So it was on one of those gray, foggy days on the Pacific NW coast. Morning dawned semi-cloudy, then on and off the fog rolled in, reminding us of the proverbial NE “pea soup,” but thicker. The ocean seemed to be taking a Fall reprieve, resting calmly, with glassy rolling waves, but no swell to speak of. With the air temp in the low 60’s and the water about 7 degrees cooler it seemed a good day to hike the dune at Cape Kiwanda and call it good.
But when you’re 67 and you live 4 hours from a coast and winter is breathing hard down your neck – well, you put on the wetsuit and hit the water.
It’s like almost everything else in life, half the win is simply showing up. So, while shivering on the beach I pulled on my 4/3 Rip Curl wetsuit (love its color and style, softness and ZIPPER) and put on my leash. Swell or no swell, I was going out to whatever the break at Pacific City had to give.
I could not even see the HUGE haystack rock that sits like a crown jewel off the beach because the fog had gobbled it up. Because of that, it was difficult for me to determine my favorite spot to wait for a swell to roll in.
Over time I drifted further and further south. I don’t usually head in that direction but the fog had left me without the usual bearings.
So cool! Swells were rolling in over there. They were chest to head high and glassy beyond all hope.
While the wait between swells was seemingly long, the reward was worth it – also the chat among all of us (prone and SUP). There were dozens of prone longboard riders out in the lineup.
Usually I hunker over to a shoulder of the swell to keep my standup out of the way of the prone surfers, but on this day the stoke was warm – and that was cool! Very cool.We all bantered about the weird weather and the length between sets. There seemed to be room for all on the waves that came through. Share and respect made the day!
As we close every day at Pacific City we wandered down to the beach for a beer and sunset. The afternoon drizzle didn’t deliver a sunset, but the view was magical just the same. The magic at our favorite beach, our top ten break – all in the eye of the beholder.
KIALOA ‘Elele Cyril Burguiere has a passion for paddling. He’s definitely not limited to rivers and oceans in his pursuit of high end training and speed – this busy guy trains whenever and wherever the path leads.
And then there is the day job. It’s not easy for anyone to get in shape for the dmands of an ocean SUP event. Cyril shares that he came to the 2015 inaugaral Pacific Paddle Games exhausted from a grueling work week. In his words, “I had been to Toronto Mon-Wed with many customers and late nights getting proposals completed. Then work continued late Thursday and a little into the weekend. I actually brought my laptop to the beach. Not the first time – my Payette Games experience was the same (2014). Week prior was travelling too. When I am on the road I use the Exer-Genie exercise tool in my hotel room to keep my pulling muscles working on business trips
Home sweet home when on Maui – Naish Maui Pro Center
Months of planning and dreaming precede every trip to Hawaii or any of our favorite surfing and paddling destinations. When we head to Maui, it is so relaxing and cool to know exactly where we will rent top quality boards and feel “local” from the moment we walk in the door.
Just minutes from the airport, we usually change from mainland shoes to our Olukai’s at the car rental booth and shoot right on over to grab our boards. Then it is off to the Naish Maui Pro Center.
A quick phone call was all we needed to chat with Coach, Jay or any member of the team. We discussed December weather, surf probability – and got our Hokuas and our downwind Naish ONEs for fun all week,
Jay, Coach and the entire Naish Maui ProCenter team is YOUR local connection on Maui
Not only is the shop filled with great kiteboarding gear, apparel and awesome boards – but local knowledge and a casual willingness to share. For instance – the wind was blowing crazy, a Kona wind and we were not familiar with that. Jay let us know (by checking the computer right at the counter) where the protected bays and surf spots might be (Launiupoko not Ka’anapali Beach).
There is a culture that oozes from Naish Maui Pro Center. Naish is a company that builds awesome boards for every water sport – wind, kite, surf and downwind. Beyond the top quality manufacturing we expect from Naish, how often do you think of the culture behind the brand. Seriously – Robby Naish has soared past his 50th birthday and continues to seek adventure and challenges, records and fun on the water. (More here). That is the creative energy driving the company.
We will be back for the Olukai Ho’olaule’a in May and the fun race the last Saturday in April. If you want gear for that week – Reserve now! Whenever you head to Maui – be local, be a part of the ALOHA that is Naish Maui Pro Center. Whether we are surfing or downwinding (YES, the Naish ONE rocks) we find what we need at Naish Maui Pro Center (and can trade out as wind and weather dictate).
Is there any way you can stand before the ocean with the newly designed 2015 Naish Hokua and not feel like an absolute rock star? The moment I pulled my 9’5″ Hokua from its box and bubble wrap, I was IN LOVE!
Seriously, the graphics on the bottom are stellar. It’s light, and almost leaps into waves on its own. Well, now I am just babbling. But seriously, I have never (in 65 years) executed a sharp bottom turn on a head-high wave with absolute confidence and ease – until my sweet Hokua came along. It was early morning and cold on the Oregon coast in late September.
The waves had been chaotic and huge for the Long Board Classic the day before. Sunday found us with a nice swell and the wind was resting (before cranking in hard about 10 am). It was delicious fun!
As wonderful as it is to hit the beach in Pacific City, Oregon wearing a 4-5 ML wetsuit and praying for some sort of order in the waves – surfing Maui is a dream. In mid-December, just as the shoulder season of rain-sleet-snow-rain is settling into Central Oregon, we will fly off for a sweet week on Maui. Rather than go through the trouble of shipping our boards or releasing their well-being to airline luggage crew, we choose to “Go Local!~”
Naish Maui Pro Center rocks! Simply, if you want the newest and best rental equipment for your SUP surfing on Maui along with local knowledge of where to surf for your abilities and current conditions – check them out. Ask for Jay, or Coach – or basically any team member.
Kai Lenny scoring some sweet Maui waves and riding Naish all the way
If you are like me, you follow the Naish team riders all race and surf season long. Their podium finishes are matched only by their absolute love of their sport. It seems that the core stoke and aloha of Robbie Naish permeates not only the corporate structure, but every person involved in the “family.”
This chick is on top of the world with my new Naish 2015 Holua
The shape of the Hokua, the awesome graphics, the quality built into every aspect – all good. But there is something else when you step onto a Naish board – the feeling that you are connected. You are part of the Naish ‘ohana. It is no small thing.
Over the past month we featured SUP athlete (and pianist, and much more) Peggy King as she prepared for the 2014 Maui 2 Molokai race. While she finished 2nd to last with a time of 4:50, that was a 40+ min. Improvement over last year’s 5:34. Peggy was the oldest competitor- and was recognized for that by Rodney Kilborn at the event.
This is not a story about age, rather a recap of the respect and camaraderie the field of competitors at the M2M have for each other. In Peggy’s words, “I was grateful that all paddlers acknowledged me and were friendly- no one told me ‘You don’t belong.'”
Friends, camaraderie and a love of down winders
And “belong” Peggy did. She put in the time, got solid coaching from Jeremy Riggs and Dave Kalama, so she was ready. Those who know the Pailolo channel know how it when it is somewhat side shore. That can be a bit difficult. For Peggy, it wasn’t that bad.
She explains, “My Garmin read outs were slow and a I fell a few times. That had me thinking to myself that the boat captain would probably think I’m a kook. With the falls at first I even thought, ‘I ain’t gonna make any time requirement at this rate.'”
But things got better as Peggy shares, “As I turned the corner to Molokai, the wind picked up and things really improved. Paddle-paddle-surf-glide- and soon I was getting good Garmin readings and no falls!”
The musician in Peggy sang out, “It was like a good piece of music I didn’t want to end! As the J Mac race committee boat approached me I told them that I was enjoying myself. As the harbor shed approached I had to tell myself not to get too excited. But I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh boy,my time is favorable. OK, don’t fall or blow it!'”
Go Peggy! (Photo by 808Photo,me)
Then the time came for Peggy King to finish and she did it in a legal time. Happy, happy person! ) She said, “I felt strong, my nutrition worked, and I had the energy to do the M4M race the next day. I even got a finish line photo from 808Photo.me photographer !”
Peggy did M4M the next day and knocked 1/2 + hours off her time for that one too! According to Peggy, “It was the most fun SUP weekend experience,ever for me!
As far as Future Goals for Peggy King? “I hope I can stay healthy and fit to do this one again! I’d like to do M2O as a 3 person team- time will tell!”
Special thanks to Rod White, Garfield King and Lindsey Taylor who helped out on the boat and drove me to start line. Props to Jeremy Riggs and Dave Kalama for the coaching.
Feeling strong and comfortable on a 12’6″ Naish ONE in 20+ mph side winds and a confused small swell even though I have paddled SUP just 4 times since October (thank you Oregon Winter)
Now, to the title premise, “SUP Lessons from Seat 5.”
A few weeks ago I had my 4th Bend Oregon Outrigger Canoe Club practice. On this cold, rainy, windy (typical April) evening I was assigned seat 5 just ahead of the steersman, in seat 6, Meg Chun. Lucky (but tentative) me. I have been standup paddling for 6+ years and have had some success – which Meg was aware of – and now I would be paddling for 90 minutes right under her watchful (and quite expert) eye.
Meg has been coaching novice and experienced outrigger paddlers in Bend for more than two decades. She spices the learning with a cool passion, always a sense of fun and patient expertise.
It was WONDERFUL being the closest person for Meg’s critique and observation. No, really! (LOL) After about 45 minutes of me doing my best effort at reach-catch-return with a wonderful rotation of my core I heard Meg say, “Judy, you need to rotate your body.”
Me, (to myself) “WHAT?????”
Meg: You are turning, mostly your head and shoulders, but you need to show your back to the opposite shore, then dig for the catch. Engage your core and really move the boat forward with the rotation of your hips coming back to center. That’s it, you are never coming back to center before your next stroke. Try that.”
OK, back to SUP. Today on my Naish ONE I used the very technique that I have been practicing at outrigger practice. The gnarly offshore wind and the confused swell did its best to intimidate ad toss me off balance.
Thanks for sharing your expertise with me and my beginner outrigger paddling skills
Never happened. What a fantastic 5 mile “into the wind” paddle to Diamond Head and beyond. What a cool late afternoon surf session at Pops on the Naish ONEs.
Olukai Ho’olaule’a, I can hardly wait. Thank you Bend Oregon Outrigger Canoe Club! Thank you, Meg Chun!
The waves of the north shore are absolutely out of our talent-zone. We look forward to riding west side waves at Launiupoko, S-Turns, Rainbows and such. In that part of the island we had a day or two of little ankle biters and knee high fun waves. The rest of the time a mix of Kona winds and the usual trade winds greeted us with sunshine each morning – but flat seas.
No sad faces on us! We had traveled with the handy backpack filled with our Naish ONE 12’6″ inflatable boards. At 30″ wide they are as stable as they are fast. Talk about an easy way to enjoy our daily down wind runs on crystal clear, flat seas! With some local advisement from the team at Naish Maui Pro Center, we checked tide tables and local maps in order plan our adventures.
One day we parked our car at Napili Bay and down-winded to the Hyatt at Kaanapali – about 5 miles. Later in the day we walked back to the car – along a terrific walking path and some quiet streets to Napili. Another day we drove to Lahaina and took the local bus ($2) back to Kaanapali. By noon we were on the water doing another down wind run of about 4 miles. The whales were active that week. We wished we were closer to Lanai where they splashed and played, but their spouts and breeching were still a cool sight to see even from a distance.
Mid week we took a few hours to paddle from Napili Bay in and out of various bays heading north past Kapalua toward Honolua Bay and back. Turtles and clear views of the reef were with us 100% of the time. Inspired by that, we hiked the light weight Naish ONEs into the beach at Honolua Bay with snorkels and masks. After paddling out to the point (wishing the swells would provide a chance to watch the local talent ride) we circled back and spent a few hours observing tropical fish of all kinds.
Our final day delivered! Thigh to waist high glassy goodness at Launiupoko where we surfed our sweet Hokua’s until the tide went so far out we knew it was wise to take a break.
Take-away idea: If SUP surfing is your goal and the seas are delivering a steady breeze and calm seas, think down wind fun. If you rented your board you may be able to trade out your shorter SUP surfboard for a longer board better for down wind paddling. Your balance and conditioning will improve and you won’t miss a single day of great ocean fun on your vacation.
In the late 1980’s I had a writing assignment with a tennis professional that was funded by Wilson, the company that makes tennis balls. It seems that they had developed a tennis ball that could equalize enjoyment of a tennis match between two players of very unequal ability. When the ball was hit hard and directly (as in a shot from a strong player) it would react with a slow and low bounce as it hit the court on the other side. This would give the weaker player an easier shot to return. It seemed an amazing product.
The project lost funding and never made it to the marketplace, but some of the lessons I learned while writing for that project stuck with me. For one, I learned a very different meaning for the word “compete” than I had usually considered.
The word, compete, comes from Latin competere, “come together,” but in later Latin, it developed the sense “strive together,” which was the basis for the English term. During the field testing of the Wilson tennis ball, when players considered the “strive together” meaning of competition their reported enjoyment of the game and tennis in general was 7 and above (on a scale of 1-10).
Just yesterday I read a post by elite water athlete, Candice Appleby, after a Round 3 loss in the 2013 La Torche Pro surf event in France. Understandably, she was extremely disappointed with her performance. In spite of a very stacked heat with three of the top women surfing together, she simply and graciously reflected on her own performance and frustration at not putting together a “solid ride” in the heat.
According to Candice, “Every wave I caught, just seemed to reject me and I kept falling. Looks like my Sup Surfing World Title dreams will just have to wait until next year. 2013 just hasn’t been my year I guess. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. Hopefully I can figure out what that is soon. Until then, I’ll just have to keep healing my hand and work on my strengths. Thank you to everyone who has been cheering for me along the way. Your support means so much to me. Next year I will be back and ready to take on the many challenges I set for myself. Congrats to all of the girls who competed in this first year of the Women’sStand Up World Tour. We were all a part of history. Aloha & God Bless.”
We all know that it isn’t easy to report to friends, family and fans after a huge disappointment. To do so with such grace and respect for her fellow competitors is an Appleby trademark. In my role as content creator for my company, Water Words, I speak to dozens of elite and not-so-elite SUP surfers, paddlers, newbies and racers each week. It is always surprising and cool to hear how many mention a casual meeting with Candice at a clinic, an event or just on a beach. Again and again I hear an anecdote about how she has encouraged and inspired them – often without knowing who they are. Her generous spirit and fun-loving ways just seem to connect again and again.
What I wonder is: How did the performance of the entire group of elite women raise to a collective higher level because they “came together” in the competition, all striving for their best?
Working hard, training and hoping for a specific outcome or title is natural. Not attaining the goals we set for ourselves in a competition is heart breaking. Being able to circle back and put together a mindset that embraces the true meaning of compete, to strive together, we are able to frame our future efforts in a new way. The almost 40,000 Facebook friends who follow Candice know her attitude well. Some of the comments posted demonstrate how much respect and love for our sport and for fellow competitors resonates with us all. I have removed the names from the comments below and have paraphrased them – they are just an example of how the collective “we” reacted.
Tough break, tough girl, classy post. You may not have accomplished everything on your list, but your list towers over 99.999% of most people’s. Take comfort knowing you are much-loved & very well-respected around the world. “Paddle on girl”
Losing is just like winning at the top. Being humble and accept what you just got schooled on will only make you better tomorrow, next week and your next event. There is nothing in your world you can’t concur, wins come in many different forms and your friends believe you’re a winner.
Love your positive attitude! That’s what makes you a winner! Love and aloha to our SWEET girl!! XOXOXO
You’re still awesome….I’m sure all competitors were aware of your presence….a true warrior you are
You are awesome for being a class act!!! Still holding your head high and not placing blame on anyone. Keep up the professional attitude.
Thank you for writing this Candice. It inspires us all to hear how you feel and that everyone, even Candice Appleby, has their moments. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Rest up and see you next year…can’t wait:)
Your grace in handling life is a great example…………
You suited up, you showed up, you did your best. High five!
Inn at Cape Kiwanda is nestled between the light colored dune and the darker hill to the right – all ocean view rooms
What’s a perfect beach for SUP paddling and surfing? Sandy bottom, glassy waves, no crowds, clear water warm enough for no wetsuit – does that work for you? Well, except for the warm water and no wetsuit, Pacific City, Oregon is pretty close to ideal. The swells can be predicted and the mix of surfing waves goes the gamut. The ambiance in a beach town can add a lot to our SUP surfing and paddling experience.
I am staying at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda this trip and finding it to be an incredible spot for a super surf trip experience. In previous trips I have stayed at a nearby campground, in a camping cottage or in a rental home set back from the ocean. The heart of Pacific City’s beach scene is the triumvirate of the Cape Kiwanda Dune, the Pelican Pub and the iconic Haystack rock about a mile off shore.
This “haystack” stands 327 feet (100 m) above the sea and is the world’s fourth largest sea stack or off-shore monolith in the world. The Inn at Cape Kiwanda is situated right in the middle of these three with an ocean view from every room.
While that is a nice amenity, its value to us as SUP surfers on the Oregon coast is enormous. That early morning surf check in case the waves are right for a “dawn patrol” is usually a chilly trek from where you spent the night to the parking lot next to Pelican Pub. There we usually huddle in ski jackets holding our morning coffee close and tight. This morning I simply rolled over, still in the cozy bed, and check ed out the sets coming in at pre low tide. Not yet ready to surf, I made some coffee and went out on the deck.
From there I could view the far western edge of Cape Kiwanda Dune, where the sets announce their arrival with a wash over the jutting rocks. I took a long beach walk and enjoyed the art – created by clouds, water and sand.
By noon as I had a light lunch back on the deck at the Inn, I started to notice larger arcs of whitewater wrapping around the end of the dune. These sets came in consistently for bout 20 minutes. i timed the intervals between sets and decided, with incoming tide and lighter than expected winds, it was a great time to don the wetsuit and head out. An hour later I was chilly but had my fill of waist to chest high rides cutting right and left on fairly glassy faces.
Now came a real treat. I loaded my board onto my car and drove over to the Inn at Cape Kiwanda. Just outside of the lobby is a WARM WATER shower. I doused the board and myself – it felt wonderful. After drying a bit it was back to the room for a rest and a book. But as I read, I could keep an eye on the incoming tide and the dory boats coming in – right up on the sand.
I must have dozed off – about 4:00 the swell seemed to build a bit. The expected afternoon winds didn’t materialize and I was right there, front and center to observe the sea. Back into my wetsuit and an afternoon session I might have missed if i hadn’t been right there – better than any webcam!
The three year-old begs for Barbie, Tonka, HotWheels – and even the iPad. By the teen years the collection of brands we love and must have explode into the hundreds. As SUP gets more and more popular and mainstream, “brands” and manufacturers for boards, paddles and gear are popping up constantly. What is it about the brands we buy – and what brands should we buy?
The slogan for the Olukai Ho’olaule’a
We don’t have any paid advertising on the Elder SUP blog, instead we think hard about the brands we use. We write about the expertise, passion, commitment – and the people – behind the brands. The brands we choose affect us on functional, emotional and social levels. A good example of this is when I put on my yellow Olukai race jersey. With it on I feel the vibe from the culture of the Olukai Ho’olaulea even on a day like today when I wore it to yoga. It’s a mind-set, a community – and a brand that resonates what it is: OluKai was conceived from a desire to create a better class of products for the life we live in and around the water. That resonates with me.
Dave and Gerry had many, many conversations about the need for a surf specific paddle. With the very specific design that makes the Hulu series (Light, Ultra Light and GL Ultralight) a great downwind and race paddle, those same specific attributes leave it vulnerable as a surf paddle. The Hulu has fine, sharp edges – ideal for racing – but when it is used for surfing some customers mentioned that their boards were being hit and bruised. Surfers dig, brace and fall on their paddles – a surf SUP paddle has to be designed in its own way. The KIALOA Paddles design of a surf paddle would require beefing it up in the areas where needed and modifying the edges specific to the mechanics of surfing.
Here’s where the excellence in a brand and its story come alive! A quick search can lead you to dozens of SUP paddle manufacturers, some of these manufacturers are also designers. Few have the breadth of experience and commitment to excellence, as well as a deep relationship with legends in the sport the way KIALOA Paddles does. Throughout the design of the Hulu race paddle, Dave Chun and Gerry Lopez had conversations and collaborated. Throughout that process, the plan to eventually create a GL Surf paddle series stayed constant. The design was born of many ideas coming together.
Dave Chun and Gerry Lopez collaborate and noodle around designs and ideas regularly.
I’m not sure if Tom Carroll is aware of his influence on the design of the GL Surf Series but the collaboration with Gerry was constant. Both Dave and Gerry recognized that what Gerry needed in a surf paddle, “everyman, the regular surfer” might not need the same thing. I thought it was really fascinating to hear (in the video below) about the symmetric profile on the top and bottom of the paddle. If you cut across the paddle’s width you would get a profile in a squished diamond shape. The reason it is the same on both sides is because SUP surfers brace both on the front side and on the back side of the paddle according to stance, style and the wave.
The paddle has the same hook found on the Hulu Series design because Tom Carroll and Gerry both wanted that element in a surf paddle. Even though Dave has had a lifetime of shaping paddles with economy of function and beautiful aesthetic form, he listened to the customers and their experience during the design process of a new sort of edge for the GL Surf series paddle – it is more rounded and wider than the Hulu race paddle. The fatter edge was tough for Dave to design at first, but testing proved that the rounder, soft, “fat” edges would protect the board without jeopardizing performance.
The KIALOA Paddles Hulu race series of paddles will soon be joined by the Hulu surf series.
There will be a soft release of the 8″ blade (similar to the KIALOA Methane) in the GL Surf series in 2013 – I know, I am drooling for it too. Over the 2014 year a number of other widths, from 8.5″ to 7.5″, and shafts are scheduled. KIALOA Paddles is determined to provide excellence at each price point, from the CST to the fiberglass shaft option. If the KIALOA name will be on the paddle, slow and careful design and testing by elite and regular paddlers must come first. It’s one brand in our SUP life. It’s also a great example of how and why we select the brands we do.
Treat yourself to the video story here:
So it was on one of those gray, foggy days on the Pacific NW coast. Morning dawned semi-cloudy, then on and off the fog rolled in, reminding us of the proverbial NE “pea soup,” but thicker. The ocean seemed to be taking a Fall reprieve, resting calmly, with glassy rolling waves, but no swell to speak of. With the air temp in the low 60’s and the water about 7 degrees cooler it seemed a good day to hike the dune at Cape Kiwanda and call it good.
I could not even see the HUGE haystack rock that sits like a crown jewel off the beach because the fog had gobbled it up. Because of that, it was difficult for me to determine my favorite spot to wait for a swell to roll in.
Usually I hunker over to a shoulder of the swell to keep my standup out of the way of the prone surfers, but on this day the stoke was warm – and that was cool! Very cool.We all bantered about the weird weather and the length between sets. There seemed to be room for all on the waves that came through. Share and respect made the day! 
Elder SUP 