From South Africa to International SUP Stage: Chiara Vorster’s Rise as a Pro Athlete and Sports Advocate

You couldn’t miss her: Chiara Vorster, on her SUNOVA board, navigating some of the toughest SUP racing conditions with ease and determination. The National Junior SUP Champ (2019 – 2024) from Lamberts Bay, South Africa, broke onto the global scene with bold conviction, showing the SUP world she’s not just passing through. Whether it’s smashing through ocean swells or taking on elite competition, Chiara has made it clear she’s here to stay.

Chiara on her way for the win of the 2024 Skrea Strand Paddlerace in Sweden | Photo by Morten Bruhn

Chiara who has just turned 18, is making her mark well beyond competitive SUP racing. She is a passionate advocate for the sport in South Africa and the founder of Project Sunwave, a non-profit organization based in Lambert’s Bay. The initiative focuses on teaching water safety and creating a supportive environment for at-risk youth. Through Project Sunwave, Chiara is dedicated to sharing her love for stand-up paddling while empowering young people to find confidence and purpose on the water.

TotalSUP caught up with Chiara to chat about her standout year in SUP racing, her passion-driven mission, and the local South African SUP scene – exploring both the challenges and the unique opportunities that have shaped her journey as an athlete and advocate.

Photo by Samuel Tome

Massive congratulations on your amazing season! You’ve taken on some massive challenges such as the Freedom Race and 2024 Okinawa to Yoron Ocean Downwind race. What drives these decisions and motivates you to take on these tough challenges?

Thank you! 2024 was definitely a special year of paddling for me. I had the opportunity to take part in the Freedom Paddle, an iconic 27 km race in Cape Town, and set the record as the first woman to complete it on SUP. The Okinawa to Yoron Downwind race was a trip of a lifetime and let me push myself to my limits.

The major reason why I love the sport of stand up paddling is the connection to the ocean and the elements. As paddlers, we have no control over the conditions that come at us – only how we respond to them. The conditions in South Africa always make sure that I work to keep up with them. The joy of overcoming an uncontrollable challenge is what, I think, motivates me and will continue to do so. I am also lucky to be surrounded by a surfski paddling community in South Africa that keeps pushing the boundaries and inspires me to reflect that ethos in my stand up paddling adventures.

Why competitive SUP?

I have always liked to put my best foot forward. To be the best that I can be in all aspects of life. I was introduced to SUP via a family friend, who was a very active part of the local community of SUP. Watching others compete at local events and practising race-ready buoy turns was the match to the spark. I had not even stood up properly on a board but I knew that ‘that’ was what I wanted to learn how to do. Intrigue gradually grew into motivation to get better and better and I was lucky to be guided by great mentors through each phase of my paddling development.

Kit Beaton, a local prone paddling legend, took me under his wing when I was 12 years old. He introduced me to downwinding, accompanied me every time I went on the iconic Millers Run for two years, and taught me pretty much all I know about ocean paddling. I am very grateful for Kit. Looking back now, I cannot believe how much he gave to me, his time and support and kindness. He found me my first passion and guided me towards competitive paddling in a very healthy and inspiring way. I think many of us can stop and reflect how we got to where we are, who supported us and gave us that push when we needed it.

Photo by Samuel Tome

Could you tell us more about your local SUP scene? Both recreationally and as a place for competitive sport?

What once was a thriving race community has dramatically decreased here in South Africa.
Affordability was a major reason why people stopped taking their paddling further competitively. The local market was very competitive and prices were increased further and further until people were not able to enter the SUP scene. Purchasing a board was a big investment and the people already in the community were not able to feasibly continue into a more competitive scene.

Our recreational community has been growing slowly year after year. Stand-up paddling has become a popular holiday activity with easily accessible inflatable SUPs designed for touring. However, public awareness of the sport is very low and with little to no community outreach (events, demonstrations, club level sport) it is very hard for people to come by the sport. There are a handful of people working very hard through SUPSA to give life to the sport again.

I have recently started a Non-Profit Company, Project Sunwave, working with kids aged 6-17 to teach water safety and introduce them to stand-up addling. I have been driven by the large number of kids who are so excited to learn about SUP and are practising almost everyday with us to get better. It makes me so happy to share my passion and knowledge of something that I have dedicated the last couple of years to. This is an initiative that I can do as an individual, and I hope will develop our junior athletes of the sport – as they are the future.

What challenges do South African SUP athletes face in terms of training, access to equipment, or competition?

We may be small in numbers but I am proud to say that South African SUP athletes are all very talented and motivated to be the best in the world. We do face many challenges to be able to start with the best in the world. Coaching, healthy competition, travelling, and equipment. There are no local coaches for stand-up paddleboarding and all of us work with international coaches through online training. Working day to day without the input of a coach onsite is a challenge – one that can be overcome with determination- but a challenge nonetheless.

It is close to impossible to reach your full potential by training by yourself all of the time. Training with a close competitive group or racing is crucial to reaching the next level, and going overseas is the only way for us to achieve that. Like many other countries, South Africa has no support for paddling sports and everything is self funded. The exchange rate makes it very difficult to self fund travels; we are at a disadvantage before we even start.

Access to boards is inordinately slim. The local board market consists of a small number of race boards, which were brought into South Africa many years ago, being recycled. The costs associated with bringing in new boards from the other side of the world and the associated high exchange rate makes it extremely expensive. Board sponsors are the only way to keep up with the highest level of sport. However, this hinders any athletes working their way to the top and basically cuts off any future interest in taking the sport to a competitive level.

International tours, training and even representation at World Championships is a fine financial balancing act. I believe this impacts the number of athletes that represent South Africa, the number of opportunities to race against the best, and overall affects the level at which athletes can perform. I wish I had an easy solution for current South African athletes. Unfortunately, this problem spans across the majority of all sports in South Africa. Financial support is very limited. The development of a competitive community, made up of the more accessible iSUPs, looks to be the only prospect of a future with new athletes.

You’ve made a strong entrance into the international SUP racing scene—what has been the key to your early success?

Thank you! I took my first small step into international competition at the ICF World Championships in Balatonfured, Hungary in 2021. I started my competitive SUP paddling when I was 13 years old. I soon started to work with coaches that were able to guide my goals from the beginning. At my first competition at the ICF SUP World Championships in 2021, I was the youngest junior girl competing and the high level of international paddling was inspiring.

My time spent with the ORKA Squad was incredibly beneficial to how I approach my Stand Up Paddling. I was lucky to train for two years in one of the best elite surfski clubs in the world. To be surrounded by multiple world champions daily, witnessing their hard work and dedication shaped me as an athlete.

Photo by Morten Bruhn

How did you approach the challenges of competing against some of the top paddlers in the world?

Coming from not competing against my peers in the sport, I do think the change is challenging. A lot of race skills come only by putting in the time in that environment. I was able to start building my ‘tool box’ at my first races on the EuroTour last year, Battle for Hercules and World SUP Festival. Every lesson you learn from a race is a new tool for you to be able to use in the future.

I think coming as a ‘newbie’, you put a lot of pressure on yourself to have your one opportunity to prove yourself, and it can be difficult to not always achieve what you set out to do. Putting your accomplishments into perspective is important to help you stay motivated when stepping up a competitive level. Each race experience is guiding you forward to where you want to be. Every obstacle is an opportunity.

What has been the most surprising aspect of racing on the international stage so far?

Unlike other sports, I found SUP to be an incredibly welcoming community, regardless of where you go. You can travel across the world, not speak the same language, and yet connect through our love for water and the sport. We speak a common language. That is very special, and I hope others experience the same thing. I have made some great friends from all over the world through my racing in SUP. Competitive sport can be ‘cliquey’ and it was more than a pleasant surprise to find that it’s not the norm for SUP.

You’ve been using the SUNOVA boards nearly all season. How has been your experience with the board in different conditions and race formats?

At the beginning of the year, I chose to use the SUNOVA Allround FaastPro for my Freedom Paddle, which was loaned to me by SUNOVA South Africa’s representative, Grant Renacle. He has kindly let me use two of the SUNOVA race boards to train on for a few months prior. Handling the wild water that gets thrown at you in Cape Town, I found that the Allround is one of the best boards to use. I also opted for a wider board for stability.

I am very grateful to have had support from Union Paddlers for my European racing, and used the SUNOVA Flatwater Faast Pro 14×21”. I found it to be perfect for the European ocean conditions. It is super light, holds its line really well for sprinting and long distances, and can handle a fair bit of wind chop too. As a smaller paddler, I find the SUNOVA boards great to use for their light weight and easy manageability.

Photo by Samuel Tome

Since using the SUNOVA board, has it become your go-to choice for future competitions?

SUNOVA is one of the best board brands out there, for sure, but I do believe in trying different boards for different conditions. The NSP Ninja has a special place in my heart for Technical Races, for its quick and tight turning and low volume. Recently, the ONESUP ProX 14×22” has become my go to for long distance paddling in the conditions at home. It is super stable, versatile, and has such a unique design that it is really intriguing to use everyday.

The SUNOVA ocean boards, like the Allround FAAST Pro, are at another level in open ocean conditions. They will be my go-to for all open ocean racing. I am grateful for having the opportunity to use many different boards, to build what I think works for me, and to have support from many people in order to do so.

Photo by Samuel Tome

What’s next for you in the international SUP racing scene, and what goals are you aiming for next?

My 2024 racing season ended at the ISA World Championships in Copenhagen earlier in the year. Unfortunately, I arrived home with a disastrous cold and was down in bed, very sick, for almost a month. I have started my recovery now but the time off meant that my ICF plans were cancelled for this year. Such is life, and it has given me a good time to reflect and look forward to what I want to achieve in my paddling career.

Starting Project Sunwave, my NPC, has furthered my urge to share SUP and the ocean with new youth. Growing the program is a large goal of mine. Inspiring kids and helping them to develop their ‘toolbox’ is my next step as a paddler.

My long term goal is a World Title. I believe in setting my aspirations high in order to truly push myself. I trust I am on a path to keep improving and building towards this goal.

2025 is outlined to be a busy year for me. Finishing a chapter in my education is due, I have my A Levels to complete before beginning tertiary education in 2026. 3 international races are on my calendar, in between studies and numerous exams. It will be my first year of senior racing and I cannot wait!

Photo by Samuel Tome

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Chiara. Wishing you continued success and incredible achievements in the year ahead!

Learn more about the new SUNOVA Allround Faast Pro

To find out more about SUNOVA, visit sunovasurfboards.com

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Follow Chiara Vorster and her Project Sunwave initiative on Instagram

*Images courtesy of Chiara Vorster