A reigning Danish Champion with a standout 2025 season, Emma Freja Pedersen – Freja – has trusted Blackfish Paddles throughout her rise, and we’re now officially catching up with her to talk about joining the team and her plans for 2026.

A reigning Danish Champion with a standout 2025 season, Emma Freja Pedersen – Freja – has trusted Blackfish Paddles throughout her rise, and we’re now officially catching up with her to talk about joining the team and her plans for 2026.

“I was introduced to the Blackfish Paddles early in my SUP-journey, and I immediately liked them: finding them accessible while still being high-performance. I especially like the simplicity and lightness of them. I first started with the Salish 500, but the Viento 520 has been my favorite for long distance races for a long time. It has a good grip in the water, and I feel good power using it. My most recent is the new Nouméa paddle from this year. I have the size 500, and during the last couple of months of off-season for me, I have been using it for almost all conditions. I sense that it will quickly become my go-to choice, and I’m excited to try it out for races next season," Freja revealed.  

Freja delivered an outstanding season of results, becoming the Danish Champion in both long distance and technical racing, and securing second place in the sprint division at the Danish Championships. Internationally, she claimed two gold medals at the German Open Water Championships in long distance and technical race. Her strong form continued with a top-10 finish in the technical race at the Spring SUP Race in Italy, along with podium results on the EuroTour - second in Nordhausen, Germany and third in Namur, Belgium. 

Freja said: "I’m excited to see where next year’s races will be, and I am definitely planning on doing more of the European SUP League and EuroTour in Southern Europe, after a couple of years doing mainly flatwater races. I got a small taste of it this year, doing the Battle for Hercules and Spring SUP Race, which were good learning experiences, both due to the high level and varying conditions – and I had more planned, but had to cancel May’s races because of a back injury. 

I moved to Klitmøller (aka. Cold Hawaii) this Summer, to be closer to the ocean and learn to paddle in all kinds of ocean conditions. I feel a significant improvement already, coming from the flat waters of the east coast of Denmark, so I am looking forward to more open water races next year!" 

The 2026 season is set to see her solidify her status as a true up-and-comer with massive potential, making her a perfect fit for the Blackfish Team. 

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*Header image source: EuroTour