Paddle power to the kids and junior athletes at the 2024 Belgian SUP Tour: Interview with Joep van Bakel

In the run up to the 2024 Belgian SUP Tour (BST) kicking off in April, TotalSUP caught up with Joep van Bakel, 2023 ICF World Long Distance SUP Champion, prodigious waterman and a pro SUP athlete with a knack for long distance races, based in Wormer, the Netherlands.

Advocating for the growth of our sport and advancing the junior SUP division, Joep not only shares an insight into his family-focused, selective approach to SUP racing events but a heartwarming story of his boys’ – Mylo and Tije – entry into the competitive side of the sport that can easily translate into a blueprint of attracting and keeping engaged the next gen of SUP athletes.

Hi Joep, welcome to TotalSUP. Is there anything you can’t do in watersports? Canoeing from a super young age and competing on a Championship level, world titles in SUP racing, ultra-endurance paddling, killing it at wing & downwind SUP foiling to name just few activities… What drives you to excel in all these disciplines?

Hi Anna, first of all thanks for the compliment and for the invitation for this interview. Yes, I’m active in many disciplines and love the diversity and the challenges that every single one brings. It’s not that I plan to take on new sports but from time to time I see something new that I would love to try. And the disciplines I already control on a certain level I like them so much that I don’t want to quit them. When I get into a new discipline I really enjoy every single session. After each session there is progression and the diversity keeps me motivated. Many years ago I focused on a single sport but nowadays I try to get the best out of every discipline. It’s never bad weather anymore 😉

You combine travelling and competing… I watched the LIVE stream from the GBSUP Cardiff SUP race where you completely dominated the field leaving everyone in speechless… Then I saw you at Planet Baltic in Poland where you and your sons, Mylo and Tije, competed. What makes you select particular SUP racing events?

My family is bound to the school holidays because my boys go to school and my wife and I work at a school. So we are privileged to spend every single weekend and school holiday together, sharing our passion for sports and travelling. So for the weekends we go to almost every SUP and kayak competition that’s on a few hours driving distance away from us. Every school holiday we try to make a tour with several competitions. We just check the national race calendar on supnl.org and the international race calendar and then make a travel and race plan.

It’s always great to go to competitions you haven’t been before and to the ones that have been fantastic in previous years. We focus on the events that also put effort on the kids competitions, if there is a race where they have things well organised for kids and young riders we absolutely try to go there. The Lake Rocks Festival in Austria is a great example of a great organised international race that’s not just fantastic weekend for adults but also for young riders. That’s besides of the Belgian SUP Tour (BST) / SUPNL that will be our next big race.

Could you tell us more about your boys entering the competitive side of the sport and your journey as a SUP family?

Mylo, my oldest son who is eleven, has done also different sports like rugby and free running. I’ve never talked or pushed my boys into SUP and kayaking but they’ve been growing up seeing what I do and how much I enjoy it. Mylo was about three when he wanted to try a SUP board he was four when he paddled his first SUP race.

Mylo van Bakel

Tije followed in his footsteps and started paddling even before he could swim 😉 If there would have been a SUP Club in the region where kids could train my boys would have joined it. Unfortunately there isn’t such thing close to home and always paddling with your dad isn’t as much fun as paddling with other kids. So I decided to invite some of Mylo’s friends to paddle with us on a weekly basis. That all started from our home but using our small garden as a board storage and our living room as changing room wasn’t ideal so I decided to take the next step.

Tije van Bakel

With the help from Fanatic SUP Benelux and Kayak Club, The Zwetplassers, I started the ZP SUP Kids at that kayak club. So from that moment on it wasn’t just me, my boys and a few friends but we have a club where kids can start with SUP paddling. Nowadays my boys train there with other young paddlers. Together with other volunteers we organise paddle sessions for SUP kids three times a week during the season but also in Winter we paddle twice a week.

As soon as the kids start at our club they step into the competitive side of the SUP sport. The goal with the ZP SUP Kids is “a playful way towards competitive sport” so we always start with a nice fun warm up and also training sessions on the water are full of playful exercises and games. That way it’s fun already at a very young age.

Based on your SUP experience, what’s the secret to keeping young SUP athletes excited about the sport? And what’s missing on the SUP scene to support the growth of junior division?

There are several things really important to get kids excited and especially keep them excited about the sport. First of all, the sport of stand-up paddleboarding needs to be accessible for as many people as possible. So we need clubs where kids can train that are not commercial. And if they start with SUP racing they need to have access to affordable boards that are suited for racing and adjusted to their size. When you have a group of young riders that come to the training sessions you should go to (local) competitions with them. That way they will get the feeling and the vibe of the SUP community and form a group of friends.

At this moment I think there aren’t enough non-commercial clubs where kids can train with race minded Coaches. We are also missing race rules for young riders on an international level. When kids start with our lovely sport at a young age on an affordable inflatable race board and do really well and go to a race where other young kids are racing on expensive hardboards which are much faster they lose interest because there is no fair competition. So to support the growth of junior divisions we should get international rules for junior racing that keep the sport affordable and fair at a young age.

In the Netherlands and in Belgium we have the rule that all kids up to 14 years of age race on 12,6 inflatable boards and juniors at 15 and up race the 14 foot hardboards. That way we keep the sport affordable and fair for kids that want to start SUP racing and if you’re into it and get to the junior division, you’re ready to really commit to the sport and buy yourself the best 14 foot race board that you can use for many years to come. Apart from that every race should include a race for each age group and take it seriously. So also for the really young riders.

Let’s jump to the Belgian SUP Tour (BST) – The 2024 pipeline of races looks impressive! What’s unique about this event series?

It’s not just the Belgian SUP Tour (BST) anymore and this year there will be a collaboration with the Dutch SUPNL organisation. A Belgian-Dutch classification (BNST) with three Dutch heats and three Belgian heats. The four best results will be taken into account for the final ranking.

On top of  that there still is the Belgian SUP Tour (BST) ranking as in 2023 with eight Belgian races of which the 6 best results will be taken into account. The three Belgian BNST manches also count for this BST ranking.

In all competitions in the Netherlands and in Belgium there is a special focus kids and juniors. We have age groups for kids on 12.6 inflatable boards, under 10, 11-12, 13-14. And the junior class on 14 foot hardboards, age 15-16 and 17-18. They have a race in each event and their own ranking.

Have you decided which stops of the Belgian SUP Tour (BST) you’ll be taking part in?

Together with my boys I will go to as many BNST and BST competitions as possible. At least two in the Netherlands and two in Belgium so we join the BNST ranking. But the plan is to paddle all six stops because if you paddle those six stops that are included in the BNST you have joined the best events available in these two countries.

Our first race stop will be on the 13 April at the “Rondje Haarlem”, a real Dutch classic 20 KM race around the beautiful city of Haarlem. On the 22 June I organise the “ZP SUP CUP” in Wormer, also one off the stops of the BNST. We’re really looking forward to a new season full of racing.

What racing formats will you be competing in at the Belgian SUP Tour (BST)? They have a solid mix including ultra long distance!

The diversity in the race tour makes it great for every type of paddler, my personal favourite is the ultra long distance because that’s what I do best 😉 But I’m travelling with my family and Mylo and Tije love technical racing. We always compete in all formats and really like it when they organise several formats in one race day or weekend. At the ZP SUP CUP we do all formats in one day, starting with the sprint, than the technical race to finish the day with a long distance.

Belgian SUP Tour (BST) runs dedicated kids and junior races during the tour – What Mylo and Tije like the most about the Tour? 😊

For them it’s not just about the race, what they like most is the whole vibe around the competitions. They do focus on the race and want to paddle the best they can but also playing with friends on and off water is what makes it great. It’s spending time with like-minded youngsters. Playing, racing and cheering for each other.

Could you tell us more about your collaboration with SUNOVA?

To grow our lovely sport and get more young riders we need brands that are willing to invest in the future of our sport. Brands that have the best gear on the market and are willing to do more for young riders. At my club I use the Fanatic Young Blood SUP boards for the kids because they are designed specifically for them. It’s the best way to get them into our sport in an affordable way and to make sure they enjoy it just as much as I do 😉.

At a certain age, skill level and body weight kids want to make that next step into sup racing. To feel the glide, speed and control of a hardboard that is specially made for your body and skill level. So for the past years I’ve been looking for the best brand on the market and Mylo & Tije have tested several boards that supposed to be for kids.

There was only one brand that had it all and was willing to invest in the future. A team that can build Faast boards that are perfect for young riders. Boards that not to heavy and can be adjusted to a width these riders need. A team that’s willing to do all this with passion for the sport and where I can share my experience. That team is the SUNOVA T(ogether) E(verybody) A(chieves) M(ore).

Where Fanatic does a great job in producing the best inflatable boards for kids, SUNOVA does everything for this group as soon as they grow out of the inflatable class. That’s why I started our collaboration with SUNOVA. Their boards are Faast, Light and extremely stable. They have a great range of boards they have also adjusted to smaller sizes so they suit my boys like a glove 😉

In the upcoming season I will race on the 14×21 SUNOVA Flatwater Faast Pro Elite and Mylo and Tije will race the same board in a 19” version that’s even lighter than my board. And they will use the SUNOVA Allwater Faast Pro Elite 14×20 version, just perfect for the choppy conditions on our Dutch lakes and ocean. These boards are just amazing for everybody who wants to enjoy the water and for those who are not convinced they should test them. Please contact me or one of my SUNOVA team mates or the Kanocentrum Arjan Bloem to test SUNOVA boards.

Final question – What’s the most raddest thing about our sport?

The community, the vibe, the friends and the travelling!

Thank you for your time Joep and wishing you and your family a smashing SUP season!

Photo by Georgia Schofield | ICF Worlds 2023

To find out more about the Belgian SUP Tour (BST), visit belgiansuptour.be

Follow Belgian SUP Tour on Facebook and Instagram

Follow Joep von Bakel on Instagram 

*Images courtesy of Joep van Bakel