Committee Members

Meet the team!

NZSUP exists entirely upon work done by volunteers.  These are the people who do all the work behind the scenes to make the NZSUP scene happen.

Jacqui Simpson – Chairperson / President

Jacqui is the Chairperson of NZ SUP and brings a strong background in leadership and service. She co-leads a consulting engineering practice, volunteers with Coastguard Northern Communications, and is a mum of teenagers.

A dedicated year-round paddler, Jacqui began racing at the Takapuna Beach Series in 2023 and has since earned several age-category medals in the Nationals Challenger Series. Looking ahead, she plans to push her limits by paddling 125km in Thailand’s SUP 11 Islands Challenge in late 2025.

Jacqui joined the NZ SUP Committee to give back to the sport and contribute to its continued growth and accessibility across Aotearoa.

Bill Dawes – Secretary and National Safety Officer

The original founder of NZSUP.  Bill has been involved with all aspects of the SUP industry, as an importer, manufacturer, designer, journalist, instructor, coach and event organiser. He manages the NZSUP instructor training scheme, coordinates SUP safety in New Zealand, runs the Triple Crown event series, Northland Paddleboarding, NZ’s longest-running fulltime SUP school, and the weekly Paddle at the Pear tree SUP club and race in Kerikeri.

Belinda (Bindy) Gummer – Treasurer

Bindy started paddling in 2022 after spending time on the shore as a support driver for Kaitaia College’s weekly paddle sessions. Curious and inspired, she took to the water herself—and was instantly hooked. Paddling became a vital part of staying active while managing advanced knee arthritis and preparing for a bilateral knee replacement.

In 2023, Bindy accepted a challenge from her students to compete at Nationals. It was an unforgettable experience that deepened her passion for the sport and the SUP community. She now paddles regularly, coaches students at Kaitaia College and Ngataki School, and joins the Stone Store Paddlers in Kerikeri when she can.

As NZ SUP Treasurer since 2024, Bindy brings her energy and commitment to creating inclusive, welcoming events for paddlers of all ages. She is also a proud mum of two teenagers—one of whom often joins her on the water.

Paul Davis

Paul Davis has been Stand Up Paddle Boarding for over 12 years and is a previous all round New Zealand National title holder back in 2014. Paul has now handed over the racing to his two daughters Rosara 13 years and Iris 10 years who have grown up in the Auckland SUP community. Paul still competes in local Takapuna Beach Series in summer. Paul and his family also enjoy mountain biking, longboard sup surfing, wing foiling and just being outdoors.

Paul was a volunteer race director at the 2022 nationals and is spending some time giving back to the sport. Paul has also spend many hours volunteering his time as water safety for events as a trained water rescue jet ski driver. Paul is supported by his wife Nicola with his busy commitments including running this small business  Davis & Co Construction.

Sean Booth

Sean is a tech teacher at Kaitaia College, a long standing member of Pear Tree Paddlers, and has worked tirelessly over the last decade to bring paddleboarding to the local community, a dedication that paid off when Kaitaia College won the Northland Schools championships in 2021.

Carmel Dowling –Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship

Like many great tales, Carmel’s begins with a dramatic tumble—of the royal variety. In the aftermath, she was advised to take up more “chilled” sporting pursuits. Enter: stand up paddleboarding. Having seen people casually cruising around on boards, she thought, “That looks like a serene, water-loving win.”

She picked up her first board and paddle from LiquidStix in the Mount, expecting nothing more than some gentle tootling adventures. But—plot twist—these boards had other gears. As it turns out, tootling is very much optional.

After a while, paddling solo lost its appeal, and Carmel began wondering—are there people out there who like to go faster and further? Cue Matt’s training camp: where she was thrown into the deep end (metaphorically and, let’s be honest, probably literally too) with some of New Zealand’s best. Having barely stepped on a race board before, she was completely wrecked after Day 1. Red-faced (very red-faced), but totally hooked.

It was there she met Trudy, joined her legendary Sunday sessions in Auckland, and connected with some incredible paddlers who are now firm friends. A few years on, Carmel is a fully-fledged SUP addict. Whether it’s racing, cruising, or falling off in style (styling optional, especially when no one’s watching), she’s all in—and stoked to be paddling alongside an epic bunch of water-loving legends.

The Working Groups

The NZ SUP committee has various areas of specific interest, each with their own working group, comprising committee members and other co-opted members with expertise and experience in that particular field.

These working groups are as follows:

Regulatory, Lobbying and Advocacy
Oversight, documentation and audit of all aspects of current involvement that NZSUP has with official bodies such as Maritime New Zealand, Safer Boating Forum, Water Safety NZ, WorksafeNZ, SportNZ, and the various regional councils, plus oversight of NZSUP’s finances and accounting.

Competition & Events
While NZ SUP does not organise events other than the National Championships, this group works to facilitate the widest possible range of other SUP events happening around New Zealand

National Championships
An important part of the association’s remit is running the annual National Championships, which has taken place every year since 2013.

Youth Development
Developing youth participation and engagement in paddleboard racing by getting inter school & club competition and coaching happening at regional level, and creating pathways for talented youngsters to raise their game.

Clubs and Organisations
Developing relations with paddling groups and clubs around Aotearoa

High Performance Programme
Creating programs to develop and support our athletes to compete at the highest levels

Communications, Fundraising and Membership
Ensuring that NZSUP is interacting with stand up paddlers wherever they are in New Zealand, and whatever and however they paddle.