SurfingSports Standup Paddle Surf & Standup Paddling BLOG

Wow...speaking of appreciation...check out the heartfelt thank you letter that Terri Wargo wrote to the Starboard team after winning the 10'5" Drive Terje Haakonsen (TAC) model at Battle of the Paddle...we all said that it couldn't have gone to a nicer person...serendipity...



"Wow, this adventure of living and sharing the dream just keeps getting better and more exciting by the moment. How blessed we are to able to explore God's beautiful creation, especially on my new SUP that we won at the Battle of the Paddle (thank you so much, we are ever so grateful.) Everyone who sees it can't get over the fact that I'm cruising on a piece of art that is so unique and so versatile whether on flat water or catching waves, I literally feel like I'm flying. I knew when Ekolu Kalama blessed it at Doheny, it was going to have the power of turning moments on the water into mini vacations. As an educator, mom, dog lover, ocean dweller, humanitarian, and one who believes that it is important make the world a better place just by being in it, let us never take anything or anyone for granted.

Celebrating life by living life to the fullest.

With much appreciation,
Terri, Allison, & Benny"

It's people like Terri that are poster children for our byline :: STOKED FOR LIFE

Here is Starboard's Scott Currie holding the TAC Drive, as Terri's winning number is pulled from the bag...


BTW, Ekolu Kalama's band rocked it off the hook...
L(©¿©)K for his new CD soon...he'll be sending us news when available...

Note the StarTouch traction deck finish...the TAC version will not come with mast foot option...





The TAC will be replacing the popular Sportech (wood) version...and, will be priced at $1749 10' & below...$1799 above 10'...we already have a long waiting list...should have the first models in a couple of weeks...

Labels: Battle of the Paddle, Starboard appreciation, Terje Haakonsen SUP

Here's another round of images from the 2009 Battle of the Paddle...130 or so images...
Still lots more editing to do...

EJ heading home to victory after making the buoy turn at the halfway mark...



Distance race shot from the end of San Clemente pier...L(©¿©)King towards Dana Point...



Friday afternoon practice before the contest...from our hotel room...



L(©¿©)Ks like a woodstock SUP festival...;-)



OUCH!!!



Chuck Patterson, last year's BOP winner...running for the finish line...
He took 4th in the distance...and 5th in the Elite event...



Testosterone man!...;-)



Battle of the speedo winner...;-)



Naish team rider, Jerry Bess, gets a soul ride on the new 17' Naish Glide...



Jim Drake (co-inventor of windsurfing) with Ashleigh Parducci...her grandfather Allen Parducci, was also a co-inventor of windsurfing...also pictured is David Drake...Jim's youngest son...



More pics in this GALLERY...

Labels: Battle of the Paddle, Battle of the Paddle pictures, Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle, standup paddle racing, SUP paddle racing

The youth brigade was in full force...

Here's 10 year old Riggs Napoleon fully soul surfing...I saw guys who were supposed to be "surfers"...5 times older than this kid, running from waves like this...;-)



Slater Trout...what a kewl kid...
I paddlesurfed with him and his dad on Maui 3 years ago...he was still sponsored by our friend, and world class shaper, Bill Foote...I gave him a coiled leash because his was getting in the way of his cross-stepping...and he still remembered it...this 14 year old has really stepped it up...finishing 2nd overall in the Elite race after waterman extraordinaire, Jamie Mitchell...coincidentally, the kid has a business card with his title as "Waterman"...this is actually very doable as a 14 year old on Maui...



Thomas Gallagher cleared by flight control...



Rob Rojas...super nice guy...humble...hard working Fish & Game warden...makes time to train every morning at the crack of dawn...here he is finishing 2nd in the distance race...



Danny Ching...SUP distance Men's winner...cross-stepping back...his board was oscillating something fierce...





The wahines catching up with the men at the southern buoy turn...



SUPsports team rider, Rich Schroeder (54), trying to thread the needle...one of the only guys in this group to execute a proper kick turn...a move that Rich has worked on the last couple of months...



MY WAVE!!! I GOT IT!!! COMING DOWN!!!
What a cluster f*ck...just as Sparky planned...;-)








Aloha surf riding seven decades ago...wave etiquette is wave etiquette...some wave riders get it...others do not...



These guys totally get the "aloha" thang...the song remains the same...



One of the sweetest buoy turns of the contest...a SUP wave contest surfed on race boards...;-)

We saw lots of guys make this turn on their knees...some took as many as 15 strokes on their knees...so much for the "5 stroke rule"...;-)



Obligatory group shot...



to be continued...

Labels: Battle of the Paddle, Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle, standup paddle racing, SUP racing

After initially being called a fad (like rollerblading...etc) the sport of standup paddling, and paddle surfing, is now undeniably chiseled into legitimacy...

It will take several days to go through all the images we have...so until we get the galleries up, I'll start by putting up a few that capture interesting moments for us...

Beach scene at the start of the open race on Saturday...around 300 people finished...



Brian Syzmanski...he has really stepped up the R&D on his unique L@@King SUP race hulls...he has produced over a dozen new racing hulls for Starboard and their new SUP racing team...



I think the results that Brian achieved throughout this 2 day event has definitely elevated his profile...

14 year old Zane Shweitzer wins the stock division with Brian right on his tail for 2nd...Brian's partner, Matt Friedman, finishes 3rd overall stock...that's a sweep...also, Nikki Gregg wins the women's division on a Starboard/NCP prototype...







Matt Friedman...



Nikki Gregg with Nui...1st place Women's Open stock class...



Nikki's SO...Dan Gavere...snags a nice wave on a Starboard/NCP proto...



New Starboard team rider, Brandi Baksic, firmly established herself as one of the top elite women standup paddlers in the world by taking 3rd in the Elite race in the waves...and, 1st in the distance race...she only has a few months of SUP under her belt, yet she smoked (and humbled) many so-called "top notch" racer dudes...quite amazing...even more amazing, is the fact that she beat 2nd place finisher, Candice Appleby, who was riding an unlimited SUP with rudder, in the distance race on the stock Starboard/NCP...





Ernie (EJ) Johnson guts out a win in the distance race stock division despite a shoulder injury...that nice new contract with Starboard will buy him a few beers to ease the pain...;-)





The start of the men's elite race...



The inside buoy turn log jam...



Typical carnage at the inside turn...bowling pins...the sickening crunch of carbon...kaching...kaching...;-)







Impressive wins by the Aussies...Jamie Mitchell 1st place Men's Elite...



Shakira Westdorp 1st place Women's Elite...



A shout out to one of our great SUPsports staff, Adam Kirkcaldie, for winning his age group in the open race...(Open Age Group Race - STK M30-39)...

There were 35 contestants in his grouping...

Labels: Battle of the Paddle, Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle, SUP paddle racing, SUP racing