Maddie Miller and Jake Portwood Crowned USA SUP National Champions at Low Country Boil in Hilton Head

On the stunning Island of Hilton Head in South Carolina, the biggest SUP racing showdown in the United States this year took place September 6th – 8th! With just over two months to go from the ICF World Championships, the Americans showed up ready to race to determine who would become their national champions. The sprint races were held on Friday, the 10km distance race on Saturday, and tech racing to close the weekend on Sunday. It came down to a very tight race in the end on both the mens and womens side… but overall, Maddie Miller and Jake Portwood came out on top as the USA SUP National Champions, both of whom are team riders for Flying Fish Board Co. Today on TotalSUP we had a chance to catch up with Maddie, Jake, John Meskauskas, and John Batson, to hear some of their thoughts and reflections on this past weekend of racing.

Congratulations to you both Maddie and Jake! How does it feel to be crowned the 2024 USA National SUP Champions, and what does this achievement mean to you?

Jake Portwood

Well first off thank you Maddi and it was great hanging with you this past weekend, and wow I’m still shocked! I’ve been racing for a long time now (since 2008) and this is my best accomplishment yet. I started taking my racing and training more seriously a few years ago when I teamed up with Flying Fish. So it feels very good to achieve this title, make a statement for our boards and Florida racers, and it feels even better to share this title with Maddie Miller as the female national champ. We have a strong thriving paddle community here in South Florida thanks to Flying Fish, Blueline Surf & Paddle, and some key individuals. It’s great to have so much support from them and others!

Maddie Miller 

I can’t explain how honored I am to be paddling against the women I have looked up to in the paddling world for so long. I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to be a National Champion! It still doesn’t feel real.

We are so proud of you both! Can you two walk us through your journeys leading up to the championship? What challenges did you face along the way, and how did you overcome them?

Jake Portwood

Life is about balance and of course trying to juggle family, work, and training raises some obstacles. Thankfully my wife Amanda and I met through paddle racing so she understands and supports me racing. I try my best to include her and our two daughters in any paddle events. Occasionally Amanda will jump in a race and make her way to the podium. Another big struggle is my job as a Firefighter Paramedic, my sleep schedule is very unpredictable. This can make training and recovery challenging, so a lot of forced naps and extra unwanted rest days.

Maddie Miller 

Over the past decade I have paddled with my dad, Steve Miller, and I have looked up to him and everything he has taught me mentally and physically. The challenges I have faced would be centered around being consistent in my training. I set goals in how I wanted to perform and was determined to get to that goal. I am blessed to have the Flying Fish team who are my family. We inspire each other to be better.

What training regimen or techniques did you find most effective in preparing for this year’s competition?

Jake Portwood 

This past March I took part in a long 155 mile fundraiser paddle with Packet Casey and Blake Carmichael to raise awareness and funds for a significant water crisis in South Florida. Preparing for this challenge added a lot of zone 2 training which helped get me ready for the race season. After that long paddle I went back to my normal training with our local Tuesday Night Race League and working with my Flying Fish teammates. It’s great having paddlers like Steve Miller, Kim Barnes, and Stephanie Schideler to train with regularly.

Maddie Miller

What I found most effective in my training for this race were intervals. Going as hard as you can and resting after, along with distance paddles, a healthy diet, and listening to my body and not over training. I put myself in the worst conditions so I would be ready for any conditions during the race.

Were there any key moments during the race that you believe played a significant role in securing your victories?

Jake Portwood 

It’s great to see some solid talent in USA again on both East and West coast. Campbell Carter is really turning into a great young athlete and he kept me against the ropes throughout the weekend. I didn’t have a good sprint final and he edged me out in what I think is my strongest discipline. So the pressure was on for the rest of the event. I knew I had no room for error in either the distance or tech race, so this kept me from making any more mistakes. It also helped to have my Brazilian bro Eri Tenorio racing with us to give me some extra motivation.

Maddie Miller

A moment in the race that played a significant role would be mentally pushing through and not stopping even though every muscle in my body wanted me to stop. I kept telling myself, “mind over matter”.

What advice would you give to other aspiring SUP athletes who dream of reaching the national championship level like you have?

Jake Portwood 

I’m so glad to finally see some organization in our sport to have an official National Championship title. This has not been a short road for stand up paddle racing as a sport or for me as an athlete. To achieve any goals in life you have to really want it. With that comes lots of dedication, determination, and sacrifice but don’t forget to slow down, enjoy the journey and have fun. I hope to see new faces joining the race scene, especially juniors.

Maddie Miller

Something that has helped me over the years as an athlete is the idea of failing forward. I have learned something new with every race. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn.

John Meskauskas, thanks for coming back to TotalSUP today! We are so stoked that the Flying Fish team absolutely dominated the USA SUP National Championships this past weekend in Hilton Head, South Carolina!

Thanks Maddi, I really appreciate all you do for us and Total SUP for covering not just our team but this amazing sport.

How proud are you of Maddie Miller and Jake Portwood, the 2024 USA SUP National Champions? Can you tell us a bit about how you are feeling right now?

I am extremely proud of these two, I have known both Jake and Maddie for a very long time, our core team is very much like a family. Maddie is Steve Miller’s daughter but she is very much like a daughter to me as well, and Jake is like a brother so it’s really hard to explain just how proud I am. They both have been paddling for a very long time and train very hard. Many do not know Maddie or Jake because they don’t get to travel much and compete internationally. But I can assure you it’s very well-deserved.

Amazing! We are so proud of Jake and Maddie too! Can you tell us a bit about the origins of your racing team?

Our team has obviously grown over the years and has reached to an international level, but the core group that started this journey with me are all based in the Stuart/Jupiter, Florida area. It has really been an amazing story to think there are so many amazing paddle athletes in one small region in Florida. Steve Miller and Kim Barnes are the anchors of this team and have been with us since day one. I feel like the team feeds off of one another, which just makes everyone better.

What are the key values and goals that your team strives to uphold during competitions like the United States SUP National Championships?

As top athletes in this sport, they obviously strive to win and perform their best, but I think more importantly, our team does an amazing job at community, camaraderie, and sportsmanship. We all make an effort to cheer on and encourage all paddlers, at every level. They all really are great ambassadors for our sport.

Can you share any memorable experiences or challenges your team has faced in previous championships?

That’s a great question, this was really the first organized, USA national championships that our team has attended. So it’s all still sinking in, but for us to have Jake Portwood (male national champion) Maddie Miller (female national champion) and Steve Miller (Master’s national champion) is definitely memorable. Then to top it off, at least two out of the three podium spots on every men’s and women’s podium in the open division for all 3 disciplines is going to be something I will never forget. I can’t think of any challenges at this point other than the day to day challenge of staying on top of board design and giving our athletes the best equipment to help keep them at the top of their game.

How does your experience as the founder of Flying Fish Board Co influence your approach to mentoring the team?

Well, I’m not sure how much of a role I play as a mentor, with team veterans like Steve Miller, Kim Barnes, Stephanie Shideler, and Steve Bernstein, they do an amazing job as mentors for the younger paddlers. However, I do think the team realizes how much work I have put into building and growing this brand. We have done this together, and like I’ve mentioned, we are a family so no one wants to let anyone down.

What advice would you give to aspiring SUP racers looking to compete at a national level?

Train with a purpose and be patient. It takes time to develop into a top level SUP racer. So many athletes think that if they are fit, or they excel in another type of sport that they will just jump into paddling and be successful and that is just not how it works with this sport. It is exciting to see the first generations of paddlers that have started in their youth, and are now developing into adults.

What are your aspirations for the future of Flying Fish Board Co and your racing team in upcoming competitions?

I am as fierce of a competitor as most of our team riders. I live vicariously through their successes. I would love nothing more than Flying Fish Board Co. to be recognized as one of the premier boards in the world and maybe someday have one of our athletes win a world championship!

Hi John Batson! Thanks for joining us on TotalSUP today! Now that the event has concluded, what are your thoughts on how the 2024 USA SUP National Championships went overall?

First of all congrats Maddi on your performance at the OluKai Lowcountry Boil Paddle Battle (that hosted the USA SUP National Championships), we are so glad you made the trip from Canada! I think the race was a tremendous success. We had a great turn out with SUP racers coming from all regions in the United States. You and Eri Tenorio (from Brazil) added to the mix making it an international affair. The feedback from the participants, sponsors, and local individuals involved in the race has been very positive. On top of the great SUP athletes in attendance we had some excellent surfski and OC paddlers as well that competed in a unique endurance course paddling around Pinckney Island, a national wildlife refuge. All of the race proceeds went to a local nonprofit The Outside Foundation that has a primary mission of getting local kids in kayaks to learn about our incredible waterways and mentor them to become stewards of our vital environmental resources.

That is incredible! What feedback have you received from participants and spectators regarding their experience on Hilton Head Island this past weekend?

Regarding the spectators we had two opportunities for viewers to enjoy the race. The first was aboard 2 forty-nine passenger catamaran style boats that were on the water with the racers in the mix of the action. The other option was partnering with a local restaurant and they hosted a viewing party with a live jumbotron. On top of this the entire 3 days of racing (sprint, distance, and tech events) was broadcast on the USA SUP Youtube channel with a live feed that had excellent coverage and commentary. This was a great feature for the race enhancing the spectator experience not only learning about the racers, the sport, but also the local waterways around Hilton Head Island.

The live feed was awesome! We are glad so many people tuned in to watch the races! Were there any unexpected challenges during the championships, and how did you and your team handle them?

This was our 6th year holding the OluKai Lowcountry Boil Paddle Battle so we did not have too many surprises. I have been the race director from the beginning so many of the challenges of running a race have been encountered in the past. As a race director you often have a vision of how things will go and when racers show up you have to have a flexibility that allows the event flow to continue in a safe and fun manner. That said, there were a number of new features to this year’s race. We partnered with USA SUP to host the National Championships. This added an extra day of racing and some seriousness to the event since the national champions were being named at the event. Fortunately we have excellent USA SUP board members that attended the event and assisted with the added responsibilities and filled in when help was required. On my end there was also some juggling required to meet goals set by USA SUP, The Outside Foundation (race beneficiary), OluKai (race title sponsor) and on top of this working with the town to ensure the event was safe and did not hinder access to the Rowing and Sailing Center (primary race site). Our beach tech events were at a separate location – The Sea Pines Resort. This is a gated private community and obviously this presents some challenges getting access and working within their regulations. On day two we had nearly 200 racers for the 5K/10K and endurance event. Between the racers, the spectators, the volunteers, the media team, and my race team, you can imagine there are a lot of people involved and despite all the moving parts I have to say it went amazingly smooth. Our live feed for the race was a new feature and this went really well. The Firetower media team was great to work with and I hope we can partner with them in the future. For the sprints and beach tech events we used live heats software. This had some kinks that will need to be worked out. With all of the above going on the rainy weather was the least of my concerns haha!

We are so glad to hear the event ran smoothly from the backend! Can you share some memorable moments or highlights from the event that stood out to you?

Having the best paddlers in the country (and beyond) attend the event is certainly something as a paddler I enjoy. Hilton Head Island is my home and I love showing off the lowcountry of South Carolina. My community loves opening their arms to visitors with good old southern hospitality. We had a great racer check in party at Outside Hilton Head. This has become a tradition with live music and dollar beers. It’s a great way to check in all the racers and have everyone enjoy a relaxing get together before the event starts. The racing was top notch with a stout field in all age divisions. The open women’s field for the beach tech was the largest group of participants on the final day! I don’t recall a SUP race where the women outnumbered the men… go ladies!

I think the racer that surprised many of us was Maddie Miller. She won the overall competition with bullets in the sprint and beach tech race and a 4th place finish in the distance event. On the men’s side Jake Portwood had a solid performance in all 3 disciplines taking the men’s title. Watch for these two in the World Championships later this year. The biggest highlight to me was how smooth the entire 3 days went given all the variables. Keeping all the racers happy with good food and swag is always a positive and we raised a solid amount of money for The Outside Foundation – a win win!

We will definitely be keeping our eyes peeled for Maddie and Jake later this year in Sarasota! How do you believe hosting the championships this past weekend will affect the future of stand-up paddleboarding and local events on Hilton Head Island?

I’m already planning for 2025. We learn something with every year’s race. In particular I hope to utilize the live feed more for sponsors to get their message out and show viewers what is happening on the course when racers leave the starting line. We also have a strong group of surfski and OC paddlers and I would like to enhance their experience with live coverage. Hilton Head Island is often ranked a top destination in America. We look forward to having ya’ll join us in 2025!

Congratulations again to Maddie, Jake, Steve, John, and John! Congratulations to the Flying Fish team, the Lowcountry Boil Team, and USA SUP for having a fun National Championship event that benefited The Outside Foundation! We cannot wait to see how 2025 unfolds!