Our Team

Dez Blanchfield ( Series Director )
The Summer Series ( and Winter Series ) events are the brainchild of Series Director Dez Blanchfield, who although a relatively new face to paddle sport ( 6+ years and counting ), brings a passion to the sport of a lifetime waterman.

Dez is also the founder of Blast Paddlers, a world wide not-for-profit project encouraging the growth & support of paddle sport of all genre through the establishment of an open global network of paddling groups which run regular weekly & monthly Time Trials, Training squads, Technique clinics, Demo days, Social paddles & Race Events and Series.

The Summer Series and it’s sister platform the Winter Series are the next evolutionary steps in the ongoing effort to support & grow paddle sport of all genre, built on the solid foundations of time trials, races, and seasonal events and race series at regional level, to provide a development path for paddlers at all levels of skill and experience.

Advisory Panel ( Supporting the Series Director )
Our Series director is supported by an advisory panel includes what can only be described as one of the widest array of experts and enthusiasts spanning all paddling disciplines, and supporting areas effecting the likes of our Summer Series.

Our awesome team of experts on our advisory panel hold specialist skills ranging from water safety, to human performance, they each stem from within state & national peak bodies in water sports, regional councils, event insurers, risk management, finance and & legal, most are certified in safety & first aid, or bring to the team various other expert skills from a broad range of organizations, companies & agencies.

The Summer Series taps into the best of the best to ensure that the highest levels of all possible support is afforded each event and the series as a whole, and all who participate.

Our core key team includes:

Standup Paddle Boards

  • Mark Mitchell ( Jamieson Park Paddle, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )
  • Dave Bell ( Oz Standup Paddle, NSP SUP, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )
  • Brad Smith ( Army Surf Riders, Series Ambassador )
  • Berni White ( High Country SUP, Series Ambassador )
  • Craig Allsep ( Oz Standup Paddle, Sponsor, Series Ambassador )
  • Andrew Lai ( Blast Paddlers, Series Ambassador )
  • Byron Kurt (World Paddle Association, Series Ambassador )
  • Scott Sanchez ( World Paddle Association, Series Ambassador )

Surfskis

  • Matt Blundell ( ProKayaks, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )
  • Damien Daley ( DD3 Paddle Sports, Coach & Trainer, Series Ambassador )
  • Scott Miles ( DD3 Paddle Sports, Series Ambassador )
  • Malcolm Hall ( Carbonology, Series Ambassador )
  • Julian Norton-Smith ( Paddle 2 Fitness, Series Ambassador )
  • Matt O’Garey ( Paddle 2 Fitness, Series Ambassador )
  • Mark Mitchell ( Jamieson Park Paddle, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )
  • Sean Smith ( Fat Paddler, Series Ambassador )
  • Nat Bradford ( Sydney Surfski, Series Ambassador )
  • Andrew Mathers ( Paddle NSW, Series Ambassador )

Outrigger Canoes

  • Travis Grant ( Kamanu Composits, Series Ambassador )
  • Andrew Mathers ( Paddle NSW, Series Ambassador )
  • Mark Mitchell ( Jamieson Park Paddle, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )

Kayaks & Plastics

  • Matt Blundell ( ProKayaks, Sponsor )
  • Shannon O’Brien ( Sydney Harbour Kayaks, Series Ambassador )
  • Sean Smith ( Fat Paddler, Series Ambassador )
  • Mark Mitchell ( Jamieson Park Paddle, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )

Water Safety, Planning & Risk Management

  • Simon Le Combe ( K38 Water Safety, Series Ambassador )
  • Dave Bell ( Oz Standup Paddle, Sponsor & Series Ambassador )

Human Performance, Hydration & Nutrition

  • Shane Daly ( ASN Neutral Bay, Sponsor, Series Ambassador )
  • Kristine Hearn ( ASN Neutral Bay, Sponsor, Series Ambassador )

World Paddling Association ( Global )

  • Series & Event Sanctioning
  • Series & Event support

World Paddling Association ( Australia )

  • Series & Event development
  • Series & Event Sanctioning
  • Series & Event support

Blast Paddlers

  • Individual event hosting
  • Series & Event Sanctioning
  • Series & Event support

OzSUP

  • Series & Event Sanctioning
  • Series & Event support

Surfing Australia

  • Series & Event Sanctioning
  • Series & Event support
  • Event Insurance

NSW Maritime Authority

  • Series & Event support
  • Permits & Licenses

Sports Cover

  • Series & Event insurance

Regional Councils

  • Series & Event permits
  • Event Approvals
  • Event support
  • Site licenses

Digital Design & Production

  • Matt H Kennedy ( Design, Media & Production )
  • Robyn Sutcliff ( Editor, Copy, Editorial, Proofreading )

There are many more individuals, groups or clubs who provide support and assistance behind the scenes, and we are in the process of formalising their roles either on the Advisory Panel or as Series Ambassadors, and we’ll continue to update this page with details of our team and it’s makeup.

If you feel you can or would like to join our team, either as part of our amazing group of people on the Advisory Panel, or if you would like to apply to be a Series Ambassador, please get in touch via our Contact page, we would love to consider you for inclusion in our wonderful constantly growing international team.

As they say, there is no “I” in TEAM, the stronger we can make our Summer/Winter Series team, the better it will be for the paddling community, and those who join our team aim to leave behind them a legacy of a bigger and better series than they found when they joined the team.