Stand-up guys

 

There will be women.

It is, after all, a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness.

But it's also an end-of-summer party for the guys. They made it. Their first season in business in Annapolis as Capital SUP (stand-up paddle boarding).

Three buds — they're 26. And they spent all summer building tans and muscles paddling Spa Creek.

October begins breast cancer awareness month, so they decided to marry their party Saturday with a fundraiser — a date auction.

Chris Norman is 6 feet 2 inches with ...more

A guide to standup paddleboarding in South Florida

 

The breeze is light, the water is still and you stand quietly, paddling just enough to glide along the water.

More standup paddleboarders are discovering how easy it is to enjoy South Florida's plentiful waterways, making for a boom in the activity that is often referred to as SUP.

"People see other people out there paddleboarding, and the curiosity gets to them," says Brian Galton, owner of Sunrise Paddleboards. "It becomes contagious."

Galton began renting and selling paddleboards in 2010, thinking it would be more of a tourist activity. But he says he found a large number of South Floridians enjoy it as a way to connect with the water. He says he has trained more than ...more

Auckland On Water Boat Show: SUP record attempt Saturday afternoon

 

An attempt will be made on Saturday afternoon set set a new Guinness World Record mark for the most people on a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP)
The SUP used for the record attempt will be supplied by leading New Zealand inflatable manufacturer, Lancer Industries, and the SUP uses Lancer's AirDock technology..
The AirDock is an inflatable semi-rigid platform, typically used to form temporary docks for all manner of purposes from off the sterns of superyachts to being used off a beach or a lake. Any use that requires people to walk on water!  

The course for the record attempt will be 100metres long and located in ...more

Laguna Beach sup Blue Whale close encounter

Posted by: Adam Champagne 

 

I recently captured this footage of blue whales from my paddle board with my GoPro. I was about 2 miles off the coast of Laguna Beach CA. This is some of the rarest footage you’ll ever see of these mystical, sublime creatures. Watch at 2:00, 3:36 and 5:04 in as I put the camera underwater.

There used to be appx 300,000 blue whales on ...more

Why surfers should try paddle boarding

 

In our Adventures on your Doorstep series, Alex Wade, an accomplished surfer, discovers just how fun and accessible paddle boarding can be...

It’s a hot and humid afternoon in London’s Docklands. I’m looking out on the flat water of the Royal Victoria Dock. Away in the distance is the Excel Centre. In front of me is… a beach.

“Ready?” The speaker is Jason Bergin, a professional watersports coach. Jason’s Urban-Recovery business works all over London; today he’s at the WakeUPDocklands centre in Docklands. Lean and fit, he is standing on the white sands that have been imported to the western waterside of the dock, clutching what looks like an oversized surfboard.

But it’s not a surfboard. It’s a stand-up paddle board, a watercraft first practised by Hawaiians and ...more

Ferry master doubles as paddleboard instructor

 

Marybeth Ray leads a double life – and she loves both of them. Every other week, she is the ferry boat master on the Southport-Fort Fisher ferry, putting in 12 ½ hour days for seven straight days. That gives her the alternate weeks off, or at least it did until she and her husband, George, decided to “do something together.”

The perfect “something” became clear last summer. They would start a paddleboard business. Marybeth's introduction to stand-up paddleboards (SUP) was as unique as ...more

Kona to Sponsor 2014 SUP Awards, Battle of the Paddle

 

Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii and San Clemente, CA — Liquid Aloha will be flowing at two of the highest profile events in standup paddling.  Kona Brewing Company announced it will once again sponsor the 2014 SUP Awards and Battle of the Paddle, to be held October 2 and October 4-5, respectively.  At both events, Kona will pour its signature Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale and Castaway IPA, newly available on the mainland and the first time it will be served at both events.

Now in its fourth year, the SUP Awards recognize the best paddlers, films, expeditions and philanthropic efforts in the standup paddling industry. Online votes have been pouring in to the SUP magazine awards site since July and the results will be announced at the awards ceremony at Casino San Clemente. The historic casino was once the stomping grounds of Hollywood entertainers and ...more

Viaduct Harbour to hold Guinness World Record attempt

The Viaduct Harbour will play host to a world record attempt for the most people on a stand up paddle board, played out in front of visitors to Aucklands On Water Boat Show.11/09/2014

For immediate release.

Viaduct Harbour to hold Guinness World Record attempt.

The Viaduct Harbour will play host to a world record attempt for the most people on a stand up paddle board, played out in front of visitors to Auckland’s On Water Boat Show.

• Stand up paddle board (SUP) world record attempt to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation.

On Saturday 27th September Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour will play host to a world record attempt. At 20- metres long, the SUP will hold 52 brave paddlers, led by Quiksilver SUP team rider, Troy Huston. Huston was the first person ever to SUP to Great Barrier Island, and will be on hand to ensure everyone onboard, stays onboard.

The attempt will see the team of paddlers make their way up the Viaduct in front of the Auckland On Water Boat Show’s visitors. Their ride for the world-beating attempt is a 20-metre long, 1.4-metre wide SUP made using Lancer Industry’s drop stitch technology, which is ...more

Also posted on voxy.co.nz

Boardworks SUP to Debut at 2014 Paddle Expo with System X Distribution

 

“SystemX is a major player in the European Paddle Sports market, and we were looking for a distributor that could reach the canoe/ kayak market in Europe. One of our top performing brands is Badfish, it is the only River specific SUP brand, and it needs to be sold through specialty retailers that understand whitewater. SystemX distributes some of the top brands in whitewater, and we are lucky to have our logo on their “brands” page.” Says Boardworks’ National Sales Manger Ryan Guay.

“We have some new models for 2015 that will continue to push the level of River SUP. Since the day we launched our website we have had consistent interest from Europe about our products. Europe has a long tradition of river sports and whitewater paddling and Badfish boards are a natural fit for the European market. We have been shipping individual boards to European customers over the past few years, but we are really excited to ...more

Luke Hopkins: First SUP to SUP Board Transfer On A Wave

 

Story: Sometimes to surf a wave on the board you want to surf on is really hard and you have to be creative. Here is a sequence showing one of the first times I have done a board transfer on a wave.

This wave, known as the “perfect wave” is really hard to catch at low water on a short river surfing SUP but easy on an 11-footer. So it made sense to me to just take my short board with me and do a transfer mid surf.

Pretty fun move to pull off and pretty rewarding when you ...more

Preparing your SUP Paddle for Night Trips

 

 Here in the Pacific Northwest summer is waning and fall is around the corner.  Days are getting shorter and very soon it'll be dark at 5pm.  Many of us don't stop paddling just because its colder, we just wear a wetsuit.  Shorter days means doing a few night paddles, or in my case as a SUP guide, I offer a bioluminescence night tours through early October.

Night paddling is fun and can be quite an experience but is even more satisfying when your gear is ready for it.  A technique I learned a few years ago is ...more

Also posted on playak.com

Boardworks SUP to Debut at 2014 Paddle Expo with System X Distribution

 

Boardworks Surf will be using System X Distribution to distribute Boardworks Inflatable SUP’s and Badfish SUP products to the European Market. System X is based in the UK and distributes to retailers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway and Finland. This will be the first time Badfish SUP will be available in Europe.

“System X is a major player in the European Paddle Sports market, and we were looking for a distributor that could reach the canoe/ kayak market in Europe. One of our top performing brands is Badfish, it is the only River specific SUP brand, and it needs to be sold through specialty retailers that understand whitewater. SystemX distributes some of the top brands in whitewater, and we are lucky to have our logo on their “brands” page.” Says Boardworks’ National Sales Manger Ryan Guay.

“We have some new models for 2015 that will continue to push the ...more

Doing Good: Stand-up paddle board race raises education program funds

Lake Lanier’s Olympic Paddle was the go-to place for stand-up paddle boarders on Sept. 6. One of the fastest growing sports, SUP participants took to the water for the Amazing Atlanta SUP Race to benefit Wildnerness Works, a local organization that works with inner-city youth to enhance their lives with enriched educational programs connected with nature.

“I took this sport on a year ago, and thought it would be a fun way to introduce the sport and raise money for a good cause,” said Emily Cook, vice president of the board. Cook directed the race along with Kayla Boys of Mountain High Outfitters.

The Saturday morning race invited 75 participants who participated in a three-, six-, or nine-mile race which raised over $5,000 for Wilderness Works. The money will send 25 kids to various summer camp programs hosted by the organization next summer.

Taking on the ideas of journalist Richard Louv and his theories of nature deficit disorder, William Mickler founded Wilderness Works in 1997 to help children become active and get involved in their outdoor surroundings. This became even more ...more

September Week Feels Like August; a Look at Recent SUP and Bodyboard Bans

So this is it? September? That magical month that everyone yammers on and on about, the month of endless swell and cool nights?
I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’ll take that summer back. For one thing, the temperature in August barely got over 80. Did you go outside last weekend? Sweltering! You barely had to use the AC this summer, but September has been hot enough to melt your good mood.
From the way we talk about September on LBI, you’d think New Jersey was some kind of surf Valhalla. But so far, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes have made us look silly. I went up to the beach one morning and it was flat. Like, totally flat. Lapping up on the shoreline flat. It was kind of striking because the ocean hadn’t been that calm all summer. May through August, there was always something breaking, and more often than not, you could at least ride a longboard.
“It’s better in September.”
First off, that doesn’t rhyme. Second of all, it’s not – at least not this year.
And thus far, the tropics have not danced at all for us this month, the historical height of hurricane season. Meanwhile, we had a significant hurricane swell in July and two in August.
But let’s not be too hard on September. The lines of humans and automobiles have subsided. And despite the humidity and lack of surf, there ...more

Sup 11-City Tour 2014 Official Recap, Results and Photos

 

The non-stop SUP 11-City Tour paddlers continued their 220-kilometer mission through the dark night of Friesland while the 5 day-stage participants gathered some rest in preparation to their last stage Dokkum-Leeuwarden. Due to ‘glassy’ (no wind) weather conditions, the non-stop paddlers continued their fast past and barely slowed down through the night. Arnaud Frennet from Chile, the champion of the non-stop 2014, reached the finish line around 6:30am in 26 hours 20 minutes and 31 seconds.

Ike Frans from the Netherlands came in second with a total time of 27 hours, 7 minutes and 12 seconds. Richard Grazei from Austria came in third with a total time of 28 hours, 31 minutes and 53 seconds. The non-stop turned out to be an ultra extreme experience for the heroic participants. “It was very special and also very painful” was a common quote of the participants. It was a first time the organization combined the ultra endurance non-stop category with the 5 day-stage SUP 11-City Tour already existing 6 years now. The non-stop category will ...more

Also posted on playak.com

Stand up for paddle challenge

 

A BARRY-BASED sheltered scheme co-ordinator is to do battle with the elements to celebrate her employer’s milestone birthday and raise funds for charity.

Sara Reid-Danks, a sheltered housing scheme coordinator at Elis Fisher Court will be raising funds for Alzheimer's Research at Cardiff University by doing a stand up paddle during the week of Newydd housing association’s 40th birthday.

Sara will navigate a 40km course around Cardiff Bay in a gruelling effort expected to take her around eight hours to complete on Sunday, September 14. 

 Sara said: "I was inspired to take on the challenge to support Jon Hussey, another member of staff who is raising vital funds through a 'Series of unfortunate events' during 2014, a total of 18 physical and testing fitness challenges.

"Jon lost his grandmother to ...more

2014 AWSI: 3 Minutes Of Pure Epic Sup Footage

2014 AWSI SUP Brand of the year videos (all brands) from AWSI 2014 on Vimeo.
Posted on standupjournal.com

Finally a Paddle Designed For Smaller Stand UP Paddlers

 

Werner is the innovator in fit options in paddles. Starting with blade sizes and then shaft sizes; we are confident through our experiences that performance starts with a great fit. This led us to our 2015 product launch, Small FitTM SUP. With the help of some amazing female athletes and manufacturing technologies, we matched our small or mid-sized blades with a new small shaft and small grip. Haley Mills, nominated in SUP the Mag’s “Paddler of the Year Awards,” was on the test team and had this to say. “It’s way more comfortable in my hands. I have less fatigue and more control of the paddle, I am SO stoked on small fit.” Considering the smaller stature of the female paddlers, we’ve also softened the flex of the paddle slightly, for a gentler feel without sacrificing performance.

Small Fit will be an option on our Grand Prix, Nitro, Soul and Carve models, in small and mid-sized blades.
With 60% of the SUP market being female paddlers, marketing manager Danny Mongno is excited about the upside. “We’ve seen the benefits first hand in ...more

Something Different: Mo Freitas Israel Sup Experience

Mo Freitas in Israel Experience from Focus SUP Hawaii on Vimeo.

A short surfing documentary featuring Focus SUP Hawaii team rider Mo Freitas in his recent trip to Israel in summer 2014.
Mo Freitas is a SUP surfer from Hawaii and is considered one of the top riders in the world.

While surfing in Israel mo got to experience the best of this country, he traveled to the Jordan River where Jesus walked on water in the north and all the way down to the Dead Sea, the lowest sea in the world. And the ...more

Bart de Zwart Wins 6th Annual SUP 11-City Tour

 

An international field of over 100 paddlers from over 15 countries lined up at the start on Day 1 of the 6th Annual SUP 11-City Tour. Although it’s a five- to six-hour race every day, the start is as explosive as a 500-meter sprint, and this year was no different.

Jay Hasley and Peter Bartl started strong, but Bart de Zwart and Martijn van Deth caught up shortly, leaving Jay in their wake to form a three-man lead group. After only 15 minutes into the race, Peter surprised the competition by making the move to sprint ahead of Bart and Martijn, where he continued extending his lead with every kilometer up to the day’s halfway point. Upon reaching the ...more

2014 Surf Expo Board Demo

 

Surf Expo’s board demo day at The Orlando Watersports Complex was a great opportunity to check out a lot of boards in a small amount of time. Anyone on the west coast looking to demo SUPs should plan on making it out to Camp SUP at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, Sept. 13-14, 2014. Here are some photos from Surf Expo’s Demo Day  ...more

SUP 11-City Tour Update: Day 5

Sunday the 7th of SUPtember, the final day of the Sup 11-City tour 2014.

The non-stop SUP 11-City Tour paddlers continued their 220-kilometer mission through the dark night of Friesland while the 5 day-stage participants gathered some rest in preparation to their last stage Dokkum-Leeuwarden. Due to ‘glassy’ (no wind) weather conditions, the non-stop paddlers continued their fast past and barely slowed down through the night. Arnaud Frennet from Chile, the champion of the non-stop 2014, reached the finish line around 6:30am in 26 hours 20 minutes and 31 seconds. Ike Frans from the Netherlands came in second with a total time of 27 hours, 7 minutes and 12 seconds. Richard Grazei from Austria came in third with a total time of 28 hours, 31 minutes and 53 seconds. The non-stop turned out to be an ultra extreme experience for the heroic participants. “It was very special and ...more

The common sense rules of stand up paddleboarding

 

Stand up paddleboarding is not always welcome in the line-up. There are many reasons behind this suspicious attitude towards SUP fans and their gear.

Stand up paddleboards are weapons, especially the rigid models. If shortboards can seriously hurt someone, a ten-foot SUP ship may quickly kill if it hits someone in the head. That is why inflatable SUPs have been gaining supporters.

SUP enthusiasts are compelled to respect the basic rules of surf etiquette, but they should also know that special guidelines apply to their sport.

In several nations and states, stand up paddleboards are considered watercraft. This means that riders must follow rules that don't usually apply to classic surfers. For example, the use of personal flotation devices (PFD) by children under 12 years old.

The U.S. Coast Guard classifies stand up paddleboards as vessels because they operate "beyond the narrow confines of a surfing, swimming or bathing area." As a result, they ...more

Roger Cox: Don’t bring aggro to the waves

 

FOR the last few days of August, the attention of the surfing world was focused on the coast of Southern California, as a monster swell from Hurricane Marie lit up such fabled breaks as Malibu and The Wedge.

At the former spot there were dramatic scenes when big-wave specialist Laird Hamilton picked off one of the biggest waves of the week and rode it right through the middle of Malibu Pier, calmly slaloming between giant wooden pilings while being chased by a rumbling freight train of whitewater.

Meanwhile, over at The Wedge – a heaving, warping freak of a wave which gets its distinctive shape from swells rebounding off a breakwater and suddenly doubling in size – the acts of derring-do were almost too numerous to mention. Chief clown in this particular carnival of lunacy, however, was pro surfer Jamie O’Brien, who paddled into a clean 15-footer with one surfboard balanced on top of another, hopped to his feet on the larger one, tucked the smaller one under his arm, surfed along for a while, then casually stepped off the larger board onto the smaller one and rode the rest of the wave on that.

Any Scottish surfers watching video footage of either of the above events (almost instantaneously uploaded to YouTube) will probably have had the same two thoughts at about the same time: nice waves; pity about the crowds. O’Brien’s wave is a beauty, but as he takes off you can see in the wave face directly beneath him not one, not two but six surfers all scrambling to get out of the way, with a further four or five paddling frantically just to his right, trying to make it to safety before the wave breaks on their heads. Aerial footage of Hamilton’s second wave at Malibu, meanwhile, shows more surfers than I’ve got time to count strung out across the length of the bay.

The first time I saw Malibu in real life, from a moving car on the Highway, I thought there was some kind of insect swarm in the water – my best guess was flying ants. It was only when I got down onto the sand that I realised the little black dots I was looking at were surfers, hundreds of them, all jostling for waves.

That’s the trouble with Southern California: yes, it is blessed with some heavenly surf geography, but it also has an enormous ...more

SUP 11-City Tour Update: Day 4

Today Saturday the 6th of SUPtember, we had 2 starting times. 

One start took place at 4:15 when the non-stop paddlers left Leeuwarden. 

The conditions were windless but foggy which offered a little challenge. 

 How ever, the paddlers took of fast and may arrive earlier than the organization expected. 

How ever… they paddle now through the night and we have heard of some athletes mentioning ‘the man with the hamer’. 

We wish them the best of luck.
In Franeker, the 5th day stage (42 kilometers) of the “normal” SUP 11-City Tour started at 10am; 

one hour earlier than we normally start due to activities in Dokkum,

 the finish city number 10. Today we received more paddlers 

who signed up for the “Weekend Stage”. 

They choose to paddle the last 2 stages and perhaps test 

the waters to see weather they can paddle the entire Tour.

With ideal paddling conditions again, meaning no wind or bad currents,

the athletes headed in a fast past towards Dokkum. Most athletes had their best day today. 

Every year it is remarkable how the atmosphere grows after day 3 “hump day”. 

Once day 4 is completed, the participants can already ‘smell’ the finish line

 that is awaiting them tomorrow in Leeuwarden.

Bart de Zwart, Peter Bartl and Martijn van Deth have been

 the front fighters of the event in the male competition. 

Today Peter Bartl tried to get away from the group many times and gave Bart and Martijn 

a run for their money to even keep up with ...more

More SUP'ers navigating whitewater rivers

 

SHADY COVE, Ore. — Running the Rogue River's Rattlesnake Rapids while standing erect on a glorified surfboard with a long paddle in his hands used to elicit strange comments to stand-up paddleboarder Jake Baracker from rafters, kayakers and other traditional whitewater runners.

"There were some snickers, for sure," Baracker says. "I'd get ... 'Do you know what you're doing here?' 'Don't you understand this is a river?' 'Are you lost?' "

Now he's getting, "Where can I rent one of those?"

A year after taking off in Southern Oregon lakes and starring in extreme whitewater shows, stand-up paddleboards are becoming the watercraft du jour for a more pedestrian crowd enjoying suitable stretches of the upper Rogue on their feet instead of their behinds.

"We've seen them on the lakes, and now we're seeing them on the river, and it used to be just us," says Pete Newport, a 21-year SUP veteran and owner of Sawyer Oars and Paddles in Talent, Ore. "We're probably another season away before it really takes off. But it's here. It's exciting."

Rafting liveries and sporting-goods stores are offering SUPs for daily rentals for around $40 and steering paddlers to waters like the seven-mile stretch of the Rogue from Rogue Elk Park to Shady Cove, and the water-playing public is responding.

Some outdoor stores and programs are now offering SUP seminars, and Baracker is now a licensed SUP guide offering tutorials and guided floats on stretches of the river best suited to a paddler's individual skills.

Casual weekend rafters with a decent sense for navigating the upper Rogue can find these surprisingly stable boards easy to become ...more

SUP 11-City Tour Update: Day 3

 

This morning the start took place in Workum on Aloha Friday. 

The top 20 paddlers started in the front of sthe starting area, since the waters 

were too narrow for the entire field. 

The weather was also great today. 

Light winds and partly sunny – cloudy moments made up for ideal paddling conditions. 

The currents were also in the favor of the paddlers the first half of the day 

and the paste was fast; up to 11 k/hr.

The day-stage Workum-Franeker, offered mainly smaller channels through the country side. 

The biggest body of water was “het Van Harinksma Kanaal”, 

where commercial big ships drive through. 

The paddlers need to pay attention here.

After Workum, the athletes had to ‘ring the bell’ and call their number 

in Bolsward, city nr 7 and Harlingen, city nr 8. 

The mid way point – and the mandatory break of 15 minutes – was in between these 

two cities in the place called “Witmarsum”.

 I was stoked to paddle my stage for Team Starboard today and I saw

 Bart, Peter and Martijn (the first 3 guys again) paddled away as soon as 

I had reached the rest area. Since the waters were smooth, 

the paddler  were much closer than the previous days 

when big lakes were ...more

Turtle Bay Resort to Host Third-Annual Stand Up World Series Finals in October

 

Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s Fabled North Shore will host the third year of the Stand Up World Series Finals, the world’s premier championship event for stand-up paddle racing, from Friday-Sunday, Oct. 10-12, 2014.

Situated at the start of the “seven-mile miracle” of legendary North Shore surf, Turtle Bay’s 840 acres and 5 miles of oceanfront have served as the home to the Stand Up World Series Finals since its inception in 2012. The resort is also home to the world headquarters of ocean-sports organization the Waterman League, the official organizer of professional competition for stand-up paddle surfing (Stand Up World Tour) and stand-up paddle racing (Stand Up World Series).

In October, the 2014 Stand Up World Series, which kicked off with the Brazil Pro Grand Slam in April, closes with the Stand Up World Series Finals at Turtle Bay. This three-day event will feature a lineup of free public activities including surf demonstrations, awards presentations and a youth clinic, in addition to competition by the ...more

Oahu’s SUP Ban Proposal Withdrawn

 

Eighty-plus people showed up to discuss the possibility of a partial ban on SUP surfers in Honolulu lineups at a Hawaiian state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) meeting last night. The proposed ban was officially withdrawn during the meeting.

Surfer and lawyer Timothy MacMasters brought the proposal forward for the DLNR’s consideration because he believed SUPs caused danger in lineups as well as standup paddlers catching more than their fair share of waves. The initiative would have banned standup paddlers from three surf spots between Ala Moana Harbor and Kewalo Basin from 3-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

According to local news station KITV, there was lively discussion from both surfers and standup paddlers on the issue, but because no consensus could be ...more

Also posted on playak.com