SUP in U.S. National Publications

I’ve noticed SUP articles in the international press for years, but not in U.S. National press. That’s no surprise,  the U.S. press is stunningly provincial (the standard media joke about this is the headline “New York Man Killed In Paris Nuclear Holocaust”) and they are stunningly slow to follow anything that isn’t dead center mainstream. NASCAR vs. Formula 1 is a great example–one of the worlds most popular sporting events is rarely mentioned while NASCAR gets huge coverage.

But here’s two recent exceptions:

National Geographic’s popular Adventure Editor Steve Casmiro’s blog:  http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/the-adventure-1.html?cid=128162614

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=176630&title=pierce-brosnan&byDate=true

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New Werner Paddles

I received this news release from Werner Paddles yesterday and asked for pictures. They look pretty interesting, the shapes are unusual, I wish the picture showed the shape from the side and back as well, but here’s what I have:
For Release: Trade: August 25, 2008

Werner Expands Stand Up Paddle Offerings
Werner Paddles has announced the introduction of two new Stand Up Paddles: The Werner Advantage and the Werner Carve. Both paddles will be available to ship beginning September 01, 2008.

As participation explodes in the Stand Up Paddle category, Werner is responding with new paddle designs that focus on the two aspects of the sport, touring and surfing.

The new Werner Advantage
The Advantage is a Premium fiberglass laminate construction blade with a modified tear drop shape designed to optimize straight ahead efficiency for touring.

The new Werner Carve

The Carve consists of the same construction as the Advantage but the shape is smaller, longer and more slender, specifically designed for dynamic surfing and turning.

Both the Advantage and the Carve come with a fiberglass oval indexed shaft and ABS Palm-grip. Werner offers three shaft configurations. The 1-piece is the lightest weight option and is least expensive ($219).

The 2–piece is perfect for paddlers who travel with their paddle ($234). The Adjustable length telescopes with four settings, each 1.5 inches apart; perfect for those individuals who move between touring and surfing ($259).

“Stand Up Paddling is a real growth opportunity for surf and paddle sports dealers. We are excited to expand our Stand Up Paddle offerings to respond to the specific demands of the market,” says Jim Miller, Werner’s Marketing Manger.

Werner Paddles is the leading manufacturer of high quality kayak, canoe, and stand up paddles, operating near the banks of the Skykomish River in Sultan, WA. For more information call 800.275.3311 or visit us at www.wernerpaddles.com

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Caught Inside

It’s inevitable, some day you’ll paddle into a wave and not make it, and as you start your turn to paddle back out you suddenly realize you can’t see the horizon. Or you’re waiting for a wave and suddenly realize the head-high wave you thought was close is actually far away, and it’s not head high, and it’s already feathering

Uh oh.

Prevention
The best solution is to not get caught inside to begin with. There are a couple of things that can help a lot. First be aware of your situation all the time. If you’re paddling after a wave, is it likely to have a big brother right behind it? If you miss the wave you’re after, which way do you need to turn to have the best chance of making it over big brother. For that matter, if there’s no one going for that second wave, then a Mulligan may be in order. Even riding a wave into a closeout is better than going over the falls.

If the waves are stairstepping, or some of the sets are really big, consider starting farther out, or at least doing your time waiting for your turn out further where you’re less likely to be taken up by the “Clean Up Woman”. Face out to sea so you can see the big mommas coming early, and start paddling for the horizon sooner. Sure, it’s cool to be casual in the big waves, and I know you want to hang out with the guys and talk story, but if they’re sitting in a bad spot you might not want to get worked with them. Maybe they like it. Maybe they’re a lot faster than you.

Caught
So what are you going to do? You can sprint for the top and try to push over, but if you’re certain that you’re not going to make it over, paddling up the wave until it takes you over the falls backwards is a terrible idea. Lots of opportunity to be smacked by your board and a much worse thrashing than is necessary.

On a Sup board you have the advantage of being in position for an effective dive. Aim for the base of the wave and dive deep. Arch your back and time it right and you’ll pop out the back of the wave like an otter, though this otter is tied to a big board that’s turning into a speedboat on the other side of the wave. Catch a breath on the backside if you can, but don’t fight the sleigh ride. At least you’re not under the lip getting worked. It will all be over soon. If you have a chance, look at the next wave to get an idea of what’s coming. You might have as much as ten seconds before the next wave hits. That’s enough for three or four fast hard breaths. Doing this will hyperventilate you a little bit and give you more oxygen in your bloodstream. You can hold your breath longer and with more comfort.

If that didn’t work out, and now you’re bouncing around in ten feet of whitewater there’s really only a few things that can help you. First, stay calm. If you panic and try to swim against the currents, you’re hosed. You can’t do it. Tons of water are swirling you around and you’re trying to overcome them with a few pounds of muscle. Ain’t happening.

Pull yourself tight (arms in and crossed across your chest, knees bent, eyes open) and wait it out. A long hold down is thirty seconds. If you’ve been doing some hypoxic training you can hold your breath that long while you’re doing jumping jacks. If you haven’t done any training then you can still hold your breath that long if you’re sitting on the couch. So relax, be one with the currents, wait for the bubbles to begin floating upwards and follow them up. Pull yourself up your leash if you need to.

Watch for approaching boards as you break the surface. Get a big breath of delicious air right away–there might be another wave about to drop on you. Assess your situation. If you can hug the tail of your board the next wave might push you in a bit, but if it’s macking on your head, go back down to the blue room and try again.

Above all, stay calm. The more often you’ve done this, the calmer you’ll be. Hopefully all your surfing progression has been from small waves to bigger, and you’ve learned a lot along the way. If you’re relatively inexperienced and you’re in big waves, then all I can do is wish you well.

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Cool Video: River Surfing–Strapped in on an ULI

Nice stuff, though I wonder about the strapped in part.

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How-to articles

Time to fire up the How-To section again.

SUP Surfing How To Articles:

Over the next couple of weeks I plan a number of surfing how-to articles. I’m lining up interviews with some very experienced SUP surfers, aimed primarily at creating articles that help the intermediate SUP surfer take the next step. But first I’m going to revive some articles that appeared last winter in Ke Nalu that most readers haven’t seen–they were kind of buried in the archives. These aim at beginner SUP surfers and cover basic technique and some survival issues. The first in that series is Caught Inside, some fundamental words of advice on a situation we all face but beginners seem to encounter more than they should. I’ve added some preventative advice to the article.

I’m also working on a long article titled How to SUP surf, which covers everything a beginner should know before paddling out into anything more than ankle-biters.

SUP Distance How To Articles:

Interest in downwinders and distance paddling is growing fast, in fact it looks to be the fastest growing segment of SUP. The basics are obvious–get on a board, point it towards the horizon, and start paddling. But if you’re going to spend all that time paddling, it ought to deliver as much as it can. Choosing the right board, the right paddle, finding the right technique, learning to ride swells, setting up your board, choosing a fin and placing it properly–all can add greatly to the experience. We’re working on articles about the right equipment, proper paddling technique, weight placement, engaging the core and legs, and general preparation for distance paddling.

SUP racing:

It’s a whole different deal from just doing a downwinder. Race pace and paddling requires different training and techniques. I found that out first hand when I started working on my own pace. I thought the training I did for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge would prepare me for racing. NOT. If anything it made my stroke lazier. Cranking out thirty miles is mostly a matter of having the time to do it. If you want to travel ten miles in minimum time, that’s a whole different deal. We’ll cover racing technique, board choice and board prep, and talk to some of the best racers in the world.

It’s all coming, stay tuned.

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Mule Transport System

I was browsing through my email trying to find the addresses of the people I owe rash guards to (they’re coming, honest, the only bad news is that it turned out we only have XL and XXL left. If that’s way to big maybe you can use it as a board cover) and I came across some pictures submitted long ago by Robert Stehlik from Blue Planet Surf. He was at the board test and took some nice shots. One of them was a picture of registration, and a reminder of another person I owe some recognition to. James from Mule Transport Systems sent us two SUP mules to use in the board test. In the picture below you can see my own S.I.C. Ku Nalu with a mule attached. It was a lifesaver. We used it to carry all those heavy coolers and the tent from the parking lot to our set up area. We just stacked stuff on the board and rolled it on down to the beach.

After the test I started using one to take my SUP board to the beach behind my motorcycle–a Honda XR650. It worked great. I bungeed on a milk crate to carry all my junk, and stuffed the paddle into the nose bag. I’m sure James would cringe to hear this, but I hit 55 on occasion, with some crosswinds, and never had a wobble. A great way to get to the beach and then get your gear all the way to the waters edge without breaking a sweat.

When I first looked at the pictures I thought “I could build that for less than $99 bucks” but now that I’ve seen how well made and well thought out every element is, I’m certain that the Mule is a bargain. It all come apart and goes into an amazingly small bag. It’s easy to put on the the board and attach to your bicycle or motorcycle. The wheels track true and the board is well supported and reasonably well protected. Make sure you specify the SUP version if you’re buying it for a SUP board, the axle needs to be wider than the standard system.

Simply put, highly recommended, especially if you need to walk a ways to the beach and you’d like to carry some other stuff. We piled it on and the mule took it with no strain.

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Get Fit with/for SUP

We all know that SUP is great exercise, but It takes more than one great exercise to get fit. There’s also diet, other aerobic activities, flexibility training and general muscle workouts. It’s often a battle against social pressure, time, and genetics to achieve the kind of results you’d like.

Me last winter, there’s about ten pounds more of me right now

I’m from a family of large people. Despite being 6’2” and 250 pounds I look like an average guy in family photos. I’ve battled weight and waistline my entire life, despite being an inordinately active person and generally watching what I eat. I don’t eat fast food, don’t eat junk, but I’m a little too fond of fine food, wine and beer. My greatest weakness is the evening. If there’s any goodies in the pantry late at night when I’m watching the tube, I’ll find them.

As I get older (61) I find I’m eating less and less and weighing more and more. I need to step up the exercise side of the equation but I also need to gain some flexibility before I freeze solid like a cigar store Indian. I believe step one has to be to loose some weight. I think my downward dogs, distance paddles, surf sessions and workouts will all come a little easier if there’s a less of me.

What I find it takes to be successful at losing weight and adding muscle is some outside pressure—something to reinforce your will when those Ginger Snaps are calling to you just before bed. Something to drive you to the gym when you’d really rather sleep another hour. I find both positive and negative pressure work well—the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

I’m proposing a training program here on Ke Nalu, and you can participate. Whether you’re looking to loose weight or just increase your physical capabilities for the demands of Stand Up Paddling and surfing, find your outside pressure here. Join me, Stoneaxe (Brother Bob), and anyone else on Ke Nalu that chooses to participate. We’ll use the forum topic attached to this post as our training and weight loss log. Set a goal, build a plan, and tell us all how you do. we’ll praise you when you hit your mark and give you grief when you don’t. Publicly tracking your performance should be a good way to apply both positive and negative pressure—and I know I need both. Perhaps you do too.

And then there’s the bet. If you fail to make your weekly goal two weeks in a row you have to post a video of yourself on youtube doing stupid tricks on your SUP board. If you fail to make your final goal you have to post a video of yourself wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra, playing a ukulele and singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” in falsetto.

This is what Bob will look like

As I said on Stand Up Zone, I’d rather give myself liposuction with a box cutter and a bicycle pump than lose that bet.

Join in, use the form below to set and track your own goals. Just copy the form, click on the forum button below, REPLY to the thread and paste in your form. A little rules clarification–if your goal is two pounds per week and you lose three one week, you carry your one pound extra forward as a benefit–so you can get ahead. My plan is to start really strong and try to maintain. I know there will be slip-ups so I need to get ahead.

You can build any form you want, or you can copy and paste mine into your forum posts. I’m going to report weekly since that’s the deal Bob and I have for our weight bet. Note that once you have set up a forum post you can edit it at any time. I think I’m going to create weekly forum posts for myself and treat it as a weekly diary. You can do it any way you choose.

Here’s the sign up form:

Name (handle is fine)_______

Current weight _________

Weekly goal __________

Number of weeks _________

and here’s the tracking form:

Week: ___ Start Weight___ End Weight

Daily Goals—Exercise and eating

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

If any of you folks are experts on doing any aspect of this: weight loss, general training, paddling, etc. Please share your information. For that matter I’d love someone to do a monthly column on fitness for paddle surfing, or coach people on how to paddle or surf.

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Cape Cod Bay Challenge - We Made It!

Months of preparation, planning, and training. Hundreds of miles paddled getting our selves ready for a long day on Cape Cod Bay. Mike has been reminding us all to hydrate well and eat right. The mandatory carb loading pasta feast the night before. We were ready…….then Bill, Mike, and I finished off 5 bottles of wine along with some good cigars…….I don’t think that’s typical marathon preparation wisdom.

OMG!…..it’s time to get up already! Down a bottle of Gatorade and a handful of aspirin. Drive to the hotel to pick up Mike and Bill…Oh well…at least I don’t feel as bad as Mike looks….mint julep comes to mind. Bill makes me angry…he’s actually kind of chipper…I feel like smacking him.

6:00….Hey…we made it to the beach! It’s a start. Shawn and Jody are there already looking fit and very competent. I don’t think they drank any wine last night…..smart guys. Heavy fog….real heavy…where’s David, where’s the boat? Start making phone calls….OK…the boat’s on it’s way. Should be here in 20 minutes or so. I get David’s voicemail….I hope he got another plane last night after the 1st was cancelled. Mike is making funny noises. My head is swimming but I can tell I feel better than he does.

6:20…we wanted to launch at 6:30…..we call the boat again. Capt. Paul says he’s getting close….coming in slow because of the fog. David shows up looking like a Hollywood star…oh wait…that’s right he is! Who’s friggin idea was it to have all these young fit guys around?

6:40…We call again…GPS puts the boat 1000 yards off the beach….we can’t see a thing….Capt. says he can’t tell where the house sized boulders are that are out there just below the surface and doesn’t want to risk coming closer, I can’t blame him, it’s like a mine field out there. I’m beginning to think we should have launched from inside the harbor. It wouldn’t have mattered except that we have Jerry and Paul and a board for Bill on the boat. Looks like you guys will have to ferry that board in….start paddling.

6:50…We call the boat again….they say we should be able to see Jerry by now….nothing…..are you folks SURE you’re off Plymouth beach?

7:00….still nothing….wait!, what’s that coming out of the fog….looks like something from a Stephen King movie walking on water coming to eat the tourists. It’s Jerry, I feel like cheering and we haven’t even left yet. Still no sign of Paul though. We decide to paddle out to meet him halfway.

7:15….we’ve geared up…said good bye to friends and family that showed up to see us off and paddle out in search of Paul. Somehow this isn’t the start I was hoping for but at least we’re on the water……and Mike has stopped chumming.

The water is like glass, the fog pea soup, not a breath of wind, the only sound our paddles and boards on the water. We find Paul still a long way from shore. Finally we’re underway….look…there actually is a boat! We stop to talk for few and give instructions for signals.

Uh Oh!….my head isn’t cooperating at all. The fog is blending the sky into the sea and I have no horizon to help my balance. (If you’re interested you can read some of the background of why I need a horizon for balance here: http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org/Standup/standup.html )I fall for the 1st time…..this is going to be a long day!

I don’t think Bill was really running away from Jerry and his floaties…

On second thought….:)

The fog starts to lift about 4 miles offshore…..don’t look back….the cliffs at Plymouth still look close. Finally some horizon…but I think the damage is done….my head is taking lefts while the board is going straight….I get wet a lot. I don’t think my share of the 5 bottles of wine last night is helping either. I’m feeling bad about slowing us down but the guys are very cool about it. Making it seem like it was their idea to take a break when I was struggling. Thanks guys…:). I’m happy to see Mike looks like he’s feeling better. There’s actually some flesh tones showing through the green.

Hehe…I just noticed that you two look like twins, sorry David…:)

Hhhmmm….I guess Bill and I did too….LOL

The fog is finally behind us

What happened to our forecast? As of Friday night we were supposed to have 10-14 kt tailwinds and calm seas. Instead we have maybe a 2-4 kt WNW and once we got out further into the bay 2 ft side swell from the north and confused chop. At least there isn’t a headwind.

Fast forward…..we take a break at the halfway point. Jody has picked up a mylar ballon that was floating 10 miles out….reminds us why we are doing this. Shawn and Jody are having no problem keeping up on their 10-6 Vec’s. A combination of Shawn’s shaping skills and the fact that they are the most fit amongst us no doubt. The boards look like they have motor’s when they want to make them move.

15 miles in. Everyone is making it look easy. I’m feeling awkward, old, and slow. My head is still swimming occasionally. I pull my hat back….having the brim in my field of vision is bugging me….I don’t usually wear a hat. 5 minutes later my head is clear…or close anyway. Can it be that simple? I know that vision and balance are closely tied together. I can only guess that having an artificial horizon of a hat brim moving around was causing me problems. I don’t think I’ll wear a hat on the water anymore. Maybe a bandana and a cutlass….I’ll be the 1st SUPirate.

20 miles….We’ve had Provincetown in sight for awhile. We also get leeward of Race Point and the water flattens nicely. The hardest part is behind us. Still 8 miles to go but no question of making it now. As we get closer the boat traffic gets heavier….Capt. Paul is like a pit bull mother with her puppy’s….any boat approaching us finds a 50’ sport fisher aimed at it….making it very obvious to stay clear.

We had to be quite a site to the folks on the beach at Race Point. 8 guys coming in from the open ocean walking on water. Just so long as they didn’t want any wine….I’d had my fill of wine for awhile.

I couldn’t believe how excited I was to make the last turn into the harbor. Folks on boats taking pictures. The Capt of one of the big whale watch boats getting ready to go out announced our arrival over the loudspeaker and the passengers lined the rails watching and waving as we went by. Family and friends were on the dock, there were boat horns blaring. It made me want to hold back a bit and savor the moment. WE MADE IT! Let the record show that Jerry Issel was the 1st man to paddle across Cape Cod Bay, Plymouth to Provincetown, shore to shore. The rest of us all landed within the minute.

It felt good to feel solid ground again. We had a great lunch at the Surf Club Restaurant (how appropriate) and then parted ways. It felt strange to break it up, like it should last longer somehow. The best thing about this whole experience is the great friends we’ve made. This is a great crew of guys and I’m proud to have shared this with all of you. I know we’ll all get on the water together again.

L to R: Shawn, Jody, Bob, Bill, David, Jerry, Mike, and Paul

Beyond the sense of accomplishment of making it across we raised money and awareness for a good cause. The final numbers aren’t in yet but I think it’s safe to say that we will have raised somewhere between $11,000 and $12,000 for the Ocean Conservancy and their International Coastal Cleanup. We also raised awareness of the sport itself and on a personal note I hope I’ve inspired some others that are facing health issues to try something different as therapy. Get out there and live…..this isn’t a dress rehearsal.

Start training for next year guys….
Aloha.

Photo Credits: From the water:
Lynn Wilson
From the dock/beach in Provincetown:
Betsy Brown

I’ve included the previous video by Lynn Wilson here as well. Thanks Lynn…awesome job.

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Cape Cod Bay Challenge Video - Proud to be a Janitor

I’ll have a story posted soon….until then check out this great video by Lynn Wilson. Thanks Lynn…awesome job.

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Naish International supports Lake Tahoe Fundraiser

On Monday, August 11, 2008, a group of 20 world-class skiers, surfers, mountain climbers, and disabled athletes will cross Lake Tahoe on stand-up paddle boards provided by Naish International to raise awareness and funding for service members suffering from traumatic brain injury, combat stress, and other war-related injuries. Participants include big-wave surf and tow surf pioneer Dave Kalama, Olympic gold medalist and world-champion skier Jonny Moseley, Olympic and top-tier U.S. downhill skier Daron Rahlves, Olympic snowboarder and X Games gold medalist Nate Holland, big-mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones, and Mark Wellman, the first paraplegic to climb El Capitan and Half Dome, and a recipient of a U.S. Senate Resolution Award. Most participants are novice paddlers, and the 22-mile paddle across Lake Tahoe will not be easy. These athletes recognize, however, that their effort pales in comparison to the challenges the victims of traumatic brain injury and other serious war-related injuries face every day.

Crossing leader Dave Kalama noted “What these veterans have to deal with makes surfing Jaws seem pretty tame. They’ve put their lives on the line for all of us and sacrificed so much. It’s time to step up and do whatever we can to help. This is not some publicity stunt or contrived event - it is the real deal, a rare opportunity to see action sports athletes humbled by what they’re having to do and for whom they are doing it. For me, it’s a great opportunity to give something back, and demonstrate that our commitment to the people and causes we are involved with is as intense as our commitment to our core sports.”

The Lake Tahoe Crossing will start at 7 a.m. on 11 August 2008 from a location to be determined on Lake Tahoe’s West shore area. The lead group is expected to complete the 22 mile trek roughly five hours later and end up at Lake Tahoe’s East or South Shore areas, depending on wind direction and water conditions. To learn more about the Tahoe Stand-Up Paddle Board Crossing 2008 and how you or your firm can support this worthy cause, please contact Dr. Robb Gaffney, 530-412-1325, robbgaffney@hotmail.com, or Rob Howard, 510-773-4701, rhoward@bikeskills.com.

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