Flying Fish’s Steve Miller: Board Design, and Insights on the SUP Racing Scene

Steve Miller is a passionate individual with a deep involvement in stand-up paddling as a co-owner of Flying Fish Board Co., reflects on his journey from discovering SUP surfing to competing in races and becoming part of a successful business partnership. His love for competition and dedication to improving his skills shines through as he shares experiences of racing, developing boards, and expanding Flying Fish’s reach. Steve’s insights not only highlight his personal growth but also shed light on the evolving SUP racing scene and the vibrant community in Jupiter, Florida. His commitment to innovation, collaboration, and pushing boundaries encapsulates the spirit of stand-up paddling.

Hi there Steve! Welcome to TotalSUP! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How old are you, where are you from, career, family life?

Hey TotalSUP, thanks for the interview. I’m 50, originally from San Diego, California now living in Jupiter, Fordia. I’ve been married to my wife Elizabeth for 27 years, and we have two daughters Maddie and Ella. I’m part owner, CFO, and head of R&D at Flying Fish Board Co.

How did you discover stand up paddling? Can you share with our readers your first time experience? Where were you, the feelings you had paddling?

I grew up surfing in San Diego, and 2007 is when I first noticed SUP Surfing, so I decided to give it a try. My first board was a used 9’8×27 and I couldn’t believe how hard it was my first time out. I’m pretty sure it took me an hour to catch my first wave, but once that happened I was hooked. When we moved to Florida in 2010, I found myself on a SUP Surf more than a regular surfboard. The advantage of SUP Surfing is that you can catch a lot more waves while showing respect to others and have fun even if the conditions are less than perfect. I realized real quick, that if I was going to get the water time I wanted, I was going to need several different type of boards. Between my surfboard, SUP surf, and race boards, there’s always something to do on the water.

In 2013, I was surfing with Adam the owner of Blueline in Jupiter and he told me I should try racing, and invited me to come check out their Tuesday Night Race League. So I bought a 12×28 Boga, and started paddling. Going in to my first race I new I was in good shape and would have no problem staying with the fastest guys… Ha ha.. nope! I got my butt kicked by the local crew, and it wasn’t even close. I realized I had a lot to learn and that moment really motivated me to train, and be around people that could help me get better.

I love good competition and everything that comes with it. The process of getting ready for a race is addicting. As a matter of fact when we have a long stretch in between races, I start to get a little grumpy. I don’t always feel like training, but you don’t have to love it in the moment, you just have to believe it was worth it in the end. One of my favorite quotes is “motivation will come and go, but the discipline is what separates those who succeed and those who fail.” This is my avenue to compete and plan on doing so for as long as I can.

That is definitely super motivational! How did you and John partner to create Flying Fish? What is the story?

In 2017 John started making boards and at the time I was regional team rider for Starboard. John is a smart man and was working hard to get the best riders in the area on his boards. My good friend and fiercest competitor was Timmy Warner, and he was one of the first people to join Flying Fish. I was a little skeptical about the board, so we decided to do some testing with the Freeglide versus the Sprint. After the test I was sold and jumped on Team Flying Fish. John made my first custom board and it was perfect for my size and ability. Once you go custom, you never want to go back. The relationship grew between John and I, and I realized he needed some help in growing Flying Fish. He is second to none when it comes to building boards and customer service, but it didn’t leave him much time to run the business side of things. I became part owner/CFO in September 2018, and it’s been an incredible ride ever since.

Wow what a journey you two have been on! What is your go-to Flying Fish board that you ride? SUP Surf and race board and why?

My favorite role at Flying Fish is R&D. Someone has to do it, and the surf models have been a major part of my focus. The Mini Beast and Daily Driver are the two boards I ride the most. The Mini Beast is our most aggressive board, and the closet feel of a standard surfboard. This is what I use in the best/cleanest conditions.

The Daily Driver is just that, it’s what I surf 80% of the time in Florida. It has a little more volume, and a wider nose for paddling speed and stability, but the hip into the swallow tail makes it the most versatile board in our line up.

What I ride: 7’7×24 MiniBeast &  7’5×25 Daily Driver.

The development of the Freedom Pro started back in 2018 in Hood River. At the time we only had the Freeglide, which is a hybrid displacement board. We won a lot of races on the Freeglide, and while it was a good board to start on, our first trip to Hood River made us realize that we needed a better all around board for every condition. We then purchased a CNC machine, and it was a game changer for us. We could now easily make subtle changes, and that’s exactly what we did.

Our first focus was making it a good ocean board for down winding and surfing. Once we got that figured out, we focused on the flat water speed. It was a very long process, with a lot of blood, sweat, and disagreements but we finally developed it into what I believe is one of the best all around boards on the market today. The name Freedom comes from the idea that you have the Freedom to take this board in whatever conditions you want. The biggest complement to me was Shrimpy choosing the Freedom Pro over all the other boards he’s used. That was all the confirmation I needed.

What I ride: Freedom Pro 14×20 Dugout & the Freedom Pro 14×21 with a  2” Step Down Deck

A majority of your market with Flying Fish is in the Florida area! Where would you like to see Flying Fish around the world?

Well, as of now our market is mainly in the US because that’s where the boards are made. We are a small company and 80% of what we do is custom orders. We said from the very beginning that we wanted to grow organically, and not over extend ourselves. We pride ourselves in making top quality, hand crafted boards, which end up costing a little extra money to produce which makes going international a little difficult. We are now starting to get a lot of demand outside of the US, so we’re currently working on getting distribution in Asia, South America, and Europe. It’s just going to be a slow process with limited supply.

That is going to be amazing watching the brand grow worldwide! Slow and steady wins the race! What are you looking forward to most this year? For yourself? For Flying Fish? Any goals you have in mind?

The most exciting news of course is that we signed Shrimpy. He just raced his first race on the Freedom Pro, and looked really good! We can’t wait to see what Shrimpy, and Eri can do this year. For myself, I’m focused on the USA SUP championships in Hilton Head, hosted by the Olukai Low Country Boil on Sep 8th. The race director John Batson has a real passion for the sport, and it shows in all aspects of his race. The other race I’m excited about is the ICF World Championships in Sarasota this November. Having the best in the world showing up in Florida and getting to compete with them is going to be an epic event.

Flying Fish Crew racing in Jupiter, Florida

Fantastic! Sarasota is going to be epic for sure! What’s your take on the current SUP racing scene as a whole? Are you noticing any emerging trends?

The race scene is a complicated one. When I first started racing in Florida, it seemed like there was a race every weekend, and the top 3 were walking away with some cash. Racing every weekend, and cash prizes slowly faded away, but we still had a good amount of races throughout the year. We started to do a Florida Paddle League in 2020. The idea was to have 10 races for the year, and you got points for your best 7 races. We just took the best races in Florida, and that was our schedule for the year. It started with a ton of enthusiasm, and then COVID happened and everything shut down. After COVID, the race scene in Florida never made a full comeback. If you want to race in Florida consistently, you’ll need to come to Jupiter. The EuroTour seems to have it figured out, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about them. It seems like all the top riders are going there to race, and a lot less are coming to US races. I would love to see the US do something similar.

We can start slow, pick 3 of the top races, and build a USA Championship Tour around them. We need to have a race on the East Coast, West Coast, and then somewhere in the middle of the country. It’s just a thought, but I think it would add some excitement to our race scene in the US. The races that continue to do well and thrive are the ones that have a passion for the sport and focus on the racers experience. A great example of this is Chattajack. I’ve never been to this race, and personally don’t think paddling 32 miles in cold temperatures is very fun. However every year it sells out within an hour of opening registration, s they’re obviously doing something right!

Our goal every year for Flying Fish is to go to a couple of races we’ve never been to, so we can show support. The Goat Boater is one we’re going to this year and also looking at a couple other options in the mid west. We’re also trying to create some fun new formats for racing. When we race in Jupiter, there are no rules with wake riding. Whether a boat, or a sit down craft, if you can catch it, you can ride it. For me, this makes every race interesting because you never know what is going to happen, so you always have to keep your head on a swivel. You could have a 2 minute lead on someone, but if the right boat comes along and they have the skills to ride it, they can catch up real quick. The race is never over until it’s over, and that keeps it exciting!

This concept, led JV at Blueline to do a new race we’re doing called “Race The Tide” on May 18th 2024 from Stuart to Jupiter. It’s a 4 person team race for 25 Miles in the Intercoastal Waterway, and every team has to have their own support boat. The difference with this race, is that you can ride the wake of your boat to help you go faster. The only rules are; you have to follow the ICW laws for no wake zones, and you can’t be attached to your boat. This is going to be a lot of fun, and very different from your normal race, but I’ve always loved variety.

Thanks for sharing your insights! Are you excited for the upcoming ICF World championships to be in Florida later this year? If so – why and what excites you the most?

Yes I am very excited! I’m used to trying to keep up with the younger guys, but I’m spending a lot of time in the ice bath to do it.  It’s going to be a lot of fun to compete against the best guys in the world that are my age. I was very impressed watching the 50+ guys in Thailand compete, and I hope they can all make it to Florida in November. Of course the real show is the guys and girls in the Open Division. The best in the world will be on display and to be seeing it with my own eyes for that is going to be amazing.

What does the stand up paddling community mean to you? You have quite the tight-knit community in Florida! What is so unique and special about your group?

We have an incredible community in Jupiter, with a ton of talent and a lot of new paddlers hungry to race, stay in shape, or just have a good time paddling with others. We all cheer each other on, and want the best for each other, but we also love to compete and get the best out of each other.

The Kohler effect is, “the idea that no one wants to be the weakest link in a group setting. When it comes to fitness, this translates to pushing yourself harder when training with people who are better, faster, and stronger than you.” Getting to train together makes us all better, and we get to practice racing every Tuesday night. Drafting skills, buoy turns, technique, and race strategy all come into play. Then we get to open up a cold beverage and talk about it after. The two guys that have pushed me the most are Timmy Warner, and Jake Portwood. I’m better because these guys have pushed me to get there and then Eri comes into town, and humbles us all 🙂

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I just want to thank you guys for all you do to grow this sport with live feeds and media. Another big thanks needs to go to all the photographers that capture the action. We have some really good one’s in the Jupiter area, but a special mention needs to go to Lisa Bee. She spends countless hours showing up to races and taking pictures. I think the one’s that capture the race, are the true MVP’s. They allow us to go back and relive what we’ve just experienced, and that’s half the fun.

Thank you so much for sharing your time and insights Steve! We hope that you have a successful racing season this year and that Flying Fish continues to soar to new heights!

To find out more about Flying Fish visit www.flyingfishboardco.com
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