Eri Tenório: A Starboard season across the Americas – and what comes next

Eri Tenório has been making plenty of noise on the other side of the Atlantic this season. Fresh from a clean sweep at Lowcountry PaddleFest on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – taking the wins in Sprint, Technical Race and Long Distance – the Brazilian has been building an impressive run of results across the US. His focus may have shifted away from the European SUP circuit this year, but the results suggest he has been anything but quiet.

Eri has been travelling extensively across the Americas, consistently finding his way onto the podium, while also adding another Brazilian National Championship title to his collection in June, winning both the Sprint and Technical Race.

With a new chapter now in full swing following Eri’s signing with Starboard, we caught up with him to talk about the move, his racing across the Americas, what has been behind his strong run of results this season, and what remains on the agenda for the months ahead.

And with the ICF World SUP Championships in Italy approaching, there is plenty of interest in seeing which of the Americas’ top paddlers will make the trip and line up on the world stage. Eri told us ahead of the interview that the championships remained on his radar for the second half of the season, although he had yet to make firm plans to attend.

Hi Eri, welcome back to TotalSUP! You opened the year with a phenomenal result, taking Silver at the Pan American Championships.

I was really happy with my result even though we work hard to get to the highest spot on the podium. I was super stoked for my teammate Gui dos Reis for getting us the gold closing out the Brazilian Team in a good shape on this Pasa Games.

You were also officially signed by Starboard – what did that move mean for you at that stage of your career?

It means it was time for a change. I am really grateful for all the growth I had with my previous sponsor, but it was time to move to the next level and Starboard was the best fit to help me get there.

What were the key motivations behind joining the Starboard Dream Team?

I tried the new AllStar last year during one of my trips to Spain. So right after feeling how good the board rides, I thought to myself: well, I believe this board is just what I need to get me to places I’ve been wanting to go.

How does it feel to be part of a team with such a strong legacy and presence in international SUP racing?

“To be one of the best, you gotta be among the best” – I feel honoured to represent a brand I believe and a brand who truly cares about the quality of what it makes and are always looking to improve itself.

What’s your current favourite Starboard setup – and why does it suit your racing style?

I’ve been using the AllStar 14×21.5 model 2025. I love how stable the board is even in tough conditions. This feature alone allows me the express the true power of my paddle stokes.

I believe the new 2026 model will be my setup for the rest of the season.

The level of international SUP racing keeps rising every year – how do you see the sport evolving right now?

The bar is set up really high which is what makes the race scenario so exciting. With more technical races and shorter long distance racing I believe we will have the change to be more popular since these shorts races are very fun to watch.

I’m optimistic and I believe the SUP Race events across the world will start the rise again.

How do you balance performance goals with enjoying the process and staying motivated through a long season?

This is definitely one of the hardest part. Balancing dad and husband life with all the training required to be on the top of the game isn’t an easy task by any means. But I’m not the only one doing it and even tho it can be super hard, it is also really rewarding to get back home for a beautiful family looking forward to see you.

What advice would you give to younger paddlers hoping to follow a similar path into elite racing?

I would say: If you are really passionate about this, dive into it and get to work to become the best possible version of yourself to see where it takes you.

Most importantly, enjoy the process! It is not easy, but definitely well worth it.

What are the main goals you’ve set with Starboard?

Winning races. Get to show the world this is a board that works; and works great if you put in the work as well.

Find out more about Starboard 2027 range at sup.star-board.com

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*Images courtesy of Eri Tenório