At the beginning of 2024, we celebrate an amazing achievement. Starboard won the 2023 PWA Constructors’ Title in all the categories: Slalom, Wave and Freestyle. This achievement reflects the hard work of our Dream Team riders and the whole Starboard Crew. In 2011 was the last time that we saw a brand win all three disciplines in the Constructors’ Championship. Read below a message about this incredible accomplishment from our Chief Innovator Svein Rasmussen.
2023 Fuerteventura World Cup. Rider: Sarah-Quita Offringa.
Several sports have constructors’ titles. Since 1958, Formula 1 has awarded the World Constructors’ Championship. Over those 65 years, Ferrari has won 16 titles, nearly 25% of those contested and twice their closest rival.
In windsurfing, the PWA constructors title in windsurfing has only been awarded over the last 16 years. Starboard has won 14 titles, an outstanding 87% of the titles available over the years. You may say that Starboard is a brand that allocates more resources for better board development and rider support, so it’s almost prize fixing?
But what is really behind this almost extra-terrestrial record?
Starboard started with the dream of aligning forces to do something useful and celebrated through the sport of Windsurfing. With $10,000 earned after 10 years on the PWA Tour, Starboard launched via a loaned telefax machine in the smoking room of a steamy Thai factory. Jean Louis Colmas from New Caledonia helped develop the super light wood sandwich technology, working all through Xmas 1993 to get the first collection ready for production. The brand was introduced to Japan, a market that loved the light boards with the gravity control system, a recess around the mast base. When entering the European market, we were told that the last thing the world needed was another windsurfing brand.
2019 Photoshooting of Ultra Kode. Everlasting Starboard design. Rider: Boujmaa.
Fast forward, Jim Drake, the inventor of Windsurfing 1967 and Winging 1981, joined Starboard in 1999, out of his passion for the sport that he pioneered. By 2001, in those few short years, Starboard had gone from “the last thing the world needed” to the number one selling windsurf brand on earth. The shapes, the technologies, the art, the Tiki, the rebirth of windsurfing – and of course all powered by the people that made it all happen. The brand continued to grow and became the global leader in SUP, we called it the Super Urgent Project.
Starboard introduced carbon footprinting, became the world’s first 10X climate positive brand, then introduced plastic footprinting to our world, and launched our plastic offset program. World Sailing awarded Starboard its worldwide Sustainability Award in 2020. 3 Years later, 3 million Mangroves are in the ground, and over 800,000 kg of plastic removed from beaches by our own collection team. All powered by our progress as a board brand.
2011 PWA World Cup Sylt – Svein Rasmussen collects the Board Constructors trophy. Sarah-Quita Offringa and Björn Dunkerbeck are the World Champions in Freestyle and Slalom.
How can a brand boast the highest technology, sell in high volume and at the same time lead in environmental action?
It’s very simple: gather the best people, those who want to go (or sail) that extra mile. Those with passion and ability to make their dreams come true as a team. Remi Vila, former world champion and the most dedicated designer in our industry, Lizzy Howard who manages our ECO team, Oda Johanne Stokstad Brødholt PWA champion with marketing passion, graphic visionary George Zafiropoulos, Dirk Doppenberg the speed and Freestyle sailor who loves to sell stuff that works and our previous long time brand manager Tiesda You. Keeping it running in the background, our COO Joe Dumrungvivat and brand advisors Ian Fox and Thierry Poux.
This small team is the core of Starboard, then it’s over to our riders to bring home the results.
Our job is to scout talent, evaluate how a 12 year old will become World Champion by 20 years of age. Sarah Quita Offringa, Lennart Neubauer, Steven Van Broeckhoven, Antoine Martin, Liam Dunkerbeck, Matteo Iachino, Blanca Alabau and a world full of enthusiastic riders that make the mystical Tiki god of wind and waves so very proud. And the legends that stand behind the brand, like Bjoern Dunkerbeck, and David and Alex Drake .
Our mantra is that we remain underdogs, listen to every comment, and as our youngest ever team rider Connor Baxter said
“We never give up – and always have fun”
Starboard. The brand by the people for the people.
Svein Rasmussen
Chief Innovator.
2023 Starboard Dream Team and Crew.
