SurfingSports Standup Paddle Surf & Standup Paddling BLOG

Breaking news on the coconut telegraph...

Big news for a BEEEEG Molokai boy...
The two time winner of the 32 mile Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard race , Ekolu Kalama, has signed on with Starboard...
Pic below shows Ekolu on one of the new 2009 Starboard SUP prototypes...



From the Molokai Dispatch
By Jennifer Smith

Is there anything more pure and fantastic than a boy’s dream? How about when that dream becomes a man’s reality?

For as long as Ekolu Kalama can remember he wanted to be a professional surfer, but for almost just as long, people have told him he couldn’t do it. To those people Kalama says, "if it's your dream, it's your dream-and no one can criticize it."

After several years of hard work and trying dedication, Kalama made his dream a reality last May when he became one of the first Stand Up Paddle (SUP) surfers to receive a sponsorship.

SUPing is a newly popularized sport where surfers use elongated canoe paddles to propel themselves on longboards. The oversized surfboards allow SUPers to keep their balance and remain standing whether they’re on a wave or not.

Starboard, a famous board making company in the windsurfing industry, snatched up the Molokai born paddler and surfer in hopes that he will assist in designing a signature SUP board, and help to further popularize the sport.

To understand how a former Molokai High School graduate ended up on the beaches of Maldives testing boards and taking part in photo shoots the story needs to rewind two years.

Kalama was turning 30 in a few hours, and felt what he describes as a “mid-life crisis of sorts.” Sitting on Makaha beach, waiting for midnight to hit so he could jump in the water, he saw his friend Duane DeSoto playing with his kids.

Something about the image stuck with Kalama and while out in the water catching waves and contemplating his life, he stopped. "I said ‘this is the life I want!’"

"Everybody thought I was crazy," Kalama said, explaining how people reacted when he gave up one of the best jobs on the island, as a firefighter. Friends and family argued that the 10 day per month work requirement left him with more than enough time to surf.

But, Kalama realized he had to make sacrifices if he wanted to go all the way, and it would take nearly two years, and several tries before he would realize he made the right decision.

Broke and worn, “it didn’t seem like the doors were going to open,” Kalama said. The fire department gave him three years to go back, and every month for several months he filled out the paper work to return, but each time "it was like pulling teeth for me to go back."

Now with a sponsorship and a busy summer schedule that includes stops in Bali, England, California, Spain, and France, Kalama knows his sacrifices were worth it. "I feel like I have natural abilities God gave me," and I wasn't able to use them at the fire department.

Kalama credits his cousin Dave Kalama and infamous big-wave rider Laird Hamilton for introducing him to SUPing. "Laird gave me my first board and paddle" nearly two years ago, he said.

"I was surfing before I can even remember," Kalama said. And coming from a well-known family of canoe paddlers, "it was a common sense natural match for me."

"It's been my childhood dream to be a professional surfer," Kalama said, explaining how excited he is to be doing what he loves. His experience has taught him that you can accomplish your dreams, no matter how great, and he hopes to pass on this attitude to his two young sons.

A two-time World Paddling Champion in the Molokai-to-Oahu race, he said now he just needs to earn a surfing world title.

Labels: Ekolu Kalama, stand up paddle surfing, Starbaord SUP

Gerry Lopez has 40 years of shaping experience...and, it shows in his latest creations...9'6" & 10'3" SUP's...click pic below for gallery of the latest Gerry Lopez 10'3" SUP shape...in stock now...($1299)





Pics are from Gerry's new book...SURF IS WHERE YOU FIND IT...

New from Patagonia Books: "Surf is Where You Find It," by Gerry Lopez, is a collection of stories about lessons learned during a lifetime of surfing.

Labels: Gerry Lopez, Gerry Lopez SUP, stand up paddle boards

We've recently added two new high performance quadfins to our new Ron House SUP lineup...a 9'1" x 28" bat tail and a 9'11" x 28" winger swallow...MSRP $1199...



If you know how to surf, or just want to challenge yourself with improved maneuverability, these new sticks will take you to where you want to go...
GET IT...RIP IT!!!

Labels: Ron House High Performance SUP's, stand up paddle boards

The folks at Red Bull
are a major sponsor of pro surfing and many other watersport events...so it was only a matter of time until they decided to give standup paddling a go...of course, they chose Santa Barbara (the SUP mecca of North America) for their initial baptismal...go figure...;-)



Live music...a flotilla of Naish standup paddleboards, great food & drink provided Shoreline Beach Cafe...and a supply boat just offshore loaded with (what else???) Red Bull and dancing girls...talk about a carrot on the end of a stick...;-)

Everyone was game to standup paddle at our dynamic waterfront venue, even with the brisk afternoon sea breeze...which BTW, was enjoyed by Wet Wednesday boat racers...and Nite Moves swimmers and runners...powering upwind and current...



Pro Red Bull athlete Kai Lenny (Maui) was flown in to help with the standup paddle instruction...he took advantage of the breeze to do a downwinder from the offshore Red Bull mother ship, using a surfboard as a sail...



More pics in this gallery...

If you are interested in doing a corporate team building event or retreat, or private group clinic / party, involving standup paddling at this venue in Santa Barbara, we can arrange event and hotel logistics for you...just give us a shout out to schedule...

Labels: Red Bull, standup paddle surfing Santa Barbara

Another Santa Barbara standup paddleboard demo goes off in sunny gorgeous weather...



The ocean conditions were a bit raw early...but, laid down as the day went on, becoming glassy with some serious wind swell...very challenging for our local first time paddlers and visitors...some of which came from as far away as Oklahoma and North Carolina...to pick out standup paddleboards for us to ship back home for use on their lakes...

They had to choose from offerings by Ron House, Gerry Lopez, Starboard, Naish, Jimmy Lewis, & Bill Foote to name a few...

Standup paddles from Quick Blade, Werner, Sawyer, & Aquaglide...

We also had some gorgeous locally hand made standup paddles on exhibit...
Check out these sweet Hawaiian print and snake skin standup paddleboard paddles...





Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about our standup paddling clinics and corporate team building events...

Labels: standup paddle boards, standup paddle surfing Santa Barbara