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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Another SUP article–from Virginia Beach, VA

By Laine M. Rutherford

Correspondent

At first glance, the two men seen out past the breakers and the surfers off of 45th Street seemed to be doing the impossible: walking on water.

A longer look during a morning surf session last week showed more. The men were standing on boards, propelling themselves with paddles, practicing a sport that’s creating a wave of interest in Virginia Beach this summer – Stand Up Paddle surfing.

The trend – called SUP, Beach Boy surfing and other names – is already hugely popular in California and Hawaii and began lapping at the Virginia Beach shoreline a few years ago.

This summer, enthusiasm swelled as surfers and other athletes began embracing it with the same excitement they give to reports of double overheads in October.

Translation: they’re getting stoked on SUP.

“I didn’t know there was anything left to do on the water that was this much fun,” said Rick Romano, a local artist and avid SUP surfer. “It’s fresh, it’s new and it’s very addictive.”

Romano first tried the sport three years ago after visiting legendary surfer Laird Hamilton’s home in Hawaii.

“I saw these boards in his garage and heard the great things he had to say about it and I knew I wanted to do it,” Romano remembered. “You couldn’t get boards here then, so I started paddling on an old windsurfer, lopped off the end of an old kayak paddle and went out like that all summer long. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Romano’s equipment has improved over the years. He now counts four “real” SUP boards in his quiver and has local access to the latest products. He cites Freedom Surf shop on Laskin Road and Surf & Adventure Co. in Sandbridge as the first area shops to carry SUP products and to promote the sport locally.

Gear consists of an epoxy board and a paddle, usually made of carbon. Boards average 11 feet, weigh about 20 pounds and are 30 inches wide with a turned up nose. Traction pads usually cover the surface. The average paddle is 80 inches and has a scooped end.

“It’s definitely an investment,” Freedom Surf owner Dave Shotton said of the $1,500 tag for board and paddle. “But once you’ve made that investment, you’re set. Three generations, from 8 to 80, can ride the same board.”

Shotton took up the sport when he bought Freedom Surf last year.

“We spotted the trend and knew it was coming, but if I was going to talk the talk, I knew I had to walk the walk,” said Shotton, who used to be surfboard sales rep. “I was hooked immediately.”

Shotton, 41, is one of SUP’s chief local proponents and part of a North End contingent that hits the waves nearly every morning and evening. He is also a witness to the popularity of the sport at the Beach. Since the beginning of the year, he has sold about 50 boards.

“There are so many benefits to it,” Shotton explained. “It’s a great core exercise, you can stay in the ocean longer, later in the year and on flat days, I’m still out, getting exercise, and enjoying the water.”

The learning curve is steep, comparable to snowboarding.

“It can take three hours or three days, but once you get it there’s no problem getting up and getting out,” Shotton said. “Right now it’s mainly surfers, but we know it’s going to expand.”

A ripple of SUP opinions

In town to host a surf camp last month, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver borrowed a board for a quick SUP surfing session. Weaver, who is a member of the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, gracefully dipped his paddle in the water, using it to traverse the board and carve turns in the small waves he rode to shore.

“It’s super fun to do and it opens up a whole new realm of wave riding,” the Santa Cruz resident said. “It’s just a great workout that gets people outside and gives them another way to interact with the ocean.”

Not everyone is riding the wave of support for the new sport. D.J. Joyner, 25, an employee of Freedom Surf, counts himself among the “haters,” those who find the big boards offensive. For D.J., and others, SUP boards have replaced longboards in the chain of “haterdom.”

“I consider them canoes; you can’t bring canoes into the lineup,” the Hilltop resident said. “They can catch absolutely everything and they do – they’re people who don’t know how to share. There might be a place for them, but it shouldn’t be near surfers.”

Sandbridge resident Bill Gassett stresses good surf etiquette to those who try out the boards multiplying in his backyard.

“This is such a positive sport that anyone can do – we don’t want bad behavior rippling through to cause negative attitudes,” said Gassett, 48, a retired Navy deep-sea diver. “Because this is not a fad, it’s something that will change a lot of people’s perspective on how they can enjoy the water and more people are doing it every day.”

The sport is evolving as it gains popularity. Boards are becoming more specialized – refined for conditions and uses, such as distance touring or racing. SUP surfing is showing up as a category in surf contests and other water events.

New terms are coined daily, such as “downwinding,” where a vehicle is dropped off miles away from a starting point and surfers make their way down the coast, running with the waves and the current.

“I’ve seen it grow exponentially this year,” Romano stated. “And I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Whoever embraces this sport now is going to be a frontrunner. It’s going to be fun to look back and say, “I remember the early days.’”

Laine Mednick Rutherford, Laine.R@cox.net

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Midwest SUP

People are definitely catching on that SUP is great for inland lakes and rivers. Here’s an article from the Minneapolis Star about SUP in local lakes and a company that’s doing a good job of selling and publicizing SUP as a core workout and fun activity.

Stand-up paddling

Stand-up paddling melds a surf sport with a core-strengthening workout. No waves required.

By STEPHEN REGENOLD

Last update: August 4, 2008 - 10:08 A

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Cape Cod Bay Challenge

On August 9, 2008, a small group of stand-up paddle surfers will attempt a grueling marathon paddle across Cape Cod Bay from Plymouth to Provincetown to raise awareness and money to help stop the ever growing problem of pollution in our oceans and along our shores.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit dedicated to promoting healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems. Part of the proceeds of this event will go towards the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean Up on September 20, 2008.

The beauty, purity and the challenge of paddle surfing make it a great platform to raise awareness about the extremely serious issue of ocean pollution. Our goal is to make this an annual event that will serve as an on-going fundraiser for, and reminder of, our need to be responsible stewards of the ocean.

I had to think about whether I wanted to tell my own story or not. One it’s personal and two, this paddle isn’t about me. But I do want to use this opportunity to not only raise some money for a good cause but also maybe encourage a few folks to join me on the water. Especially if they are dealing with issues similar to my own.

When I first thought of the challenge last fall I didn’t think it was something I would be participating in….just organizing was my original thought. You see, five years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a vestibular schwannoma, growing on the vestibular nerve. Since then I’ve undergone radio-surgery to kill the tumor. The ongoing side effects of the tumor and radio-surgery caused severe headaches, vertigo, and dizziness, also deafness and tinnitus on my left side. The most disabling issue was loss of balance and vertigo, being unable to trust my body to do things, especially driving, made life planning difficult at best. I wasn’t sure where it would end, what it would mean to my career. Even the simple things like keeping up with the yardwork had become impossible.

4 years of treatments and prescriptions did little to help. Nothing the doctors did helped with the balance/vertigo problems. Then my brother Bill gave me his 12-6 Starboard Cruiser standup paddleboard when he thought it might be good therapy. It has proved to be one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.. Ten short months ago I was approaching 50, an overweight, out of shape balance challenged guy on a downward spiral. 5 months later on my 50th birthday, January 24th, I was surfing at Nauset Beach on Cape Cod.

I had already seen a dramatic change by then. I had retrained my system to balance visually. Pushing my need for balance to the extreme on a standup board makes the normal possible. I’ve been driving my car…..freedom. I went from barely being able to stand on a board to going out in 10′ waves in a nor’easter in mid May. Wild wind, heavy chop, and 8-10′ waves and I’m not only standup paddling out into it but catching a few waves as well. Talk about feeling alive.

Here I am 10 months later, 50 lbs lighter, even with all the added muscle, able to live a more normal life all because of a sport that is incredibly fun to do. I hope many of you that read this might be encouraged to give it a try, especially those that might be facing issues like mine. If I can do it almost anyone can. The added benefit, I’m in better shape now than I was at 30.

I’m not saying that this negates the need for medical care. I’ve just been painfully reminded of that. Unfortunately after 4 years of no growth I’ve just found out my little friend may be growing again. You can’t argue the obvious benefits however. The not so obvious may be just as important. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so at peace as while I’m out paddling. I return from every session refreshed in spirit. One thing that standup definitely gives me is a much better outlook on rehab if I need treatment again this time. My 1st question is going to be how long before I can get back on the water?

For additional info and to donate please check our website http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org . You can also download a copy of our poster there.

See you on the water.

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