Chris, with Black Project Hawaii you have created a high-end brand for paddles and fins in recent years, which you use to serve stand-up paddlers and windsurfers. Where are your roots?
My water sports career began at the age of five when I started windsurfing with my family in the early 80s. Even at a young age, I was an absolute fanatic. As I was living in the UK at the time, where there were no waves, I focussed on racing and speed. By the age of 13 I was competing regularly in regattas and it was at this point that I started to think about equipment and especially fins. I didn't have much money, so I was always looking for the cheapest ways to improve my performance. In many cases this meant making a board work for me outside of its normal wind range. These early experiences were to prove extremely important many years later.
When I finished school, I took some time off before going to university and headed to Maui for a year to learn how to windsurf in the waves. For many years I juggled studying, working, travelling and a few competitions - I was really on my own path, chasing waves and wind. Whenever possible, I always spent a lot of time in Hawaii, because I immediately felt at home there. But it wasn't until a long time later that I decided it was time to move to Hawaii full time. That was after Tom Hammerton and I decided to start a business together. We have known each other since the 90s from windsurfing on Maui and are both British.
What got you into stand-up paddling and what fascinates you about it?
It was the freedom that paddling gave me right from the start. New places, new people and new ideas were exactly what I needed. As I started to paddle more, it came naturally that I wanted to create my own equipment. Once again, I had a very limited budget, so I didn't want to or couldn't buy expensive equipment. I started with borrowed boards from friends and as I progressed, I even got some support from my windsurfing sponsors. But I had to save hard to buy my first race board. I love being on the water, I love the physical challenge of flat water paddling, I love the technology and the opportunity to make a real difference in performance, and I love being in the waves and finding new spots away from the crowds. Paddling gives me a lot and really helps me to make the most of my surroundings. Over the last few years it's been amazing to see how paddling has spread both geographically and in usage. I'm thrilled that so many people can now experience what it's like to be on the water.
What got you into stand-up paddling and what fascinates you about it?
It was the freedom that paddling gave me right from the start. New places, new people and new ideas were exactly what I needed. As I started to paddle more, it came naturally that I wanted to create my own equipment. Once again, I had a very limited budget, so I didn't want to or couldn't buy expensive equipment. I started with borrowed boards from friends and as I progressed, I even got some support from my windsurfing sponsors. But I had to save hard to buy my first race board. I love being on the water, I love the physical challenge of flat water paddling, I love the technology and the opportunity to make a real difference in performance, and I love being in the waves and finding new spots away from the crowds. Paddling gives me a lot and really helps me to make the most of my surroundings. Over the last few years it's been amazing to see how paddling has spread both geographically and in usage. I'm thrilled that so many people can now experience what it's like to be on the water.
Tell us a little about the company's early days ...
My partner Tom, who had been a sail designer for many years, had been working on speed and slalom windsurf fins in early 2010, and that summer we started working on wave fins together. At this point I decided to give up my teaching job (I still had a full year to work) and move to Maui full time in the summer of 2011, initially splitting my time between Black Project and my work for Hot Sails Maui.
How did the SUP division come about?
For a few years we only made windsurfing fins. But then Bart de Zwart (with whom we worked closely thanks to our roles at Hot Sails Maui) wanted some special fins for SUP racing. He won the 11-Citytour with them and people started asking questions about his special Black Project fin, which is resistant to seaweed and rubbish. It was an exciting time. Between 2012 and 2013, our SUP racing fins helped open up a new dimension within the company and they quickly gained worldwide recognition, albeit not huge sales figures.
At the end of 2013, the time had come for some major structural changes. Up until that point, Tom and I had been equal partners, but it was clear that he wanted to focus on the design and not the day-to-day business - the business risk wasn't his thing either. So we decided that I would buy his shares and he would be employed as lead designer. I enjoy the challenges of running a small business and can take the risk involved. The new company structure gave me the opportunity to focus more on the stand-up paddling market, and for me that meant paddles first and foremost. I wasn't really interested in making boards.
How do you come up with innovative ideas in paddle development? You said you were originally a teacher. Do you have a technical, physical background?
Whilst I have a wide range of experience in sports and watersports, Tom Hammerton is our designer. He is an engineer who has been making windsurf sails for over 20 years. Tom and I work closely together and discuss ideas, often triggered by conversations with the team or customers. We focus on what we want to achieve with our products. We are constantly trying to improve performance and quality for our customers - at every stage of their paddling career.
Where does the inspiration for new concepts come from? From other water sports, for example?
Inspiration comes in many forms: We try to look outside the industry and into related industries to understand what people want from fitness-orientated products. After all, we can't just see ourselves as stand-up paddlers. We're in the much broader fitness and leisure industry - it's important to avoid tunnel vision. We don't really look at other products and focus more on what our paddlers are experiencing. We stand a little outside the industry and try to break down preconceived ideas about paddles and product design in general.
Take us through the rough process of development. From the idea to the product.
Firstly, our designer Tom Hammerton has lots and lots of ideas! We talk openly about paddling and work on concepts, often inspired by comments or chatter we pick up from customers and/or the team. We always list what feedback different people give in different places and see if there is any overlap over time. We stay true to our name and tinker tirelessly - in the dark (laughs), behind closed doors. Only when something is really better and different do we consider finalising a product design.
We use the project management software Asana for everything. I got rid of email (for development) a decade ago. Getting rid of email chains and so on helps keep everything connected to the core goals of the organisation and makes for faster communication of ideas. We have two main ways in which product ideas develop: Firstly, a clear goal or problem to solve that has been outlined and discussed. Whilst this (usually) guarantees a result, it can also be a little boring, so we always leave room for Tom's "Black Project" - we give Tom the freedom to ponder away from the normal constraints of set projects.
He often comes to me with ideas that are free of influences (from me or other paddlers). These raw ideas and concepts sometimes become projects, or are woven into other projects. I always want to encourage free thinking and give Tom the freedom to work on things (yes, in his basement) and only tell me about them later. We spend a lot of time calculating on the computer and analysing numbers. Although we're not afraid to get out the grinder and epoxy, most of the work is done on the computer and then tested, which leads to faster and cleaner results. Once we have designs that we feel are worthy of testing, they are printed to check for form and function.
For fins we can test the printed version, but for paddles we still laminate with carbon. A lot of the testing is mainly done by me. Recently we have extended this to some more of our key athletes. Arthur Arutkin has been particularly helpful and spends a lot of time on Maui. When he's here, it usually means we paddle in the harbour in the morning, discuss feedback, make changes and paddle again the next day. We give Tom feedback and he improves the designs so that we gradually approach nirvana. It's important to understand the context of any feedback you receive. If you rely too much on one or more athletes with specific needs, you run the risk of missing the point and developing products that aren't suitable for a wider audience.
Does that mean you can produce prototypes directly on Maui?
Yes, as soon as we have one or more models we want to try out, we print a few versions in 3D, laminate them by hand and take them out on the water. It took us some time to get the printing process right, but now we can let our minds run free and try out wild concepts without a high cost or time investment. Being able to test in this way has really unleashed our potential and greatly expanded the possibilities for the future.
Potential like that for your ground-breaking paddle model Hydro- FlowX?
Yes, printing really was the key to Hydro-FlowX, because before that all our designs were too "safe". Once we were able to experiment and test a wider range of concepts quickly and cheaply, the real magic was unleashed. By "safe" I mean that they had to work. It was too expensive to produce many moulds, which limited the design possibilities in the past
Your brand generally seems very premium-orientated and correspondingly high-priced at first glance ...
When we founded Black Project, our goal was (and still is) to produce the best possible equipment to win at the highest level. Our athletes have won 28 world titles to date. This ethos and development simultaneously improves paddles at all other levels. We have a comprehensive product range for all paddlers. It's a common misconception, perhaps due to the fact that we work with elite athletes and have premium products, that we don't cover all aspects of the market.
Whilst we won't make products that we don't think should be made (and there are a lot of those in the SUP market at the moment), we do offer paddles for beginners, intermediates and pros. In recent years there has been an explosion at the bottom end of the market, and in many ways the internet-only brands have convinced much of the public that stand-up paddling is about pretty boards to blow up and not a paddle sport. The paddle has been forgotten, after all, it's hard to make it look pretty and attractive on Instagram compared to boards.
Admittedly, we haven't made fins for the lower price range yet, but we are currently working on something new for the wider market to improve the performance of a wide range of inflatable boards. The paddle is an essential part of stand-up paddling, and as an industry we need to remind people that their health and enjoyment of the sport can be dramatically improved by investing in a properly designed and well-made paddle. And it doesn't have to be an expensive investment - for not much more than a tank of petrol in Europe (or dinner in the US) you can get a Black Project paddle that will not only help you take care of your body, but also increase the fun factor and improve your paddling progress.
But you also offer much more expensive paddles compared to what a tank of petrol currently costs (in Europe) ... Give us three reasons why someone should spend 500 euros on a paddle.
Firstly, it is an indispensable tool: the paddle is an essential part of our sport. The sport consists of a board and a paddle, without these two components it doesn't work. If you don't invest in a suitable paddle that suits your needs as a paddler and your body type, you're missing out on a huge amount of potential enjoyment and risking injury. Paddles that are the right size, well designed and professionally made will not only enhance the paddling experience, but will also protect the body from injury and be safer.
Secondly, we have high development costs and limited cost degression: developing excellent paddles in all price ranges is a lengthy and expensive process. Stand-up paddling is a relatively small sport, and the number of paddles sold is quite small, which means that there are minimal economies of scale compared to mainstream products, resulting in higher costs and low profit margins.
And last but not least, we must not forget the support of the community and the athletes: We invest a lot in our products and support the athletes and the paddling community as a whole. This comes at a price - when you invest in a Black Project paddle, you not only get a great paddle, but you also give something back to the sport. We believe this is important and we hope our customers feel the same way.
Where do you have the series produced?
We have worked with several factories - including in the USA. But currently all production takes place in China. We currently work with five factories for components and end products. We have a great working relationship with our teams there, we have gradually become their biggest customers. That helps. We have a small office and workspace on Maui, from where we fulfil most orders from the US and global retailers.
What is your sales strategy?
We work closely with a network of independent retailers around the world. We have no regional or national distributors. Each of our retail partners worldwide has direct access to me via SMS, email or phone. It's not uncommon for a retailer to text me while talking to a customer and have their questions answered within minutes.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on a few general questions that keep coming up about paddles, and we know that some people have concerns about getting a one-piece paddle. At what level would you recommend a one-piece paddle? And what advice do you have for our readers who are thinking of buying one but are unsure about the size?
I think a lot of people are too scared to buy a one-piece paddle. I always emphasise that people tend to get shorter over time, not longer - so start a bit longer and gradually get shorter. Adjustable paddles are great if you want to share them with others and this really helps to broaden the sport.
But if you are the only one using the paddle and your partner or family needs a completely different model or size, then there is little reason to choose an adjustable paddle over a lighter and more powerful one-piece paddle. But I don't want to talk negatively about adjustable and three-piece paddles here. It is perhaps worth mentioning that we are currently deep into the development of a completely new adjustment system as well as a completely redesigned collapsible paddle system. These are expensive and time-consuming projects. The aim is to develop an adjustable and three-part paddle system that is good enough to be used at the highest level. The market launch is planned between 2024 and 2025.
Sounds exciting. Okay, secondly, is a racing paddle also good for touring?
Racing and touring paddles are very similar and therefore you can usually use the same or at least a similar paddle. When touring, it is always good to have a slightly more relaxed ride.
And what blade size would you recommend to a recreational paddler for touring paddling? Are the blades slowly getting bigger again on average?
No, I can't recognise this trend. In recent years, the average blade size has decreased. Our best-selling size of Hydro- FlowX is medium, which is small compared to the paddles of the previous era. Only SUP foiling has increased the demand for large and XL blades.
Finally, an assessment on another topic that I'm sure you have a lot to say about: Where do you see the future of SUP racing?
The future of competitive stand-up paddling and the development of equipment for wider recreational use depends heavily on the continuation of racing. SUP surfing in the waves is fun but has a limited reach. There will be areas where it is popular - similar to foiling - and areas where it is not popular, practical or in many cases tolerated for certain reasons. On Maui, for example, there aren't that many good spots to SUP surf because the areas are - rightfully so - dominated by surfers on shortboards. It's not always a good mix when surfers and SUPers are at the same peak. Racing and paddling for fitness have much greater potential, much like running or road cycling. Mass participation is the key to success, not just elite racing.
Developing equipment for the racing discipline is difficult, it requires a lot of effort, time, expertise and money. You need athletes who are able to test the equipment and designers and business owners who are fully engaged in the process. I see a few brands doing that and when Arthur (Arutkin, editor's note) and I discussed his plans for 2023, it was clear that he needed a board sponsor that was focused on race performance and that saw stand-up paddling as a sport and not a pastime. I don't think he got that before, but now with the Infinity boards he does. Our team is primarily focussed on racing - that's what drives development.
And what do you think about the Olympics?
The Olympics is an interesting question, it could be both good and bad for the sport. I would oppose stand-up paddling happening at Olympic level with one-design races like we have in windsurfing because it would give one brand a complete monopoly - that's bad for the paddling public. This year's SUP World Championship in Thailand is proving to be a two-horse race between two brands based there. It's not possible for other brands and racers to send equipment there. Perhaps the solution lies in two-piece boards, shorter boards or inflatable race boards? If we were to set a rule that in two years all boards would have to be two-piece or inflatable, the development would adapt. This works in Formula 1, why are we resisting this and sticking to 14-foot boards that are impossible and environmentally ridiculous to travel with?
