Joe Thwaites is the brains and brawn behind North East based Loco SUP. A self-styled paddle surfing brand Joe is outspoken, colourful and certainly a personality within UK stand up. Ever one for a good nitty gritty chat we caught up with Mr T for this issue’ s Behind the Brand feature.
Interview: SUP Mag UK Pics: Loco SUP
Joe Thwaites is the brains and brawn behind North East based Loco SUP. A self-styled paddle surfing brand Joe is outspoken, colourful and certainly a personality within UK stand up. Ever one for a good nitty gritty chat we caught up with Mr T for this issue’ s Behind the Brand feature.
Interview: SUP Mag UK Pics: Loco SUP
Behind the brand
Joe Thwaites, Loco
Tell us about your watery history – how did you get into sports of a moist nature? II hit the water for the first time when I was about 9 years old! My gran used to pay for my brother and I to get surf lessons down at Saltburn-on-Sea. I also tried windsurfing about the same time but it largely left me cold, as the equipment was massive for my size and pootling about on a lake was a bit lame by comparison. The following years were filled with regular visits to Saltburn to practice and build my water confidence going out in bigger waves.
When I was about 15 years old I got into DJing, so I sold all my surfboards and spent all my available cash on vinyl for the next 10 years! I got right back into windsurfing doing all the usual flat water Vass and Dahab progression trips before testing myself in the waves, hitting places like Cape Verde, Fuerteventura and Morocco as well as maxing out on coastal water time in my native North East and other spots around the UK. I still windsurf with the NWC lads but mainly at the coast in the colder months when the swell is firing and the fan is turned up to 10..
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