Top 10 SUP Topics Of 2015

SAN DIEGO, California - 2015 is coming to a close and it’s crazy to see how much has happened this year. From news of cancellations of major SUP events to viral videos and tons upon tons of tips and tricks, we’ve gathered together the top 10 SUP topics over the past year. So without further ado, check out the Top 10 SUP Topics that we've covered for 2015 below.

10. Tipping Point, When Is Your SUP Too Small?

Anyone who's ever seen Sean Poynter, Mo Freitas or Noah Yap absolutely ripping on a stand up surfboard has no doubt wanted to achieve that same level of performance themselves. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near as easy as they make it look. As the sport of standup paddle surfing has progressed, we have seen the size of boards come down from the 11 foot range into the sub 7 foot range in the quest for more surfing performance. It's to the point now where the boards that the pros are using are mistaken for normal lay down surfboards. So, we must ask the question, “When is your SUP too small?” Read the full article HERE.

9. Dolphin Body Slams Paddle Boarder

Earlier in September 2015 Matt Minich and Peter Nelson were paddle boarding and surfing in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, California when a dolphin surfing the waves didn't see Matt and gave him a body slam. Luckily, Matt got his GoPro out when he saw the dolphin coming in the wave. Fortunately no one was hurt. Watch the video of the incident HERE.

8. How To Properly Fall Off Your SUP

Falling off of our paddle boards is inevitable. It's part of the process, sometimes even part of the fun. There is however a right and a wrong way on falling off of our SUPs. Here, SUP expert and Starboard SUP athlete Sean Poynter teaches us how to fall off our SUP properly to avoid injury. See his tips and full video tutorial HERE.

7. 5 Tips To Help Improve Your Paddle Stroke

In stand up paddle boarding, having a good paddle stroke is crucial to seeing results and improving skill level. Many of stand up paddling's top athletes stress that the paddle stroke is one of the most important, if not the most important, tool to master when paddling. We caught up with many of stand up paddling's best athletes to get some tips on how to have a great paddle stroke. Here are the top 5 tips that they say will help to improve your paddle stroke.

6. Laird Hamilton Featured In ESPN’s Body Issue 2015

In July 2015 it was announced that Laird Hamilton had made an appearance in the highly anticipated annual issue of ESPN's Body Issue where athletes are selected and pose nude to showcase their athletic form in a tasteful and artistic way. Laird appears with his wife who is also a former professional volleyball player, Gabrielle Reece. See the full article about Laird's appearance in the ESPN issue HERE.

5. Actress Lena Dunham Rescued By Laird Hamilton After Paddle Boarding Blunder

During a charity event to support breast cancer research, actress and 'Girls' creator Lena Dunham was rescued from her paddle board by legendary waterman Laird Hamilton after Dunham drifted off course during a paddle board race. Find out more details from the scary incident HERE.

4. Crazy Or Courageous: Man Attempting To Cross The Atlantic On A SUP

In January 2016 Nicolas Jarossay, a 38-year-old French paddler, will be making an attempt to be the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean, solo and unsupported, on a stand up paddle board. Jarossay, a firefighter by profession, has been planning this trip for the past two years, and is currently making his final preparations before he sets out on this extreme expedition across the Atlantic. Learn more about this upcoming expedition HERE.

3. The Top Must Do Downwinders On Your SUP

In the heat of downwind season we decided to compile a list of the top must-do downwinders around the world. We teamed up with the crew at SIC Maui who've built some of the best downwind boards on the market, so they know a thing-or-two about a good downwind run when they see it. Here are the top must-do downwinders.

2. Top Reasons You Need An Inflatable Paddle Board

Inflatables are an awesome choice for stand up paddling and even have quite a few advantages over their hard board counterparts. We here at Supconnect wanted to give you the Top Reasons of why you must have an inflatable in your SUP quiver so we teamed up with the folks at Boardworks, who by the way have some of the most high-tech and durable inflatable stand up paddle boards on the market, to get you a list. See why you need an inflatable SUP in your quiver HERE.

1. Supconnect Awards - Editor’s Choice & Supconnect Polls

In 2015, the Supconnect Awards got a makeover and we ran the awards into two divisions, the Editor’s Choice Awards and the Supconnect Polls — The Poeple’s Choice Awards. The Awards started in 2010 as a way of recognizing individuals that made exceptional contributions to the sport. As such, it’s the world’s first and original awards in the stand up paddle industry. Unlike most awards, winners are not chosen strictly on athletic performance and results. The ultimate objective of the Supconnect Awards is to help to create positive icons for the youth in order to increase the longevity of the sport for generations to come. And what’s more, it also aims at recognizing exceptional brands, products, and shops that help raise the bar in their field, serving as blueprints of excellence for others to follow. To learn more about the awards, click the links below.

Editor’s Choice Awards
Polls - People’s Choice Awards 

Well, there you have it! There are the TOP 10 SUP topics of 2015. Did you see a topic in 2015 that didn’t make this list? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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