SUP Pirates Returns – Infinity SUP re-release their iconic film with TotalSUP

Do you remember how you were using your SUP ten years ago? This was a little before SUP hit the mainstream, SUP surfers were still riding big boards and this relatively new sport was finding its way. And then Dave Boehne and the crew at what was the Infinity Paddlesurf Co released SUP Pirates, issued on DVD (remember them?) and hosted for a while on a magazine website, the film highlighted what were then super-short boards, dynamic moves and the sort of ‘cool’ road trip most of can only dream about. TotalSUP are super-stoked (I think that’s what Dave would say) to re-launch this new-going-to-be-a-classic-old film, not to be missed on Facebook on Friday June 30th, 10 am Socal time / 7pm in Central Europe Time.

Hi Dave! Let’s skip over the formalities and talk about SUP Pirates, for those who have not yet seen it, how would you describe this 30-minute movie?

5UP P1RATE5 is the very first “performance” SUP surfing film ever produced. It’s a fun adventure-seeking surf movie only difference we are surfing with paddles in our hands haha.
It features a bunch of cool pirates including Slater Trout, Anthony Vela, Brent Pascoe, CD Kinley, Jason Kenworthy, Jess Leedy and myself.

After your Facebook Live launch here it is, the full version of SUP Pirates, enjoy!

Yeah, that’s the SUP Pirate way!

Watch the full length 5UP P1RATE5 video:

I’ve already seen the full film and I lost myself in the SUP/SURF lifestyle and feel-good Infinity Pirate vibe the first time I saw it. It feels like a retro surf flick but with paddles and lots more standing up. And an excellent soundtrack! Watching it I find it hard to believe it was made 10 years ago.

Yes absolutely at the time you have to remember this was SUP version 1.0 and everything was new. We were all still learning and the sport was exploding at a rapid pace. There were several SUP films out but they were more documentary style depicting the feeling and zen vibes of the sport there was nothing with SUP surfing.

SUP 1.0! The film was shot between 2011 and 2013 and if that was the first generation of SUP where would you say we are now? Have we hit SUP 2.0 yet?

Yeah, I think we are now well into SUP 2.0 now. The sport has really moved on and what was new and pushing the boundaries back then is normal today.

Alongside the original film, you have recorded a version of SUP Pirates with an entertaining commentary which we have now linked here

What was it like chilling out with a cold can and your buddy and filmmaker Jon Arman looking back at this piece of SUP history?

Yes! After you watch the full-length film if you were stoked go ahead and check out the narrated version.  Looking back at the film it was great, cold calling buddies and re-living sweaty karaoke and turkey burgers, for life! The SUP Pirates legacy. Such a cool trip.

It reminded us and the guys who picked up how the sport has evolved and changed. Many of today’s paddlers and even some of the pros on the circuit now might not know the history or who the early players in this sport were and what really went down.

This film, for the lack of a better term, was the first “cool” SUP Surf movie and showed SUP in a whole different light with the younger crowd, so many thought that SUP was just an old man kook sport.

What’s your favourite memory from the trips that went into the film?

My favourite memory, that’s tough. I think the feeling of pioneering something was really special. Lots of energy and excitement for what was to come. Boards were getting shorter, the surfing was getting way more radical, and the sport was starting to settle in on technique and really pushing the type of waves you could actually surf on a SUP. All of the spots we surfed in Taiwan we were the first to surf on a SUP, that’s pretty cool.

A decade is a long time in any business and lots of things must have changed for you and for Infinity since then, what do think have been the biggest and best things to happen with Infinity SUP since you made SUP Pirates?

Back then we were only manufacturing boards in California all custom-made. Now we are doing both custom boards here in California as well as manufacturing overseas so we can expand worldwide. Infinity came into it as a fun premium brand and I feel we’ve only elevated our ethos ever since. We stay in our lane and have fun doing it.

And you are still leading the way on the water, didn’t we see you on the podium at the recent Carolina PRO/AM?

Haha everyone knows old guys rule! Just kidding but ya still fun for me to throw a jersey on or a race bib and get after it with the young guns… just last weekend I qualified for the USA team to compete at the ISA World Champs in SUP surfing and I am 1st alternate in the tech race. Not sure there are any other 47-year-old board shaper/company owners doing that? I guess that’s pretty cool… The young guys rip so hard and are SO fast that it’s just fun to be in the mix in a small way.

Congratulations on the ISA selection and you’re right, old guys rule. Tell us about some of the equipment you guys were riding in the film and what has progressed in the designs since then?

It was cool design was moving really quickly and the larger windsurf brands couldn’t keep up since they had to make boards in moulds and keep the designs the same all year. We were only making custom boards so literally every new board was something new.

We were going shorter and smaller and thinner each time. I remember when boards got under 9’ in length we were baffled! Then under 8’6” we were like “whaaaaaat” then finally we settled in on 7’5” – 7’11” as the magic sizes… In the film I was riding a 7’11” x 26” and the smallest board in the film was 7’5” x 27” wide… back then that was pretty crazy… We were playing with things like step rails, different tail shapes, wings, fin configurations etc… it was all new. Exciting.

A little spoiler, SUP Pirates 2 is on the cards?

Yeah, look out SUP 3.0 here we come!

I’m already looking forward to SUP Pirates 2 – Return of the Paddle. Thanks for sharing this bit of SUP history with us here at TotalSUP and adding your commentary and insights. I might have to watch it again soon.

Infinity Surfboards are a family-owned business from Dana Point, CA, USA. Like the SUP Pirates, they are a dynamic and, if it is the right term “cool” company with a range of high-performance surf SUPs, race SUPs and accessories.

You can find out more about Infinity Surfboards and their full product range on their website and you can see more Infinity Boards in action on their social media channels – Infinity SUP Instagram and Infinity SUP Facebook  and of course their YouTube channel.

All images lifted, SUP Pirate style, from the special narrated version with Dave Boehne and filmmaker Jon Arman.