The German SUP Champion

“…the sport is going to become one of the coolest watersports.”

Name: Valentin Illichmann
Age: 17
Background: Professional Stand Up Paddler (SUP) and Adventure addict
2x German SUP Champion Whitewater
3x German SUP Champion (under 18)
3rd best Paddler overall
Currently: Planning the next adventure

At what age did you start with Stand up paddling and when did it become a true passion of yours?
I tried SUP for the first time when I was 12. One year later I was totally hooked.

What is your next goal in your career?
I want to do more expeditions in remote nature and start compete more in International races.

You recently paddled from Hamburg along Elbe, tell us a little bit about your adventure?
Yes, it was hard because of the tides. The Elbe from Hamburg is also one of the most trafficked rivers in the world so it was a very crazy feeling to paddle there in to the dark when suddenly 300 meter long ships with one meter high waves was passing us in the dark.

At day 1 we started at 3 pm and had to paddle 50km so we didn’t arrive until 10 pm and had to set up the tent for the night in the dark and try to get some sleep and try to recover for an intense next day.

At day 2 we started at 3 am after some difficulties with a lot of morning fog we then finished the expedition at midday.

I carried all my stuff in the ProDrybag for the trip. Tent, Jacket, dry clothes, first aid, food and water for two days.

The sport is growing rapidly all over the world, where do you see the sport to be in a couple of year time?
There is no doubt that the sport becomes bigger and bigger every year. It’s very hard to say something about this question but I believe the sport is going to become one of the coolest watersports. The Events and Competitions attracts more attention and draws more athletes to this growing sport.

What has been your experience so far of our waterproof bag?
This bag is your best option when you’re travelling in the nature. Adventures and Expeditions on the water have no more limits with the ProDrybag.

It’s a true pleasure to have Valentin on our team and we wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season and looking forward to follow him on his next adventure.