SUPfm The International Stand Up Paddle Board Podcast

It's been quite a year on the water. From thrilling race finishes to emotional farewells, this episode marks SUPfm’s review of 2025 with reflection, gratitude, and a look to the future.
Simon and Sarah “SUPJunkie” Thornley come together and are joined by familiar voices from across the paddling world, including British paddler Emily King, endurance powerhouse Tanja Ecker, SUP adventurer John McFazean, and an exclusive “on-the-ground” report direct from our reporter at Last Paddler Standing 2025.
We look back on the highs and the lows that defined the SUP year — including world championship triumphs and record-breaking ultras and the sad closure of SUPMagUK and The Paddler magazines.
In this episode, we discuss:
• The highlights from the 2025 ISA and ICF World Championships
• The rise of endurance and ultra-distance paddle challenges
• Insights from Tanja Ecker and from Last Paddler Standing 2025
• Reflections on the legacy of SUPMagUK and The Paddler
• A forward look at SUP’s 2032 Olympic future
We didn't have a chance to cover the results of the Sprint finals of the ISA soe here they are:
Women's ISA Sprint
1) Mariecarmen Rivera
2) Alba Alonso
3) Cecilia Pampinella
Men's ISA Sprint
1) Christian Anderson
2) Ethan Bry
3) Sergio Cantoral
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who’d love it!
Keep up with SUPfm Podcast:
on Facebook: @SUPfmPodcast
on Instagram: @supfmpodcast
on YouTube : @supfmpodcast
AND subscribe to our newsletter here and get your FREE guide to the apps we recommend, to live your best SUP life
Build the lifetime knowledge you need to keep safe on the water
Our comprehensive online SUP Safety Course gives you the knowledge you need, to keep safe on the water and ALL FOR LESS than the price of an hours on-water tuition £37 £10
It's available here at https://supfm.thinkific.com/
See you on the water!
Mentioned in this episode:
FlowForce Paddles from Oscar Propulsion
Oscar Propulsion's innovative FlowForce Paddle, dramatically enhances paddling efficiency and reduces stress through the body.
Join the revolution and elevate your paddling with FlowForce from Oscar Propulsion Sport

Visit the Oscar Propulsion Website
Paddle UK and ICF World Cup 2026
Book now to take part in 2026's most exciting racing event as the ICF World Cup hits the beautiful waters of Torbay between June 24th and 28th, combining with the PaddleUK Super Festival
Book before the end of December 2025 for discounted entry
Paddle UK 2026 World Cup
Starboard
We want to thank our lead sponsor Starboard for supporting this season of the SUPfm Podcast
Whether you're a seasoned racer, an adventurous explorer, or a beginner, Starboard has the perfect board for you.
Choose Starboard for unparalleled quality and performance across all levels of paddleboarding

Starboard Website

What happens when you trade a safe and secure teaching career, for a life on the wild side.
We sit down with Norm Hann, Canadian expedition paddler, guide, and educator — known for his work in the Great Bear Rainforest and for pioneering multi-day SUP expeditions on Canada’s wild coast.
Norm shares his remarkable transformation from a classroom teacher in Ontario to a wilderness guide and advocate for the Great Bear Rainforest. From being adopted into the Raven Clan in Hartley Bay to shaping the early days of stand-up paddleboarding, Norm’s story is about courage, connection, and following your calling.
In this episode, Norm shares:
How leaving a secure career opened the door to purpose and adventure
What makes the Great Bear Rainforest one of the planet’s most magical places
How his adoption into the Raven Clan shaped his identity and outlook
The origins of his pioneering SUP expeditions on Canada’s west coast

Watch the movie Stand for free here
** Pardon the audio gremlins in the first ten minutes of the episode! **
Connect with Norm Hann:
Website – https://www.normhann.com
Join Norm in the Maldives or on other expeditions here
Instagram – @normhann
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who’d love it!
Keep up with the SUPfm Podcast:
on Facebook: @SUPfmPodcast
on Instagram: @supfmpodcast
on YouTube : @supfmpodcast
AND subscribe to our newsletter here and get your FREE guide to the apps we recommend, to live your best SUP life
Build the lifetime knowledge you need to keep safe on the water
Our comprehensive online SUP Safety Course gives you the knowledge you need, to keep safe on the water and ALL FOR LESS than the price of an hours on-water tuition £37 £10
It's available here at https://supfm.thinkific.com/
See you on the water!
Mentioned in this episode:
Paddle UK and ICF World Cup 2026
Book now to take part in 2026's most exciting racing event as the ICF World Cup hits the beautiful waters of Torbay between June 24th and 28th, combining with the PaddleUK Super Festival
Book before the end of December 2025 for discounted entry
Paddle UK 2026 World Cup
FlowForce Paddles from Oscar Propulsion
Oscar Propulsion's innovative FlowForce Paddle, dramatically enhances paddling efficiency and reduces stress through the body.
Join the revolution and elevate your paddling with FlowForce from Oscar Propulsion Sport

Visit the Oscar Propulsion Website
Starboard
We want to thank our lead sponsor Starboard for supporting this season of the SUPfm Podcast
Whether you're a seasoned racer, an adventurous explorer, or a beginner, Starboard has the perfect

Need some inspiration for your next paddling read — or a gift for the paddler in your life? The annual SUPfm Book Club brings together stories and reflections shaped by water, nature, and people who find meaning in both.
Simon is joined by returning journalist and author Dan Rubinstein, whose celebrated book Waterborne explores the transformative power of paddling, connection, and blue space.
In this episode, Simon and Dan reflect on a carefully chosen collection of books that explore our human relationship with water and nature.
From Tristan Gooley’s quiet lessons in observation, to Jo Moseley’s joyful journeys, each title offers something different — insight, wonder, or emotional depth — for every kind of paddler and reader.
Whether you’re looking for a personal read or the perfect gift, this episode will guide you through a shelf’s worth of inspiration that celebrates water as teacher, mirror, and muse.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Hidden Seasons by Tristan Gooley — how tuning into subtle seasonal shifts deepens our time outdoors
It’s Only Drowning by David Litt — confronting loss and renewal through immersion in the element itself
Water Borne — Dan Rubinstein’s reflections on identity, connection, and what paddling teaches us about ourselves
Life Map to Mongolia - Overcoming the Odds - Rosemary Sales' 2025 paddle expedition into the isolated Mongolian Steppes
Rowed Trip - Colin and Julie Angus
Lost in Mongolia - Colin Angus, Ian Mulgrew
Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane — exploring the boundaries of science, poetry, and spirituality
Adventures on the Water by Jo Moseley — a celebration of joy, courage, and community through SUP
Theory of Water by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson — an Indigenous perspective on flow, language, and resilience

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who’d love it!
Keep up with SUPfm:
on Facebook: @SUPfmPodcast
on Instagram: @supfmpodcast
on YouTube : @supfmpodcast
AND subscribe to our newsletter here and get your FREE guide to the apps we recommend, to live your best SUP life
Build the lifetime knowledge you need to keep safe on the water
Our comprehensive online SUP Safety Course gives you the knowledge you need, to keep safe on the water and ALL FOR LESS than the price of an hours on-water tuition £37 £10
It's available here at

What does it take to paddle through one of the world’s most remote landscapes — where eagles soar, nomads wave from the riverbank, and adventure begins the moment you leave the city?
In this episode, Simon reconnects with Matt Phillips (last heard from in our Amazon Adventure episode) to relive his latest expedition through Mongolia shared with Phil from Canoe Safaris New Zealand .
From river rapids and remote nomadic encounters to frozen mornings and bacon-fuelled lunches, Matt shares a raw, funny, and inspiring diary of what it means to chase wilderness in its truest form.
In this episode, Matt shares:
The inspiration and plan behind an off-grid Mongolian paddle expedition
Encounters with nomads, wildlife, and the vast isolation of the steppe
The joys and chaos of river life — from rainstorms to lumpy tea
Lessons in adaptability, curiosity, and staying open to the unknown

Connect with Matt
Website – MattPhillipsOutdoors.com
Instagram – @matt.phillips.outdoors
Connect with Phil
Website : Canoe Safaris New Zealand
Instagram : @canoesafarisnz
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who’d love it!
Keep up with SUPfm:
on Facebook: @SUPfmPodcast
on Instagram: @supfmpodcast
on YouTube : @supfmpodcast
AND subscribe to our newsletter here and get your FREE guide to the apps we recommend, to live your best SUP life
Build the lifetime knowledge you need to keep safe on the water
Our comprehensive online SUP Safety Course gives you the knowledge you need, to keep safe on the water and ALL FOR LESS than the price of an hours on-water tuition £37 £10
It's available here at https://supfm.thinkific.com/
See you on the water!
Mentioned in this episode:
Starboard
We want to thank our lead sponsor Starboard for supporting this season of the SUPfm Podcast
Whether you're a seasoned racer, an adventurous explorer, or a beginner, Starboard has the perfect board for you.
Choose Starboard for unparalleled quality and performance across all levels of paddleboarding

Starboard Website
Paddle UK and ICF World Cup 2026
Book now to take part in 2026's most exciting racing event as the ICF World Cup hits the beautiful waters of Torbay between June 24th and 28th, combining with the PaddleUK Super Festival
Book before the end of December 2025 for discounted entry
Paddle UK 2026 World Cup
FlowForce Paddles from Oscar Propulsion
Oscar Propulsion's innovative FlowForce Paddle, dramatically enhances paddling efficiency and reduces stress...

What if the key to paddling better isn’t more training — but better thinking?
We sit down with Kirsty MacMillan, Paddle Monster Coach coach and founder of MacMillan Elite Mindset, who helps athletes at all levels to unlock their potential by strengthening the mental side of performance.
In this fascinating conversation, Kirsty shares how she discovered SUP ten years ago, developed her competitive edge, and turned that passion into a career helping paddlers improve their mental game. From visualization and awareness to focus and emotional regulation, Kirsty explains how mindset drives performance — both on the water and in life.
In this episode, Kirsty shares:
How a surf lesson gone sideways led to a lifelong SUP obsession
Why the mental domain drives every aspect of performance
Seven key mental skills every paddler can develop
The science behind visualization and remaining calm under pressure
How to use “Well–Better–How” to turn every race into growth
The difference between fixed and growth mindsets — and why it matters

Connect with Kirsty MacMillan
At macmillanelitemindset.com
On Instagram
On YouTube
On Facebook

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who’d love it!
Keep up with SUPfm:
on Facebook: @SUPfmPodcast
on Instagram: @supfmpodcast
on YouTube : @supfmpodcast
AND subscribe to our newsletter here and get your FREE guide to the apps we recommend, to live your best SUP life
Build the lifetime knowledge you need to keep safe on the water
Our comprehensive online SUP Safety Course gives you the knowledge you need, to keep safe on the water and ALL FOR LESS than the price of an hours on-water tuition £37 £10
It's available here at https://supfm.thinkific.com/
See you on the water!
Mentioned in this episode:
Starboard
We want to thank our lead sponsor Starboard for supporting this season of the SUPfm Podcast
Whether you're a seasoned racer, an adventurous explorer, or a beginner, Starboard has the perfect board for you.
Choose Starboard for unparalleled quality and performance across all levels of paddleboarding

Starboard Website
FlowForce Paddles from Oscar Propulsion
Oscar Propulsion's innovative FlowForce Paddle, dramatically enhances paddling efficiency and reduces stress through the body.
Join the revolution and elevate your paddling with FlowForce from Oscar Propulsion Sport

Visit the Oscar Propulsion Website
Paddle UK and ICF World Cup 2026
Book now to take part in 2026's most exciting racing event as the ICF...