SUP Twin Sisters: Gracie and Hailey Marston

Gracie and Hailey

Bradenton Florida’s Gracie and Hailey Marston are not only two of the top grom-SUP racers, they are also twin sisters.  Starting at the age of nine, they both got on board for the first time and just two years later, this past weekend, they took first and second place honors at the WPA Championships at St. Pete Beach.  We got a chance to catch up with them after the race and congratulate them and their family and to learn a little bit more. 

Sponsors: Hovie SUP, Nosara Paddle Surf, and State Farm

What boards do you race?

  • Gracie – Hovie SUP Comet ZXC 12.6 custom
  • Hailey – KM Compressor 

Favorite place to SUP? 

  • Gracie: SUP surfing in Costa Rica and San Onofre – California
  • Hailey:  At our house on the Braden River because it is always calm.
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Why do you like to paddle?

A bunch of friends getting together to paddle.  Getting on the water and getting a good workout 

Why do you like to race? 

It is fun and friendly competition.  We get to hang out with friends after the races.  We like to cheer on other racers!

We spend a lot of time racing and surfing with our family and teammates.  We are on the Florida Jr. SUP Team.   We are doing a lot of traveling to some really neat locations.  We have met a lot of pros and had so much fun.  We’ve written speeches and reports on SUP for school and taught our classmates how to SUP.    

What's next?

Our Florida Junior SUP Team has training and practice.  We have SUP surfing training session in Cocoa Beach so we are looking forward to catching some waves on the east coast.   

As a Dad how excited are you to have your whole family involved in the sport?

​SUP racing and surfing is a sport our whole family can enjoy and do together.  No one in our family is sitting on the sidelines or in the bleachers bored on the weekends.  We get to travel together and spend quality time as a family.  Everyone is having fun on the water and staying fit.  All three of our children are passionate about water sports more than anything else.  They cross train with competitive swimming and are on the local swim team.

by Tyler Marshall