Why do we have the Starboard ‘Dream Team’? Well, it’s simple – by living out their dreams, they help us live out ours. Whether it’s paddling long-distance challenges, winning races, catching waves, these Starboard team riders really are living the dream. We truly believe they’re the best in the world at what they do – and that goes well beyond putting a paddle in the water. Earning your way onto the Dream Team is no small achievement in the standup world – and once you’re there it takes commitment, mindfulness, and hard work to stay.
We’re proud to say these riders not only win races and surf contests, they also epitomize the Starboard way of life: do good, on and off the water, for the planet and for humankind. With that said, we’re happy to present our Dream Team – twenty-one of the best standup paddlers in the world.
Women’s SUP Racing
Sonni Honscheid
Sonni Hönscheid, lifelong waterwoman and accomplished, grew up windsurfing in the Canary Islands. The accomplished paddler is now the veteran of multiple Hawaiian channel crossings, countless races and caught more waves than she can ever hope to remember. Find her art on our Tikhine boards.
Fiona Wylde
Fiona Wylde calls two places home: The Gorge and Baja Sur. The young but accomplished paddler is at home in the waves as she is on the race course – and she’s got the hardware to prove it. Just 21 years old, she’s sure to be a staple on the scene for years to come.
Men’s SUP Racing
Connor Baxter
Already a legend, the Hawaiian-born Connor Baxter has been on the water since he could walk, and is now a multiple-time world champion. With parents Karen and Keith having a long relationship with Starboard, we’re happy to say there’s no other boards Connor has ever wanted to ride as he absolutely dominates the playing field in virtually every race he enters.
Michael Booth
Relative newcomer to the competitive racing scene, ‘Boothy’ is turning heads every time he steps on a board – and it’s not just his uh, muscular physique. The Australian is strong and solid on the race course, consistently putting up wins and top-10 finishes after just a couple years of training.
Bruno Hasulyo
One half of the ‘SUP Broz’, Bruno Hasulyo is young, ambitious, and extremely hard-working. With a gold medal in the 2017 ISA Long Distance Champs, few would argue that the young talent from Hungary has an excellent chance to become one of the world’s best paddlers.
Daniel Hasulyo
The other half of the SUP Broz, Daniel divides his time between Bali and working at Starboard HQ in Thailand. Fit, fast, and technically skilled, he’s a threat in any race he enters.
Trevor Tunnington
Trevor Tunnington turned heads with a close-finish win at the Lost Mills Fastest Paddler on Earth spring race back in 2015. Since then, he’s only gotten better – whether it’s battling through big surf or catching waves on his foilboard.
Leonard Nika
Paddler, father, adventurer, the Italian-Albanian Leonard Nika does it all. Splitting his time between Rome and Lisbon, Portugal, you can find him blasting through finish lines and hunting down big waves.
Matt Nottage
The downwind expert from Australia has dominated in some of his country’s most difficult races. An accomplished OC-1 paddler, he’s a threat with any kind of paddle in his hands.
Ryan Funk
This young gun from Maui caught the standup world’s attention this year with this man-sized performance at Red Bully Heavy Water at Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
Women’s SUP Surfing
Shakira Westdorp
Australian SUP surfer Shakira ‘Shak’ Westdrop is as formidable as it gets when it comes to catching waves. Oh yeah, and when she’s not winning titles in the waves, she’s saving lives as a firefighter.
Iballa Moreno
Legendary in the world of windsuring, Iballa Moreno is a household name in Spain. One half of the famous Moreno twins, she still calls Pozo Izquierdo home, and is a total and complete waterwoman.
Men’s SUP Surfing
Zane Schweitzer
Born as ‘windsurfing royalty’ to the famous Schweitzer family, Zane grew up on Maui and was surfing as soon as he could walk. Competing on an international level long before his teenage years were over, Zane’s energy, attitude, and enthusiasm is infectious – one reason he’s one of our best ambassadors.
Sean Poynter
Hailing from Florida, USA, Sean Poynter is a wave technician. With a strong shortboard background, his style on a wave is unparalleled.
Clement Colmas
This young New Caledonian rider is talented both on race courses and in the waves – and lately, he’s loving the foil.
Tomo Murabayashi
Our favorite man from Japan, Tomo’s stoke for surf is high. Tomo also get the Groms stoked on everything SUP and sustainability through his SUP Kids School.
Benoit Carpentier
French young-gun Benoit Carpentier is all about waves – he’s a European Longboard Champion – no matter what size, shape, or style. At home on the surf of Northwest France or abroad, everyone on the beach knows Benoit.
Men’s River SUP
Dan Gavere
A legend in his own time, Dan Gavere evolved from the kayak world to the SUP world. A fixture at events worldwide both on the water and on the microphone, he’s been a pioneer of whitewater river paddling over the last decade.
Tiki Adventurers
Bart De Zwart
Dutchman-turned-Hawaiian Bart De Zwart is our team manager and resident adventurer. His long-distance paddles and incredible crossings pick up media attention in every language.
Donica Shouse
One half of our big-island duo, Donica Shouse is a yogi, surfer, paddler, and photographer.
Abraham Shouse
Working with partner Donica, Abraham Shouse spreads Big Island stoke through photos, videos, and of course, his own paddling.
