Sharing the Love

How do we best share the love of stand up paddleboarding – whether that’s racing, exploring, or community events?

Through personal recommendations and enthusiasm, of course. But ultimately, the greatest driver is media. If we don’t see it, we don’t know it exists.

Social media has become such a huge part of our daily lives, inspiring people to try everything from cake baking to rock climbing – and yes, SUP adventures.

Since becoming involved in media coverage ourselves, we’ve truly come to understand its power. Sarah has been passionate about photography all her life, and when she began SUP racing, that didn’t change. When she wasn’t on the water, her camera was in hand, capturing every paddler, first or last, knowing how meaningful those images would be. It was important to showcase everyone, not just the podium finishers.

Back in those early racing days, Sarah followed Chris Parker from SUP Racer, (now owned by Betsy Ray of Paddle Daily) whose commentary was both knowledgeable and fun. Watching the pros live from around the globe, seeing them battle it out, was inspiring. Paddlers became role models, and race venues turned into bucket-list destinations. Today, Sarah would be heading to watch Mathieu Astier, Mr TotalSUP, to be kept abreast of racing across the world.

Fast forward to 2018, and live coverage in the UK began to take shape. For that, we have to thank Mark Price for his passion, enthusiasm, and foresight. Those early races were a learning curve, but the response was fantastic. Just a few weeks in, we covered the ISA World Championship qualifying race – the SUPjunkie team quickly realised how important it was to showcase UK paddlers and bring their stories home to friends, family, and supporters. We were proud to be part of that team, putting our athletes on the same stage as the world’s best.

We want stand up paddleboarding to grow. We want SUP racing to grow. For that to happen, we need strong coverage both in the UK and internationally. Photos play a big part – the moment a race ends, paddlers are usually on Facebook or Instagram, sharing their stories (and hopefully reliving the fun). Event photography is exciting, but it’s also a lot of work: a full day capturing moments, then hours editing, uploading, and posting. Sarah loves every part of it, and that huge photo archive is a constant source of material for articles and social posts. We just ask that when paddlers share a photographer’s work, they credit them – just as they would a board or paddle sponsor.

Live feeds are another huge tool. Thousands of people watch them after the event – to review technique, analyse tactics, or see what went right (and wrong). But they’re also a window into venues you might not know, races you might be tempted to join, and the wider SUP community of organisers, volunteers, and clubs.

Podcasts are another fantastic way to share the love. We know Sarah has inspired paddlers to race after being interviewed, and hearing that directly from them meant the world. Podcasts offer a unique glimpse into someone’s paddleboarding life – whether racing, adventuring, or simply enjoying time on the water.

Some of our favourites:

• SUPfm Podcast (Simon Hutchinson) – A long-running show with a brilliant back catalogue covering every level and discipline.
• Rise & Glide Podcast (Holly Pye & Maddie Leblanc, in association with Paddle Logger) – The “new kid on the block” with insightful chats to key figures in the SUP world.
• The Joy of SUP Podcast (Jo Moseley) – A genuinely joyful series featuring inspiring everyday paddlers and extraordinary stories.

We defy you to listen to any of these and not feel inspired.

You can explore all of our photos on our website: www.supjunkie.co.uk – and while you’re there, we’d love you to subscribe.

Our back catalogue of live feeds and interviews is also on YouTube: SUPjunkie Paddleboarding. Please subscribe there too to support what we do.

And finally, we’d love to hear from you. Who or what has inspired your paddling journey? Drop us a message on social media – whatever your level or adventure style, we wish you happy paddling