SUP industry exposed?

[Admin]

Racing is a sliver on a fragment and it always has been.  Racing goes up, racing goes down, the needle barely moves.  The sport is still growing.  Very few others can say the same. 

[cleanfront]

Racing is a sliver on a fragment and it always has been.  Racing goes up, racing goes down, the needle barely moves.  The sport is still growing.  Very few others can say the same. 

Agree and thanks for being the only one earlier to push back on the validity of the entire blog posting that started it.
Not sure which is more disconcerting, the initial blog posting with no factual data to back the opinion. Or that it's gone to 6 pages without anyone else doing it.

My 2 cents ...
If one is motivated to keep the racing aspect growing, younger participation is key.
In many regions infrastructure is already in place with rowing clubs/crew. My second closest-to-home local spot is a scholastic/collegiate rowing center for training and hosting regattas. High school crew teams paddle past me all the time.

It requires ambassadors to introduce and advocate for inclusion of paddle boarding to events.
Highlight the advantages.
- Lower equipment costs as well as maintenance, storage, transportation.
- Great for cross training and exercise.
- Utilitarian skill for future enjoyment (surf, whitewater, touring)

Hell, there are colleges already offering credit for paddle boarding; proposing teams/competition can't be that hard.
http://college.usatoday.com/2015/07/24/college-students-increasingly-embracing-stand-up-paddle-boarding/

[SaMoSUP]

Admin would you be able to share with us if traffic or membership numbers are still growing for the zone? Is it flat or declining? Curious to see how it aligns with the sentiment of this thread.

[JimK]

+1 to Admin

Racing Ain't Everything.As a matter of fact, its a small thing! (Business-wise)
I'm sure I can speak for the quality dealers/importers on this forum. Blue  Planet/WarDog/Myself We are all selling plenty of boards (FYI board prices go up in 2018 You might wanna jump on those 2017 closeouts) The mix is changing but growth and development are strong (although it may not be Booming tist will just "Thin the Heard" of uncommitted mfgers dealer in for a quick buck. Quality manufacturers like Sunova and Fanatic have been pushing the "Big Guys" for a few years now and thus they (Big Guys) have to "Tighten Their Belts" to compete which is also good for the consumer.

This sport isn't going anywhere! ... BUT UP

BTW
Windsurfing is doing well where ever there is a retailer working at it. Our WS numbers have gone up again this year (More lessons/Rentals and equipment sales)...The biggest WS problem in this past year is getting enough boards!The  factories are to busy making/selling SUP's
So Doom and Gloom merchants just FORGET IT (as Admin Said earlier in this thread "you don't know what you think you know"
JimK
Extreme Windsurfing

[Subber]

Around here, I don't see a lot of new SUP surfers,
but I do see a large increase in the number of people just casually using SUPs
- not racing nor training nor surfing...just having a great day out on the water.

Also, at first, when SUP was new, they were filling the pipeline.
Now, I see lots of used boards on Craigslist - some really good boards at pretty low
prices on there for weeks.  Also, lots of new lower priced boards for sale - not the
same quality of the boards generally talked about on The Zone but probably plenty
good enough for those casual users.

There was a guy on The Zone many years ago - I think he turned out to be correct.
I'm remembering him saying that eventually most of the sales volume would be in the
middle and even low end.  Although I think the boards he was making were maybe too
low...too heavy.

[stoneaxe]

Ummm...pretty sure a bunch of people have agreed with the decline in racing participation but that SUP in general is far from declining....just slowed down not going/growing like crazy like the last 10 years. It was pretty obvious the blog post was just an opinion piece and that most could care less....certainly not enough to argue each point.

Nobody is likely to disagree with your 2 cents...nothing new there and all been discussed before. Doesn't matter, racing is in decline. Analyzing data isn't necessary to understand that it's in decline. Anyone that has been doing this from early on has seen it grow, grow, grow, and now slow, slow, slow. Why...because the racing scene grew beyond what could be sustained. It went from no races/events in an area to too many...now it's finding equilibrium. But that's just racing.....I still see more new boards today than I did even just 2 years ago.

Maybe it can grow at the HS collegiate level but that requires a number of people coordinating to make it happen. I've heard of some success stories in growing youth participation but they are few and far between and usually involve a shop sponsoring it. Tough to maintain without financial upside for the shop. Even in places where the infrastucture exists it's tough. I grew up watching the Head of the Charles regatta and got the Run of the Charles to include SUPs. The CCBC crew introduced and got SUP started at the Community Boating Center in Boston with a gift of 6 full setups and we and ran a race there for a few years....now gone the way of many races that were here.

For what it's worth I think the decline in the number of races/events is a good thing. Those that remain will be the better run and it will make them stronger with better numbers.

[pdxmike]

Ummm...pretty sure a bunch of people have agreed with the decline in racing participation but that SUP in general is far from declining....just slowed down not going/growing like crazy like the last 10 years. It was pretty obvious the blog post was just an opinion piece and that most could care less....certainly not enough to argue each point.

Nobody is likely to disagree with your 2 cents...nothing new there and all been discussed before. Doesn't matter, racing is in decline. Analyzing data isn't necessary to understand that it's in decline. Anyone that has been doing this from early on has seen it grow, grow, grow, and now slow, slow, slow. Why...because the racing scene grew beyond what could be sustained. It went from no races/events in an area to too many...now it's finding equilibrium. But that's just racing.....I still see more new boards today than I did even just 2 years ago.

Maybe it can grow at the HS collegiate level but that requires a number of people coordinating to make it happen. I've heard of some success stories in growing youth participation but they are few and far between and usually involve a shop sponsoring it. Tough to maintain without financial upside for the shop. Even in places where the infrastucture exists it's tough. I grew up watching the Head of the Charles regatta and got the Run of the Charles to include SUPs. The CCBC crew introduced and got SUP started at the Community Boating Center in Boston with a gift of 6 full setups and we and ran a race there for a few years....now gone the way of many races that were here.

For what it's worth I think the decline in the number of races/events is a good thing. Those that remain will be the better run and it will make them stronger with better numbers.

Pretty much took the words right out of my mouth.

[yugi]

+1 to Admin

Racing Ain't Everything....

I'm sure I can speak for the quality dealers/importers on this forum. Blue  Planet/WarDog/Myself We are all selling plenty of boards ...
This sport isn't going anywhere! ... BUT UP
...
Windsurfing is doing well where ever there is a retailer working at it. Our WS numbers have gone up again this year
...

When you got a pocket of enthusiasts it's just infectious. A good shop who stokes the fun. Some fun which stokes more fun. It's just infectious. Keep it up!

Critical mass. Once it catches on it takes off.

Our local club has gotten all gung ho on race training. A new hard core team is forming. People who could barely paddle in a straight line before have gotten all stoked up and are paddling great now. Some races here fizzled out and some are on the up and up.

Maybe it's a skiers thing but here, on the lakes in the middle of the mountains, the level is getting better and better.

Critical mass. I think that's what it's mostly about. Humans are social creatures.

[stoneaxe]

Critical mass. I think that's what it's mostly about. Humans are social creatures.

Absolutely....but getting there and maintaining it isn't easy

[yugi]

^ it's easy. You just need to add hot chicks.

[stoneaxe]

I'm still kind of surprised at the relative lack of participation at the race we had on the Charles at Community Boating. Successful the 1st couple years then declined as other events came online. We had a beautiful and historic venue, great race route in the basin and lagoons of the Charles with the city as backdrop and through the lagoons of the Esplanade..usually as a concert was going on at the hatch shell. Perfect venue for watching a race (but we know how exciting it is to watch...hey admin...we need a yawning emoji..... .

Except for the somewhat pain in the ass parking it was just about perfect. Big party after with over the top food and a great band....and even hot chicks....most of whom can kick my ass in a race....and my wife...and even my Mom, sisters, and daughters.... (miss you Mom... ). Despite all it had going for it it slowly faded as other races that folks hadn't done yet pulled paddlers away. It simply didn't make sense for us to put all the effort into running it for such little return. The other events we did (we were up to 4 a year for a few years) were primarily done to raise awareness and bring folks into the CCBC family. They never raised much themselves compared to the effort to put them on. We decided a few years ago to forego the other events and simply focus on the CCBC...we just celebrated our 10th anniversary so i guess we're doing something right. But just like many others we have contracted, luckily we haven't disappeared.

Terrible analogy to use at this moment but a fire can't burn hot forever. Racing was burning hot. Like others have sad it's kind of surprising in retrospect that it got as hot as it did. Maybe it can again with enough effort by folks there to stoke it but if anything I see the folks that have been providing the fuel backing away some....burnout happens.
 
Hey...maybe we can get all the kids that aren't going to play football now to come out for SUP....

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

There's plenty of room for expansion where I'm at. Most people on the Hudson are kayakers, and there aren't a lot of them either. People are scared of the river, either because of the conditions or the history of pollution. Forty years ago the river was disgusting. Now people fish in it.

The thing is, there's nothing really going on SUP-wise around here. There are events in the city, which is a PITA to get to, and maybe some things in the Adirondacks, but otherwise it's just some lone birds on boards.

[stoneaxe]

I wonder what the percentage is of people that attend events as opposed to those that just do their own thing. Probably similar to other sports I'd imagine.

Industry stats folks....what is growth like on the coasts now vs growth inland? Seems to me like it would be tougher to do inland events because the users are more spread out. There are inland hot spots of course but coastal regions achieve critical mass easier I'd think.

[yugi]

^ Paris crossing ever growing. Last years registrations was filled within 7 minutes. This year they did a lottery for registration and increased numbers. Middle of winter too just BTW
   http://www.supracer.com/paris-crossing/



Lyon Kayak (kayaks, canoes and SUPS) had 1000 in 2012, 1500 in 2013 and now is over 2000. SUP numbers growing.
   http://www.lyonkayak.com/




The Vogalonga in Venice is the fun one to do apparently. If you want to party on the water in style. Also about 2000 watercraft. Just heaving. Not easy for SUP's as it's a long one but ever more apparently. Check the videos. It's just bananas.
   http://www.vogalonga.com/

[surf4food]

I wonder what the percentage is of people that attend events as opposed to those that just do their own thing. Probably similar to other sports I'd imagine.

Industry stats folks....what is growth like on the coasts now vs growth inland? Seems to me like it would be tougher to do inland events because the users are more spread out. There are inland hot spots of course but coastal regions achieve critical mass easier I'd think.

From what I hear, inland IS where growth is the strongest as far as people getting into SUP, but not the racing aspect.