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SWM: Tell us about yourself and how you got involved with creating the Stand Up World Tour and the Stand Up World Series.
TB: My name is Tristan Boxford, a British Citizen, but Hawaii resident. My involvement in ocean sports goes back as far as I can remember. As a passionate swimmer almost before I could even walk, I first stepped on a windsurfer at about two years old. Fast forward 13 years, and my obsession for being in the ocean was all encompassing, with my first trip to Maui as a sponsored windsurfer at 15 and turning pro upon leaving school. I kept up with my studies earning me an Honors Degree in Business and Languages, and my frequent trips to Hawaii led to me establishing myself there full time starting in my early mid twenties.
With British and European Titles under my belt and regular top 10 finishes on the World Tour, it was time to turn my attention to the next chapter of my life.As my passion for travel and story-telling developed so did my work with television media, with projects for MTV Europe, Transworld Sport and many other TV productions.
This led to the launch of the Ocean Games in 2007, a multi sport event held on Maui’s North Shore that brought together the complete spectrum of ocean sports (including SUP), celebrating the Ultimate Watersports athlete.
This led to the establishment in 2009 of an advisory board made up of ocean sports’ most respected ambassadors such as Robby Naish, Brian Keaulana, Archie Kalepa, Duane DeSoto and Peyo Lizarazu, amongst others. This was the launch of the Waterman League, an organization dedicated to the production of unique and legitimate ocean sports experiences.
The Contenders event in Tahiti followed in September of 2009 and the launch of the World Tour in 2010 – the rest is history!
I continue to be a passionate windsurfer, stand up paddler, surfer, swimmer and sailor, enjoying all aspects of living in and around the ocean.
SWM: Is the Tour your business now, or do you other work as well?
TB: It is more than a full time business, as we have created an animal that requires 100% focus and a growing team. We have a full time media production staff working out of our production office at Turtle Bay and representatives in all global regions, with events in six continents and over 14 countries
SWM: What are if any, the major changes this year?
TB: Consolidation: we have grown really fast and are in all four corners of the world, meaning that it was tough to keep up for a while there with the limited team and resources we had. However, we have now consolidated on what we have created and are focused on building out each of our established regions with what I believe is the ideal mix of events in 2015, featuring major market impact and iconic action. With six events on each calendar (the World Tour & the World Series) and two events combining
both Surfing and Racing, we have 10 World Championship Stops for 2015. In addition, the European Cup adds another three Challenger events to the events list, providing a unique program that is comprehensive in every sense. The EU Cup allows us to celebrate the EU Champions, but also provides an additional Cup Title for the international athletes competing across the EU Cup, without diluting the premier league of stand up paddling, the Stand Up World Series. For 2016, we will be rolling out the North American & Asia Cups to emulate the success of the EU Cup.
As we look ahead to 2016, we are expanding into one, maybe two more regions, but that is it, as we really want to build out the presence and prestige of each of the events.
SWM: You seem to get great support from the industry to do so.
TB: We have the support of the major industry players who see the importance of a centralized global platform for the sport to spur the global sales and growth. They support their teams to participate and benefit from the exposure we provide through our media, from TV (to over 160 countries worldwide) to digital (our last live broadcast registered 270,000 unique views and over 2.8 million minutes watched)
SWM: Why according to you is it so essential to have such a worldwide event for a sport?
TB: For the healthy growth of any sport, there needs to be a pinnacle for enthusiasts to aspire to and follow, and a means to connect with the sport beyond just grass roots events in each region. From football, basketball and tennis,to surfing and now stand up paddling, the message needs to not only reach the established demographic, but to access a new and influential demographic that can lead to further growth and development for the sport.
In addition to this, creating career opportunities for young athletes is an exciting thing, as we have seen the likes of Kai Lenny, Connor Baxter, Zane Schweitzer and Europeans such as Casper Steinfath, Eric Terrien and Leonard Nika turn a passion into a career.
Another element that cannot be overlooked is the evolution of the sport. From the day we started back in 2009, where SUP boards were little more than beefed up longboards, the evolution of the boards and the skill level is mind-blowing. Now, 9-ft longboards have been replaced by 6'8" performance surfboards, where athletes are able to do aerials, get barreled, and drive radical turns in some of the world’s most challenging waves. Likewise in racing, technology has advanced at a rapid rate, making paddling more fun and high performance at the same time, with groundbreaking evolution across the board.
The best of the best competing on a global platform is what inspires this growth and reaching all the different regions also helps foster growth in the sport. Our first event in Brazil in 2010 saw 40-50 competitors – last year it was 600 and we saw a Brazilian World Champion in 2012.
Special secret spot in Hawaii. One of my favorite places to surf in the world - super long right hander and handles big swell.
Sup World Mag