Tag Archives: elder sup

Aloha Spirit the Olukai Way

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Not too long ago I downloaded an app for my phone so I could learn some Hawaiian phrases. When spoken authentically it’s not only music to the ears but it’s a solid study of meaning and nuance. For many reasons, the app sits unused on my phone these days.  The more I experience the language from those who live it the less I want to “pretend” to understand it.

For example, at the recent Olukai Ho’olaule’a events the experience surpassed the words. To quote from the event’s website, “Ho’olaule’a – literally means “celebration”, but for [Olukai], it’s also an expression of gratitude. Each May, we hold our interpretation of this storied Hawaiian tradition on Maui’s north shore. The event blends elite competition with family-friendly cultural activities and gathers some of the world’s best SUP and OC1 paddlers to race the legendary 8-mile Maliko downwind run. Friends and families come together to enjoy canoe sailing and surfing, ancient Hawaiian games, traditional luau, hula, and live music. We take this opportunity to recognize and honor our ‘Ohana Giveback partners, as the community shares collective gifts of time, energy, and spirit.

After the event, Ed and I strolled down the beach to wait our turn for a ride on the Olukai sailing canoe. The team’s canoe had been blessed in the traditional ceremony just the evening before. A group of guys wearing the yellow Olukai shirts were sitting in the sand, so we joined them. One, Ross Ka’a we later learned, greeted us with a smile and drew out our stories of sailing, our love of the ocean and such. We learned a bit about his life, paddling and a few races but not much more. It was obvious that he was a waterman, but the extent of his spirit of aloha hadn’t hit us yet.

We took our turn on the sailing canoe, zooming through the surf and sun – WOW! what a chicken-skin ride!

Soon after that it was time for the awards ceremony. At the front of the stage was a full sized outrigger paddle made of a blend of koa and native woods. It was set on a base carved in the shape of four Makau, or bone hooks. That Makua is the Olukai mark, the traditional Polynesian symbol worn for strength, good luck, and safe passage over water.

Later during the awards ceremony for the Maliko Gulch competitors for the Ho’olaule’a event we had another treat. Little did we know that we had been chatting on the beach with Ross Ka’a, the master craftsman who created that award. He never gave a hint as to his relationship with the team or his expertise in building traditional paddles and crafting with wood. Speaking with some who have known Ross for decades, we learned he is a master wood worker gifted in the craft of making art pieces from native woods. He has been a friend to Olukai for a long time.

Toward the end of the awards ceremony Ross was called up to present the trophy he’d created to Olukai team leader, Marvin Otsuji. Marvin has been leading Team OluKai as master steersman for 25 years. The team broke the longstanding record in the Na Holo Kai race and captured the overall 2008, 2009 and 2010 season championships. Marvin led the team to the most winning record for the past 15 years straight.

Not only is Marvin a great waterman with an innate knowledge of some of the trickiest channels in the world, he competes with pure “aloha.” In a sport where wind and weather, equipment and demands of the sport can wreck havoc on any given race, his consistent success could be rooted in his love of the sport – without expectation. That’s pure aloha mixed with tradition and culture.

Yes, I think it is time to delete that app from my phone. Learning to pronounce a few Hawaiian phrases pales in the face of experiencing the meaning behind the words. Practicing pronunciation – not so much. “Living” a life with aloha and embracing the day with Ho’olaule’a – now we’re talking!

Waterwoman Karma with your SUP

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We left Kahului Airport at 11:30 on Sunday and by noon we were neck deep in a full-immersion course on SUP on Maui.  We had pre-planned our SUP rental from Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport on Maui but we didn’t anticipate the connection with their staff – particularly with Deja! A few early conversations with Dennis O’Donnell had prepared us for getting a great SUP board and paddle for our week’s vacation. Once at the shop, we met the personification of customer service, SUP skills and local history – Deja Howard.

Deja helped us select our board and while loading them on the car inquired about our interests, our visit, our curiosity about Maui. We let her know that we planned to do the Fun Race 3 mile segment of the larger Maliko Gulch Run. Cool, Deja planned to do the Maliko Gulch as she does each year. Luckily for us she’s a walking encyclopedia of Maui and Hwaiian lore.

We had no idea of the history that Maliko Gulch had and its impact on the agricultural progress of this area of Maui. In 1876, Henry Baldwin, who lost an arm and almost lost his life to a sugar cane grinder, managed to pioneer the processes around Maliko Gulch to bring water to the cane fields of the area.  Today’s SUP pioneers negotiating the tricky conditions at Maliko Gulch continue honoring Maui’s potential as Baldwin did. Sport, tourism and agriculture don’t intersect often, so it was very interesting to hear Deja weave history with the exciting event coming up.

Our experience in the Olukai Ho’olaulea would be our first and we were a bit nervous as the afternoon prevailing winds whipped our hair, and almost whipped the SUP boards off the car.  Noticing our questions, Deja shared some advice for us as we paddled the week before our fun race.

She advised us to practice paddling in all types of weather conditions; rain, big chop, side chop, light to heavy wind, gusty wind and even practice paddling directly into the wind.  She thought we should do some “mini” downwinders at a shorter distance to get our legs used to the chop.

We found that downwind paddling is a blast and very addicting.  Our experience was definitely enhanced by our first hour in Maui and the great customer service from Deja, Dennis and the entire team at  Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport .

Tradition, Technology, Together… Living It!

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Again and again, island by island, the KIALOA spirit bumps into us as we travel.  Ed and I are 42 years into our marriage but a solid 48 into the life we love together. From the early days we were in, on and around the ocean (Atlantic in S. Florida) and Hawaii dreaming from the beginning.  We both wonder at what twists and turns our lives would have taken if we turned our back on the scholarship/college route that was the “right” choice and instead, headed off to Hawaii like Meg Chun did.

If you don’t know the story, it’s a great one. Meg met Dave Chun and over many years the amazing company called  KIALOA evolved. Sure, they share a great line of paddles with the world, but more than that, they share a spirit of ohana. They live and breathe technology and tradition together on the water. It is so much more than an accurate marketing message, it is real and we bump in to it on every island we visit. One example: Check out this link.

Most recently we visited Maui and were staying on West Maui. Ed and I planned to stretch the envelope of what our 62 year-old selves could do on the ocean – we planned to prepare for the Olukai Ho’olealau during our vacation (some people rest on the beach and enjoy “umbrella drinks.”)

Each morning we drove our car 4 miles down Kaanapali Beach and parked it. We walked back to our hotel along the cool walkway at 6 am.  The plan was to put our boards in the water and do a sweet down-winder back to our car (with a few surf sessions along the way). One morning we met Barry as he was prepping some paddlers for an outing in his outrigger canoe. What caught our eye was the “KIALOA” logo on the side and a quiver of brand new Kialoa wood outrigger canoe paddles. It was obvious that Barry was providing a top-of-the-line experience.

We chatted with Barry for a spell and learned of his personal paddling aspirations. Like many other pros we have encountered, Barry was especially grateful for the support and sponsorship of Meg and Dave Chun at KIALOA. We stood on the lawn as the early morning light brightened the skies and illuminated Lanai out to our right. Like many of the paddling athletes we’ve met in the past, Barry could “talk story” about the spirit of Kialoa endlessly.

He had so many tales to share, and experiences to remember. It was cool to see so much enthusiasm for taking the casual “tourist” out on a traditional outrigger experience. For Barry, the few hours he had with each guest was simply a chance to instill an appreciation of the sea, of the Maui traditions and of the paddling culture. 

An hour later when we were deep in to our down-winder we saw Barry and his paddlers working their way upwind on what would sure to be a treasured memory of Maui.  Even in the hands of first time outrigger paddlers it was great to see that Barry provided the best. Each member of the day’s outrigger “team” was using a quality KIALOA paddle made of fine woods and exquisitely finished. The feel, the balance and the beauty all added to the experience for the all. It is his way, it is the way Kialoa inspires.

Robert Stehlik Walks (on water) the Talk

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I first “met” Robert Stehlik through a few of his Zen Waterman blog which he co-authors (the SUP part) with Len Barrow (surfing).  The blog explores Surfing and Stand Up Paddling as Zen arts with features including: focus and paying attention to technique, equipment, mental aspects, the interplay with nature and others. His interview with Gerry Lopez was one that caught my attention – and before I knew it I’d read through almost the entire blog.

As a 62 year old hoping to maximize both fitness and results through honing the best techniques possible, Robert’s article on “catch and reach” was really interesting. That did it. I decided to give Robert a call in hopes I might meet him and learn more about how he trains and coaches the SUP novice and experienced crowd on Oahu. I was planning to be there the second week of December. As luck would have it (YES!) I arrived in time to experience his December clinic.

For Robert, the clinics are much more than a chance to sell boards. The most important things is to make sure that the initial introduction to the sport is a positive one for the participants. That philosophy was integrated into all aspects of the clinic we experienced.

We walked to the meeting area near AlaMoana and saw about 30 people, most out on the water trying the vast array of top quality boards and paddles.

One local newbie, Emily,  trying standup paddling for the first time confessed that she has a tendency to be tense when learning a new sport. It isn’t the challenge – she loves that. Her concern was that she would do it all wrong.  Emily was lucky – she met one of the Blue Planet Hawaii trainers, Phil. Phil was just one of the patient and skilled trainers ready to surprise people with easy to follow training. One by one we saw it happen. Just like Emily, people were embracing their new favorite sport.  

Phil was quick to explain that while SUP can provide excellent fitness benefits, the most compelling aspect is its ability to connect people with nature.

Teaching is far more than a casual side interest among the team at Blue Planet Hawaii.  Robert definitely walks the talk. His background of training and dedication to meeting his own personal SUP goals become fodder for sharing with customers, clients and SUP students. Robert completed the Molokai channel crossing race on a Stand Up Surfboard in 2009,   one of his big personal goals. Months of training and planning paid off and he finished the 32- mile course in a respectable time of 6hrs 15min and 7th overall of all Solo SUP paddlers.

True to his personality, Robert was quick to thank his wife Sharon for her support. She came along on the escort boat and let Robert go on long training paddle runs for the last few months before the event. It takes a team – and that is what Robert has developed at Blue Planet Surf.

SUP Spectrum: Colors

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A recent post on the Kialoa Paddles Facebook page caught my imagination (and made me really want a new paddle!) Their 2012 line reflects technology and tradition with a SUPer dose of awesome design.

That collage of color reminded me of a shot we took back in the summer of 2009 when the Central Oregon sport of “sarong sailing” was (maybe) invented on Hosmer Lake.  Local artist, Cristina Acosta, had created exuberant designs on silk. It was a sunny day and we had a few of her sarongs with us as we headed out for a paddle/picnic day. As we entered the widest part of the lake, coming into view of Mt. Bachelor we were chatting excitedly about how the snow melt we were paddling on had been sweet spring snow under our skis just a few months before – when suddenly the wind picked up! Ed, the most dedicated sailor among us, wished out loud, “Too bad we don’t have sails to harness this breeze!”

Coming at us from the side it was perfect for a broad reach. Without a moment’s hesitation, Cristina whipped out a few of her sarongs, which immediately caught the breeze and shot us forward in a blaze of color and design.  Greens, blues and yellows filled the sky – along with giggles and woohooos.

During our lunch in the middle of Hosmer Lake we had a chance to hear about the silk-screen process Cristina used to create her variety of silk sarongs. We debated the pros and cons of possibly refining methods for attaching the sarong for more technical “sailing.”  That idea quickly went out the door by the end of the afternoon. The pure casual ability to take a sarong from around our waist and hoist it into the wind for a few minutes of “wind-surfing” won out. Ed crusied toward his favorite ski mountain while Cristina and Judy tried the “catamaran” method. 

Not long after our day at Hosmer, we took a SUP along the Deschutes River at Sunriver and paddled into Spring River, a cold and clear finger of exploration opportunities.  The day was sunny again but as afternoon approached the wind turned brisk. Of course we had our sarongs.

Isabella and Cristina harnessed some breezes – what a picture! We probably took 30 shots of the reflections of color and paddle boards in and below the crystal clear water.  

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.

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.