Yster SUP welcomes Ultra-Endurance Racer Lindsey Tilton to their Team

Lindsey Tilton, endurance paddler, racer, Coach, and Co-Founder of Aloha Aesthetics based in Florida, has joined the Yster SUP Team. Yster SUP, the premium Swedish brand based in Malmö, has strengthened its impressive roster by confirming another standout name, further solidifying the company’s focus on the endurance paddling and adventure SUP scene.

Lindsey Tilton made headlines last year after completing an impressive 48 laps of the Last Paddler Standing, an endurance SUP race held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, and one of the most gruelling formats in the world.

This announcement coincides with Lindsey’s latest ultra-endurance challenge, as she’s attempting to become the first woman on a stand-up paddleboard to take on The Great Alabama 650 (September 21 – October 1), a 650-mile paddle race across Alabama, starting at Weiss Lake in the northeast and finishing in Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. (*Lindsey can be tracked here). 

Per Vallbo, Founder and CEO of Yster SUP, said: “When Lindsey reached out to me and introduced herself, I immediately felt that it was an excellent match with the values of Yster. Of course, I already knew who she was, and in many ways, Lindsey is a true ambassador for female endurance paddling through her achievements and her commitment to pushing boundaries. Her dedication and passion for the sport are evident, and she inspires others with her stamina and unwavering determination to overcome challenges.”

TotalSUP caught up with Lindsey right before the race to discuss her motivation for tackling such extreme challenges and the significance of these achievements for women in sport.

Hi Lindsey, welcome to TotalSUP and massive congratulations on the recent announcement – Let’s dive right in and talk about you joining the Yster SUP Team! What attracted you to the brand, and how did the collaboration come about?

Aloha! I was drawn to Yster because they are leaders in the ultra-endurance paddling space. Their inflatable race boards are built with endurance and adventure in mind, which is exactly what I need for challenges like the Alabama 650. For races like this, having an inflatable board is crucial for navigating rapids and more remote sections.

Beyond the Alabama 650, I have my eye on other endurance races across the country, and Yster’s inflatables make travel and competition more accessible without sacrificing performance. I love that they’re committed to innovation in this niche, which aligns perfectly with my goals. I am really grateful for Yster believing in me and what I aim to accomplish in the paddle space!

Yster SUP has cemented its position as the go-to brand for endurance SUP, boasting a strong record in ultra-endurance race wins. This collaboration feels like a perfect match!

Absolutely! Yster has an impressive track record in races like the Yukon 1,000, the Alabama 650, and Last Paddler Standing. It feels like a perfect fit to join a brand that shares the same passion for pushing the limits in endurance paddling.

There’s so much to unpack! Could you tell us a little bit more about your watersport background, how you got into endurance stand-up paddleboarding, and the competitive side of the sport? Could you also tell us about Aloha Athletics?

I grew up surfing and always felt most at peace on the water. After college, I moved to the Washington, DC area, and found myself four hours from the beach. Paddleboarding became my way to reconnect with the water. When I relocated to South Florida, I dove into endurance paddling headfirst. I saw a flyer for the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, an 80-mile paddle from the Bahamas to Florida, and I knew right away it was something I had to do.

I signed up six months later, with the goal of simply finishing the race—not being competitive. After that experience, I started training more seriously and getting involved in shorter races, eventually leading me to endurance events like Chattajack and Last Paddler Standing.

Aloha Athletics was born from my passion for empowering paddlers of all levels, alongside my Co-Founder and best friend Casey McCullough. It’s more than just a training platform—it’s a community. We offer training plans, podcasts, blog posts, community paddle meetups, and more. We’re committed to making paddling accessible to all and offer holistic coaching services, covering everything from mental strategy to technique and nutrition. We created Aloha Athletics because we saw a gap in resources for endurance paddlers and wanted to share the knowledge we gained through our own experiences.

You hold the women’s record for Last Paddler Standing, and your achievement last year has made a significant impact on the global SUP community. What was your biggest takeaway from that experience?

Paddling for 48 hours in a circle really forces you to confront your thoughts. My biggest takeaway is that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. I received so much support from women in the SUP community after the event, which made me realize the importance of being a trailblazer for others.

I love trying things that haven’t been done before, and I want to inspire other women to do the same. This is part of why I signed up for the Alabama 650. I want to show that it’s possible for a woman to conquer this race on a stand-up paddleboard and hopefully inspire others to take on challenges they never thought possible.

I have to ask this question: Why the extreme? Why choose the toughest aspects of the sport? Why push the physical and mental boundaries?

Great question! I love discovering what I’m capable of and pushing myself and my limits. There’s something exhilarating about doing things that have never been done before. It’s not just about the physical challenge but also the mental aspect. These ultra-endurance races allow me to explore both, and I find that incredibly rewarding.

It’s evident that you channel your passion for the sport into something greater, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability and mental health awareness. Could you share more about that?

I believe in having a purpose beyond yourself when tackling something difficult. Paddling has been transformative for me both mentally and physically. Mental health is an area we don’t talk about enough, and I’ve seen first hand the devastating effects of untreated mental illness. When I was in high school, I experienced a suicide cluster where nine of my classmates lost their lives.

That experience has stayed with me. As an adult, I have found myself navigating similar challenges supporting friends going through mental crisis. I’ve found that paddling offers a space to connect deeply with others and have meaningful conversations—sometimes more therapeutic than formal settings.

For the Alabama 650, I’m dedicating my efforts to raising awareness around mental health and addiction recovery. My hope is that my journey will reach people who need to hear the message that they are not alone. The funds I am raising through this attempt benefits the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation is a 501(c)(3)  which helps women as they navigate recovery.

You’re now training for the Great Alabama 650 (21 September – 1 October), America’s longest paddle race, covering 650 miles across Alabama, and then there’s Last Paddler Standing. Could you share your preparation drills and strategies?

I signed up for the Alabama 650 about eight weeks out, so I haven’t had as much time to prepare as I would’ve liked. Right now, I’m focusing heavily on mindset preparation, which I consider just as important as physical training. I’m also stacking back-to-back paddles to build cumulative fatigue while balancing a full-time job. The key is to avoid burnout and keep it fun. The 650 is a different beast compared to Last Paddler.

For Last Paddler, I’ll shift gears after the 650 and focus on speed work in preparation for the “SUPer lap”, where the distance and thus pace increases. Recovery after the 650 will be crucial, and I’ll adjust my Last Paddler goals based on how that goes.

What’s your Yster SUP set up for the upcoming challenges?

I’ll be using a 14-foot x 25-inch inflatable Yster board for the Alabama 650. This setup is ideal for handling rapids, which I’ll be encountering during the race. If it was not for the rapids I would have selected the 17 foot unlimited board however I think that might be challenging for me to control during the class 2-3 rapids.

What do you hope to accomplish with the upcoming endurance challenges?

My goal is to spread a message of hope, especially to those struggling with mental health. I want to demonstrate that the only limits we have are the ones we set for ourselves. I’ve also been mentoring other women through Aloha Athletics, helping them get into endurance paddling and realize their own strength. Through these events, I aim to pave the way for more women to enter the sport and find empowerment through it.

Thank you Lindsey for your time and good luck with the upcoming challenges!

Explore Yster SUP quiver at www.ystersup.com and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram

Follow Lindsey on Instagram and her coaching & training page Aloha Athletics

Track Lindsey’s Great Alabama 650 journey here 

*Images courtesy of Lindsey Tilton