We review the history of the great Bruno Hasulyo and his great successes in different Stand Up Paddle competitions
Over the last 8 years you have achieved a lot of great success in international SUP competitions as a professional rider. You have World Championship gold, silver and bronze medals on your shelf, but now you have set a record that you alone in the world hold. You have competed in the SUP 11 City Tour 220 km race 7 times and have always been on the podium. That alone is an achievement in itself.
5x – gold medal
1x – silver
1x – bronze medal
This year was your 5th win, which is a special World Record. You also took the record away from Bart de Zwart, who had won SUP 11 City 4 times before you came along.
When did you first encounter the Ultra Distance ?
My first really long paddle was in 2011 , when our family decided to paddle the Danube from the Black Forest to the Black Sea:
38 days – 2000km – across 10 countries. It was then, a World Record for distance paddling. The experience was indescribable when we left the Danube Delta after 38 days and saw the open sea. I feel this moment gave the first push towards ULTRA racing.
We have been consciously preparing for this special expedition. Our preparations were already guided by my mother (Csilla). As a trained professional, she guided us with a sure hand towards success even then. The preparation included runs and strengthening the legs, so that we could stand the whole day on the board. Then, at the age of 16, I stood on the start line of the Vienna Marathon with Daniel and my father (I should note that we faked my birth date because the minimum age was 18).
We ran that too.
Nos preparamos conscientemente para esa especial expedición. Nuestros preparativos fueron guiados por mi madre Csilla. Como profesional capacitada, nos guió con mano segura hacia el éxito. La preparación incluyó carreras y fortalecimiento de piernas, para que pudiéramos estar de pie todo el día sobre la tabla. Luego, a la edad de 16 años, me paré en la línea de salida del Maratón de Viena con Daniel y mi padre (debo señalar que falsificamos mi fecha de nacimiento porque la edad mínima era 18).
What was the next step ?
After finishing high school, we moved to New Zealand. With the help of local Starboard distributor Jeremy Stephenson( a real waterman) we discovered a new dimension of the Ocean. He taught us to respect and love the Ocean and to ‘read’ the waters.
He also funded the first SEPA training camp where for 6 weeks Daniel and I trained with some of the best SUP Race and SUP Surf competitors in the world at the time (Connor Baxter, Sean Poynter, Zane Schweitzer ). This was followed by my first Starboard contract and my first SUP 11- City Tour.
Nos preparamos conscientemente para esa especial expedición. Nuestros preparativos fueron guiados por mi madre Csilla. Como profesional capacitada, nos guió con mano segura hacia el éxito. La preparación incluyó carreras y fortalecimiento de piernas, para que pudiéramos estar de pie todo el día sobre la tabla. Luego, a la edad de 16 años, me paré en la línea de salida del Maratón de Viena con Daniel y mi padre (debo señalar que falsificamos mi fecha de nacimiento porque la edad mínima era 18).
2015
In Bangkok, at Starboard’s headquarters on Lake-Taco, ( a 1 km loop ) we prepared for the 220 km race while working. Daniel and I shared dreams of a first place , and our goal was to beat the then champion Bart de Zwar (who was our team leader in the company). With our coaches we analyzed the previous year’s times and measured the work that hadd to be done against them (note that at that time they were still averaging over 7 minutes per kilometer). Our plan was successful. We beat Bart, but we couldn’t win ,because Tahitian legend Steeve Teihotaata and Frenchman Dode Florent beat us. I finished 3rd and Daniel finished 4th.
2016
The previous year left a deep mark on us. It wasn’t just a competition for us, it was a COMPETITION with all capital letters. A race that really hurts, endlessly long, makes you think and motivates you every moment. There was no question for us to come back and try to win! Preparing for such a competition involves huge sacrifices. It takes a minimum of 8 weeks and there are 3-4 hour paddles, plus on-land training sessions. Our coaches and we have planned and prepared everything, from eating and drinking before, during and after the race. Our Mum, (our coach) made energy bars with a special secret recipe that provided us with the calories and was healthy and delicious.
We have taken synchronized paddling and drafting to a masterly level. We knew when to change trains, we felt each other’s vibration like cyclists in the Tour de France. We knew how to help each other through low points and we knew how to be very fast. We were a team ,SUPBROz Team! We started the 2016 race as a team. I was first and Daniel second, 17 seconds behind. We beat the legendary Steeve by almost 10 minutes.
2017
It was a special year because SUP 11-City took place the weekend after the ISA SUP World Championships in Denmark. In preparation it was difficult for our coaches to combine the 18km World Championships distance with the 220km Ultra distance. We were training in Bali during this period and Jonny Dekker, owner of Rip Curl School Sanur, was there to help us. The training went so well that I got my first World Championship gold medal ahead of Connor and Dani finished 4th in Denmark. So we arrived in Leeuwarden, where Team Mistral brought the strongest Tahitian riders against us. This year Daniel came first, I came second, and we were more than 30 minutes ahead of Rete Ebb and our Tahitian friends.
This year they had to deal not only with the opponents but also with the weather in Friesland. When 4 seasons change in one day, it is very difficult to be prepared. In completely flat areas, the combination of wind and rain exhausts the body. But it didn’t break us and we were back on the start line the following year.
2018
This was the 4th year we thought we knew everything about this competition. Both Daniel and I have been on the top step of the podium in the past years and our preparation has been good. But that might not be enough to win. The 5 days are very long, and it only takes one small mistake, one unexpected event (e.g. a stomach upset), one broken paddle or injury on the board, and the dream is shattered. The more we won, the more our opponents wanted to take the win. This year, the Fanatic Team was a big challenge for us, but we managed to overcome the obstacle. At the end of day 5 I was on top of the podium again Daniel was second.
2019
This year everything has changed in my life. I left the Starboard team and joined a then almost unknown (at least among pro riders) German board manufacturer, LightBoardCorp, who made their hollow boards in the Nelo factory in Portugal. I swapped my Starboard paddles for a Braca blade and moved back to Europe, Porto from Bangkok.
I had daily contact with the NELO factory and was able to train at the Paddling Center by Nelo & Surfing Porto, at the delta of the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean. Anyone who has ever paddled at least 10km upstream in this picturesque setting, and at low tide on the Douro River, knows how hard I was preparing for my 5th SUP 11-City race. At the beginning of the summer, it became clear that Dani would not be racing this year, so there would be no SUPBROz team to help each other on the podium. Another challenge for my coaches and for me. I have to do on my own what we have been doing as a team. No train, no drafting to other boards. Of course we had to change my training and take out the «rest» paddling cycles. One of the main tasks in training was to maintain focus for the entire distance. The new situation made me even more determined and I wanted to show the world that I could win on my own. These training sessions were painful, but they brought success.
After such a history, everyone was shocked when I beat the field by 19 minutes on the first day. By the last day I had increased the gap to more than 32 minutes ahead of Joep van Bakel. With a new board, a new blade, and without Daniel, I was still the strongest Ultra that year.
I DID IT again for the third time!!!
2020
This year has changed everyone’s lives as the COVID pandemic has broken out. Competitions were cancelled, people couldn’t meet, and in some cases they couldn’t even train. But Ritske and his Team pushed on, and despite all the difficulties and restrictions, they did the 12th SUP 11-City Tour. For me, this year was not only interesting for COVID. After a year of working together, we parted ways with LightCorp.
I had to figure out what to do next. I knew that I wanted to race only with a hollow board, because the handling characteristics of this type of board and my specific paddling technique are in perfect harmony. Since the NELO factory had all the conditions for production, the BR1-XBionic board was born. So in September I was on the start line, on a brand new BR1 board with my own design, and I had to defend my titles. Since my coach (everyone knows she is my mother by now) is fully aware of my abilities and knows my load limits, I waited with perfect form timing, ready for the pistol to go off at the start.
I wanted to show the world that my self-designed BR1 board was the fastest for the 220 km distance. By the time we got to day 5, I was leading the race by more than 25 minutes.
I won again for the fourth time, and crossing the finish line I knew I had to come back again, because only then could I take the lead from Bart (who had already won 4 times before me).
2021
Unfortunately, this year the ICF SUP World Championship and SUP 11-City were on the same date, despite repeated arrangements. I went to the World Championships, so I missed 1 year of the Battle of Friesland.
2022
When you’re competing for the seventh time in such an iconic event, and you know everyone and everyone knows you, and you have huge expectations to meet, it’s all about preparing properly. If you look at what you have had to put into one side of the balance sheet to get these amazing results on the other side, then everyone can see that success doesn’t come quickly and easily.
If you just look at the numbers, 7 X 2 months of preparation for the 7 races +1 month of recovery after the race (this is 21 months ), you can see that I spent almost two years of my life just preparing for these races. I have to tell everyone that the preparation with the SEPA methods and trainers was often harder than the competition itself :).But never forget that the match was won during the trainings ! 3-4 training sessions a day, 5-7 hours of intense controlled exercise, combined with a good recovering lifestyle and a healthy diet. Wow, that’s not easy….
These results are the result of a team effort. It cannot be done alone. In hindsight, a huge thank you to my mother, my coach.
All the hard work has paid off again this year. I gained a dominant lead on the first day and was able to increase the gap to Joep and my chasers every day.
So here we are, I am currently the most successful SUP 11-City rider of all time.
A huge thank you to the organizers for making me a member of the family !
What happens next?
I think that my professional career is slowly turning to the business world. For the next period I only want to compete in competitions where I can be really motivated and add something extra to my life. It’s not easy to draw the line , but I’m confident that the coming years will hold great races for me, and of course great victories. I have already tried the Dordogne Intégralé this year, and last year I did the Gorges de l’Ardéche Ard’River Paddle and the Zavidovo SUP Challenge.
I think that this type of competition keeps me excited.
What do you think about ULTRA DISTANCE races?
ULTRA distances are moving forward with great momentum in all sports. As these races are usually attended by the 30+ age group ( and I am getting there It is not at all surprising that the number of such events is growing rapidly. ULTRA type competitions are characterized by a very cohesive group of people. This is what is most needed in today’s world.
Belonging is very important, and when it is combined with sport, a healthy lifestyle, and being in nature, it is destined to succeed. I think this is the secret of the popularity of ultra sports.
How do you see the situation of the SUP juniors?
It’s not easy to get kids growing up interested in the sport. But it’s not impossible! In my opinion, the only way to break them out of the spell of phones and computers is to set an example within the family.
We have also seen our parents immediately take us out into nature and do some kind of active recreation in their free time, and if you check out Daniel’s FB or Insta page you can see what he is doing with his little girl Jasmine, you will see the same thing I am talking about. For children: forests, mountains, rivers, seas should be their playground and not virtual unrealities.
If you look at the SUP generation growing up, almost every talented child has a sporty parent behind them. I think leading by example is the best way to teach children!
When I travel to the competitions, I see that almost everywhere there is an increase in the number of children and junior competitions and competitors. And that’s amazing!