I turned the corner onto South Kihei Rd and saw whitecaps. Big, fluffy spraying-off-the-top whitecaps, and chunky swells even with the short fetch from Maalaea Bay. Perfect for a fast downwinder to the Four Seasons beach. Diane was dubious as usual, she considers anything beyond a gentle zephyr to be life-threatening, but I couldn’t wait Continue Reading
We chose an odd day for our showcase–a Tuesday–but we were running out of time and Maui Canoe and Kayak Club had a race scheduled for the weekend that included Stand Up Paddle boards. We assumed most paddlers and some of the boards we wanted to test would be committed for the weekend. Alan (shapeshifter) Continue Reading
Written by Tom English www.AlohaWealth.com When people ask me why I surf with a paddle, my response is usually, “because it’s fun”. But when I think about it, it is really about the speed and power that a high performance board and paddle make possible. The paddle allows you to lean into turns harder and Continue Reading
This is an oldie but a goodie, an article published back in 2008 but as relevant today as it was way back then, a whole year ago. I’m about to have two of my best friends come visit. they are both perfect guests, but they ARE guys, and that reminded to go searching for this. Continue Reading
Dave Collins is at it again, another interesting (and heavily packed) SUP expedition. Last August we covered his last SUP adventure, a SUP expedition around Cape Scott, the tip of Vancouver Island (http://www.kenalu.com/2008/08/) . This time he’s in tropical waters, the coast of Mexico, but the amount of gear he’s crammed onto his ULI looks Continue Reading
I downloaded the new Starboard catalog. What a neat piece of work. It’s actually worth sitting down and giving it a good read. The design work is top-notch, the photography is superb, and the writing is simply excellent. It will make you feel happy and privileged that you are already part of this sport. That’s Continue Reading
This ebook is being written in four parallel paths: Basics; Surfing; Theory, and Conditioning. It will also eventually have a lot of pictures and video added. I have an outline, a shot list, and plans for the videos, but they have to wait until I can get to them. Chapter 3 of the Basic track Continue Reading
No, you didn’t miss anything, This ebook is being written in four parallel paths: Basics; Surfing; Theory, and Conditioning. It will also eventually have a lot of pictures and video added. I have an outline, a shot list, and plans for the videos, but they have to wait until I can get to them. I’ll Continue Reading
No, you didn’t miss anything, we’ll go back and cover the rest of the fundamentals later. I just know how irritating it can be to trudge through basics you already know, waiting for the stuff that might help you now. So I’m going to do this ebook in four parallel paths: Basics; Surfing; Theory, and Continue Reading
This post is the first in a very long series (I hope) on surfing your SUP. A lot of people are buying SUP boards just for flatwater paddling. More power to them, but there may come a day when you decide you’d like to try a bit of surfing. The good news is that all Continue Reading
I gotta know. That’s my burden, probably comes from the ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) that so clearly determined my career path (Motorcycle mechanic, nuclear reactor operator, PR flack, software entrepreneur, technology marketer, direct and interactive agency founder, surf bum). When I start looking at something critically, I have to have some kind of authoritative or Continue Reading
The San Diego Union Tribune published a very interesting article about SUP and the backlash to it in Southern Cal. Read the full article here: Troubled waters. Here’s an excerpt: The sport originated in the South Pacific and briefly flourished in Hawaii a half-century ago. In Southern California, stand-up paddle surfing was almost unknown until Continue Reading
Leave it to Jimmy to do it his own way. While everyone else is making very stiff carbon fibre shafts, Jimmy decided to add flex. Jimmy went through a lot of prototypes and a couple of different manufacturers to get a shaft with smooth flex along its length that is also extremely strong. The result Continue Reading
Lightning Bolt is Maui’s original surf shop. It was started in 1972 by Gerry Lopez and Jack Shipley. Lightning bolt boards are seen everywhere in the surf movies of the 70′s with surfers like Gerry Lopez and Rory Russell ruling Pipeline on Lightning Bolt boards, and the revolutionary Australian surfers like Rabbit Bartholomew, Peter Townend, Continue Reading
If you’re a surfer, Friday night in Paia is a challenge. Staying up late isn’t easy when you routinely get up at 5:00 AM to do the dawn patrol at your favorite break. But the Friday night surf movie at Lightning Bolt surf shop doesn’t start until 8:00PM. There might be a party to go Continue Reading
Funny how priorities and enthusiasms change. Last year towards the end of our trip all I wanted to do was wavesail. Every day that the wind blew too hard I reluctantly windsurfed. When there was no wind I grumbled and SUP surfed. Not exactly hard duty, but I was really into wavesailing and wanted to Continue Reading
Posted in the Couric and Company blog by Sandra Hughes, a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. (CBS) It was the day of the Chino Hill’s earthquake when I met surfing legend Laird Hamilton. We were waiting to follow him off the Malibu coast for what was supposed to be a stand-up paddle surfing Continue Reading
National news coverage is a strong indication of a new sports growth, and Stand Up Paddle Surfing is getting it’s fair share. CBS Evening News had three engaging segments on Stand Up featuring Laird Hamilton and CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes. Here are the video feeds and a transcript of the primary broadcast CBS) Surf-legend Continue Reading
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 Continue Reading
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 Continue Reading
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 Continue Reading
Board Name: Starboard 9/30 Extremist Manufacturer: Starboard Length: 9′ Width: 30″ Volume: ? Weight: ? Weight Range: Beg. 50-140 lbs., Adv. 60-190 lbs. Skill: Beginner to Expert From the website: The fish-tail style shorter boards are the most exciting and progressive shapes in the range. They are still stable paddlers due to their 30″ width Continue Reading
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 Continue Reading
The Board and Paddle Review forms have been so successful that I decided to create an article submission form. You might still find it easier to just write your article in an email form, of if you think you’d like to do more than one I can set you up as an author so you Continue Reading
I did three hours this morning, before watching the F1 race (a GREAT race btw, Hamilton was amazing, overcoming a truely boneheaded pit strategy by McLaren that left everyone scratching their heads, and Nelson Piquet JR got on the podium with a very lucky second, though I certainly don’t discount the fact that he managed to hold Massa off, who probably damaged his undertray going all rallycross when Hamilton block-passed him.) I didn’t figure my mileage for three hours but it wasn’t much since I was fighting a headwind for the first half, but I doubt I did ten miles.
For those of you that have been following along, the migration to Dreamhost is complete, and I’m working on the new look and feel. I think people will like the new navigation–there will be several feature stories, selectable by tabs according to the topic. Below that will be picture-oriented articles, with lead pictures that you Continue Reading
You’re blissfully riding a shoulder, planning your next turn, when suddenly you see coral heads and seaweed just past the nose of your board–ah, that’s why everyone else was cutting out of the wave fifty feet before. As the reef grabs your fin and you sail through the air you contemplate a long session with Continue Reading
Laird Hamilton at Peahi What could you possibly learn from Laird Hamilton? The guy is way beyond the understanding of we mere mortals. That’s not just goofy hero worship. Not only is he an ultimate waterman, but he’s a visionary. He’s helped to birth multiple water sports including tow-in surfing and the renaissance of stand Continue Reading
Ke Nalu is a big experiment, and one test was making people jump a small threshold to leave comments (register and respond to a Captcha spambot test). The result is not many comments. I consider comments to be the lifeblood of online publishing, so I’ve turned all that off for the time being. I’m still Continue Reading
A couple of weeks ago Diane got a new long lens for the Nikon–a 180 to 500MM. I just downloaded the pictures to my computer–some of them are pretty neat. She put the long lens on our big tripod and this was the first shot she got: Here’s the second: Nice job, kid. Some waist-high Continue Reading
Bonga ripping Michi Schweiger From Naish International attended the Noosa Surf Festival which ran from March 2 to March 9, 2008. He sent us this photojournal story:
I’m feeling pretty good about this second issue. Yes, it’s staggering to it’s feet a little, I still have numerous articles and features to finish up and add to the mix, But it’s not April 1st yet–I’m about a week ahead of schedule in releasing this issue. I’ve decided that a staggered release over the Continue Reading
This is chapter two of the BOOK section–we’re doing one chapter a month Boards and why you would choose them The first issue is the right board. For a rank beginner there’s almost no such thing as too wide or too long. But once you start catching waves or riding in difficult conditions like chop Continue Reading
A lot of Paddlesurfers are returning to the sport of surfing after perhaps a long hiatus, or perhaps never surfed at all. Many of you will eventually get into bigger waves and experience the joy of bouncing around in whitewater or retreating from a crashing lip by hugging the bottom. One critical skill you must Continue Reading
I’m losing my marbles. The wind has been excellent for the last week, and the surf sucks, but I’m doggedly trying to Paddlesurf. Why I don’t just go windsurf is beyond me, normally I’d be happy as a clam about these conditions. I guess I’m an addict. Yesterday I took my addiction to new lows Continue Reading
I sure am glad the wind came up at Kanaha early this morning, it gave me an excuse to get off the water without admitting that I was scared. OK, I was. When I showed up Randy (from StandUpZone) and Frank (Lightning Bolt) were screwing around with Randy’s new gorgeous video camera. I asked how Continue Reading
Tired of doing that awkward little crab scuffle as you inch around on your board? The cross step is a classic longboard move every Paddlesurfer should master. If nothing else it looks totally soulful. But really the reason for the cross step is not so you can win tango contests, it’s to keep the board Continue Reading
Matt Argyle, styling in a frosty UK wave 2007 has been something of a seminal year for stand up paddle boarding in the UK. We had our first national SUP competition held in perfect 3-4ft waves in Cornwall, the British Stand Up Paddle Boarding Association was formed (BSUPA) and we began to see more people Continue Reading
Fins work best when they are in the water This article is going to evolve over time as I learn more. I’m working on a general chart that will enable you to pick a condition–like “the board won’t maintain direction in the waves” then you choose your current fin setup and it suggests corrective action. Continue Reading
The muffled thump and curses in a Boston accent told me brother Bob had tried to move another palm tree with his face. It’s nerve-wracking carrying boards, paddles, tents, coolers, tables and myriad other items across a pitch-dark park to the beach. Especially when you’re wearing the traditional Maui “slippahs”. Cheap between-the-toe thong sandals afford Continue Reading
We know you’re a soulful surfer, but did you really intend to be celibate? Are dates a wistful memory? The last time a girl gave you her number, did it start with 555? Have you decided that women are just too finicky, too flaky, too unobtainable? You may be a surf monk.
Right after Ke Nalu launches February 25 with our Board and Paddle Showcase Issue, a new high-style Stand Up magazine is launching in early March. I’m stoked. (click the pages to see them full size).
Does this hat make me look gay? No. Really…honest. SUP surfing is different than traditional surfing in many ways, but one way in particular is that you spend a lot more time on your board. A typical session for a prone surfer lasts an hour perhaps. If they are actively surfing all that time then Continue Reading
If you’re beginning stand up surfing then I suspect you’ll find this very helpful. This is a collaborative document that will reflect the knowledge of anyone that has something to contribute. I’d like to include your perspectives. They don’t have to carefully written, just informative. I’ll edit and polish to make the document readable. Introduction–cautions Continue Reading