SurfingSports Standup Paddle Surf & Standup Paddling BLOG

Stand Up Paddling - a royal Hawaiian sport, is now becoming the
new craze and the world's quickest growing watersport.

Starboard is preparing a line of Stand Up Paddle boards, guiding
watersports into a whole new dimension.

Starboard is bringing back their line of gorgeous wood veneer
boards updated for standup paddle surfing and light air
windsurfing.

Wavesailing
Attaching a sail to the brass inserts positioned in the middle converts the board to a whole new world of
amazing light wind wave sailing. The feeling of riding these long boards in the waves using the aft brass
insert uncovers a new dimension...

No need to use a harness in the light winds, one can easily get onto a wave with a pump or 2 and walk the
board from the tail to nose without loosing speed while riding the waves full length. Getting over the wave breaks is way easy due to the volume and length of the board. Wavesailing is suddenly possible in 2-10 knots of wind and fun even in small waves.

The boards:

Starboard 12’2” X 26 5/8” by Mark Raaphorst ( top Maui based SUP rider and shaper).

-The outline template is wide in the middle for stability with a pulled in tail for carving on the wave.
-The extra rail volume further provides stability while paddling.
-The longboard rocker with extra tail kick offers an agile board feel compared to its size while on a wave.
-The flat nose rocker section is a good platform for nose riding.
-The long water line and curved tail rocker promotes a pleasant glide for longer distance Stand Up paddling.
-The thin 2 mm 3/4 deck EVA with indications for your foot placing provides great traction.

Starboard 12’6” x 30” by Svein Rasmussen/Jim Drake.

-One can easily get onto a wave with a pump or 2 and walk the board from the tail to nose, without loosing speed while riding the wave’s full length.

-The mid fin also creates a great deal of balance, thus will be a tool for learning SUP.

Stand Up paddling can be learned in 5 minutes, be enjoyed on any lake ,river or ocean and is great fun
cross training/core work out. The Stand Up paddle board is easy to put onto the roof of a car, comfortable to carry to the beach and convenient to store. The advantage of SUP boards over a basic surf board is the added width allowing you to stand up and use a paddle thus get more power and speed. When you take off on the wave, you are already standing up surfing. The paddle further acts like a balancing pole, making it easier to turn and keep your balance.

Popular sit down kayaking and canoeing has 40 times more participation in the USA than windsurfing,
indicating the limitless potential of the more accessible SUP. Dave Kalama and Laird Hamilton are currently the best known SUP athletes, Mark Raaphorst the most progressive shaper and Jeff Henderson recognised for bridging SUP with wavesailing.

We are taking deposits now to secure boards for May delivery time frame.

Pricing: SUP 370 and 380 Sportec Retail: $1499.00

(U.S. $) SUP 370 and 380 Wood Retail: $1999.00

Continuously pushing boundaries through innovation and quality, Starboard challenges all to

“ DO IT STANDING UP!”

Labels: standup paddle boards, Starboard, SUP

posted by SurfingSports  # Thursday, February 08, 2007

I try to be as open-minded as possible when it comes to windsurfing equipment...because, if something new & mo' bettah comes along, we're all over it...most sailors have been on a certain brand sail/board...etc...for a number of years...same old same old...some brands deserve the loyalty...others don't...

There is a lot of talk about durability these days...most of it is in general terms...and is rarely put in qualified perspective, what kind of use/abuse the sail is put through...

Wave sails are used by people at most venues...even flat water venues on windy days...people use terms like "bomb proof" and "bullet proof" on lakes, rivers, and bays...

To judge durability of a wave sail...it must be used in *real* waves...

If a sail is used in real breaking waves...then the mast sleeve construction/material is very important...

I will further state that Hot Sails Maui stands alone in this regard...

They incorporate a kind of silky firehose material in the sleeve...nobody else has anything close...Jeff Henderson calls it an "exclusive high tenacity weave luff material"...

http://surfingsports.com/images/hot_mast_sleeve1.jpg

I point this out because it is very unique...
I have seen a skinny mast break in 3 pieces and not a single carbon shard penetrated this stuff...

Furthermore, I believe that Hot Sails Maui is the only company utilizing Dupont Kevlar rip stop, 1000# test, rope into the framework of their sails...

http://surfingsports.com/images/hot_dupont_kevlar1.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/images/hot_dupont_kevlar2.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/images/hot_dupont_kevlar3.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_wavesailing/slides/cali_kevin8.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_wavesailing/slides/cali_kevin5.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom_wd9.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom_wd8.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom_wd2.html

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom_wd1.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom3.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom_wd10.jpg

http://www.surfingsports.com/cali_spring_fun/slides/aero_cuben_phantom_wd3.jpg


“What's special about Cuben Fiber?
It is 50 % to 70% lighter than Kevlar, four times more durable than Kevlar, and lasts as long as Spectra. It substantially improves the strength to weight ratio over conventional sail fabric."

http://www.cubenfiber.com/cfstyles.html

Cuben fiber is arguably the highest strength to weight material used in windsurfing sail construction...and the expansion of it's use this year into it's smaller "Charge" wave sail lineup...

We will be receiving the 5.0m2 and 5.5m2 Charge soon and putting them to the test at higher wind/wave venues this coming year...

Labels: Aerotech Sails, Hot Sails, Light air wave sails, Severne Sails, windsurfing

posted by SurfingSports  # Sunday, February 04, 2007

My 10" (25cm) FreeWeed:



http://surfingsports.com/images/freeweed10_kona.jpg
http://www.surfingsports.com/images/wardog_freeweed_10_powerbox.jpg

12" (30.5cm) FreeWeed:


http://surfingsports.com/images/freeweed12_kona.jpg
http://www.surfingsports.com/images/wd_freeweed_12_powerbox_lg.jpg

More pics of 12":
http://www.surfingsports.com/kona_style_standup/index.html

& 13.5" (34cm) ATX (All Terrain Xtreme):


http://www.surfingsports.com/atx.asp

If you don't want to go with my giant wave fins, the 34cm ATX has more sweep than the 36cm Cross fin,
more surface area, and it's in G-10...

http://surfingsports.com/images/atx34_cross36_compare1.jpg
http://surfingsports.com/images/atx34_cross36_compare2.jpg

Here's a comparison pic of all 3...
http://www.surfingsports.com/images/freeweed_atx_compare.jpg

We ship globally...recently shipped a bunch to Australia...

Customer testimonials here:
http://www.surfingsports.com/customer_testimonials.asp

Ordering info:
http://www.surfingsports.com/wardog_fin_designs.asp

Labels: Exocet Kona, Kona Style, Kona Surf, Longboard sailboard, sailboard fins

posted by SurfingSports  # Sunday, February 04, 2007

SurfingSports: Picture Gallery I SurfingSports: Picture Gallery II

Labels: Baja windsurfing, California windsurfing, Maui windsurfing, windsurfing

posted by SurfingSports  # Friday, February 02, 2007