You may not know his name, but you’ll probably recognize his art. Drew Brophy is the king of surf art and what you may not know, is that he was part of stand up paddling from the start of the sport…

In an interview with SUP The Mag, Drew talks about life at the beginning of stand up paddling. When it was just him and his family paddling around New Zealand. Catching endless waves at Raglan and not copping any agro from surfers. The sport hadn’t even started yet and everything was new. Drew paints a great picture of what it must have been like to be the only guy with dry hair in the surf.

“Everyone takes it for granted now because it’s been around for a while. But imagine in those early days, there’s nobody around, just Ron and I and a couple other guys. You’re just riding these waves forever and you’re not even getting wet. It just expanded my repertoire of surfing. It’s just another form of it.”

Around the same time all this was going on, Drew’s artwork was becoming famous at surf spots all over the world. Using water based paint pens (like permanent markers but with liquid paint inside) he created incredible surf murals on surfboards, skateboards, guitars and of course canvas, with such a unique and characteristic style. His art has been featured in music clips, on his own television program and in childrens books, one of which was written by himself and his wife Maria. What he hasn’t done much of however, is stand up paddle board art. Saying in an interview:

“The sport didn’t grow for a long time and then all of a sudden exploded. I don’t think it’s evolved enough. I don’t think there’s been enough time for artists to develop. It’s taken people a long time to realize I could airbrush their SUPs and personalize their overseas boards. Art doesn’t always sell so the big companies—to be successful—make their boards stiff and generic.”

Is that a call to you, the stand up paddlers of the world to get painting? The stand up paddling companies will always stick to the conservative schemes and colours to sell boards, but there’s endless potential to make your equipment truly your own. Check out the interview in the link here and have a think about getting some art commissioned on your paddle or board! 

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