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SUP Adventures – Downwind, Touring and Sailing

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ws-art-3You know that time when it was your birthday and the best gift EVER was suddenly yours?

I know, it rarely happens. But when it is a “turning point” birthday, the gift better be SPOT ON! And yes, this year it WAS!

This year “Elder SUP” truly became “elder-ly.”  I turned 70 while feeling like 30. No joke. A combination of good luck, good genes and a passion for ever being curious and full of wonder about the water world around me helps the kid stay alive. In honor of the kid that is me, I decided to return to windsurfing after a 30 year hiatus. Yup! Why not.

And lucky for me, the equipment available has progressed – as my personal abilities have not. I was beyond excited to learn about the inflatable Windsurfing/SUP line from Starboard (read more here). (and more here). And YES be sure to watch the video links –

ws-art-1So on my 6th day out with my Inflatable SUP Windsurfing Zen Kit from Starboard I made so much improvement. After watching many of the videos online I went to Quirky Wind Elk Lake in Oregon and sailed so much better. It was exhilarating good fun!

Then today I did a sweet 5 mile up-current / down-current paddle on the Deschutes River near my hone. The same board that flies me over the water on Elk Lake (and soon on the Columbia River) gave me an amazing good training paddle.
So, my next experiment is to take the great rocker of the Zen inflatable 12’6″ board to the Viento to Hood River downwind run. My guess is that I am going to have an amazing run. So now I am 70. I did not go to a spa, I did not get new shoes or a dinner out. I got a new sport and amazing fun wrapped in innovation from Starboard Windsurfing.

If you are going to be at the Columbia Gorge Paddle Challenge – message me. I will be doing the downwind run on this board. While I may not be the fastest thing on the course, I have no doubt I will be having a  lot of fun. And after the down wind I can add my compact sail and fly all over the place.

Do yourself a favor and explore this incredible opportunity to have one board that opens three or more watersports doors for you. I will love to hear your comments.

The Wind in Her Sail – SUP Summer Fun

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Central Oregon summer got a crazy hot start and today is low 50’s and colder at Elk Lake Resort where I sailed on Tuesday (68 balmy degrees – brrrr).

Warming up with a sweet paddle around the circumference of the lake on the 12’6″ Inflatable Zen technology (windsurf adaptable) board was super fun. Early in the morning the wind was slack and the lake glassy. By 11 am the typical breeze started cranking up. I wish I had pictures. (Back story here)

sailA few weeks before, Ed and I had flown to Hopetown (Abaco Bahamas) revisiting the site of our honeymoon 49 years ago. The Hopetown marina was a challenging place to return to Windsurfing after about 35 years’ hiatus. Dodging moored boats, lots of ferries and floating moorings was a lot like a Frogger game. I was not stellar in skills but WAS 100% STOKED  with the way the Compact 4.5 sail setup worked on the board. Flying with both the board and sailing rig was easy-peasey.

Today I booked a Level 2 and Level 3 lesson with the team at Big Winds in Hood River, OR. While I can dredge some of the skills from my old memories, I am looking forward to a refresher and tweaking of the expertise.

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In my dreams this is how I will be sailing (like Svein Rasmussen) by the end of summer.

Yup, just turned 70 last Sunday. Setting up for a new sport that perfectly complements my love of standup paddling is a treasure. While I am getting into the surf and wave riding less and less frequently, there is no toning down my love of gliding across the water.

Take a look at the video below – and get some wind in your SUP this summer.

Elder SUP to Elder Sail?

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hmjsail Sailing has been a big part of my life since the late 1960’s when my (then high school sweetie) Ed taught me how. We sailed all over the Atlantic off Hollywood Beach, FL until our honeymoon in 1970. Then we chartered a sweet sloop and explored the Abaco, Bahamas out islands.

Over the years we were crew or captain on many ocean races and sailed our Hobie Cat and our Cal 25 for fun and adventures. In the early 1980’s I wrote a weight training/endurance article for WindRider magazine in trade for a sailboard. Surfing and sailing – what a combo.

I did not love it at first try – but after about 6 different sessions over many days I remember clearly that “aha” moment when things clicked. I was hooked. What an amazing way to “surf” when there were little waves. In S. Florida there always seems to be a steady breeze. I would drag my little kids along (literally) – these days there is no way I’d do that without flotation devices – ahh, the 80’s were another era altogether.

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My brave “mermaid” daughter about age 8!

 

Finally, after almost 40 years I am the proud owner of a Starboard Windsurfer.  It is inflatable and easy to travel with. Where do I plan to take it for my first warm water adventure? Back to the Abaco, Bahamas out-islands, of course.

A great feature of the 12′ 6″ Touring board with Zen technology is that it can easily be paddled so that SUP fun can partner with windsurfing fun.

Starboard-windsurfing-2019-WindSUP-inflatable-11.6-84x300Once I am back from the Bahamas and home in Bend, I know I will have plenty of days spent up at Elk Lake. Before Hood River and the Columbia Gorge brought sailboarding to new levels of speed, planing and and now – foiling, Elk Lake was the scene of its share of riding the wind. I am hoping to inspire more people to join me this summer!

Watch the video here:

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Elk Lake, is about a 35-40 minute drive from Bend, Oregon and though the Elk Lake Lodge is open year round, the lake and road are usually open from Memorial Day weekend til the first snows in the Fall. Typically the lake is flat in the morning and the winds kick in during the middle of the afternoon. Most windsurfing happens after 1 p.m.

If you paddle and/or windsurf this lake, be sure to tuck some ice cream money in your board shorts and stop by the Elk Lake Lodge on the West side of the Lake (opposite Sunset Beach). The buoys are set up as a race course for standup paddling right now. It’s gonna be fun to windsurf big boards or paddle.

elk lake fog

 

Sea Maui: Catch the”FunBoat” Family

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seamaui-sunsetIt’s one thing to sit on the beach and watch the sun kiss the ocean with gold. It is quite another to be skimming over the Pacific on a beautiful catamaran – like the Sea Maui.

Over the past couple of years the Sea Maui team has worked extremely hard at becoming a staple on Ka’anapali beach and making sure their guests have that magical Maui experience. seamaui-interior

We were fortunate to have chosen the snorkel trip over to Lanai on a beautiful Hawaiian day. What an awesome team cared for each of us every minute. We have taken a few catamaran trips with other companies and this experience was far and away the very best. All of the staff is experienced, certified and knowledgeable sailors who take visible pride in what they do.seamaui-crew

From making sure to talk with all the guests, sharing local stories and spotting ocean life (whales, flying fish, spinner dolphin),  there is no mistake that this is Ka’anapali’s “FUN BOAT.” 

Our day began with a catered hot breakfast (with vegan option) but we chose the bacon, local sausage with our eggs and perfectly seasoned rice. Belly full, we lounged on the beanbags and savored a gorgeous passage over to Lanai.seamaui-me

On this 5 hour adventure we traveled to Lanai and snorkeled in the stunning Manele Bay fish sanctuary. We spotted a huge variety of tropical fish – butterflies of many varieties, parrots, tangs, and many more.  The sprawling coral reef seemed to go on forever with formations we hadn’t seen in other snorkel spots.

Once our snorkel time was over we all scrambled back on board ready for the incredible buffet lunch and a premium open bar. The service and attention to every need could not have been better. Because the Sea Maui limits the number of  clients on each trip there was ample time to connect with both the crew and the others on board. seamaui-chat

For a memorable sunset sail be sure to check out the Sea Maui Sunset Live trip! It’s the traditional sunset cocktail sail with upbeat and fun live music performed by popular local musicians. Spice up your night and hop on Sea Maui for some awesome cocktails, tasty food, and some great jams. They don’t call Sea Maui “Ka’anapali’s FUN BOAT” for nothing. These guys really know how to entertain. Real pros! Save your seat today! Book now.

seamaui-music

SUPrepreneur – A New Breed: Jamie Uttley

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I have been an entrepreneur all my life, before I had even heard that word or knew its meaning. Each time a challenge presented itself, I invented-created-imagined-designed a plan to solve it. When I taught school there was never enough money for any extras. You can bet I became a champion grant writer, creating an entrepreneurial sort of classroom. Lately I have been developing the Blue Life Journal for Kids and a curriculum to engage and empower the next generation of ocean stewards.

A weird thing happened about 8 years ago when I started this Elder SUP blog – in a way it has been an entrepreneurial adventure. Better – it has been a way to meet amazing people. That experience led me to coin the term “SUPrepreneur.” I plan to share a series of stories of people active and influential in the world of SUP that features their “not quitting my day job” foray into developing their small business direction.

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Meet Jamie Uttley

I am very fortunate to be connected with Starboard and their North American distributors, Trident Sports.  Through that connection I met a cool, hard-working, innovative woman – Jamie Uttley. She recently posted on Facebook a call for all of us to support each other as we start our small businesses. I DEFINITELY want to support her business. It’s small, really new and right up my alley.

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Jamie sells Pure Copper Water Bottles and Copper Straws both Retail and Wholesale. In her own words she explains, “I got my wholesale experience from my job at Trident, which I am grateful for every day! My website is www.coastcopper.com (or www.coastcopper.ca)” Check it out, you will LOVE her products.

There’s a bit of a story behind the bottles. Jamie explains, ” My husband’s mom is a Yoga/Ayurveda Therapist of 30+ years and she is often going to India to teach and travel. Last March, she brought us each a copper bottle and the rest is history!

Not only are they stylish and they are believed to offer certain health benefits based on Ancient Ayurveda. That’s a great value in itself. But, as plastic bottles clog beaches and ocean gyres all over the globe, a reusable bottle is a gift to the ocean.  A reusable bottle eliminates the need for plastic/disposable bottles.

Our products at Coast Copper are sold to pretty much 3 demographics –

  • People who are interested in Ayurveda and Wellness,
  • People who think they look cool (they do!) and lastly and my favourite
  • The people who are looking for a sweet way to reduce their daily use of plastics.

Through my years at Trident I’ve learned so much about ocean conservancy and the issues our environment is currently facing. That is the beauty of the watersports industry – there is so much more than what appears on the surface. Literally and figuratively!”

justrawA beautiful and easy solution to the problem of plastic straws!  Jamie has this to say about her copper straws. “After seeing video after video and email after email from Svein Rasmussen (Founder of Starboard) and my colleagues about the condition of the ocean, it was easy to change my habits.  I’ve always been pretty good but there was room for improvement. Being the type of person that I am, I feel like I need to do what I can to spread the message of reducing our habit of single use plastic. I have no problem now suggesting a restaurant carry paper or no straws – or giving a bartender a hard time for giving me a straw after I have requested not to have one. Straws are simply a habit – and straws are one of the most prevalent beach plastic polluter.

I often post on social media and now with my business I have another avenue to share with people the importance of reduction of our single use plastic habit.”

Columbia River Inn: Home Base for Adventure

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bw-1

Nestled in an azure bay of the Columbia River

When the sign says “Best Western Plus” along the Oregon side of the Columbia River we have learned THAT’S where to stay in the Columbia Gorge Scenic area. We’ve shared many stories about Hood River Inn about 20 miles east of the  Best Western Plus Columbia River Inn. This trip we decided to soak up the culture, history, hiking, biking, paddling, wine or beer sampling and fishing by staying in Cascade Locks at the base of the incredible “Bridge of the Gods.”

Cascade Locks, Oregon, is located in the middle of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, approximately 40 minutes east of Portland International Airport and 20 minutes west of the windsurfing Mecca of Hood River.

On the drive to the Columbia River Inn we passed many scenic waterfalls available from the road or by short hikes. In fact we were surprised to learn how the beauty and diversity of hikes had survived what had been a tough fire season in 2017. Oregonians love their wilderness and are at work restoring trails and natural areas. We learned about so many hiking options which would be amazing in the Fall. William Sullivan’s book, 100 Hikes in Oregon is a great reference – also his website. Some hikes to explore are Gillette Lake, Trout Creek and Snag Creek, all putting you in the footprints of adventurers on the Pacific Crest Trail. Summer volunteers are at many trailheads, if you visit in Fall or Winter, you can check out ReadySetGorge.com for up to date information.

As paddlers, our focus is usually on planning our down wind paddles and fun on the Columbia River. Once we settled in to our spacious river view room at the Columbia River Inn and looked out at the Bridge of the Gods we got curious about what this area was all about. Over the next few days we were much better visitors after spending a few hours at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum (Stevenson, WA). Armed with an appreciation of the history and people who carved out amazing lives and industries we toasted their grit over local wines. The Columbia River Gorge wine region is known as “a world of wine in 40 miles.” bw-6

Recreational options nearby include world-class white water rafting, mountain biking, sail and kite boarding, and year round skiing on the slopes of Mt. Hood. Cascade Locks even has their own historic sternwheeler, the Columbia Gorge, departing daily from the nearby Marine Park for tours of the river.

bw-4We loved planning our day on the sheltered patio just outside of the pool area at the Columbia River Inn. Over coffee in the morning or a local wine in the evening (beer for me) we never tired of the view.

A warm, to-order breakfast that’s included with the room is always a bonus. We loved heading next-door to the Bridgeside Restaurant for local favorites prepared our way. I love crispy hashbrowns. All it took was a request and the golden brown goodness was all mine to enjoy with eggs my way and tasty sausage. There are choices for all tastes, including juice and beverage. Best of all, locals love to eat there, too. We met through hikers off the Pacific Crest Trail as well as other travelers.bs-1

It’s time to look forward to Fall and Winter is this wonderland. Enjoy your trip.