Boosting the SUP Culture: A Conversation with Chris Freeman of Black Project 

We’ve seen firsthand over the years what it takes to fuel the growth of SUP communities by raising the profile of the sport through high-calibre competitions that attract international athletes, while also keeping local talent engaged within the scene. 

This year, Chris Freeman, Co-Founder of Black Project, the Maui brand developing high-performance stand-up paddleboard fins and paddles— exemplified this by playing a pivotal role in the UK SUP scene through his support of the GBSUP national racing events, with a committed promise to help grow the series even further in 2025. 

Photos by Franck Berthuot (Annie Reickert) and Fishbowl Diaries (Chris Freeman)

We’re stoked to share the story of the Hawaii-based Founder who’s not only developing killer paddles, but is also deeply rooted in the windsurfing culture, with an extensive knowledge of both the local and global SUP scene, that benefits the riders and the sport itself. 

With razor-sharp focus and vision, Chris Freeman is one of the most influential founders and developers of high-performance gear in the industry, boasting a roster of the world’s top athletes with 40 World Titles so far, who consistently take home podium finishes. 

Black Project exudes a sense of “tribalism,” attracting a substantial following among aspiring paddlers which aligns with the brand’s philosophy of “bridging between elite level athletes from multiple genres and the wider paddling and sporting community”. 

Hi Chris, welcome to TotalSUP! Let’s dive right in… Could you tell us about your professional and sports background and your journey as a waterman?

Firstly, let’s not use the word ‘waterman’ I think that should be reserved for those athletes who have achieved far more in the ocean than I have.

It is my belief that much of the product and brand success has come from understanding paddlers, windsurfers, surfers and foilers of all levels and not just the elite. While I competed in various spells for a few decades, my insight and competitive edge is acting as a bridge between elite level athletes from multiple genres and the wider paddling and sporting community.

I started windsurfing at 5 years old in the early 80s, I raced in the UK as a kid and through most of my teens while juggling other sports and education, we didn’t have a lot of financial resources, so I was always looking to innovate, experiment and compete for the lowest possible cost. Fins have always been the easiest and most cost-effective way to enhance performance and change board characteristics so that was always a focus for me, getting as much as I could from my (somewhat inferior) racing equipment.

Hawaii was always calling and as soon as school exams were finished, I took the small amount of money I had saved, sold all my racing equipment and flew to Maui to challenge myself against the best both in terms of athletes and conditions – it was a transformational year but one which would end as I was committed to my education. I studied Economics at Swansea University, a place where I could windsurf and surf. (Notably Tristan Boxford and Chris were friends while at Swansea University, they windsurfed together on the Gower, and now are both leading figures in the sport of stand-up paddling).

Photo by Fishbowl Diaries | Black Project SUP

Years of juggling education, work, travel ensued, and after ten years teaching Economics and ‘commuting’ back to Maui, I decided that it was time to be in Hawaii full time. My good friend Tom Hammerton (a leading windsurfing sail designer and the brand’s Co-Founder)) and myself began talking about ideas and we started making windsurfing fins in 2010. I quit my job in Bahrain where I was Head of Economics and Business Studies at a leading international school – St Christopher’s School and flew to Maui to see what we could achieve; it was a total gamble. I worked alongside Tom, Jeff Henderson, and Glenn Haslbeck at Hot Sails Maui for a few years before taking Black Project full time in January 2014.

I am still (almost) as committed to the ocean now at 47 than I was at 18, but now it is what provides a sporting outlet and a career. Naturally the years have taken some toll, and my focus is now preserving my body for many years of watersports to come, I hope that I am longboarding in another 30 years’ time and for that to happen it will take luck, planning, and hard physical training.

For me paddling has been such a positive change in my life. Windsurfing (and other sports) was always stressful, I was competing, chasing success, trying to keep sponsors happy, but it was hard and mostly out of my reach, it was frustrating and stressful. Conversely, while I challenge myself physically and mentally with paddling whether be it on the race board or surfboard, I don’t feel the pressure and I am much happier, I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself.

I feel much freer to make mistakes and fail, and I think that has attributed to enhanced personal development and enabled me to keep trying to achieve more – maybe one day I would accept the reference of ‘waterman’ but today is not that day. After 42 years in the ocean, I still windsurf, paddle, and surf as often as I can, run 3-4 times per week and add Peloton, mobility, and weight sessions. As our lead tester, I must make sure I am physically able and have the skills needed to perform the role effectively.

Photo by Si Crowther

How did Black Project come to life? What inspired its creation?

Black Project was inspired by the desire to have the very best windsurfing fins to use in our own boards, Tom as doing a lot of speed sailing at the time, and I was more focused on waves.

We transitioned into stand-up paddling again out of a direct need, I wanted to go paddling, so I made myself a paddle. We were working in those innovative areas already with sails, fins, etc. and it made sense to use our skills to develop something that we wanted. I sold the first 25 paddles via a personal Facebook post to my friends.

What is the story behind the name “Black Project”?

The name itself was inspired by Tom’s somewhat reclusive nature and ‘black project’ is the informal term used to describe highly classified projects, which are not publicly acknowledged by governments or large corporations. Therefore, at the formation of the company it was Tom’s role to develop exceptional products and my role to share those with the community.

Who are the Black Project fins and paddles designed for? Could you walk us through your range?

We’ve made products for all paddlers, but we tend to find that people gravitate to Black Project when they decide that stand-up paddling is ‘their’ sport or chosen pastime, sometimes this happens early their paddling journey and sometimes later. Black Project is rarely somebody’s first paddle but often their second. More recently it feels like we have a growing number of people bypassing the recreational phase and jumping straight into performance race boards and paddles.

This past 12 months the most popular products have been race paddles (by a long way), surf paddles, and foil specific paddles. You will see that we make products which are very specific to certain applications, this is by design and helps to take out some of the confusion when making purchasing decisions. If you SUP surf, then buy the paddle designed specifically for SUP surfing – the Surge, if you enjoy downwind SUP foiling, buy the FoilX. There is not one size fits all, the right paddle makes a huge difference to your enjoyment and progress in the sport. We are driven to make products which win on the world stage, so far, our athletes have amassed 40 World Titles (across both SUP surfing and SUP racing), and we hope that this number will increase significantly before the end of 2024.

Donato Freens and Arthur Arutkin with the Hydro SynergyX Paddle and Blue Ewer with the Hydro SprintX | Photo by Si Crowther

By far our #1 selling paddle this year is the Hydro SynergyX a paddle developed over a 2-year period, in collaboration with Arthur Arutkin, Seychelle, Blue Ewer, Christian Anderson, and our wider team, this accounts for approximately 37% of all sales in terms of units and more than 50% of our revenue, so when people tell me that SUP racing is dead, I politely smile and either walk away or change the subject. This is the paddle you will see many of our team using but it also has a very wide appeal amongst paddlers looking for the very best in terms of quality and performance for touring, fitness and racing. We have also made a version of this paddle for Infinity.

The Hydro SprintX paddle was developed specifically for short distance, sprinting, and technical racing, it was never really designed for wide appeal but has a cult following and is a fantastic paddle for paddlers who love high cadence and instant power, which is attributed in part to its lower aspect design. This paddle represents about 9% of sales (by QTY). If you know, you know.

Ginnie Betts using the Hydro SprintX Paddle | Photo by Si Crowther

The Surge was upgraded for the 2024 season and has been in the collection for a few years now, this has become the go to surf paddle for many SUP surfers of all levels, being lighter, more agile, smaller, more flexible, etc. it was designed to improve your surfing and is a pleasure to use. We also make a version of this paddle for Infinity called the Quick Strike and have also made it for other brands. This is our number 2 selling paddle this year accounting for 13% of sales, not including any we make for other brands.

Bernd Roediger using the Surge Paddle | Photo by Franck Berthuot

The new FoilX launched recently has quickly jumped into the #3 spot for 2024, sales have greatly outstripped expectations and production, we are now finally catching up and it has been great to see the evolution of foiling these past few years. In a short time, this has accounted for 11% of all paddles sold and we’ll see that increase and challenge the Surge in the months ahead.

Photo by Franck Berthuot

These are just a few of the paddles we offer, check out our website to view the full collection for 2024/2025.

Jeffrey Spencer using the FoilX Paddle | Photo by Franck Berthuot

What can you tell us about the new Black Project Hydro SynergyX which launched in 2024?

The Hydro SynergyX took two years to develop, was the costliest to develop, and is the most expensive paddle ever released (by any brand), yet it is by far the #1 selling paddle in the collection – it is good, very good!

Featuring AFT, our now familiar 3D design (which many have tried to copy) and combined with a moderate power scoop, this paddle is fine-tuned for middle- and long-distance racing, training, and fitness. We wanted a higher cadence paddle and reduced the depth of the pocket while narrowing the entry compared with our earlier Hydro FlowX race paddle.

Annabel Page | Photo by Si Crowther

The Hydro SynergyX introduced our new REACT+ technology and uses some new materials (which we have not disclosed to protect our IP) to create the optimal weight and flex.

A huge part of the performance of this paddle is down to the new Tour Carbon shaft series, this double tapered (round/oval/round) design keeps power where you need it, the profile enhances grip and paddle control, while the more flexible round upper section gives relief and protection to sore shoulders.

We set out to build the next generation of super paddles enabling athletes to paddle faster for longer and outlast their competition – the Hydro SynergyX is that paddle.

Bastian Grimm | Photo by Si Crowther

You’re actively supporting GBSUP, the UK’s SUP race series, and collaborating with England-based Paddle Logger. Could you tell us why, and what are your plans for expanding Black Project’s presence in the UK?

The UK is one of our biggest markets historically (about 10% of global sales) and where both Tom and I were born so it is particularly close to our hearts.

We have been a supporter of the work of GBSUP for many years and this year we decided that they needed more financial and marketing support to enable them to foster further development of the race scene. We want to provide opportunities for UK-based athletes to have competitive racing and help prepare them for international success.

Blue Ewer | Photo by Si Crowther

We already have an agreement in place to be the title sponsor for 2025 and (you heard it here first) will continue that through at least the 2026 season. We aim to raise the profile of UK races and that is why we invited several star paddlers to the Black Project Battle of the Bay which became the most competitive race in UK history, next year we will continue this work and provide opportunities for athletes across more events.

Paddle Logger is a great app, Dave Walker (the brand’s Founder) and I have become friends over the past several years thanks to a common love of paddling and numbers. I love the science behind sport. The recording and analyzing of data provide essential information to evaluate product performance. Working closely with Paddle Logger is great and I would love a Black Project Paddling app in the future built on the PL infrastructure recording both athlete and equipment data, there is a lot more we can do with tech enabled devices to further develop product and enhance training.

Photo by Si Crowther

How do you decide on and support the Black Project Pro Athlete Team? What key aspects do you focus on?

We have a few tiers in our team structure, and all are important, from regionally supported athletes via our retail partners all the way up to the top of the pyramid with a few financially compensated athletes. Black Project is a very small company with extremely limited financial resources so don’t think anyone is making a living from being part of the team, we just help where we can and as funds permit. The most important role of the team is to help develop industry-leading products.

We have been lucky to work with some of the most influential paddlers over the past decade and while some have retired, are no longer active, or now represent other brands, their collective input is highly valued and extremely important. Thanks to Sonni Hönscheid, Fiona Wylde, Bart de Zwart, Zane Schweitzer, Daniel Hasulyo, Leo Nika, Oliva Piana, Connor Baxter, Rai Taguchi, Christian Anderson and Jade Howsen to name just a few who have been an integral part of Black Project’s development.

To make it to the top and be a Pro Athlete (ones which are paid) then you have to be an outstanding paddler (probably already a World Champion) but more than that you need to offer something else, and I think that might be the biggest takeaway for any aspirational athlete, it simply is not good enough just to win, that alone does not generate a return on investment, take these examples.

Bernd Roediger – one of the best all round watermen of this generation, highly underrated and underfunded, this guy was winning on the global stage as a teenager and many years later he has such a wealth of experience with equipment, media, and ocean conditions that he is a great asset to our team, but more than that, he was our paddle builder and in charge of shipping from Maui for the best part of two years while also testing products and appearing in photoshoots.

Photo by Franck Berthuot

Arthur Arutkin, a proven world champion, multi-sport athlete, who is fanatically about product and development, spends months on Maui and is always in our workshop making new paddles and spends countless hours testing on the water. He often looks after the house while I am away and has become a cherished friend and someone I go to for advice.

Arthur Arutkin | Photo by Si Crowther

Seychelle needs no induction, one of the most influential paddlers amongst the currently active paddlers, a true professional who is not only just focused on race results but the business of paddling, retreats, training, nutrition etc.

Donato Freens, the newest member of the elite group and we have been following his progress for a few years. Dedicated to paddling and performance but also humble and willing to help the business in any way he can. He has already influenced product development, and we fully expect that he’ll play a bigger role in the future, right now he is focused on winning titles, but also on his academic studies.

On a special note, to all young athletes, we will always put education over paddling!

Thank you Chris! We’re looking forward to catching up with your Team in Sarasota and at future UK events!

Photo by Si Crowther

To learn more about Black Project visit blackprojectsup.com

Follow the brand on social media: Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

*Images courtesy Black Project SUP