The Polar Bear Chronicles #1: Mexico – Introducing Christian Andersen’s SUP travel series

As the SUP racing season draws to a close – or just before it begins – curiosity builds around the athletes followed so closely: where they go, how they train, and what fills the space between competitions. The Polar Bear Chronicles lifts the lid, offering a glimpse into that world beyond the start line.

TotalSUP is stoked to welcome a two-time SUP World Champion, multiple-time European Champion and NSP Team rider Christian Andersen – better known as “Polar Bear” – as a guest writer. Through his new series, The Polar Bear Chronicles, Christian takes readers on a unique journey across continents, sharing experiences, reflections, and discoveries from the road.

This is Christian’s story…

2025 was the best year of my life, both personally and as an athlete. After more than a decade of competing in Europe every summer, I achieved everything I had been chasing. Every goal, every milestone, I checked them all off. For the first time, I found myself asking a different question: what’s next?

This year, I chose something different. Instead of returning to Europe to defend my European SUP League (ESL) title, I set out on a new path, one built around exploration, not repetition. I wanted a new challenge, a new environment, a chance to experience the sport beyond the places I’ve always known.

This year, I’ll be traveling across North America, discovering new communities, new events, and the people who shape this sport in different corners of the world. I’ll be documenting the journey along the way, sharing a new chapter each month.

This is Chapter One: Mexico.

Photos by Brooklyn Shaw, Mexico 2026

Four Months in Mexico

I don’t remember the last time I spent four months in one place. Life in Mexico feels simple. People aren’t as caught up in stress or constant pressure, and there’s an ease to daily life that’s hard to find elsewhere. Every morning on the walk down to the water, kids are already outside playing, and people move through their day with a sense of calm.

Punta de Mita, where I’ve been staying, is a breeding ground for humpback whales. Each season, they migrate here from colder northern waters to mate and give birth in the warm, protected ocean.

Almost every time we paddled, we saw whales, breaching, swimming, sometimes surfacing right next to us. On some mornings, we would paddle miles offshore, sit on our boards, and watch as whale families with their calves surfaced beside us, so close it felt like we could reach out and touch them.

My favorite place to paddle was a point about two kilometers from where we were staying. You can’t drive there; there’s no road. The only access is from the water. On a race board, it’s a 15-minute paddle to a perfect right-hand point break, easily one of my favorite waves.

I’ve surfed on waves there that went for over 800 meters. Some of the best sessions of my life have been at that point.
Finding a proper gym wasn’t easy. We ended up training on old, rusty pull-up bars next to an outdoor boxing ring, no machines, no weights, just whatever you could make of it.

I always travel with resistance bands, and together with the pull-up bars, it was enough to get solid strength work in.
Mexico has reminded me why I love paddling.

After the 2025 season, I took three months off. I was burned out and needed it. Getting back into training wasn’t easy, but it reminded me how much I missed it.

Out here, I found an incredible community. We paddled and surfed almost every day, and time on the water with people I care about has become the best part of my routine. I stopped looking at my watch. No strict intervals, no pressure, just time on the water.

And somehow, after four months, I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. Even after all the tacos.

Photos by Brooklyn Shaw, Mexico 2026

Race Day in Sayulita

I’ve always loved competing. It’s where all the training comes together. When I was younger, the first race of the season came with pressure. What kind of shape am I in? Did I train enough? Those questions would follow me all the way to the start line.

Nowadays, my mind is free and clear, and I’m always ready to race and win. The first race of the season is about learning, understanding where I’m at, and what I need to improve. The season is long, running from March to November. There’s time to get better.

So even if the first race doesn’t go perfectly, it doesn’t feel heavy. That mindset changes everything. It brings a sense of calm going into races. No pressure, just being present and doing what I’ve done so many times before, which is my favorite way to race.

In Sayulita, everything came together. I won both the technical and long-distance races. But the result isn’t what stayed with me. What matters is that I left with clarity, knowing exactly what I need to work on as the season unfolds.

Photo by Mario De Leon, Mexico 2026

Back on the Road: Heading North

Tomorrow, I leave Mexico after four unforgettable months.

Together with my friend Dan Miller and his husky, Arrow, we’re starting a road trip north from Mexico, through the United States, and all the way to Canada.

Next month’s chapter will follow the journey: from +30°C heat to -10°C cold, racing in Vancouver, and an altitude training camp along the way.

Thanks for being part of the journey.

Photos by Brooklyn Shaw, Mexico 2026

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