Daily Archives: August 12, 2012

We are friends – makamaka

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There is a Hawaiian phrase, “Hoʻohālau i ka hale a piha i nā makamaka'” which means “fill the house with friends.”

Throughout the summer months, my frister (friend who’s like a sister), Pam Stevenson, fills her house and her yard with friends in the Willow Tree concert series. Local bands play generously with donations going to local charities meaningful to the band.  Nearly everyone enjoying the riverside music under the wide branches of the idyllic willow consider Pam to be a close and great friend. Do you know someone like that? if so, consider yourself blessed. Plenty of people in Bend – and around the world – feel that way about Pam her her amazing spirit of adventure and joie de vivre.

How’s this relevant to the Elder SUP blog? Way back about 5 summers ago I got a call from Pam inviting me down to the river one afternoon. Seems a friend of hers was selling a standup paddle board and was giving demos. I’d always wanted to try the sport, so I headed on down to the river.  Pam and I both gave the (brand to remain un-named) very very tippy SUP board a try. I bought it on the spot.

So the obsession with standing on liquid, walking on water – and SURFING again after a 40 year hiatus began. Pam pointed me in the right direction when it cam time to buy my first paddle. We headed over to local KIALOA paddles – and I was equipped for a new sport pronto!  Central Oregon lakes and rivers were plenty for paddling but one day soon after Pam suggested, “Road trip! Let’s go surfin’!” 

My husband Ed, Pam and her coolest-dog-ever, Sprocket, loaded camping gear and boards into the car and headed for Pacific City.  The trip was all sun, the waves were smallishly perfect for us – and little did we know how rare that was.

Half a decade later – hundreds of waves and thousands of miles later – the standup life rocks. 

Hopefully we can connect people with friends and fun around a sport that celebrates the outdoors, our earth’s waters and getting happy and strong on the water. Take and minute and listen to Cecelio and Kapono sing about friends, then grab a buddy and your paddle. Go SUP!

You’ve got to seriously cherish the person who introduces you to a best friend, a first love, a great new restaurant – or to a sport that takes over.  Thanks, Pam!

Sup Friends Make the Sport

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Saturday was a glorious day at Elk Lake in Central Oregon with a few dozen standup paddlers (2 OC-1 and one prone) ready for the Gerry Lopez summer race series. My plan had been to do the open class on my 11’3″ Amundson surfboard but when my friend, Randall Barna called late Friday with the offer to borrow the Amundson 12’6″ race board I eagerly accepted.  Five years ago on my first tentative paddle on the Deschutes River, Randall and his family were out for a Friday afternoon paddle. Seeing how sketchy my skills were, he stayed with me for about an hour, providing technique tips and encouragement that made all the difference. Standup paddling in Central Oregon is what it is because of friends like Randall Barna and Cristina Acosta who authored the first and very comprehensive standupflatwater.com blog). 

It’s fairly easy for us to give a casual word of advice or support when encountering an SUP newbie. It’s quite another thing to keep a high level of generous enthusiasm for graciously sharing the sport over a span of more than 7 years – but that’s Randall, all the way!

In his sixties, he’s still got competition in his blood, but always with a grin. Drafting and pulling, often neck and neck with buddy, Tom Burke, Randall’s dead serious about his training and racing. More than personal outcomes, he’s always been ready to share expertise in organizing races, helping with courses, all the way to designing and maintaining local race buoys.

  

It’s not difficult for anyone living near any sort of body of water to notice that standup paddling has taken off like crazy. Everyone and his grandmother can – and seems to be – standup paddling. Inherent to the spread of our SUP culture is a spirit of aloha that can help the sport through growing pains and some hiccups as prone surfers meet standup surfers.  As the cool company, KIALOA paddles, demonstrates as a company mantra, we can be “together on the water.”

If you know someone who’s made a difference and shares the spirit of aloha around your SUP experience, please share your story with us in the comments.