Sporting new logos with modern fonts and bold primary colors, Stand On Liquid is being reinvigorated.

During the months of spring and summer, stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP, is a natural sport for Bend residents living within a 45-minute drive of more than 40 bodies of water, said Rob McDonald, a co-owner.

But during the long winter months in Bend, Stand on Liquid’s parent company, Latitude 44 Sports, just started taking over the retail space selling consignment and closeout winter sports equipment.

Stand On Liquid, a stand-up paddleboard company, got its start in Bend in 2010. McDonald, who had been a partner with the original owners in 2014, gave up his day job last year at Apple. He began working full-time with the current co-owner Pat Widner.

“I believe Central Oregon arguably has more paddleboarders per capita than anywhere in the country,” McDonald said. “No one can really prove that. Bend is the perfect place with its paddling opportunities, healthy economy and athletic population.”

The company sells more than 20 different boards in different sizes and shapes from its 8,000-square-foot space on Reed Market Road and online. McDonald spoke to The Bulletin about the SUP business. His responses have been edited for length and content.

Q: What does Stand on Liquid sell?

A: We make and sell our own paddleboards, and we also sell 60 other brands and accessories. We’re the largest independent retailer of paddleboards on the West Coast. We sell direct to consumers from HQ here. We sell on the web. We rent boards, as well. We have a distribution relationship with Costco, limited edition paddleboards, a partnership with Sun Country Tours and now make custom boards for other brands.

Q: What percentage of sales are from paddleboards?

A: The bulk of our revenues are from retail paddleboards sales direct to consumer from our Bend store. We’re working to diversify our business on the web, custom boards and rentals. We make thousands of custom boards a year. We design them here in Bend and manufacture them in China.

Q: What do you do to market your paddleboard business?

A: We have a number of brand ambassadors on the water and at key events. We create relationships with other key businesses, like Elk Lake Resort, Tumalo Creek (Kayak & Canoe), which we partnered with for the Bend Paddleboard Challenge this past June. We really try to have relationships with our partners. Our rack pads have been great advertising for us. We mostly advertised digitally and on social media. About a dozen dealers, camps and resorts sell our boards.

Q: What’s going to be new for stand-up paddleboards?

A: There’s been an explosion of demand for inflatable paddleboards. That’s where the growth in the industry is headed. It’s the fastest growing segment of the market for us. We’re continuing to grow that lineup.

Q: What’s new about the graphics and logo?

A: Our key effort this year was to redesign with a new color palate and new topographic lines that are more color-based on the boards. Our logo is in a different font and part of a rebranding.

— Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com