I know there was a lot of resistance when we
first started. Thankfully these days we have
a base of loyal customers and riders, a
much slicker supply chain and those in the
know definitely have Loco on their radar.
Talk us through your day to day
responsibilities – is it all paddling,
testing, paddling or do you have to
do some work occasionally?
I used to work over the winter coaching
badminton in schools and teach SUP during
summer. Learning the basics on flat water
isn’t that involved – despite what the
various training organisations would have
everyone believe. The surfing side can take
a lot longer to learn, unless you have a
decent coach, so I tend to offer specific surf
clinics these days, usually over the colder
months either on the East Coast or organise
trips away to sunnier climes with more
reliable conditions.
In terms of my Loco work, I wear many hats
at the moment but that’s set to change as
we move into foreign markets. My day can
involve everything from coming up with the
next shape, to designing the aesthetic of
the boards, doing social media and website
amends to discussing liability agreements.
There’s never a dull moment and, with
potential partners all over the world, I’m
always emailing or on Skype at all times of
the day – which can make ‘sleeping well’
tricky, let’s say!
Loco has come a long way in its
short existence – what’s been key to
Loco’s success?
Where did the idea for a SUP brand
come from?
The brand was born in Fuerteventura
working with Witchcraft, so it made sense to
give it a Spanish name and Loco seems to
tick the box and was short enough for
people to remember. Jagermeister might
also have had a hand in it.
I’d say it’s been largely down to my own
personal drive, vision and singlemindedness
and ongoing support from my family and
friends. It’s not easy competing with the
marketing machines of more established
What appealed about the concept?
The boards I was riding five or six years ago
weren’t saying much in the waves, so I
thought I could do better. Four months in I
had a national champion. Since then we’ve
gone from strength from strength,
extending our range and attracting interest
from all over the world. I still maintain that
we make some of the most exciting surf
SUPs in the world.
As one of the first home grown UK
companies, was it difficult getting
things off the ground?
Not as hard as you may think, although
being put in touch with Bouke from
Witchcraft was a lucky start to my ongoing