Let's all raise our paddles in the air in celebration! We are so stoked to be hosting a HONU SUP Demo Day on Saturday 22nd of June 2024 at The Official Test Centre.
Joining us at the Demo Day will be HONU SUP Founder Mark Travers, all the way from Australia, in this weeks blog find out how the HONU story started, I was lucky enough to speak to Mark and find out all about the magic and the passion that goes into making a HONU board and how it stands head and shoulders above any other options on the market! HONU SUP; Paddling to perfection!
You can come and find out for yourself at the Demo Day what makes HONU boards the lightest and the stiffest boards around and why you will have the ride of your life when you jump on board! The boards exceed expectations they are fun, easy to manoeuvre and you will definitely find your sweet spot.
Browse the Honu range at SurfDoctor, there is a design to suit everyone, HONU produces a range of paddleboards that are light, high performing and stylish. Using exclusive materials and technology, with attention to detail and performance and not forgetting HONU paddles and e-pump! HONU really has it all!
By Emma Nicholson.
What is your background? When you were growing up did you do a lot of watersports?
Mark said: "I grew up on the North West Coast of Tasmania, where I spent my formative years swimming, surfing and diving in some of the world's cleanest and coldest oceans. I now live in Narrabeen which is located on the Northern Beaches of Sydney where I am spoiled for choice of beaches, harbours and lagoons."
What made you decide to design and produce SUP boards?
Mark said: "It was actually Megan who decided I needed another brand. I had sold the bike brand I had built over a five-year period to Trek USA and gone back into the corporate engineering world. I was miserable. So we started looking for a business with a connection to sports/outdoors.
"That when we found this little brand called Honu.
"The brand was founded in 2001 in Bondi Beach by a French backpacker. It was setup to offer affordable surfboards and paddleboards for families through a simple website, eBay and a garage. It ran virtually unchanged in this way until we purchased the business in 2019.
"I intended to run the business as it was and simply improve the branding, marketing and customer service. However, upon close inspection of the products, I wasn't happy with them. Any of them.
"I discontinued every product and set about re-designing everything from scratch. This included the branding, products, website and even distribution channels.
We also discontinued surfboards and fibreglass sups.
"The brand was then completely re-launched in October 2020 with the new branding and range of products that we are now known for.
"So, while I didn't start the brand in 2001, I do consider myself the founder of Honu Paddleboards, the brand you see today."
What was your vision when you first started out?
Mark said: "The vision was, and still is, to create a brand that people feel connected to. We help people experience the water and outdoors in a healthy and meaningful way. And so if we can make great product that delivers a quality experience and back it up with first-class service and support, we hope to build a brand that people just keep coming back to. I describe it as building a 100-year brand."
What makes HONU as a brand unique?
Mark said: "I like to think that we combine an elegant style with high-performance products, which is rare. Often, with any product, you decide between style or performance. When you have Honu products, you can see and feel the quality and aren't overwhelmed by branding and ambid claims. People are attracted to the design itself over the branding."
What is your biggest achievement to date? What are you most proud of?
Mark said: "I don't think there is any one stand-out achievement. It's a bunch of smaller wins that make me proud. One thing I am certainly proud of is how our products stack up against the big brands. We're a little bootstrapped challenger brand making the lightest, stiffest iSUPs going and doing some innovative development."
What is your best memory on your HONU journey?
One of the best nights had to be sitting in my office office watching the SUP Boarder Magazine review of our first generation Sorrento 12'6. I sat through most of the video saying to myself:
"Hope they like it."
"Hope it doesn't get slated."
"Hope this isn't a disaster."
...
Then when they anounced the award it won, I leapt out of my chair like I had just been awarded the olympic games !"
Who inspires you?
Mark said: "Oh, lots of people, really. But most recently, I was watching a Star Trek series and learned that one of Jean-Luc Picard's sayings was:
" One Impossible Task at a Time"
And I like that. It's become my mantra lately.
So, I'm inspired by fictional intergalactic space explorers."
Why is SUPing so good for your mental health?
Mark said: "Anything that gets you on or in the water is good for your mental health. I think SUPing is particularly good as families can do it together, which is one part of the sport I think is quite special, and the fact you can't take calls while you're doing it."
What are you looking forward to most at The OTC/HONU SUP Open Day?
Mark said: "I'm really looking forward to meeting the whole crew at OTC and getting the chance to meet and chat with local paddlers. This visit is something we have been planning for a long time so I'm really excited."
Browse the HONU SUP range here available from SurfDoctor and find out for yourself at the HONU SUP DEMO DAY why the stability and the lightness of a HONU SUP is like no other!
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