Shark SUPs have released their 2022 Collection today and we see some tech and business changes that both improve the board performance and reduce the impact on our planet.
** Press Release: Shark SUP
Following a complete rebrand in 2020, the much anticipated reveal of SHARK SUPs new 2022 range demonstrates that their ethos Constant Forward Motion is very much at the heart of the changes that have been made.
SHARK has evolved their SUP design, manufacturing and technology in order to place both the planet’s and paddleboarder’s needs at the heart of everything. 2022 sees the company progressing technological innovations, manufacturing capabilities (including less printing and less wastage in production), as well as increasing the availability of paddleboard ranges in different depths (5” and 6”), enabling improved on the water experiences for paddlers, whilst reducing negative impact on our planet.
In addition the predominantly white stand-up paddleboards have changed to shades of grey in order to keep the boards looking neat and tidy over time. The touring range has had extra cargo capability and enhanced d-rings added due to popular demand and all boards have 20cm foot markers included in the design in order to encourage the right stance.
During the 2020 re-brand SHARK SUPs partnered with The Shark Trust to raise shark awareness; to help spread the word about the amazing diversity of sharks and rays and the importance of protecting them for future generations. 400 million years of evolution and the shark remains in a ‘constant forward motion’ in both evolutionary and physiological terms.
Designer Simon Edwin commented: “With a streamlined body shape, strong tail and fins, the shark moves through water in a forward motion. Assisting this forward propulsion, the shark’s skin has evolved to be covered with millions of tiny teeth called dermal denticles, which help the shark swim faster by reducing surface drag. Dermal denticles come in many different shapes and sizes reflective of the individual shark species characteristics; fast sharks have pointed denticles, while slower sharks have more rounded denticles. It is the denticle shapes and patterns that really influenced the aesthetic design of SHARK SUP’s brand and products. What I tried to do is bring some attention to some of the lesser known sharks, for example, the Epaulette Shark which can pull themselves out of the water and across the land – which makes them a perfect all-rounder! Other sharks were chosen for their visual element; the race board is influenced by a Weasel shark whose markings resemble go-faster stripes.”
In 2021 SUPboarder Magazine in 2021 gave the brand excellent reviews. They said: “The big stand out for us with SHARK SUPs is the range of boards they offer in a range of thicknesses. This shows they have really been thinking about what boards are going to suit what people and what thicknesses they need to be in to promote performance. It’s also worth highlighting that their SUP package is very well coordinated and put together and is delivered with sustainable packaging”.
In October 2021 the SHARK SUPs All Round board was voted as best beginners paddle board for ocean riders. But in the 2022 range two new boards have been introduced especially with children in mind. Gary Willingham of FCUP Sports, the UK distributor of SHARK SUPs said: “It’s really great to see the introduction of a young paddler range to SHARK SUPs. The addition of the smaller, lighter all round and touring iSUPs increases accessibility for children and young people to enjoy stand up paddle boarding without compromising their experience. We work incredibly hard to promote paddlers onto the kit that is most suitable for their needs and with the new kids range SHARK SUPs now deliver a range of boards that really meet all paddlers needs”.
Paul Cox, Managing Director of The Shark Trust said of the partnership: “We’re really happy to be continuing our partnership with SHARK SUPs. As a shark conservation charity, we’re always promoting the diversity of sharks in our oceans. It’s great to see that the 2022 SHARK SUPs range enhances the subtle shark patterns by adding education stamps to each board. We hope this increases paddlers’ interest and connection with the shark species that influences their board”.
UK 2022 boards are arriving at stores throughout Europe and will be available in the New Year. Customers can pre-order with their local retailer.