World SUP Champ Lincoln Dews joins Blackfish Paddles as the Head of Product Development

World SUP Champion and the 2022 Yukon River Quest SUP Record Holder Lincoln Dews has joined Blackfish Paddles as the Sales Manager for Australia and New Zealand and the Head of Product Development, announced the Canadian brand specialising in handcrafted, high-performance paddles for SUP, surf and foiling.

Lincoln has collaborated with Blackfish Paddles to develop the brand’s lightest and highest performance paddle, Viento 520, and the signature fin, Blackfish LD241, to excel at time trial and longer distance flat water events providing next level of glide and tracking.

“I am excited that Lincoln is joining our company. We have sponsored him as an athlete for several years and we won a World Championship title together in 2019,” commented David Smart, Founder of Blackfish Paddles. “This is a step forward for us as we continue to grow Blackfish and build new and exciting products. Lincoln is an amazing athlete who has a keen ability to help us test and develop ideas and we have some super exciting projects in the works so having Lincoln onboard is a great opportunity for both of us”. 

“I have been involved with Blackfish Paddles for close to four years now and I’m excited to further our relationship. Blackfish Paddles has always strived to produce high-quality products while reducing our environmental impact. I’m stoked to be involved in furthering these objectives,” said Lincoln Dews.

TotalSUP caught up with this super busy ocean athlete – who’s currently between sailing competitions in Australia! – to chat about this exciting partnership.

Hi Lincoln, congratulations on your new role! Could you tell us more about your collaboration with Blackfish Paddles recognised as developers of high performance paddles which are very popular among professional athletes. What are in your opinion benefits for leisure paddlers?

The collaboration between myself and Blackfish Paddles is the next step in our relationship. We believe every paddler benefits from using a high-quality paddle. The paddle we use in an extension of our stroke and the connection between us and the water. Stroke, efficiency and injury prevention are just some of the reasons to choose a high-quality product.

You’ll be looking after Blackfish Team Riders, could you tell us more about this role and your vision?

Blackfish has such a diverse team of riders and avid supporters. I’m excited to be able to support them achieve their goals as best I can.

Could you tell us how is the SUP & foil market evolving in Australia and New Zealand?

The SUP and foiling market in Australia and New Zealand has always been at the forefront of innovation and new designs. It’s a great testing ground for product durability and performance.

As the head of product development at Blackfish, are you currently working on something exciting?

We have a few projects in the pipeline and some updates on current models coming in the next few years. We always love hearing suggestions and improvements to our products. So if you have ideas or would like to see something specific don’t hesitate to get in contact.

Thank you for your time Lincoln and we’re looking forward to the next rad product release!

To find out more about Blackfish Paddles and their progressive, refined, handcrafted designs, visit blackfishpaddles.com

Explore Blackfish new fin range here  

Follow Lincoln Dews on Facebook, Instagram and lincolndews.com