Background
Date of Birth: 24 September 1973
Home: County Durham, United Kingdom
Occupation: Rigger
Discipline: SUP racing, sprints, distance and ultra long distance
Board set-up: Naish Javelin
Paddle: Blackfish Noumea 500
Background
Bruce "Ironsmith" Smith
British stand‑up paddleboarding athlete Bruce “Ironsmith” Smith, from County Durham in the North of England, has established himself as one of the UK’s leading endurance paddlers and an emerging force on the international race circuit. A former elite Ironman and ultra‑marathon runner, he now channels that background into tackling some of the sport’s toughest challenges.
Smith’s competitive record is stacked with standout results, including wins at the UKN1SCO One Design, the Loch Lomond 10K, and The Eliminator pairs race with teammate Mark Salter. He has twice conquered Last Paddler Standing - completing 49 laps in 2023 and 48 laps the following year - amassing around 50 hours on the water and earning a third‑place overall finish.
In the gruelling SUP TWELVE, a 12‑hour endurance race in Torbay, Smith completed 30 laps of a 3.5 km course to take first place overall, demonstrating both resilience and sharp race strategy. With additional appearances at major events such as Battle of the Thames and the Great Glen Challenge, “Ironsmith” has firmly cemented his place among the UK’s most accomplished long‑distance paddlers.