Live Love SUP

We love meeting new people who love to SUP all over the world and stoked to have so much support in such a short amount of time. From OZ to Brasil, US to Cyprus, Slovenia, Switzerland and a number of countries in Europe, we are are reaching near and far these days! It's about uniting paddlers and communities, but also work together to give back.

A lot of people have helped give to our charity:water project since August of last year, but we know there's so much more we can do. Every wristband sold has donated $2.50 to our fundraising efforts. At our pop-up sales at events (these are growing) we have donated 10% of sales to charity: water and have also had personal donations from awesome paddlers who want to help provide a better life for others through clean drinking water. As of May we have raised $2,580 for charity:water and are more than 1/2 way to our goal of $5,000! It would be incredible to see not only more wristbands sold, but more donations on our project page so that we can push on towards our goal and go beyond for the year.

Many people ask where exactly is the money going? We donate directly to charity:water and our projects close every 3 months at which time the money is donated to one of charity:water's current projects in a developing nation that is in desperate need of clean water.

Check out here and see what all of you are all helping to build in Ethiopia: Thank you.

Laura Scully has the same last name as founder and driving force behind Live Love SUP, Jen Scully. Another similarity is their passion for the sport of Stand Up Paddling. We connected with Laura through twitter and instantly realized her devotion to our beloved SUP'ing. She's a home grown girl who is taking a new perspective of her surrounds because of stand up paddling. She's also devoted to building the grassroots through the Central SUP Club and ensuring that SUP touches all people within her local community. She's just finished first in her category at the 10 miler Battle of the Thames (female, 12'6 inflatable division), just behind Jamie Mitchell reportedly :) , and took fourth in the Midlands SUP winter series. Live Love SUP is proud to be a part of the Central SUP Festival August 2-4 and stand side by side, board to board with her and her club.

Location
I was born and still live in a town called Tamworth in Central England.

Favorite place to paddle
The canals and rivers around Central England because SUP has give me a new way to explore and appreciate where I was raised.

Describe your frist SUP experience
An incredibly fortunate one.

I've always had a deep love for the ocean and ocean sports - despite being totally landlocked in Tamworth. In 2010, I took myself off travelling around the world by myself. During that time, I went on a month-long visit to Hawaii, a place most water lovers dream of. After surfing, canoeing and trying my hand helping out with a tourist ocean rigger canoe, I was invited to try SUP. So my first time on a SUP was in crystal clea Hawaiian waters on a bright sunny day, with 3-4 ft clean surf and a gentle cooling breeze. After paddling a half mile out to sea and surfing a couple of sets, I was totally shattered by totally blown away.

I didn't touch stand up paddling again until 2012 when two amazing guys called Scott Warren and Chris Kenyon founded Central SUP, a club for landlocked SUP'ers and people who want to get into the sport. Meeting these gus and joining the club was life changing and from here I started to refocus my life around SUP.


Why do you keep paddling?
Stand Up Paddling is incredible and there are tonnes of reasons it keeps me paddlign. My top 3 are:

1. Most importantly, it allows me to enjoy being on the water where I feel at home as I always have.
2. Some people say that stand up paddling is easy but i find that it really challenges me physically and technically. Every paddle out is rewarding and enjoyable but I know that it will take me a lifetime to even begin to master it. 
3. There's so much about it to enjoy - you can paddle at home on the river, in the ocean, race, surf, downwind... Paddling has a huge history and culture to read about and explore. All the time, you meet more and more friendly and like-minded people. 

Where do you dream of paddling?

Nina Kritiya Londei is our good friend, a passionate stand up paddler and Live Love SUP's designer extraordinaire.  Jen and I met Nina a few years back and instantly we hit it off. Nina has been an active member of our local paddling communities always participating and organizing paddles and post-paddle bites and drinks. We've paddled on the gulf, bays, channels, mangroves and waves together. We've even done a Paddle Around the World arranged by Surf Dubai and fundraising for Live Love SUP.
Whilst the original Live Love SUP logo was designed by Nathan Johnson at Blacklist Studio, Nina has taken on designing and defining Live Love SUP apparel's look and style. Many a breakfast, lunch and dinner has been huddled over sketch books and laptops and it is Nina's artistic talent and digital skills that breathes life into our ideas. But as you'll see below, she loves our brand and is passionate about sharing it with others on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. She even spoke at length about stand up paddling and Live Love SUP to Manu Bennett, actor on Spartacus and avid SUP'er. Look how wide that smile is! ... and Nina's flashing her pearly whites too!

Location
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Favorite Place to Paddle
Eastern mangroves off Abu Dhabi island and paddling to the mangroves by the kite surfing beach on Saadiyat Island.

What attracted you to SUP?
I was looking to do a new activity and always wanted to try surfing so SUP was the next best thing in a place where we lack waves (this was before Wadi Adventure!). It's a way for me to still get out on the water and get a great workout at the same time!

Describe your first SUP experience
My first time SUP'ing was actually a lesson with Jen at the Sheraton Hotel, Abu Dhabi. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about wherehr I would be able to get up on the board or not but with Jen's fun and friendly teaching methods, my friends and I were up and paddling in no time - even daring to try pivot turns. It must have been 15 minutes into the lesson when my friends and I looked at each other and said we wanted to buy our own boards... and two weeks later I got my first inflatable SUP board!

Why do you keep paddling?
I enjoy the social paddle events where you get to catch up with friends whilst getting in some exercise, some sun and being out on the water. I'm also now moving more in the competitive side of paddling and hope to improve and race more - I can be quite competitive so this is mainly for own satisfaction of putting my fitness ability to the test.

Where do you dream of paddling?
Hawaii - the land where SUP'ing all started!

How are you involved with your local SUP community? 
I'm a part of the Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle Club which organizes social events as well as various charity and clean up events. I also got certified to teach flat water paddling and hope to use it to get more people out on the water. I encouraged my local social club to get in some SUP boards as another form of firness to offer to their members. It seems quite popular but I want to start some sort of fitness classes there with the SUP boards - either SUP yoga or a boot camp involving SUP'ing.

Why are you excited by Live Love SUP?
I believe Live Love SUP is a great way of uniting paddlers all over the world to raise money and awareness for various good causes through an activity we're all passionate about. However, an exciting factor for me is that it is a community where we get to share our experiences with SUP and to encourage others to get out and SUP more!

How do you approach designing for Live Love SUP?
I feel it's important to keep the designs simple for now and focus on the Live Love SUP logo with various color combinations of the t-shirts. It's such a great logo design from Nathan Johnson of Blacklist Studios that it needs to be showcased and recognized instantly with the Live Love SUP name.

What is in the future for LLS and design?
I hope to incorporate various influences from all over the world (as we're aiming to be a worldwide community) especially designs with a connection to the ocean such as Polynesian. However, I do want to mix things up as well so let's wait to see what I can come up with!

We can't thank the SUP gods enough for bringing us together. She's with us every stroke of the paddle Live Love SUP grows through the collaboration and efforts of people like Nina. We are in the process of designing further Live Love SUP designs and styles so look out for Nina soon.

What a month! Thank you one and all for your contributions to help fundraise for charity: water. $193 was donated this month and it is all because of you! We had a very successful event at Al Nasimi beach by Fanatic UAE. We hung out at the Naish Middle East tent all day and donated 10% of all goods sold to charity: water. PURE GOLD! Our Live Love SUP charity wristbands were a MASSIVE hit in Australia with the Cronulla Sutherland SUP Club and Oz SUP Center Rose Bay. We also had up and coming Naish rider Manca Notar racing in the UAE and contributing towards Live Love SUP again. Last but not least, Laura Scully our new Live Love SUP brand ambassador in the UK contribute towards our fundraising. THANK YOU ALL!!!!! 

My friend Jill and I, not only enjoyed paddling the beach at Kovalam and especially appreciating the 100 meter distance from our 2nd floor seaview room from the water's edge (less than $30/night), we also loved our experience paddling the Kovalam backwaters. Boats passed by waving to us while we paddled on our own 'boats' through the river and small canals. Peaceful water, serene setting, it was perfect. Even traded in a paddle for a traditional India gondola stick and proved to be quite a challenge to event get that 10 foot pole out of the water.