As with many well-‐known products and companies, SUP Wheels® was born from what some would call a happy accident.
In the summer of 2011, Alan Huntley, creator and president of SUP Wheels®, a full-‐time airline pilot and paddle-‐boarding enthusiast broke a collarbone in a mountain biking accident.
Anxious to get back on the water as he was recovering from the injury led him to design a carrier system to transport his paddle board to the water near his home in Pensacola. Soon other paddle boarders were asking him to make wheels for the boards and he realized he was on to something. Alan began the research and development of manufacturing a well-‐designed, high quality SUP transport system. His attention to detail and engineering resulted in an innovative brand and patented design that stands apart from any other carrier on the market.
Over the past two and a half years, SUP Wheels® has become the leader in transport systems within the SUP industry. The brand is carried in hundreds of dealers across the US, as well as in 15 other countries around the world.
Today the company manufactures SUP Wheels® carrier for all-‐ terrain transport of standup paddle boards and some kayaks, making the sport possible for almost anyone, thus widening the demographic reach for the SUP industry.
While industry leaders report that women are the fastest growing demographic in board purchases, SUP Wheels® finds that women account for a smaller percentage of their sales than you might think. They believe that is attributed to the versatility of the carrier, which will carry up to two 12ft. boards at a time.
The still emerging sport is gaining popularity with a broadening market of ages, abilities, and regions. Board dealers find the biggest obstacle for most wanna-‐be SUPers, isn’t if they can SUP, but rather how they are going to get there. Offering a solution for that issue, makes the sport accessible to an even larger market.
SUP Wheels® are extremely popular with paddle boarders that live within walking distance of the water and also in geographic areas where it is not possible to drive directly to the water.
While SUPing remains a staple along the coast, there has been tremendous growth inland as paddle boarding has become increasingly more popular as a lake and river activity.
SUP Wheels® revolutionary design allows boards to lay flat on an axle frame between two removable wheels with bungees securing the boards or kayaks to the frame. Transport becomes much less of a struggle compared to carrying a board or kayak in windy conditions with SUP Wheels®.
The wheels are made of solid rubber, which will never puncture. SUP Wheels® reduces 60% of the carrying weight of a board or kayak, making a board light enough for a child to carry.
Once the board is to the water, the wheels can be easily snapped into the flat storage configuration, allowing them to be locked with a bicycle lock, stored in a car, or even rest on the nose of the board for a downwinder. All of the components of the system are water and UV resistant as well as float.
While already recognized as the premiere SUP carrier system on the market for their classic model, SUP Wheels® kicked off 2014 with the wide release of their newest model SUP Wheels® Evolution.
The primary differentiator between the Evolution and the original Classic model is the new strap handle system that attaches to the unit allowing easy one-‐handed transport of your board to the water. But perhaps the most noteworthy feature is the strap handle's ability to attach and be towed by a bicycle. The clean design allows you to simply loop the handle over most any bike seat without any additional tools or hardware. Once you arrive at your destination, just unloop from the seat and use the strap handle to wheel your board straight to the water.
The hammock harness on the strap cradles the board with no fear of the potential board damage and delamination that is possible from the handles adhered by suction cups as seen in other carrier systems on the market.
Although production demands have grown exponentially and are projected to more than double in 2014, it was important to keep the brand produced domestically. SUP Wheels® is still very much a labor of love for the Huntley family, which run the company and the manufacturing at a facility in Pensacola, Florida USA.