The Taiwan Paddle Games are coming! Last year winners, the Hasulyo brothers put this event on the map. This year is the 2nd edition of the Taiwan Paddle Games (TPG) hosted by the Chinese SUP Sports Association takes place over the 4th and 5th May, with a whole range of race divisions are for all ages and classes! TotalSUP talks to Starboard paddler Daniel Hasulyo about the TPG, and why he is stoked to be returning!
Hi Daniel, how did your season go last year?
2018 was one of my best racing seasons so far. After 4 years of hard work with SEPA (Strength and Endurance Performance Academy) and by applying professional high performance endurance training to Stand Up Paddleboarding, I managed to win my 1st World Champion ISA title, in the long distance race and continue our family legacy with Bruno. We are the 1st World Champion siblings in the history of SUP. I had to do this to catch up to my little brother hehehe and I am pretty stoked! Right now I sit in 7th place on the SUP world rankings and my goal is to conquer the summit of this mountain! I am happy with my preparation, confident going into the 2019 Racing season and will do my best to improve my results at every International Race.
Photo Credit: Sean Evans
When did you hear about the TPG?
A little more then a year ago, we received an invitation from Maggie and Ricky (Starboard’s Taiwanese Distributor) to come and join the Taiwan Paddle Games. The name, the concept, their very professional approach to organization, plus the excitement of visiting a new country made it a very simple decision. We booked our tickets instantly, we were ready to rock at one of the Biggest SUP events in Asia!
Will you be going to the Kerama Cup the week after?
Yes, i have been there since their 1st edition, I love the location and the 18 KM long distance is a real gladiator challenge. Definitely among on my big favorites!
Why are you excited about the TPG?
Personally I can’t wait to be back in Taiwan to see all the friends and fans. Also to see their improvements that they have done within the past year, and obviously I really want to race in the new venue for 2019. I love racing in Asia and I’m looking forward to battle with many of the local and other International riders to defend my TPG Champion title.
I can only compare the atmosphere and level of excitement for SUP in Taiwan to New Zealand, they are truly inspirational. Taiwan is an island with some very cool beaches and they always have fun conditions! The waves were just the right size to make the event extremely fun but safe. Especially when having over 200 paddlers in several different categories, it really lit up the atmosphere both on the beach and the water. The paddle community in Taiwan feels like one giant family <3 .Â
Where did the Tiki Skills idea come from?
At Starboard every Dream Team rider has to be able (or at least try) to paddle around the HQ’s Pool in Bangkok on our iconic TIKI Statue. It’s an ongoing tradition and pretty big challenge. I think it was time to extend this TEST to a bigger audience. The great thing is when trying this skill we we always end up rolling on the ground from laughing and sheer happiness. Not sure about the details, but totally sure it’s going to be a highlight of the event!
Will you be holding any clinics etc?
Yes, Master Class with Daniel Hasulyo, on the 3rd of May. I just heard from Maggie that all the available spots are taken, so possibly will do a 2nd edition the day after. I like the push the limits, have fun, mix extreme with professionalism and also combining the professional knowledge of SEPA with my personal experience. I’m really looking forward to help the Taiwanese SUP community to take their skills to the next level!
Can you describe Taiwan?
Land of Dragons! For real J Taiwan has a very unique landscape, with a high and roughly structured mountain range running across the whole island and soft sandy beaches welcoming on the coast line. They have a very interesting and tasty cuisine and a lot of special solutions in their infrastructure. I can’t wait to get back!
In the heart of the Netherlands’ Friesland region, the 15th edition of the SUP 11 City Tour unfolded last week, a five-day endurance race covering an average of 45 kilometers each day. This year’s event brought thrilling victories and a surprising retirement announcement. NSP Spain Team rider Izaskun Martin del Campo made her SUP 11 City […]
New gear, new sizes or upgrades, the 2024 Stand Up Paddle Range by Starboard is out! What’s new in the 2024 Starboard SUP lineup? – Ace Foil – a downwind foil board inspired from the famous Ace – Starboard Gen R – the flat deck race board is back! – X-15 Foilboard – a board […]
For the 15th edition of the SUP 11 City Tour, TotalSUP is partnering with 404 Europe boss and defending Champion Tanja Ecker, who is sending us a short daily recap of the iconic 5-day Ultra Long Distance competition on the Dutch canals of Friesland. Find all the daily results of the 2023 SUP 11 City […]
Last year Japanese SUP Racer and new Starboard recruit Rai Tagushi left a lasting impression in the world SUP Racing community by securing a double win at the 1st edition of the Busan SUP Open in Korea, one of the most remarkable performances of the year 2022. As we approach the 2nd edition of this […]
Starboard Team launches Gen-R, this highly anticipated board for 2024 is a new breed amongst Starboards already extensive and world class range of race SUPs. There have been a few boards circulating amongst the Starboard Dream Team riders, where they have already been exhibiting amazing performances on them. The Gen-R is ‘bridging the gap’ between […]
Power, focus and conviction seem to be the accurate words to describe the racing style of Linus Karlsson, six-time Swedish SUP Champion and Starboard Team Rider. TotalSUP caught up with Linus in between two races – Planet Baltic SUP Race in Poland (where he has just bagged fresh podiums – Technical Race Win and Silver […]
Two words: Asger Smidt . We met this die-hard gamer turned SUP athlete, Overall Danish Champion 2023 and Starboard Team Rider in Malmö, Sweden as he was tearing the technical and long distance races up. Ambitious, hungry and tremendously hard working, at only seventeen, Asger brings explosive and elegant paddling style to the SUP racing table. […]
In this exclusive chat with Starboard HQ about their NEW range of pre-impregnated carbon twill fins, the team explain the detailed process that goes into making such great kit. You may not realise the process that goes into the production of your favourite Starboard items, however here you can read first-hand the passion that members of […]
“We felt like rock stars” said about the event Andrey Kraytor who shredded the Sprint final to pieces and walked away with Gold. Agios Nikolaos On SUP 2023, ICF SUP World Cup and National Panhellenic SUP Championship, brought together elite national athletes and some of the world’s top riders and delivered on the promise: “This July […]
Use of cookies
This website uses cookies in order to make it easier to use and to support the provision of relevant information and functionality to you.
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
3rd Party Cookies
We use a set of third party tools to provide information on how our users engage with our website so that we can improve the experience of the website for our users. For example, we collect information about which of our pages are most frequently visited, and by which types of users. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!