At only 14 years of age, Dave de Armas has a lot to be proud of. Not only is Dave an excellent student but he is bilingual and a world traveler. Oh, and did we mention a two-time National SUP Surf and Race champion in his home country of Puerto Rico? Dave has also been honored with a nomination by the FSPR (Surfing Federation of Puerto Rico) to represent Puerto Rico as a SUP Surf and Race Athlete to compete in the ISA SUP Worlds in Fiji in November, 2016. With aspirations to be SUP World Champ and to have a career as a chiropractor, this kid has a big and bright future.

Earlier this year we introduced you to an incredible man from Brazil, Jonas Letieri. Jonas holds one of the most inspirational stories of overcoming obstacles and tragedies that are thrown at you in life and overcoming these obstacles against all odds. This short film from Quickblades about Jonas Letieri and his inspirational story is a must watch.

An hour south of Anchorage Alaska is a fjord called Turnagain Arm. At this place of exceptional beauty the incoming tide collides with water draining out of the fjord and creates a tidal bore. The video shows three standup paddle-boarders cruising up the fjord.

Welcome to the Supconnect Weekly Recap, our countdown of the biggest news, reviews, interviews and features surrounding the world of Stand Up Paddle Boarding. This week we’re bringing you another sample of the best stories covered by ourselves and other publications.

Michael Booth is sneaking up the world rankings list and after joining Starboard SUP’s Dream Team roster he’s gained a huge support system which will likely help to transform this dark horse into a full blown threat at each and every event he enters. We caught up with Boothy (as he’s known to his friends) and asked him a few questions to learn more about his roots and where he plans on taking his SUP career. Have a look:

For a newcomer to inflatables, setup and breakdown of your inflatable SUP can be confusing and challenging if you aren’t familiar with the tools involved. For quick and easy tips for proper setup and breakdown of Slingshot SUP's inflatable Crossbreed AirTech paddle board, see the tips and video shown here.

We can already tell by watching this short trailer that The Progression Project, a SUP Surfing film by PaddleWoo and Erik Antonson, is going to be a must-see. For this film, PaddleWoo assembled nine of the world's best paddle surfers in the Blue Zone of Costa Rica to document and define the current state of paddle surfing.

When I first picked up a paddle and stood on a board in 2010 I felt scared, shaky and out of my element. But after an hour on the water I returned my board feeling confident; if I could go from falling every five seconds to walking on water in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico than I could do anything! I knew immediately I wanted to get more women on the water. I wanted to empower other women through stand up paddling and SUP fitness classes.

Welcome to the Supconnect Weekly Recap, our countdown of the biggest news, reviews, interviews and features surrounding the world of Stand Up Paddle Boarding. This week we’re bringing you another sample of the best stories covered by ourselves and other publications.

In 2014 Nick Robinson paddled 32km down the Guadiana River and loved it so much, that he vowed to do it again. In 2015 he created the "Guadiana Challenge" and asked 12 stand up paddlers to come with. 18 willing paddlers clamored to join him. Now this year more than 70 paddlers from all over Portugal and Europe will paddle down alongside Nick from the picturesque Alentejan town of Mertola and onto the Algarve's jewel of the river, Alcoutim.

22-year-old Zane Schweitzer has been crowned the 2016 Ultimate Waterman. Schweitzer, a late call up for 2016, was the most consistent surfer of the multi discipline event winning three of the seven disciplines contested. Today Schweitzer placed third in the 16km Stand Up Paddleboard Race which was enough to clinch the title over runner up Danny Ching (USA).

Check out the Pelican Sport Flow 116 paddle board, a perfect paddle board for you and your entire family to enjoy! The Pelican Flow 116 is not only an extremely stable board but it’s also VERY durable and is built for worry free, calm water paddling.