The new generation of SUP athletes goes international: Lucas Boyum to compete in Agios Nikolaos on SUP

There’s a noticeable shift in the attitudes of young SUP athletes towards their professional goals and growth strategy by refocusing onto international competitions. It may be more visible in the post-lockdown world, but they increasingly venture out, train abroad with other paddlers and compete to not only see how they stack up against their peers and the world’s elite riders but to make a name for themselves outside their home turf.

On the eve of the Agios Nikolaos On SUP 2023, ICF SUP World Cup and National Panhellenic SUP Championship event kicking of on the 7th June, TotalSUP caught up with Lucas Boyum, Swedish Vice (Technical & Long Distance) Champ and NSP National Team Rider, to chat about the upcoming competition and his international SUP racing plans.

Photo credit: Infinity SUP Nordic / Malmö Ocean Race 2023

Hi Lucas, welcome to TotalSUP! It was great to see you in Malmö and congrats on a great start to the season! Could you tell us more about your watersport background and how did you get into the sport of stand-up paddleboarding?

Thank you for having me! I got into stand-up paddleboarding thanks to my dad, Patrick “Paddy” Boyum. He comes from windsurfing and was sponsored by a surf shop in Sweden and one day they gave him a SUP to try out and he loved it. Then he started competing and performed quite well. All this happened when I was about 10 years old and during that age my dad was my biggest idol and I wanted to be just like him. So that’s how I got into the sport and then during the last three or four years I have gotten more hooked on it!

Photo credit: Infinity SUP Nordic / Malmö Ocean Race 2023

Are you hyped about the way the Swedish SUP racing scene is progressing?

I am super stoked to see the Swedish sup scene growing and progressing over the years! It’s fun to see new names popping up at every competition!

What, in your opinion, is the best way to inspire young riders to enter the SUP racing scene and start competing?

The best way in my opinion is to organize youth camps and get a whole group together and teach them the basics of paddling and then progressively help them to get more and more keen on racing each other and then get them to try out some races as a group!

We’re catching up in the run up to the Agios Nikolaos on SUP event. Why did you choose this race from the SUP calendar? And what are your expectations?

I’ve chosen to race at Agios Nikolaos on SUP because it seems like a fun and interesting race and I want to make a name for myself on the international level and this just seems like a good opportunity to do just that. Me and a couple of other Swedes have gotten some funding from the Swedish Canoe Federation to go to specific ICF races. My expectations for the races are to get a couple of good results and really test my abilities against racers I haven’t raced before!

Which race formats will you be competing in during the event?

During the weekend we will be doing a 200m Sprint, Technical and a Long Distance race. I’m really keen on the Tech race and the Sprints!

Photo credit: Infinity SUP Nordic / Malmö Ocean Race 2023

Could you tell us more about your collaboration with NSP?

After the Euros I was just disappointed with my boards and felt like I needed some change if I wanted to reach my full potential. My dad was already a NSP paddler so I got in contact with NSP and now I’m a National Team Rider for the brand. I’m super excited about how it’s going to turn out because NSP is still a growing brand and it will be fun racing with them in the coming years!

Photo credit: Skrea Strand Paddlerace

What’s in the pipeline after Agios Nikolaos on SUP?

After Agios Nikolaos on SUP, there will be a little bit of rest. My next race after that will be the Skrea Strand Paddlerace. After Skrea there will be some Swedish races and then off to Portugal for the Euro Tour! There are also the ICF SUP World Championships in Thailand as well. I’m super excited about all of the big events coming up!

Photo credit: EuroTour

Thank you for your time Lucas and good luck in Greece and with the rest of the SUP racing season!

To find out more about Agios Nikolaos On SUP, visit agiosonsup.gr

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE AGIOS NIKOLAOS ON SUP EVENT HERE 

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To find out more about NSP, visit nspsurfboards.com and follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook

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