2 x USA SUP National Champion Flying Fish’s Jake Portwood Reflects on His Triumph in Detroit

For the first time ever, the USA SUP National Championships were held in Detroit Michigan around the famous Belle Isle, on the Detroit River. It was here that Flying Fish’s pro team rider Jake Portwood was able to claim his second national championship title proving that he has become unstoppable in the United States over the past two years. Jake’s genuine love and participation in the sport demonstrates strength, determination, and grit that will continue to inspire others on and off the water, as well as the next generation to come.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

Hi Jake! Welcome back to TotalSUP today! Congratulations on your victory at the USA Stand Up Paddle Board National Championships! How did you prepare mentally and physically for this event?

Thank you so much, we missed you this year Maddi! I was forced to have more quality training sessions rather than quantity this year due to a busy family and work schedule and I also have an injury I’ve been dealing with that limited me to certain exercises. That has caused some difficulty to find the motivation to push and after having a busy season last year I was struggling mentally. But my main approach to this event was to have fun. We actually played a few games of disc golf in between events while in Detroit and that took a lot of pressure off.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

We’re stoked to hear that you found ways to take the pressure off during events! That’s super important. Can you walk us through your strategy during the race in Detroit? What specific techniques helped you secure the win?

Race smart! Since I was not able to get in a lot of training I had to know when to utilize my strength and when to reserve. Also racing for three days straight with multiple heats the first and second day can take a toll on the body so I focused on rest between heats and babying my fragile back.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

Race smart – great advice! What were the biggest challenges you faced competing in Detroit, and how did you overcome them?

Some of the biggest challenges I dealt with was choice of equipment. There were some last minute changes to the race courses and some conditions that I didn’t account for, which was out of the hands of the race director but made for a tough decision on what size board and paddle to use. USA SUP did a great job accommodating the racers when facing these challenges.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

How does winning this national championship compare to your previous accomplishments in stand-up paddling?

This years National Championship meant a lot because I was able to overcome some life hurdles throughout the year and still walk away with a triple win.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

What role did your training regimen and equipment play in your success at the championships?

Get to that buoy FIRST! That was my main goal during training, so I worked a lot of my sprint starts which helped during the sprint and tech course. For distance training I am fortunate enough to have a strong paddle team with Flying Fish and other paddlers to train with in the South Florida community.

Here is the gear that I used in Detroit and it all worked out great!

Sprint – Flying Fish Freedom 14×20.5 & QB V-Drive 101

Tech – Flying Fish Freedom Pro 14×22 & QB V-Drive 101

Distance – Flying FishFreedom 14×20.5 & QB Stingray 65

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

Thanks for sharing all of that! Were there any unexpected moments during the race that you had to adapt to quickly?

Yes during the 10k distance race I decided to use a narrow board because of the calm conditions. After a hectic mass start behind the sit crafts and getting pushed into the slower water I was able to find a draft train and make my way to the front of the pack. That’s when we rounded the top of the island and were confronted with a busy boat channel with massive cargo ships and very large yachts disrupting our calm conditions and causing me to fall back to 4th place. I had to switch from trying to break away to not falling, this lasted about 3k. With help from Steve Miller and Cam Carney we were able to close the gap on Campbell Carter and I pulled off 1st place with a sprint finish.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

How has your experience at the national level influenced your goals for the future in the sport?

Winning a national title is definitely inspiring and I wish I was able to travel internationally to compete but for now I am going to focus on national events. I hope we can get the US back on track for some large yearly international events.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

We hope SUP continues to grow in the US as well! What advice would you give to upcoming paddlers aiming to compete at the national or international level?

Believe in your training, enjoy the process and don’t take it too serious. There is a lot to learn from each race and training session. Be a sponge and take any advice you can get, some may work some may not.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

Fantastic words of wisdom Jake! How has the sport of stand-up paddling evolved over the years, and what innovations have you adopted in your approach?

I’ve seen a lot of change in this sport since I did my first race in 2008. I am so glad to see where the board and paddle design has come, especially brands like Flying Fish. They allow every paddler to paddle a board specific to their size and style. Lately Flying Fish has also been making foil boards and that is one sport that I have adopted – SUP foil surfing and down wind.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

Wow! That’s amazing! Maybe we’ll see you compete in foil races in the future?! What does winning the national title mean for you personally, and how do you plan to use this achievement to inspire others?

I don’t need any fancy certificates or high accolades to help paddlers increase their technique or performance, since I have been doing so for a long time before these awards were around. So I am going to continue teaching clinics and handing out advice to whoever has any interest. But hopefully this title can help increase more participation in our races throughout the USA. Thank you so much Maddi, see you soon.

Photo Credit: Michael Carney

Thank you so much Jake for sharing your winning nationals experience with us! We wish you nothing but the best for the rest of 2025 and hope to see you continue to win on and off the water!

To find out more about Flying Fish visit www.flyingfishboardco.com

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