Within a few months, 28-year-old Alba Alonso Frey has become one of the greatest Spanish athletes in SUP Racing but watch out as she is although a great sup surf, surf foil and wing foil athlete. With only 6 months of preparation in 2022, the Fuerteventura-based achieved incredible results, such as the canary islands beach race championship or the Spanish championship in the sprints 1,000-meter distance, as well as being called up to be part of the Spanish team for the ISA surfing World Cups in Puerto Rico 2022. And most recently, winning the sprint races at the APP Alicante Open in front of a world and a European champion and finishing second overall.
Interview with Alba Alonso Frey at the 1st APP World Tourâs Alicante SUP Open (December â22)
Cameron Tripney â South Africa
SUP Race
Cameron Tripney burst on the SUP race scene (and on our screens) when he showed race after race and all the way to the final that he was absolutely invincible in the 200m Juniors Sprints at the ICF SUP Worlds in Gdynia last year. Living in Cape Town, Cameron has been unbeaten at national level in all inland racing and is the current South Africa Champion in both the Junior & the Open Menâs categories for both Long Distance & Technical Race.
Hereâs what Cameron told TotalSUP âGrowing up and watching the dream team riders chasing world titles and winning multiple events just shows the pure dominance the riders have within this brand. Thereâs always more to a brand other than its equipment like starboard and thatâs the people that create a family-like bond and is always something I look for when joining a team. I am excited for the season ahead, where I hope to compete at the highest level while I balance being an athlete with my studiesâ
Linus Karlsson â Sweden
SUP Race
A former motocross champion, Swedish athlete Linus Karlsson has been SUP racing since he first tired stand up paddling in 2019.
Now after just two full years in the sport, Linus has already managed to collect four gold medals at the Swedish SUP Championships (9 medals in total), and a top ten finish at the ICF SUP World Champions in Gdynia.
This is what Linus Karlsson said: âMy goal is to become a world champion in the future. To be the best you need to be surrounded by people that inspire you, as well as having the best equipment! In my opinion Starboard is the best team out there and Iâm so stoked to join the Dream team! My main goal for 2023 will be to keep gaining experience and to establish myself inside the top ten in the world rankings. The races Iâm focusing on are the ICF SUP Worlds in Thailand & the main Euro Tour stops.â
Bruce Kirkby
Canada â Expedition, R&D
Canadian adventurer Bruce Kirkby has crossed Iceland by foot, descended Ethiopiaâs Blue Nile by raft, traversed Borneoâs north coast by sea kayak, and crossed the Empty Quarter by camel. Along the way, he established himself as a world-class photographer and writer (National Geographic, NYT, Outside) with three best-selling books. After decades of expeditions spanning the globe â from Africa to Arabia, from Mount Everest to the high Arctic â Bruce Kirkby relentlessly pushes the limits of what is considered possible on a Stand Up Paddle boards. His SUP expeditions include traversing the outer coast of Vancouver Island, following an ancient coastal Grease Trails through British Columbiaâs Great Bear Rainforest, and rounding the capricious headlands of Cape Scott, Brooks Peninsula, and Cape Caution.
Bruce Kirkby: â2023 is lining up to be absolutely incredible, the brand-new 2023 Starboard 14Ă29.5 Sprint Expedition is being released, and Iâm so stoked. Iâve worked alongside the Starboard design team on this concept for 4 years. Itâs turned out absolutely amazing. And it is going to revolutionize expedition paddling. My first priority with the new board is top-secret mission. Iâm a bit superstitious, so I wonât share any details until itâs in the bag⊠but itâs a mind bender.â
The 2023 Starboard Dream Team Women
Esperanza âEspeâ Barreras â Spain
SUP Race
Born in Galicia, Spain, Espe Barreras moved to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands in 2013, looking for new experiences after years of sailing competitions. She caught her first wave on a SUP surf in 2018 with the help of Iballa Ruano, and instantly fell in love with the sport. A year later, Espe won her first ISA World title. Since then she has won many national and international races including the 2022 ESF EuroSUP and the ICF SUP World Championship titles in Long Distance.
Hereâs Esperanza Barrerasâs quote: âI feel admiration for the Dream Team, we are all so different but with something in common: we love SUP and we infinitely respect the ocean. I am really happy to be part of this! This added to Starboardâs winning boards & paddles make my dream possible. My main goal for 2023 is to continue enjoying my SUP journey and working towards more world title medals.â
Fiona Wylde â USA
Race, Surf, Foil, Wingfoil
2022 was a tough year for Fiona Wylde, as she was injured for the first time in her career, could not compete in a single SUP Race, and only took part in one Wing Foil Event before she hurt her shoulder. Fiona has been so dominant in the stand up paddle world that few people know she won the PWA Junior Womenâs Wave Sailing World Title when she was 17. At the start of 2015, her first year as a sponsored athlete racing professional, Fiona Wylde was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Fiona Wylde: â2023 is going to be a big year for me. I am starting from the bottom in terms of strength, but already I am confident that I will be able to gain back my strength and become stronger, not just physically, but mentally too for the season ahead. I will be competing in SUP Racing and a variety of Wing Foiling disciplines in the upcoming season. Starboard is the idyllic company for me to work towards my goals. Not only does Starboard have the best equipment for me to compete in a variety of sports, but the positivity my teammates, my work colleagues, and my bosses bring to the forefront of sports evolution, is second to none. We truly have the strongest team, both on and off the water, and I am proud to be a part of it!â
Caterina Stenta â Italy
SUP Race
Caterina Stenta grew up in the northeast of Italy, before she moved to Gran Canaria to train more in windsurfing. Few people know that she placed 6th in the overall PWA Windsurf World ranking in 2019 before she decided to focus primarily on SUP Racing. During the 2020 lock downs, she started trail running and is now part of team Salomon.
Caterina Stenta tells us how she feels starting a new season with Starboard: âStarboard makes not only the best boards on the market, but have a great team of riders and people working on the research and development of the boards. The team spirit I feel in Starboard is what makes the travels and races special to me. Starboard is a brand that cares about the environment and pays attention to the carbon footprint of the brand and the athletes, and this makes it a brand I admire and am proud of being part of. This year, you will find me competing at the big races on the Eurotour, at a few ICF World Cups and then I will preparing to achieve top results at the ICF SUP World Champs in Thailand later this year. I also plan to enjoy some local races to engage and invigorate my local SUP community.â
The 2023 Starboard Dream Team Men
Connor Baxter â USA
SUP Race
Living legend Connor Baxter has been a dominant SUP racer since the age of 14 year old winning a total of 9 world titles under different world circuits and federations. At 28, 2022 was actually one of Connorâs best seasons: 2 ICF world titles in the sprints and the technical race, 1 ISA World Title in the sprints and his 4th overall world title on the APP World Tour.
Connor Baxter: âI have been with starboard since I was 5 years old, back in the windsurfing days and ever since then starboard has been family. Between innovation and quality, Starboard has pushed the limits of whatâs possible. If you want to be the best you have to ride the best. This year I have my eyes set on the 2023 Pan American Games which is the second-largest sporting event in the world down in Chile. Plus the ICF in Thailand will be another massive event to be at and finally defending my world title on the APP world tour. Canât wait to be on the road traveling doing what I love.â
Michael Booth â Australia
SUP Race
Since winning his first ISA World Title in 2016 in Fiji, after years of watersports competitions representing his country in Surf Life Saving, Sprint Kayaking, Surfski and SUP, âBoothyâ has won 5 more world titles in SUP racing, including 2 ICF World titles in 2022.
Michael Booth: âââFrom the beginning, Starboard was the brand with which I wanted to be partnered. They are constantly pushing the envelope of what is possible with technology and design. Starboard creates winners and Iâm fortunate to be one of them. Canât wait for another amazing year of competition, coaching and design with the best brand in the sport. The upcoming 2023 season will see me racing more in Europe and America, more camps and clinics and just having fun on the water. I canât wait to see what is going to happen. Iâm hungrier than ever!â
NoĂŻc Garioud â France
SUP Race
Since taking the SUP racing world by storm and winning top international races from the age of 16, including 12 Towers and the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge, French New-Caledonian SUP racer has been one of the most exciting SUP racers to watch evolve. Now 20 years old, the 2 x 2021 ICF SUP World Champion (Sprint & Technical) is hungrier than ever to take back his world titles in 2023 after suffering a knee injury which put him out for much of the 2022 season.
Daniel Hasulyo â Hungary
SUP Race, R&D
2018 ISA Technical Race World champion Daniel Hasuly0, is also known for having dominated many ultra-distance events. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, where the Starboard Headquarters are located, Danielâs role with Starboardâs R&D has been growing over the years.
Daniel Hasulyo: âAfter close to 2 decades of cooperation, the growth of a colourful sport that allowed me, and many of my close friends to grow as a family, I can say, that I am a Dream Team rider that not only competes but is also deeply proud and dedicated to the creation of the best and fastest race SUP boards in the world. I feel that it is my mission to spread the same stoke that lit my fire among the communities of South East Asia for the love of the elements and keep living the search of infinite adventures and the joy of discovering new experiences.
This year is looking set to be one of the most exciting years of my life â I feel truly fueled up. There is a clash of generations, and a lot of motivation to succeed and I believe we have the best equipment we have ever created. The ICF World Champs in Pattaya will be where I am most comfortable; beautiful, hot and humid Thailand. This race will be my biggest priority to build around. My focus will be on all major Asian Races, the APP World Tour and the two ICF and ISA World Championships. In terms of goals for 2023, my vision is very clear. I want to win the ICF World Title and will do everything it takes to succeed.â
Benoit Carpentier â France
Surf, Longboard, Prone Longboard, Foil, Wingfoil
26-year-old French athlete Benoit Carpentier is the current APP & ISA Sup Surf World champion. He also holds several French and European titles in SUP Surfing & Longboarding and Prone Longboarding.
Benoit Carpentier: âStarboard is the best SUP brand in the world and Iâm so happy to have been chosen by them years ago and to now have the opportunity to work with them. 2023 is looking intense and exciting with many big events on the map and my titles to defend!â
Zane Schweitzer â USA
Surf, Foil, Wingfoil, Big Wave
As a multi-sport waterman, Maui-born-and-bred Zane Kekoa Schweitzer has been a pioneer in the evolution Performance SUP Surfing, Foilsurfing, Wingfoiling and Big Wave Surfing. Some of Zaneâs notable achievements include being 2x Ultimate Waterman (8 Sport Ocean Competition), ISA SUP Surf World Champion, IWT Big Wave World Champion (Windsurf), 7x APP World Tour Event Champion (SUP), 5x Master Of The Ocean (4 Sport Ocean Competition).
Zane: âI grew up surfing and chasing waves and wind, and I feel so lucky to be able to make a career out of something I love,â says Schweitzer. âBut itâs not just about surfing and windsurfing for me, itâs also about giving back to the ocean and making sure we protect it for future generations. With my relentless pursuit of dreams, experience and success, I want to uplift the people and my environment around me.â
Riki Horikoshi â Japan
SUP Surf
Riki is a professional shortboard & SUP surfer, and has been the Japanese SUP Surf Champion for several years. Riki runs a surf school with his family.
Bart de Zwart â Netherlands
Ultra-Marathon, Expedition, Team Manager
Bart de Zwart, has been Starboardâs Dream Team since 2017. Known as Mr. Endurance for his ultra-distance paddling, crossings, and expeditions all over the world, the Maui-based Dutch waterman has been part the Starboard dream team since 2010. Bart has won almost any SUP ultra-distance race there is, including the SUP 11 City Tour 4 times and the 2018 Yukon 1000 (as in miles!)
In 2022, SUP racer Esperanza Barreras won, among other achievements, the Long Distance European Championships title in Denmark, the Long Distance ICF World title in Poland, two silver medals in Long Distance and Technical Race at the ISA Worlds in Puerto Rico, two APP World Tour events as well as the Euro Tour title. With [âŠ]
âThese victories arenât done alone,â says Cameron Tripney, Junior Sprint World Champion and Starboard Team Rider, that has been dominating his local SUP racing scene in South Africa for a while now. And among some of the most memorable moments in our sport that truly embody this statement, was seeing Cameronâs Team celebrating his win [âŠ]
The wait has been longer than usual but it has been worth it! Starboardâs 2023 SUP Race Range is finally out after another very successful year for the Tiki brand with numerous world titles in many age categories and under different federations and competitions. Starboardâs 2023 All Star and Sprint boards won 7 gold medals [âŠ]
âThis year has been awesome and I am so grateful for all the support I have received! Thatâs why Iâve decided to do this giveaway and give back to my fantastic community of paddlers!â said Michael Booth, 6 x SUP World Champion, Starboard Dream Team Rider, Founder and Coach of BOOTH Training. TotalSUP caught up [âŠ]
[APP World Tour Press Release] Alicante SUP Open, the 5th and final stop of the APP World Tour is just days away and now the World Title is on the line. World Champions will be crowned this weekend at Playa del Postiguet, a venue that will provide a dramatic arena for the Worldâs best at the [âŠ]
This weekend 1,000 stand up paddlers from across the globe will gather in Franceâs capital city for the Worldâs annual largest Race, the Paris Nautic Paddle as well as the Paris SUP Open, Stop #4 of the APP SUP Race World Tour. With sub-zero temperatures and chaotic waters, this unrivaled race provides every year a [âŠ]
The 2022 Gran Canaria Pro Am Finals Day, first and only stop of the 2022 APP SUP Surf World Tour had it all. On day 4 and in front of a huge crowd at El Lloret, 17-year-old Kaede Inoue from Japan claimed the World Title on her debut on tour, only 3 days after winning [âŠ]