EASY Team in Croatia and plenty to discover!
We headed to the Croatian island of Krk for a team training trip to get a first-hand look at the latest SUP collections, discover what’s new in the world of watersports and see where the industry is heading next.
But this trip was never going to be all presentations and theory. Everything we learned on shore, we could later put into practice in the best possible way – out on the water! Add to that a few team adventures, plenty of content creation, working from a slightly sunnier office than usual and a whole lot of shared stoke, and you get a pretty good idea of what our days on Krk looked like.
After all, if we want to help you choose the right gear, knowing the specs on paper simply isn’t enough. We want to ride it ourselves, feel the differences and know how it actually performs on the water. So, for a few days, we swapped our Poznań store for Croatian sunshine and crystal-clear Adriatic water.
Here’s what we got up to!
First moments on Krk
While part of the team flew into Rijeka, Bartek and Serfi took the more road-trip-friendly option and made their way to Croatia by campervan. The moment we stepped outside the airport, we were greeted by warm sunshine, the unmistakable scent of rosemary and Krk’s rugged landscape, where raw Mediterranean greenery meets the deep blue of the Adriatic.
But the real “wow” moment came when we arrived at the test base prepared by the McSUP crew. Stretching along the shoreline was what can only be described as a colourful SUP paradise. Dozens of boards in different shapes, sizes and colours were lined up right by the water.
Needless to say, we didn’t spend too much time standing around admiring the view. A quick change after the journey and we were straight onto the water, each of us grabbing a different SUP. Before long, the underwater scooters caught our attention too… and somehow we didn’t make it back out of the water until sunset. Not a bad way to start the trip!
Time to learn – and put it all into practice
Our days in Croatia gave us the perfect opportunity to dive into the latest gear in an environment that was made for testing it. Piotrek and Petr from McSUP walked us through the newest collections and upcoming developments for the next season. There were familiar models returning with fresh updates, completely new releases, new constructions, technologies and plenty of details you simply won’t pick up by scrolling through a product catalogue.
Waiting for us on Krk were SUPs from brands including Aqua Marina, Gladiator, STX, WATTSUP, SKIFFO, COASTO, F2, Spinera, Sun Reflections, iBoard, Ridewave, PBG, Blue Ways, AQUADESIGN and Lozen.
But the best part was that the learning didn’t stop when the presentations ended. Once we knew what had changed and what set each model apart, we could take the boards straight onto the water and put that knowledge to the test. We compared stability and stiffness, felt how different shapes tracked through the water and discovered how seemingly small design differences could completely change the ride.
That hands-on experience is exactly what we want our advice at EASY to be based on.
Technical specs can tell you a lot. But nothing beats stepping onto a board and experiencing it for yourself.
The whole EASY Team came along – for a reason
One thing that made this trip particularly important for us was that the whole EASY Team was there. We all work with watersports gear in one way or another, but the knowledge we gain is used very differently depending on what we do at EASY. And here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at something you might not normally see from the other side of our website. During the presentations, we were all listening from slightly different perspectives.
Noemi, who is responsible for adding and managing products in our online store, was busy taking notes. All those technical details, new features and differences between models later help her turn product information into the descriptions you see when shopping on our website.
Meanwhile, the people working with warranty claims, marketing and other areas of EASY focused on the topics most relevant to their own day-to-day work - as well as the Customer Service group that answers your questions first whenever you’re calling us!
Different roles, different responsibilities – but on Krk, it all came together. Because we believe a good product knowledge shouldn’t stop with the sales team. We want to genuinely understand the gear we offer, so that when you need our help, there’s real knowledge and experience behind our answer.
Much more than SUPs
SUPs may have taken up a good part of the beach, but they certainly weren’t the only gear keeping us busy. There were kayaks, boats, paddles, life jackets and all kinds of watersports accessories to explore.
One area that particularly caught our attention was just how quickly electric propulsion is making its way into the watersports world. We got to try new electric propulsion systems for SUPs and kayaks, including some interesting remote-controlled solutions that allow you not only to move forward but also to steer.
And then there were the underwater scooters – a completely different way to explore and have fun below the surface.
A few of the new products and models impressed us enough to get us thinking… Let’s just say there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing some of them at EASY in the future.
Workation, EASY style
Of course, taking the team to Croatia didn’t mean EASY stopped running back home. Every day, part of the crew kept an eye on orders, customer service and everything happening in the store. Parcels were still heading out the door and your orders were being taken care of – our desks just happened to be replaced by laptops on a sunny Croatian terrace.
The trip was also the perfect opportunity to create a huge amount of new content. With incredible scenery, plenty of gear and the whole team in one place, we made the most of it. We shot product photos, videos and helpful how-to content that you’ll soon start seeing across our website and social channels.
Work and play mixed pretty well on Krk. Sometimes, almost perfectly.
A morning paddle around
One morning, instead of starting the day behind our laptops, we started it exactly where we wanted to be – on the water. Everyone picked a different Gladiator board and we set off together along the coastline, paddling around part of the island towards the bridge. The Adriatic was calm, the morning sun was reflecting off the surface and for a while we simply enjoyed the paddle.
Of course, we were still EASY Team – so there was plenty of board comparing, photo shooting and filming along the way. A little work, a little testing and a pretty amazing morning adventure. That sums up the trip rather well.
And then the wind showed up…
SUP was the main character for most of our stay. But one evening, the wind finally decided to join us. Bartek and Serfi didn’t need much convincing. Within minutes, two wings were out on the water and the rest of us jumped into a motorboat to follow them – partly as a film crew, partly as their personal cheering squad. As the sun dropped lower, the wings stood out against the water and we captured some of our favourite shots of the entire trip. A setting sun, an empty spot and two wings flying around our boat – what started as a spontaneous evening session quickly became one of those moments we knew we’d remember long after getting home.
And apparently, the stoke was contagious. Before sunset, members of the team who had never tried winging before were already getting their first lesson from the more experienced riders of the Team. Sometimes those unplanned moments turn out to be the best ones.
Plenty of knowledge – and even more time together
Our days on Krk were full-on. Presentations, gear testing, filming, photos and hours upon hours spent outside and on the water. Somehow, though, there was always enough energy left for one more activity. Evenings often meant volleyball or basketball before we finally sat down together for dinner. There was plenty of sport, plenty of laughter and, most importantly, time spent together away from our usual desks, departments and everyday routines.
We came to Croatia to learn more about the gear. We left knowing each other a little better too.
We’re coming home with full heads – and full memory cards
We’re back in Poland a little more tanned, a lot more connected as a Team and even more excited about what we do.
Most importantly, we’re heading into the next season with plenty of fresh knowledge and our batteries fully recharged with a final dose of Croatian sunshine before autumn really kicks in.
We’ve seen what’s coming in the newest collections. We’ve learned about the latest technologies and developments in the industry. We’ve gained first-hand experience that we can now bring into the advice we give you. And we’ve discovered a few products that impressed us enough that we’re already thinking about bringing them to EASY.
Our memory cards are also packed with photos, videos and how-to content, so you definitely haven’t seen the last of Croatia on our channels yet!
But this trip also reminded us of something that sits right at the heart of EASY.
We might work in different departments, sit at different desks and have completely different responsibilities. But put us next to the water, surround us with some exciting new gear and give us something new to try, and one thing becomes very clear: we all share the same stoke.
And that’s a pretty great thing to build a Team around!
We’ll show you more videos and materials from our trip soon so - stay tuned!
