SurfingSports Standup Paddle Surf & Standup Paddling BLOG

The latest BUZZ in new standup paddle surfing sports gear.

We showcase the best standup paddle boards, standup paddles, standup paddle accessories with news and views.

StandUp Paddle Sports has the largest, and best, selection of SUP's in the UNIVERSE at our store in Santa Barbara, CA.

Over 150 standup paddle boards currently in stock. New SUP's arriving monthly.

(Best selection...Best value...Best service...Mahalo)

Monday, April 19, 2010

Win This Board! :: Cold Current SUP & Paddleboard Race

This brand spanking new Starboard 12'6" Pin SUP is being raffled off at the Santa Barbara Cold Current SUP & Paddleboard Race this Saturday April 24, 2010...raffle tickets are $5ea. and proceeds will go the benefit the Friendship Paddle...a not for profit organization dedicated to open ocean paddle events which will provide emotional and financial support to Santa Barbara County residents fighting life-threatening illnesses.

You can purchase raffle tickets at our shop, StandUp Paddle Sports :: 121 Santa Barbara, St. and, at the race...

Inaugurating the California Downwind Race Series Saturday, April 24, 2010...
9 mile race from Goleta Beach Cove to Ledbetter Beach...

Click on map to enlarge...

Click on race poster for details...

***VERY IMPORTANT***

SB Cold Current registration-entry update

Due to a conflict between the ABC (State Alcohol Beverage Control) and SB City policies regarding "complimentary food and beer" and permitting requirements for "PUBLIC EVENTS" we are shifting the race to be a "private function" However, the downside to this is that we cannot sell entry to any person who has not "RSVP'd", "reserved" or "paid"entry prior to 11:59pm April 23rd, 2010 No Exceptions! Please have your spouse, contact, guest, friend, partner, cohort, mate ...spam list ...whichever.. send an email to robert@blacksmithendurance.com simply stating "I might be at your race on Saturday, April 24th, 2010" No other commitment required For those persons (2) who did not get their 2009 SB P2P shirt, I got them from the printer the other day and will get them to you in the next day or so For those who are concerned, our "paid" entry list count is already over 40 persons and climbing daily... Robert A. Gilcrest Founder/ Event Director Blacksmith Endurance Co.
"easy on the environment, tough on the competitor" 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez, Suite 210 Santa Barbara, Ca. 93103 (805) 896-6917

Labels: Cold Current Paddleboard Race, Friendship Paddle

posted by SurfingSports # Monday, April 19, 2010

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Starboard's SUP Fishing Board

The best execution of a standup paddleboard platform for fishing...

Labels: paddleboard fishing, standup paddleboard fishing, Starboard 9'8" SUP Fish, SUP fishing

posted by SurfingSports # Saturday, April 17, 2010

Friday, April 16, 2010

North Pacific Custom SUP's

More North Pacific custom SUP's coming down the pipe...big guy short board rippers...9' x 32" and a 9'7" x 31.5'...

Labels: North Pacific standup paddle boards, North Pacific SUP

posted by SurfingSports # Friday, April 16, 2010

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Bull in a China Shop

You've heard the expression..."Bull in a China Shop"...seems kinda funny these days as it relates to China made SUP's...;-)

One of our clients brought his Chocolate lab, "Alex", (which comes from the same breeder as our "Molly Claire") into the shop as we were just getting back from our Kauai SUP R&D trip...thank god that our boards are the best constructed, most durable SUP's on the market...because it was a whirling dervish of Chocolate lab excitable fervor...you had to be there to fully understand...;-)

Alex the Chocolate Lab...

You'll see more of Alex on the nose of Steve's wood 11'4" Naish SUP...CLASSIC!

Labels: chocolate labrador retrievers, Chocolate Labradors, SUP store

posted by SurfingSports # Thursday, April 15, 2010

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Santa Barbara Cold Current SUP & Paddleboard Race

Inaugurating the California Downwind Race Series Saturday, April 24, 2010...
9 mile race from Goleta Beach Cove to Ledbetter Beach...

Click on race poster for details...

***VERY IMPORTANT***

SB Cold Current registration-entry update

Due to a conflict between the ABC (State Alcohol Beverage Control) and SB City policies regarding "complimentary food and beer" and permitting requirements for "PUBLIC EVENTS" we are shifting the race to be a "private function" However, the downside to this is that we cannot sell entry to any person who has not "RSVP'd", "reserved" or "paid"entry prior to 11:59pm April 23rd, 2010 No Exceptions! Please have your spouse, contact, guest, friend, partner, cohort, mate ...spam list ...whichever.. send an email to robert@blacksmithendurance.com simply stating "I might be at your race on Saturday, April 24th, 2010" No other commitment required For those persons (2) who did not get their 2009 SB P2P shirt, I got them from the printer the other day and will get them to you in the next day or so For those who are concerned, our "paid" entry list count is at 36 persons and climbing daily Robert A. Gilcrest Founder/ Event Director Blacksmith Endurance Co.
"easy on the environment, tough on the competitor" 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez, Suite 210 Santa Barbara, Ca. 93103 (805) 896-6917

Labels: California Downwind Race Series, PADDLE RACE SANTA BARBARA, Santa Barbara Cold Current

posted by SurfingSports # Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Fish On!

Hobie ATR SUP's are stable and nice paddlers...two attributes that make them great fishing SUP's...there will be several fishing specific SUP's coming down the pipe...but, in the meantime, these vid clips show what is capable...

Here is a killer vid clip of Jared Lane hooking a thresher shark on his Hobie SUP off of San Diego...what the ???? is he thinking?

Mish has become a legendary SUP fisherwoman...

Here she is snagging a 35lb white sea bass off of San Diego...

Labels: Hobie SUP, SUP fishing

posted by SurfingSports # Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Coreban SUP's in Stock

In the near future there will be a shakeout of SUP companies...those that are simply copycats and riding on coat tails...will become "has beens"..."never will be's"...it will become very obvious as to who is leading and who is following...

Coreban has been a leader and innovator since 2005...based between Maui and South Africa, this company is now bringing boards into America...and, we're stoked to have them...

Check out the Coreban wood series SUP's...

Labels: Coreban standup paddle boards, Coreban SUP

posted by SurfingSports # Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Island Aloha

Still alive and well...

Returning home with a few new toys...come by the shop to check them out...
I guarantee that the new brushed carbon construction is 10 lbs lighter than what you are riding...;-)

We hooked up with our friends from Starboard, who had just finished a windsurfing photo shoot on Maui, taking the opportunity to do some SUP testing on an outer island...

Svein Rasmussen, owner of Starboard...his mission is to keep pushing the envelope of technology and innovation...

Svein testing one of his new designs...

Scott McKercher, 2004 world wavesailing champion...ripping paddle surfer as well...

WD going left on a mysto offshore reef...this wave jacked out of nowhere onto just inches of water...

Gaute dropping into a nice one...

Labels: aloha, Garden Isle, Hawaii SUP

posted by SurfingSports # Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Surfing With Turtles

I've surfed with dolphins for decades...and, windsurfed with turtles on Maui...
Now we have them making a comeback near our property in La Ventana, Mexico...but, surfing along on a wave with an ohana (family) of 4 turtles is UNREAL!!!
Almost as amazing as surfing with King Laird...;-)

A few snapshots from the Garden Isle...

Labels: Kauai, Surfing with turtles

posted by SurfingSports # Sunday, April 11, 2010

Friday, April 09, 2010

The Fun Continues...

Good waves...good peeps...and, holy shmoly...good fish tacos...(sorry no pics...pau...;-)

Labels: Garden Isle, Kauai

posted by SurfingSports # Friday, April 09, 2010

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Aloha

The "Garden Isle" is full of aloha...so far, everyone that we have come in contact with over the last 3 days has been full of aloha...the folks on the flight over had the mellowest chill of any flight that we have ever taken...

The aloha on the water is how I remember it...sharing and pure stoke...

We're holed up in a plantation house surrounded by waterfalls and next to a river and bay setup with perfect peeling right handers...slabs of seared ahi...a little yoga...life is good...

Labels: aloha, Garden Isle

posted by SurfingSports # Thursday, April 08, 2010

Monday, April 05, 2010

Starboard SUP Technology :: Transporter 2-Piece SUP

We've blogged about the Starboard Transporter 2-Piece SUP, designed by Mark Raaphorst (Maui) previously...they are moving down the production line and will soon be available to the masses...

More pics on this blog post by Chris Pressler...

Labels: Starboard 2-piece SUP, Starboard SUP technology

posted by SurfingSports # Monday, April 05, 2010

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Everyone Goes Away In The End

Walk into our shop and you're bound to hear Johnny Cash..."The Man in Black"...on our speakers...

Johnny was a complex man that walked the line of temptation constantly...the age old battle between good and evil...that we all fight...

He was a biblical scholar...he also declared that he was "the biggest sinner of them all"...

Johnny recorded the following song right before his death...critics rated it in the top songs of the last decade...

He's also viewed as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

There have been over 30 million views of this video of a NIN cover, "Hurt"...something to think about on this Easter Day...or, Semana Santa (Holy Week), as the case may be...

Everyone goes away in the end...you get one chance...no do overs...so get out there and enjoy life while you can...

Peace out...

Labels: Johnny Cash

posted by SurfingSports # Sunday, April 04, 2010

Saturday, April 03, 2010

The Garden Isle :: Kauai

It's been 20 years since my last visit to the "Garden Isle"...Kauai...
We directed our vacation time and money at Maui, Mainland Mexico, and the Baja...
I remember uncrowded surfing...and, even more uncrowded windsurfing...prolly the same today with standup paddling and paddlesurfing...although, I hear Titus and the boyz rule the outside peak at the bay...

Dunno where all of my slides ended up...but, I did manage to locate a few...even a shot of Titus in his younger daze...;-)