Paddleboarding to Prosperity: How Thurso Surf used PayPal Complete Payments to Navigate Global Waters
A Shore Thing
Nearly a decade ago, Shenglong You was watching paddleboarders on Lake Ontario when inspiration struck. An engineer by training, he noticed the boards lacked the stability for a smooth paddling experience. To plug this hole in the market, Shenlong partnered with a childhood friend who worked in manufacturing to found Thurso Surf, a company dedicated to creating high-quality stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) for beginners and seasoned enthusiasts.
Over time, the pair’s commitment to agility, innovation and customer service transformed Thurso Surf from a small startup into a global leader, with demand for its premium products extending far beyond Canada’s shores. However, global success brought new challenges.
Paddling Into the Digital Current
In the early days, Thurso Surf launched its products exclusively online using a third-party platform. However, the limitations of this approach quickly became apparent. “We needed a way to communicate our brand identity directly to our customers,” Shenglong explains.
Enter PayPal Complete Payments (PPCP), a new game-changing solution that became a cornerstone of Thurso Surf’s approach. Recognizing the need to simplify their operations and reduce the complexities of running a small business, Shenglong and his team decided to take matters into their own hands, leading to the creation of their own website. With PayPal’s ability to seamlessly integrate with the site, it quickly became an essential tool to showcase its products and connect with their customer base as they grew.
“Having our own website allowed us to control the narrative,” Shenglong says. “We were able to build a community around our brand.”
Smooth Sailing
As Thurso Surf expanded beyond Canada, they faced the complexities of managing international sales and transactions. PayPal Complete Payments was at the center of Shenglong’s global strategy.
“PayPal was crucial in our global expansion,” Shenglong notes.
Specifically, he cites PPCP’s ability to process major credit and debit cards from around the world as vital to the company’s growth. “It enabled us to handle multiple currencies seamlessly and provided a secure payment gateway that customers trusted.”
Alongside the seamless payment processing, Shenglong says PayPal’s reputation for security and reliability also played a significant role in building customer trust, especially among international buyers.
“With PayPal, we didn’t have to worry about the complexities of international payments,” he explains. “It gave us the flexibility to focus on scaling our business and reaching more customers globally.”
Riding the Tide of Success
Today, Thurso Surf is a global brand known for its quality and innovation. The company’s journey, from a simple observation on the shores of Lake Ontario to a leader in the SUP industry, showcases the power of innovation, strategic partnerships, using the right tools, including PayPal Complete Payments, to get the job done.
“Our goal has always been to create the best possible experience for our customers,” says Shenglong. “With each board we make, we aim to deliver on that promise.”