Category Archives: Ocean

Solid Roots: Ka’ai Bruhn- Traditions and Canoes

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One of the best known beaches in the world, Waikiki was the favorite playground of Hawaiian royalty in the 19th century. At the time, Waikiki was an area of wetlands fed by streams from the valleys above Honolulu.  We spent this week at the Hilton Hawaiian Village eager for a week of stand-up paddling and surfing. It was our third visit but we had never heard how the Waikiki wetlands gave way to the resorts and beaches so popular today. This visit included a true bonus. We met Ka’ai Bruhn in his Duke Kahanamoku Canoe Stand right on the shore of the nearby lagoon.

He didn’t start with the story of his passion for 6-man outrigger canoe racing, but we teased it  out over a conversation around our favorite paddles.  We had shipped our Kialoa SUP paddles over to Hawaii – and coincidentally Ka’ai mentioned that he uses Kialoa paddles when he races. Then the story evolved. His favorite race is the Molokai-Oahu that takes place yearly in October.

In 2004 and 2005 as a member of the Lanikai Canoe Club, Ka’ai’s team won the race. That 42 mile route is always full of wind, swells, uncertain conditions – and according to Ka’ai, an amazing experience! This photo shows the 2004 team after their victory. That’s Ka’ai in the back on the left – pretty happy group.

We connected easily, tied by stories of “the good old days” when shrimp and lobster were abundant in the wetland that is now the lagoon.  Our Florida/Bahamas past paralleled Ka’ai’s – and he found us as an eager audience to some local history.  He respects the strong connection between Duke Kanahnamoku and the exact geographic location of both the resort and the lagoon nearby.

It’s great to hear what Ka’ai loves about running his business throughout the 16 years he’s been at the resort. “The lagoon is a wonderful place and the nearby safe beaches allow people of all ages and all abilities to learn to swim and enjoy watersports in salt water. It’s rare to find a place like this. Visitors can safely learn a respect for the sea while having fun.

The connected-ness between this part of Waikiki and water sports became known worldwide because of Duke Kahanamoku. His family had a four bedroom home nearby and Duke learned to swim right here – like so many others from around the world.  The difference? Duke trained and had both the skill and the drive to become fast enough to break the world record for swimming in several Olympics. Not satisfied just breaking records, Duke gave swimming and surfing exhibitions and popularized both sports – and his Waikiki home.”

As you would expect from a waterman, Ka’ai comes from a family with deep respect for Mother Earth – land and sea.  In the yin and yang of life, mixing water sports and family, the tradition of love and respect is simply part of life. Ka’ai’s grandfather always said, “People say we should be careful so that we don’t ruin Mother Earth. The truth is, in the end, Mother Earth will always win. It’s us, humankind, that should be watchful and caring for our own survival.”  Powerful perspective!

Counting Crows

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A decade or more ago, my teenage kids played a lot of Counting Crows and when I could understand the lyrics (yes, I have trouble with that) I got into a lot of the songs. One, “Nothing but a Child” was a favorite, mainly for this first line,
“Nothing but a Child Glass upon me walking on the ocean
Sun upon me walking on a wave ”

(PS That is NOT me in the photo below!)
Back then it had to have been about 30 years since I’d surfed and quite a few years before SUP became along. But, ocean people (you know who you are) find the sounds and images of the sea resonate and attract. What could be better than walking on the ocean?
Over the past 3 months as summer blew into fall and darker wintry days, I re-connected with my yoga practice. Hot Bikram and some ventures to another studio, “Groove Yoga.”  Over the past year I have been meandering at various goals because, to me, this is a very unique year.  On June 2 (6/2) I turned 62. How cool is that!

All summer I had noticed people enjoying yoga on their SUP boards, in the river and in the ocean. Triangle, Warrior, Headstands and hand stands – and that seemed incredible, strong, balanced and wonderful.  So returning to yoga this Fall I had some goals.  Last night – I gave up those goals. Not in a negative way, but in a manner full of new awareness.

I want to do a head stand on my SUP board – friends, family and ElderSUP readers have been hearing that message. Last night in a packed room at Groove Yoga in a class led by Gerry Lopez I finally heard what I should have already known. In a calm voice that guided our practice, one of the first things Gerry mentioned was that the goal is not the pose.  It is our intent and willingness to listen to our own body and relax, with strength, into what our body can do right now that matters.

How many times have I heard something similar – but for some reason, with my focus on “getting to a head stand” I had forgotten.  During the class breathing, relaxing, focusing, awareness and intent guided my practice. At the same time I continued to mull over the new awareness that the “practice” is everything.  So it went throughout the class. Then as we were winding down Gerry announced that it was time for practicing inversions. Most of the class seemed to immediately hop into a head stand  and handstand, some needed a small tutorial from Gerry or others helping in the class.

I place my hands and head on the floor – oops, a minute later I was sitting up. Whew! That was difficult. Everyone else still inverted, so I gave it another try.  I heard a voice say, “press into the floor, engage your core.” Oh, OK, I thought. Arghhhhh!

I was up and sitting again. “How can you say that doesn’t take strength?” I implored. Several people nearby gave knowing smiles (from their upside-down vantage point).

By then I had attracted the attention of both instructors and Gerry.  With a calm series of guiding instructions I was back into an equilateral triangle made up of my two hands and head on the mat. Listening and working toward pressing into the floor, using my forearms and engaging my core I was sweating and muscles trembled (apparently i was working too hard at it).

“Let go, walk your toes toward your hands and lift your toes off the floor. Knee onto your elbow.”  I gave it a try. Collapse. Again – and one, then the other toe lifted off the floor and for two milli-seconds I was in Crow posture.

And for a milli-second I got how it was supposed to feel.  Now I cannot wait to practice that again – and again. Not for the eventual headstand, but for the awareness of “I am at this stage now but I can move to the next stage.”

What does this have to do with an Elder SUP article? Knowing the self  as a being rather than merely as an athlete or surfer or paddler or racer, is a genuine kind of knowledge.  That sort of knowledge usually gets lost in the rush of activities and push of goals. The value of discovering one’s self and of enjoying one’s self as it is, rather than as it is going to be, is a treasure. Have you had an experience similar to this? Comments or e-mail, we love to hear your story.  Join us on Facebook. for short comments and links to your stories.

Go beyond the re-usable bag – BEAT PLASTIC on our BEACHES

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Back in the day, we all remember when. There were no plastic water bottles.  Plastic bags, packaging redundancy and seemingly indestructible containers were not the norm. So was it easier to be recycle-savvy?

Maybe it was.  There was another difference, too.  We were all outside more often a few decades ago. Kids got dirty, explored woods, trees, water, rocks, mountains, beetles, birds and everything in between.  We all were more connected to the natural world because we were in it – outside – without the media spin or editing of today’s “nature shows.”

Out of sight of the film crews, textbook exploration of beaches and outside of the resort or “Disney-fied” beach experience, millions of pounds of plastic )bottles, bags, shoes, packaging, and objects float in daily.  We know that. We do what we can do personally – but how do we expand our influence?

Taking on that task, Patagonia, Gerry Lopez and others use their communication skills and influence to share stories that inspire awareness and change.  Gerry has lent his voice to the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s mission to bring awareness to the growing problem of single-use plastics. We hope you’ll share this article to your friends, family and social networks.

THE CLEANEST LINE: WHAT A MESS – REMEMBERING A WORLD BEFORE PLASTIC POLLUTION

Wherever you live there is probably a Surfrider Foundation group nearby.  With October comes Raptober and the “Rise Above Plastic” effort.  If plastic all over our beaches and waterways breaks your heart the way it does mine, join the effort today.

SUPers vs Plastic

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If you follow standuppaddlemovie (awesome trailer here) on Facebook you have seen the powerful video they shared featuring Jenny Kalmbach.  Reading over her blog it was very cool to discover that she spent many of her early SUP days with Jack Gillen.  I was fortunate to meet Jack at my home here in Oregon, then paddle out to some crystal clear swells off shore from the  Honokohau Harbor for my first surfing – it had been 40 years since my last surfing in South Florida mush waves (WOW!).

It’s easy to get mesmerized by Jenny’s power and grace across some sweet little wave faces, but the message is clear. Because we have the SUP Perspective, we have an eagle-eye view of what’s going on in the world’s waters when it comes to the impact of plastics.

If you have participated in a cleanup or other event geared to reducing the use of plastic water bottles, bags or cleanup, please share a quick post or idea here. Note to Jenny: We’d love to share more, please contact us for a short interview. Note to standuppaddlemovie: How can we get your film to Central Oregon? We are a SUP mecca!

Of Smiles and Pipes

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I get this question a lot – “What’s an elder SUP – I am just 43 (or 36, or 51). am I an elder?”

This excellent video story of mom, Heather Baus, accompanying her daughter, Savannah, on an open ocean down-winder provides an answer. In this story, Heather is an “elder SUP.” Her powerful relaxation on her board and grinning cruise-rides on the swells are exquisitely mirrored in Savannah’s adventure.  At a time when getting kids active seems next to impossible, when technology and virtual sports seem to be the choice of the digitari-kids these days, all it takes is a caring, committed, passionate “elder” guiding the way toward exquisite, empowering fun.

Balance, awareness, courage being so far out to sea, trust that companions are nearby for assistance, training, practice and a really beautiful and cool Pipes paddle (great shot at minute 3;30) all add up to experiences Savannah won’tt forget.  Her active life has included a number of SUP race wins – many in line-ups of youth much older.  As described in her blog, she certainly is a sup’r grom. When Savannah settles down at home-school and writes the expected, “What did you do this summer?” essay, words will be hard-pressed to describe it all. When she studies waves, currents, the environment, weather  or phys ed she’ll have a vast store of experience to draw from.

Take a quick look at the home-schooling project posted on Savannah’s blog.  That’s the awareness of nature, resources, caring for the environment that we can always use more of. With Mom, Heather, as the teacher the classroom is expanded from desk to ocean seamlessly.  So, Heather – young as she is – is an “elder SUP.” Are you? If so, please join our discussion and share a video or comment.

Only thing missing is a paddle…

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I just came across a unique children’s book – it’s a good read for almost any age.  The power of a parent teaching a young child how to practice and enjoy a sport usually makes for a good story.  In the book MY DADDY TAUGHT ME TO SURF (and the partner book, MY MOMMY TAUGHT ME TO SURF) Joseph Tomarchio weaves in relevant lessons about respecting the ocean – and others. The whimsical illustrations by Shane Lasby are engaging and fresh. Even though the fine surfers in this book haven’t progressed to enhancing their rides with a paddle just yet (mmmm, fodder for a new book) we recommend this for parents or grandparents.  For families wanting to promote the love of surfing and the bonds of community, My Daddy Taught Me to Surf reminds all readers that our oceans are a gift worth preserving.

If any of you have a connection to either Joseph pr Syane please share this link. We’d love to have an interview with them. This is from their website, “Our goal is to promote the love of surfing, the passage of heritage and the bonds between parents and their children through reading and learning together.”  Right on!

About the Author: Joseph has been a father for 5 years and a surfer for 29. From the moment he learned he was going to be a father, he knew that the joys and life lessons that he experienced with surfing were one day going to be passed onto his child. This desire along with a complete inability to draw allowed him to work with his closest friend, Shane Lasby to bring together a small testament of this love for surfing and their children into a book that they both believe will help foster these lessons for any parent and child. Joseph lives and surfs in Charleston, SC with his wife Allison and son Jonah.

About the Illustrator: Shane has always been an artist of some fashion for as long as he can remember. This has always been a dream of his to share the images that his heart can set forth from his head to his hands. Growing up and surfing in Cocoa Beach, Florida has taught me exactly what Joseph and I have accomplished in this children’s book. Having two little girls of my own has also shown me the true value of what this life offers through patience and perseverance, but all the while keeping me very young at heart. The boy in My Daddy Taught Me to Surf is the child in all of us, still living and learning every day.

Global SUP – Protecting Marine Mammals

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We are looking for members of the Elder SUP community who have had the chance to paddle in the very areas where our support is needed most.

The 11 sites deemed irreplaceable were the Hawaiian Islands, Galapagos Islands, Amazon River, San Felix and Juan Fernandez Islands off the coast of Chile, Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal in Russia, Yangtze River, Indus River, Ganges River and the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.

In addition, the nine sites picked for their species richness were along the coasts of Baja California, much of the eastern coast of the Americas (the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and including coastal areas of Cuba, Hispaniola, Colombia and Venezuela), Peru, Argentina, Northwestern Africa, South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Have you experienced any encounters with marine mammals during any SUP adventures in the places mentioned?  If you have, please share your stories with us.  Until a critical mass of non – stand-up paddlers (or non-water-people) have the chance to hear about our encounters with the beings who inhabit the world’s waters it will be difficult for them to empathize with the threats to their existence.

Pictures are so valuable in sharing your stories:

HAWAII – GALAPAGOS – THE AMAZON – CHILE – THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA – CASPIAN SEA.… and all the rest.  Your stories can energize awareness and change.

Got Paddle? Go Fly!

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There’s nothing quite like an early morning set of glassy waves. Last Saturday I paddled out with friends Pam and Al and my husband, Ed. The water from shore to haystack at Pacific City, OR was gin clear and glassy. We appreciated the lack of wind after a wind-blown/blown out session the night before.  Paddling out the Haystack was compelling enough to invite Pam for a paddle to within 10 yards of the world’s fourth largest sea stack or off-shore monolith in the world. It stands 327 feet above the sea – an ancient reminder of how this awesome area was created.

We were treated with hip-high glassy swells and no crowds at all. It was a day for grabbing the gusto of ocean fun and letting the fun fly! The SUP perspective was better than ever, giving a vantage point to notice shells on the sea floor below, loons and sea lions playing and the gray whale sounding again and again off the buoy side of Haystack Rock.

We got some up closer sightings of the whale, the size of a city bus, as it emerged from the rolling waves and with a loud swoosh,when we hiked to the tip of Cape Kiwanda.  It’s a gray whale making one of the most remarkable migrations in the natural world, a scene which can be observed each winter along the Northwest coast. Each winter, more than 20,000 gray whales can be observed along the Northwest coast as they make their way south on part of their incredible 12,000 mile annual round trip migration from the northern waters off Alaska and the Arctic Sea to their winter breeding grounds of Baja California off Mexico. 

The entire area seemed idyllic and I am sure a great part what we enjoy today – and hope to for generations to come – stems from the efforts of groups like the Surfrider Foundation and their recent Ban the Bags initiative.  Activism for our oceans is diverse and on-going.

What’s your favorite water-spot to fuel your sense of wonder. How has your SUP Perspective changed the way you think or act around your favorite waters?

SUP from Key West to Maine

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Friends Mike Simpson and Will Rich have undertaken a major challenge that eventually brought them to Maine. Will and Mike departed Key West, Florida on March 1, 2011 The two succeeded to SUP (Stand Up and Paddleboard) up the east coast from Key West, Fla., to Portland, Maine. Their goal is to raise awareness and money for the Wounded Warrior Project, a national nonprofit organization that aids injured military personnel, and Stand Up for a Clean Ocean, an organization based in North Carolina dedicated to removing trash and debris from our marine ecosystems.

We live on, and love, the ocean, and she obviously plays an integral part in this adventure. We have chosen to combine our efforts with a great group of people who work hard ( and have fun at the same time ) to educate others about the well-being of our marine eco-systems on which we so closely depend. SUP Clean-up, a world-wide organization based in North Carolina, couldn’t be a better fit for what we’re trying to do. Being close to the ocean means so much more than using her for recreation and sustenance . It’s a symbiotic relationship. The sea gives us so much and we MUST care for her better in return

“Stand Up for Those Who Stood Up” is a powerful focus for their effort.  “We’re both standup paddle boarders with a deep respect for the sacrifices our military men and women make every day for our freedom and security,” said Will Rich. “We’re proud to be standing up for those who stood up for us.”

Will and Mike invite us to visit their blog home page to click on links to their selected causes to learn about ways we can help.  We can all do something as simple as picking up trash wherever we SUP – bring along an extra bag (not plastic) to put it in. That’s what Will and Mike did along their way.  They realize that there are the big steps (like paddling from Key West to Maine) and the little steps (like showing a kid the safe/clean way to pick up trash they might find along a shoreline.  It’s all in the Elder SUP collection of stories and actions – got any to share?

Here’s a great video by Anne Gassett – thanks so much for sharing this inspirational peek at Mike and Will as they move from North Carolina to Virginia in their meaningful quest

 

 

Why SUP and Paddling Matters: Mother Ocean’s Youngest Ones

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Kialoa has sponsored a “Live Like You Paddle” scholarship for about 8 years now.  One of this year’s winners was Gabriel Chun Fook age 14.  He explains what values he has gained through participation in outrigger canoe paddling. It is meaningful that the company that sponsors this thoughtful young man has built their company on traditions that are ageless and seamlessly tied to the ocean and waters.

While this blog seeks stories from ElDER SUPers, our inspiration and energy is geared to provide young people, like the high school paddlers pictured here, with a community connected by awareness and activism toward healthy waters. What better way to inspire than than to support teamwork and sports solidly tied to tradition and the water.

The Na Kama Kai Youth Challenge, presented by Turtle Bay Resort, is a stand up paddle contest for the youth, 16 years and younger that is hosted by the Waterman League.

Na Kama Kai’s mission is to empower youth by creating, conducting and supporting ocean-based programs, specifically targeting ocean awareness & safety in order to increase the capacity of youth in the community through cultural & environmental education.

Duane DeSoto the founder & president was born and raised on the west side of Oahu. His love for the ocean and appreciation of the waterman lifestyle has nurtured his dream of giving back to his community. This dream came to fruition with the establishment of Nā Kama Kai. Duaneʻs passion for the ocean continues to sustain his lifestyle and allows him to engage in nurturing the community through Nā Kama Kaiʻs youth programs.

We invite Elder SUPers involved in the work of the Waterman League and Na Kama Kai to share their stories and ideas with us. Who knows, those stories might become part of our indie film project.