Starboard introduces the ROAMER: Developed with adventurer Bruce Kirkby for wilderness SUP touring & expeditions

Starboard‘s latest announcement has certainly caught the attention of the SUP community, as it goes far beyond a typical board launch. The project represents years of focused R&D, developed in collaboration with adventurer Bruce Kirkby. His vision was to bring wilderness SUP touring to a broader audience by creating a serious, all-round expedition platform – one that blends capability, confidence and simplicity in demanding environments.

The result carries Bruce’s signature design philosophy, combined with the renowned characteristics of the Starboard All Star. The ROAMER is an all-new 14′ x 28.5″ performance board designed for adventure. With a 130 kg load capacity, generous cargo-carrying capability, efficient glide, and dependable stability, it allows paddlers to focus less on managing the board and more on what’s ahead.

We caught up with the man behind the project and its meticulous, years-long development process. Bruce Kirkby is one of Canada’s best-known modern adventurers and bestselling authors, working across exploration, expedition paddling and keynote speaking.

Rather than simply telling adventure stories, Bruce uses them to explore themes of resilience, leadership, risk management, growth and personal development. His background spans mountaineering, desert crossings, sea kayaking remote coastlines and extensive paddleboard journeys along the coast of British Columbia.

With the ROAMER now a reality, we spoke with Bruce about the vision behind the board, the design journey, and why he believes expedition touring represents one of the most exciting frontiers in stand-up paddleboarding.

Hi Bruce, welcome back to TotalSUP and congratulations on the launch of the ROAMER. What was the original spark that led you to develop your first expedition SUP board?

I was spending more and more time on the outer coast, using inflatable boards that I modified for longer trips by gluing on extra D-rings. I realized there were very few hardboards being produced that were appropriate for serious, multi-day expeditions, and I thought that if we could build one, it would give many SUP paddlers the opportunity to explore wild waterways with greater comfort, confidence and safety.

What lessons from your numerous SUP expeditions ended up having the biggest impact on the board’s design?

I think a lot of cumulative, small observations made over many years have influenced our design. I’m always asking myself, while paddling on long trips, what could work better in a given situation.

One example is getting the gear lower into a dugout, which offers two major advantages: increased board stability and reduced windage. I also think most manufacturers underestimate the number of tie-down points needed to securely carry seven or more days’ worth of food and gear. Very few, if any, include handles on the nose and tail – yet these are incredibly useful in real-world expedition conditions.

And finally, when you’re spending long days on the water – often between four and eight hours at a time, day after day – the importance of stability over outright speed cannot be overstated. Of course, you want a board that moves efficiently and glides well, but not if it leaves you mentally and physically exhausted from constantly fighting for balance.

You’ve described the goal as bringing wilderness SUP touring to a broader audience – what did that gap in the market look like from your perspective?

I think we’re seeing a fairly saturated racing market within the SUP industry. There is certainly room for growth, but it’s likely to be incremental. Most other paddlers are enjoying themselves on affordable inflatables at the beach, which is great, but relatively few are touring, and even fewer are embarking on multi-day trips.

Sea kayaking experienced a huge surge in popularity during the 1980s, but that same boom hasn’t happened in the SUP world – at least not yet. SUPs offer some significant advantages over sea kayaks, yet they’re still widely perceived as a more challenging, and perhaps riskier, option.

My goal is to raise awareness of just how much is possible on a SUP, and to inspire more people to explore wild places on paddleboards.

You’ve mentioned this project has effectively been 10 years in the making – why did it take that long to arrive at the final design?

I started bouncing ideas around with Sven, Ollie and the rest of the design team at Starboard almost a decade ago. There are many considerations involved in the production and marketing of a new board, and their team had to account for factors such as cost and market size.

Over the years, we experimented with a few smaller tweaks to existing designs and introduced a modified Sprint Expedition. But from the beginning, I was convinced that the best opportunity lay in adapting the classic All Star hull – and that’s exactly what we’ve now done.

Behind the scenes, what did the shaping and design process with the Starboard team actually look like?

I’m in Canada, and Starboard’s HQ is in Thailand, so there were a lot of late-night video calls, WhatsApp messages and exchanges of photographs and drawings. A big part of my role was simply to keep pushing the project forward.

The team in Thailand has a lot on their plate, with evolving race designs and the expansion of the wing and foil divisions. So I just kept nudging them along, convinced that there is a big future for SUP expedition touring if we can offer the right board.

Who is the ROAMER really built for – seasoned expedition paddlers, or newcomers to touring?

The design is meant to make touring easier for anyone, no matter their experience level. I think both newcomers and veterans will appreciate what the ROAMER has to offer.

What I hadn’t considered until I stood on the first prototype, however, was just what an incredible all-round board the ROAMER is. It’s fun, fast, easy to manoeuvre, and forgiving. It’s the perfect board for lying flat out on a sunny day, taking the dogs for a paddle, or heading off on a longer adventure. It would even work well for open-ocean racing. It’s a real all-rounder.

What does “the ultimate expedition paddleboard” mean to you in real-world terms on the water?

Haha, I think we should be careful of the word “ultimate.” That’s what I want riders to feel and think of course. But that has to come from them.

My goal was to make a very serious, very capable expedition paddleboard. One that didn’t leave paddlers thinking “I couldn’t imagine anything better!” And I think we’ve done that.

Now that the board is released, what excites you most about seeing it in the hands of paddlers – and what are the first expeditions or adventures you personally have planned for the ROAMER?

Every time I see a photo of someone out enjoying the ROAMER, or get a trip report, I feel like a proud parent. It’s incredibly satisfying.

Personally, I’m nearing the end of a ten-year project with my expedition partner Norm Hann: paddling the entire BC coast. We have one major segment left, from Prince Rupert to Bella Bella. There is a lot of exposed water along that route, and it will be the perfect proving ground for the new ROAMER. I leave for that trip in less than a week. 🙂

Bruce Kirkby during his Heshquiat 2025 expedition

Explore the ROAMER full white paper

To follow Bruce’s SUP expeditions and projects, visit www.brucekirkby.com

Follow Bruce on Instagram 

Find out more about Starboard 2026 range at sup.star-board.com

Follow Starboard on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

*Images courtesy to Starboard and Bruce Kirkby