Wow. Not sure what this has to do with Stand Up Paddles, but there area couple of SUP surfers in the waves. I can imagine some of the folks I know getting out there to take advantage of the impact waves. Hey, what else are you going to do? . . .
Things get a little whacky on the Stand Up Zone. Not only are these folks fun to shoot the breeze with (virtual breeze that is) but they are also remarkably creative. This is a set of recent posts on the Zone. To set the context, I had replied to another post that Dave Kalama’s recent Continue Reading
If you’re on the Big Island of Hawaii and you’re interested in Ke Nalu Stand Up Paddles then Hilo is the town and the venerable S. Tokunaga Store is the place to go. Tokunaga’s is such a great place for our paddles, we’re thrilled to have them there. The store has been in Hilo for Continue Reading
Gorge Performance now offers Ke Nalu Stand Up Paddles. Gorge Performance has been serving the needs of Northwest Adrenaline junkies for well.. forever I guess. At least they’ve always been there when I needed gear. I bought my first “performance” windsurfer from Bob Rueter in 1983–a Aiken 10’3″. I found it in the crawlspace of Continue Reading
Blue Planet Surf Gear got its start in 1993 on the island of Oahu. Founder Robert Stehlik was a business student at the time and created the brand and business plan as a college project at the University of Hawaii. The concept was simple: unique surfwear and equipment from Hawaii- for surfers, by surfers. The Continue Reading
I continue to be amazed that my good friend Bill Rozier has friends who read good books. Bill puts together a booklist each year by getting all his friends to submit their favorite books from the past year. The result is always good. And I’m always surprised. After all, this is the craziest guy I Continue Reading
Two Hood River friends and longtime SUP racers/downwind fanatics (Mark Ribkoff and Rod Parmenter) have started a company called PocketFuel to produce healthy and convenient energy snacks. I was pretty skeptical about the whole idea until I tasted what they are making and tried it in a couple of events. Wonderful stuff. I get stomach Continue Reading
Very cool video from Starboard of Zane Schweitzer winning the World SUP finals event on the Big Island. It was a standout performance. One obvious thing is his paddle handling–amazing. It flies in his hands like a katana, and he uses it to both initiate and complete his moves. Not only does it add to Continue Reading
This is a very cool video about a trip to Iceland to surf. As it is, the quality and charachter of the video make it a very worthy addition. But what I really like about this video is that it so clearly illustrates the breadth of our sport. How many prone surfers plan a trip Continue Reading
When we think of CGI we think of science fiction and monsters that couldn’t be created any other way. We think Avatar. But do we think times square? Do we think an ordinary street. If this video doesn’t make you nervous, you’re just not paying attention. It’s been a long time since people trusted a Continue Reading
This is probably not the high point of Connor Baxter’s SUP career, but it was a pretty amazing year. Connor is hugely talented guy, but it’s not just talent that makes him a standout. It’s his work ethic and his support system. Connor’s family is 150 percent behind him. Connor’s Mom, Karen sent me this Continue Reading
It’s a rare speaker who is both funny and so very on point.
Dan is the most stoked guy I’ve ever met. He’s up for anything and great at everything. From whitewater SUP to Stand Up Paddle surfing, to racing, to SUP downwinding. He’s on it. Leave it to him to figure out a new way to have fun in Hood River. I spent a fair amount of Continue Reading
This is a marvelous video. The camera work is excellent, the storytelling is deceptively simple but elegant and precise, and the subject is such a spectacular happenstance. I’ve watched it a dozen times. It’s better with each watching. Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
I used to be a wedgie–in my twenties (40 years ago) I bodysurfed there whenever the waves were mid-sized. I was never good enough or crazy enough for a big day–I got enough send in my various orifices as it was. The wedge can be unmerciful, especially at the end of a ride when the Continue Reading
I was browsing through one of my semi-abandoned websites looking for a picture and found this gallery. Kind of cool pictures from the long trip we took a few years ago–driving around the country with my home-built airstream car hauler, racing at most of the famous tracks in North America. Here’s a gallery.
We’ve been having a great time in SoCal before, during and after the Battle of the Paddle. The amount of material I’ve collected to do posts is just overwhelming, and I’m way behind on stuff I’ve started–for example, the CCBC trip to Massachusetts and up into Maine which was back in August. So I’ve decided Continue Reading
This video explains the technical innovations we have undertaken in building the new Ke Nalu paddles. We apologize for the length, but there’s a lot to explain. These paddles look the same as the paddle you are probably using, but they are very different.
If you’ve been paddling a while you’ve undoubtedly heard that you shouldn’t paddle past your feet. Both the Hawaiian and Tahitian stroke build on that reality. But why is it so? Well now that we’ve got the basics of how a paddle works down we can explain it. Wait… …you didn’t read that? Get outta Continue Reading
Probably not like you visualize. We’ve done a lot of work trying to understand paddles here at Ke Nalu Labs. We, meaning me and Sam. Sam’s contribution is accompanying me to Nichol’s Slough, running around looking for food and dead things. My contribution is putting sensors all over paddles, hooking them up to a data Continue Reading
How do you practice something like this? I figure he must have started by just getting as far from the ground as possible, and then tightened it up by increments. Still, one sneeze and you’re a windshield bug.
Freaks my kids out that Diane and I are Lady Gaga Fans. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone could not be. Last weekend I said that and someone called her “talentless”. That is simply too silly to respond to. Check this out. Acoustic. Astonishing. What an imagination. The music, the lyrics, the performance, the look, Continue Reading
Clams. First thing I think of when I think of the East Coast. I’m like Bubba in Forrest Gump, only it’s clams instead of shrimp. Cherrystones, Little Necks, Soft Shell, Essex Steamers, and Quahaugs. Raw, steamed, fried, baked, casino, chowder, stuffed–in rolls, the halfshell, on a dinner plate or a carboard tray. I like clams. Continue Reading
Another crazy day in the Gorge. Winds hovering around 40kts, big swell, bigger than August 9th, when the wind was really howling around 43-45kts. Because the swell was so big I decided to leave the downwind/race boards on the truck and ride a surfboard. It was a great choice. I used Diane’s old Naish 11’6″ Continue Reading
Smokey Carter posted this to the Standup Zone, but the zone doesn’t use embed codes. I couldn’t fix the post on the zone but I can make it work on Ke Nalu, so here you go Smokey.
How much is too much wind? How about when you’re using your paddle as a brake? When you’re standing on the rudder post–and it’s not back enough. When your board goes straight because it’s weather vaning. When the wind gets under the rail and rips the board out from under you. When your paddle blows Continue Reading
So you did better than you expected, had a beer, loaded the boards and headed home. Now what? Well if you’re like most people, you now have the bug. Racing SUP boards is pretty addictive. You can tell you have it if you’re thinking about what board you need to get and whether or not Continue Reading
I kind of hate birthday parties. They sound great until you get there. And then people you don’t know that well are talking about jobs and work and stuff you don’t care about. You stand around wondering how soon you can leave without looking like a jerk. You don’t? Well I do. But so far Continue Reading
Tonight was First Friday–always a fun event in Hood River. The main street is closed to traffic and most of the stores and restaurants host special events. Some have live music, some do free wine tastings or offer cocktails. Along the street there’s kids doing dance routines, musicians, crafts, a marimba band, break dancing. What Continue Reading
So, here we are on Race Day. Exciting stuff. You’ll want to get to the event venue early to take care of any registration issues, get your gear down to the start line, go through all your stuff, and make sure you understand how the start works. Small events you only need to get there Continue Reading
Bob Stehlik posted this cool interview with Gerry Lopez prior to the Molokai to Oahu race on his Zen Waterman site. It’s a really nice interview, Gerry is such a fine, relaxed, accessible guy. For some reason I’ve never had a very long conversation with him, probably because I get so tongue-tied. More than a Continue Reading
Your Gear Once you’ve decided what class you’d like to race in, it’s time to get your board and paddle, or to prep the one you have. If you’re buying a new board don’t base your purchase on the board you are most comfortable on. You want the fastest thing you can manage to stand Continue Reading
This article on preparing for SUP races will consist of four parts: Preliminaries–Choosing your race, your board, your gear. Starting to train. Prep–things to do to your board, your gear, yourself. What to bring, what to expect. Race Day–Checking in, checking out the competition, nutrition and hydration. Getting a good start, setting a pace, finishing Continue Reading
I’m really proud of my brother Bob, his good buddy Mike Brown, and all the other folks that have made the CCBC events into such an important funding source for Christopher’s Haven. This August will be the fourth time I’ve made the trip cross country to participate. I may grumble about the timing (same date Continue Reading
This is years old, and yet it still both embarrasses me and cracks me up. Here’s the backstory. Paddling in the Multnomah channel on a winter day, full drysuit. music blasting, I forgot that there was a camera running and got a little carried away. The intensity builds throughout. No belly dancing, but it was Continue Reading
My bullet is awesome when the swells are big. But when the water goes flat it just pushes water. The reason is simple, it has a planing bow, aimed at stability and speed once the board slots into a swell. But here I am in the Columbia River, paddling in a mixed bag. I want Continue Reading
Whether you’re racing, surfing, cruising, or touring reading the water is a critical aspect of stand up paddling. The elite racers seem to have a deep relationship with the swell and water surface. They know where to be and what to do to get the best out of the wind, swell, current and surface configuration. Continue Reading
The Naish Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge (CGPC) is a Festival celebrating the sport of Stand Up Paddling in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The Paddle Challenge will feature a Distance Downwind Race, a Course Race, a Team Relay Race and a recreational, non-competitive Paddle for the Park, a fundraiser for the new Hood River Waterfront Continue Reading
I’m a geek, a nerdy geek, there’s just no getting around it. While most of you were playing sports and having a life as a preteen and teen, I was in my laboratory. I didn’t put quotes around laboratory because it wasn’t imaginary or lightweight, I had some pretty sophisticated equipment. My science fair projects Continue Reading
Well that does it. For anyone that thought SUP hasn’t entered the mainstream here’s the rule, if Outside Magazine covers it, it’s mainstream. When they bring in the cute girsl to cover it, it’s VERY mainstream. …Read More
I found this on Playak, a kayak site I visit frequently looking for technique and equipment information: This important and educational article was written by Mario Vittone and should be shared globally. The Incident – The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his Continue Reading
I’m laid up after knee surgery, so I’ve been working on some writing that may never see the light of day. Some ideas I have that might someday be a book but more likely exists solely to clarify my thinking–in other words most of it isn’t good enough to share. But here’s a piece of Continue Reading
Bill Boyum keeps raising the bar with his downwinder videos. this newest from the Olokai race is simply wonderful. I’ve watched it a dozen times already. the music is great, and hearing Victor (Lopez) hooting it up while he drives the sled and Bill shoots just cracks me up. The first thing it made me Continue Reading
It’s official, Chuck Patterson has joined the Naish team. Here’s a news release that Naish sent me today: We are thrilled to announce that renowned waterman Chuck Patterson has joined the Naish SUP Team. An incredibly gifted and versatile athlete, Chuck consistently pushes the boundaries of every extreme sport he sets his sights on – Continue Reading
I was browsing through the images that have been posted to Ke Nalu over the last few years and came across some photo galleries that I’d completely forgotten about. I’ll use more of them later, but this first one is of some of the Maui surf kids (who are pretty grown up now) doing some Continue Reading
Debra Keys-Thomas sent us a great set of shots from a recent Surfingsports expedition to some undisclosed but very familiar-looking California surf breaks. The pictures feature some new short Starboard models, and from the shots, these boards really rock. WD rdirecting the carbon Starboard Wide poin Big Kev at going mental on my carbon Jammer. Continue Reading
Following on the post of the Senna movie is this bit of redneck mayhem. None of my friends would be surprised to hear I find this funny and would love to do it. Dismayed perhaps, but not surprised. …Read More
I can’t wait to see this movie. I have chicken skin from the trailer. For some reason I wasn’t into F1 very much during the Senna days–for one thing, there wasn’t much of a way to be a fan in the US. It wasn’t until Speedvision (Now, regrettably the NASCAR and hokey “reality” heavy Speed Continue Reading
Sorry I haven’t posted here in a while, I’ve been working pretty hard on Dave’s Waterman Workout video. It’s coming together well, the biggest challenge is blocking out time to shoot. Dave has a nutty schedule. We’re going to do real trailer, but we’ve been having fun with silly ones. Dave just did a post Continue Reading
Without being too gruesome, too maudlin, or spending time reviewing the large number of opportunities I gave myself to shuffle off this mortal coil. A brief salute to those who can’t join us tonight. As soon as I post this I’m making myself a nice Hendrix Martini, medium dry with three olives. Because I can. Continue Reading
Peyote is my race car, a homebuilt special based on a Triumph TR3 frame and running gear, built in Minneapolis over 50 years ago by a guy named Bill Ames. I’ve been racing it since 1999, but Peyote has been racing almost continuously for over fifty years. This video is from the 2010 Columbia River Continue Reading
I found this video on the Standup Zone–a forum I frequent (all too frequently). Its by a guy whose handle (or maybe his real name) is Beasho Free. Hmmm, anyway, what I love about the video is his stoke (ok, enthusiasm) which shows right through. The editing is also pretty fine. Here’s the intro Beasho Continue Reading
Adapted from a CBS news story If you’re nearing or past retirement age you’re far from alone. The number of people age 65 and older around the world hit 506 million last year. At the current rate that number will nearly double by 2040. While everyone grows older, a growing number of Xtreme Geezers are Continue Reading
Stand Up World Tour 2011 Sunset Beach, Oahu The crowd gathered yesterday on Oahu’s North Shore to watch the finals of the 2011 Stand Up World Tour’s first event. After days of trials in 20ft+ waves and strong riding from over 100 competitors from around the world, the final heat came down to Naish’s Kai Continue Reading
Howzitt… Weekend is here so just a quick clip that may be cool for young viewers to your site – 8 year old Nathan SUPing with dolphins showing what the sport is really all about.. Kind regards, Ivan van Vuuren
Na Kama Kai Youth Challenge 2011 Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu The Stand Up World Tour’s first event of the year wrapped up with the junior competition today as the competitors took to the water in two exciting heats. Naish was well represented with riders including Bernd Roediger (14), Ridge Lenny (13), Kody Kerbox (16) and Continue Reading
This video just makes me want to surf. Bunch a guys having fun, but the bunch of guys includes Kelly Slater, Eddie Vedder, Brian Keaulana, and other lunatics. Kelly is just astonishing. He’s just screwing around and what he’s doing is almost impossible. Brian’s no slouch either, and the guys in the four-man OC are Continue Reading
We all know exercise is important to being fit and losing weight, but to what degree? Can exercise make up for bad eating choices? For example, say you decide to eat a Big Mac with cheese (Calories 704) fries (380) and a chocolate shake (423). That’s 1507 calories. Ignoring the fact that it’s 75% of Continue Reading
It seems that everybody around at the beginning of stand up wants to claim that they were the one that started the whole thing. Who cares, no one is giving away awards for the one that is responsible for it all. There’s no cash bonuses being handed out, even if we all did agree one Continue Reading
Wow, just plain wow. This is a wonderful video of Boeing building and painting a 737-800 for Southwest Airlines (though it looks like the actual airplanes being built are for Jet Blue). What a company! What technology. What a plane. …Read More
This is a really cool video of Bearcats, which were the airplanes the early Blue Angels flew the most and modern Blue Angel F18s. When they knew the event was going to take place, the got some of the original blue angels to attend. I love the look on the guys face at the end. Continue Reading
Here’s a bit of potentially exciting news for older athletes. A recent (relatively small, but what the heck) study indicates your overall athletic performance may be dramatically increased with a relatively inexpensive commercially available supplement. Any supplement containing the amino acid arginine and some other antioxidants to increase the effectiveness of the arginine may provide Continue Reading
When I was a kid I loved Mechanix Illustrated, especially the car tests by Tom McCahill and the feature “Mail for McCahill”. I loved his style. As a Triumph TR2/3 fan I was tickled to come across this review of the TR2 from 1954 …Read More
Bill Boyum, a good friend here on Maui, shot this video from the bluff above Ho’okipa and from the water. Bill is a true Xtreme Geezer, braving this heavy surf in fins and swim goggles with a waterproof handheld camera. Bill admits to 50+. Great footage. Chuck Patterson–the big guy in these shots–probably doesn’t consider Continue Reading
Some people believe there is no such thing as bad publicity. Not true. I’ve been in PR, marketing, and business long enough to know differently. The source of the fallacy is that bad publicity creates good exposure, which can temporarily overcome the negative effect on reputation. But the exposure doesn’t last, and reputation does. Rusty Continue Reading
One of the primary differences between starting a difficult sport when you’re young and crazy and when you’re an Xtreme Geezer is that geezers have more money. So we can do things like get the proper gear, get some training, and maybe go someplace great to do it. One of world’s truly great athletes is Continue Reading
Flying old combat planes has to be a serious gas. I’ve always wanted to be a pilot, but I’m the poster boy for ADD. When you’re as easily distracted as I am it just doesn’t seem like a good idea. The fascination remain though. Here’s an amazing interactive image that will let you zoom, pan, Continue Reading
Posted to the Zone: Trojanman is stuck in Iraq until March and making the best of it. If only Saddam had known, all he had to do was stop snaking everyone and share a few sets. f you’re needing any further verification that Stand Up Paddle Surfing is everywhere, here it is. Iraq has to Continue Reading
I’ve made a commitment to myself to do three posts per week, which is actually a bigger commitment than it sounds because of the nature of my editorial calendar (so to speak). The reason for the commitment is that it’s that time of year, when I have these funny blocks of time where I can Continue Reading
Seems like Connor Baxter is winning or placing on the podium at every SUP event he enters. Pretty amazing for a skinny kid. Of course Connor was winning windsurfing events before he was a teen. I remember when he, his sister Ashley, Slater Trout and Zane Schweitzer signed up to do our first SUP board Continue Reading
Bill Boyum shot this video some time ago, and I’ve been fiddling with streaming media on the server I use ever since, trying to find a way to do good streamed video. After many days of fiddling and playing I’ve come to the conclusion that the Pro version of Vimeo makes a lot more sense Continue Reading
A really great video of the battle between Dave Kalama and Connor Baxter at the Maui to Molokai race. Baxter prevailed and won the race. Here you can see the determination and style that enabled him to beat a powerhouse like Dave.
Here comes a fun one friends–as long as you don’t mind a little nippiness in the water. The Oregon Open Ocean Classic is an 11 mile, North to South SUP / paddleboard race along the Oregon coast from Beverly Beach State Park to Newport harbor. You’ve heard of flat water races, down winders and through Continue Reading
Attention all you east coasters!! I hope you’re getting your piece of the Cape Cod Bay Challenge activities. The Wellfleet Supathalon looked like a real blast. Brother Bob did an Animoto slide show of the festivities. These guys put on a hell of an event, and it’s all for charity. Next up is the Charles Continue Reading
It’s been an interesting race season so far. Most of the downwind races have been what Dave Kalama calls “good training”. In other words, a lot of work. The last race of the Portland Ross Island Races put on by Gorge Performance had to be postponed due to high water, debris and nasty current in Continue Reading
BIG NEWS Downwindrace.com is teaming up with the biggest races in the Gorge to bring Stand Up Paddle Downwind Racing to the Columbia. DownwindRace.Com will maintain point scoring for all the races in the series, and award trophies and swag at the last race. (Downwindrace.com is an ad hoc group consisting of Rod Parmenter, Mark Continue Reading
Bill Boyum has outdone himself this time–the first Mailko video that actually gives a sense of the ride and the buzz, though the terror of a mountain rearing up behind you is still lacking. We might have to wait for next winter to see that. But this video rocks, I mean really, really rocks. If Continue Reading
Bill Boyam did a Maliko run with Connor Baxter, Livio Menelau and Jack Dyson a few days ago to shoot some video. This clip shows the kind of form and speed that enabled Connor to win the Maui to Molokai race this year. Connor Baxter flying at Maliko from Babcock on Vimeo. Connor Baxter showing Continue Reading
All you folks in the Northwest, get out your paddles. Gorge Performance of Portland, Oregon is organizing a three race Stand Up Paddle series in the Willamette River, paddling around Ross Island. I fully intend to be there, paddling my guts out. You’d think they’d have a geezer class. Bob might look like a kid, Continue Reading
Connor Baxter was the surprise overall Stand Up Paddleboard winner of the 2010 Sarento’s/Kai Wa’a Maui to Molokai race. Last year he set a record by being the youngest person at 14 years old to ever participate. This year at 15 he won it. Channel crossing races are big open water challenges, and the Maui Continue Reading
Mark posted this in the forum section, but the video is so much fun I want to make sure people get to see it: >> I’d like to share some stoke about the Waterman League and its’ StandUp World Tour – Sunset Pro competition this past winter. I was fortunate to be on Oah’u when Continue Reading
I’ve been feeling slow lately. On a typical Maliko run everyone kicks my butt. I’ve been paddling harder, doing what seems like better strokes, riding the swells better, and I’m still last to the beach. To make matters worse I don’t have a good idea of my times since I didn’t bring my Garmin 305 Continue Reading
A few simple tricks anyone can master–from Laird’s website
Dave Kalama is a pretty subtle guy. I think he doesn’t like to give bad news, so maybe he cloaks it a little–sometimes so it sounds like a casual question. Unfortunately I’m a little slow on the uptake, so it takes awhile for me to get what he’s talking about. I think he was recently Continue Reading
Ivan van Vuuren from Coreban has started a new series of instructional tips. The first one is particularly interesting to me since I was attempting it this winter with limited success. He calls it the boomerang. I didn’t have a name for it, but the idea is to be paddling out, see a good face, Continue Reading
-interview by Ken Russell RIDER SPOTLIGHT: STACY PERALTA HOME BREAK: Central and Southern California WEAPON of CHOICE: Jimmy Lewis 10’4 Hanalei “Stand Up Paddling has changed my life.” These were some of the first words I heard on the phone with Stacy Peralta. It’s a bold statement coming from the lifelong surfer and skater. As Continue Reading
For better or worse, we humans adapt to the equipment we use. In Stand Up Paddle Surfing and Racing, our stroke adapts to the paddle we have. If your paddle shaft is too short your blade will be hitting the board when you pull on it during the catch (the first part of the stroke, Continue Reading
This year in Maui I resolved to find new surf spots in outer reef areas that prone surfers wouldn’t bother with. I chickened out in the beginning of the year, I was having too much fun at Kanaha, and the waves were pretty big. But whenever the waves got smaller or the crowds at Kanaha Continue Reading
I was kind of dreading the Maui Canoe and Kayak club race this Saturday. Last year the same race was from the Canoe Hale in Kihei to the Maui Price Hotel, just past Makena Landing. It was a nasty bit of torture–light winds, greasy swells that I couldn’t catch and every so often the wind Continue Reading
Sandwich Island Composites builds the F-series of downwind and flatwater racing boards, probably the winningest boards in Stand Up Paddle Surfboard racing. Until now these boards were individually built by hand at the SIC company on Maui. While several construction methods are used in the F-series, the mainstay of series is the hollow carbon fiber Continue Reading
I received this email from Bill Boyum about a downwind run March 31st. I didn’t go that day, and I’m kind of glad I didn’t, though I heard it was epic. Sounds scary as hell, but epic. I’ve been in that position of looking ahead at Upper Kanaha and seeing breaking waves out to the Continue Reading
The little swells you’ve been catching effortlessly in the strong wind have now grown to good size as the run progressed and the fetch increased. Now the fun begins. You feel the tail of your board rise and you stroke hard for the catch, the swell passes under you and you stall on the back Continue Reading
Dave Kalama is taking his Kalama Kamp watersports teaching and training concept to Florida for a special 4-day, 3-night waterman immersion experience. I hope he does one on Maui soon. I’ve talked with him about doing one here, but I can see it’s tough for him to organize something like this with his wave-driven life. Continue Reading
This thing just gets bigger every year. The first year I think it was seven of us lunatics and I didn’t think there would be a next year. Last year it was 25. I don’t know how many people they are accepting this year, but if you’re in the area, DO THIS PADDLE. It’s a Continue Reading
The swell blocks the howling wind at the bottom of each trough. You stroke hard, the tail of your board lifts, and you’re looking into a pit nine feet deep, with a wall of water on the far side. Two short, sharp pulls of your paddle close to the nose and the board teeters in, Continue Reading
I’ve added some definitions gathered from the Zone. How about adding some of your own in the comments: Pocahontas: SUP’er who paddles on his knees rather than standing. KOOKAMUNGUS: Rider of questionable judgement, or lack of sufficient skills, in the lineup. stink buggin: someone you give a wave to and they back out or take Continue Reading
For all you folks still shivering, here’s a little Video by John Ashley (www.paddlesurf.net) that made me feel all warm and toasty on a frosty Maui morning. Hey, it’s pretty nippy here this morning.
Yesterday I did the Maui Canoe and Kayak Club race in the Stand Up Paddle Board division from Napiili Bay to Canoe Beach. Favorable wind and small bumps at first, followed by wind in our faces and swells from all directions for the last two miles. Ugh, what a grind. Finished third overall and second Continue Reading
The funky puffins at Funky Puffin sent me a beautifully assembled press package for what sounds like an seriously challenging race. I’m not going to ask what a funky Puffin really is. I’m picturing some kind of dance that includes splaying your fingers out over your butt. Here’s what they said: Funky Puffin, the lifestyle Continue Reading
Last year at the Battle of the Paddle, just before the first race, an older gentleman came on the PA system and told the crowd about John Zapotocky, and how he was the true father of Stand Up Paddle Surfing. It was a good story, but at the end of it he said that John Continue Reading