learning curve for SUP is so much shorter than, say, windsurfing, so people can buy a board after a 2-hour lesson, it’ s accessible, transportable, easy.”
In the early days, the core business was beginner boards, mostly 10-foot 6-inch boards; lots of stability, easy to learn on, most of our customers were new to the sport. Now this is a“ saturated market.” People still need advice and help, especially since many of the cheaper brands are unreliable, have poor quality control, and tend to be less robust and prone to deformation. Our customer base is changing, we still sell a lot of starter boards, but more and more we have repeat customers or people looking at slightly longer boards with better glide. Our‘ go to’ often now is an 11-foot-6-inch board for the new paddler, allowing them development and ensuring the boards have a good life and don’ t end up being discarded.”