New KIALOA Race SUP: The Hulu

New KIALOA Race Paddle: The Hulu

Our friends at KIALOA have just come out with yet another revolutionary new stand up paddle: the Hulu. We’re very proud to be among the first SUP shops to have it in stock (a perk of being located in the same town).

The KIALOA Hulu is a collaboration between Dave Chun and his friend, fellow Bend resident, Gerry Lopez. It’s a super light, super strong, top performance stand up paddle, designed to meet the specific demands of racing with excellence.

The Hulu features a plethora of super-smart, high tech elements that combine to provide maximum speed and efficiency, including a new shaft construction, trademarked by KIALOA, called CST (Compression Shaft Technology). 

The Hulu's UltraLight and Strong Shaft

The pre-impregnated carbon fiber shaft has an oval mid-section and 3K carbon weave.  The ultra thin blade has a KIALOA PowerHook, PowerFace Dihedral, internal carbon edge banding, precision ground edges, and a ten-degree angle.  In case you’re not familiar with the technical jargon, just know that it’s very, very strong, stiff and light. And because it’s a KIALOA paddle, you also know that it feels good in your hand, looks beautiful, and has soul.

In addition to Gerry Lopez’s input, prominent Pacific Northwest paddlers and KIALOA team riders, Karen Wrenn, Cyril Burguiere and Beau Whitehead were invited to test-drive the Hulu, as was Chuck Patterson of California.

Cyril stopped by Stand Up Paddle Bend the other day and had this to stay about the Hulu:

"The first and most obvious observation anybody will make about the Hulu is how light it is. It is so light; I was worried I would break it while paddling when I first picked it up. I raced and trained with the Hulu almost every day last season, in all sorts of situations (sprint, distance, downwind) without a shaft break. I have broken other paddles before and am amazed at the Hulu's strength-to-weight and stiffness. Dave Chun has explained the manufacturing process for creating the shaft and how he has been able to create an ultra light shaft, free of stress or weak points. Anybody that has the chance to learn about the design and manufacturing should take the opportunity - it makes you appreciate the time and effort that goes into making this high performance product."

The KIALOA Hulu is available
in black or a choice of several
all-new blade graphics...
or featuring the iconic Gerry Lopez logo!

"The Hulu is very different from KIALOA's older paddles, an exception being the Toro, the older sibling to the Hulu with a slightly larger blade. Some of the older paddles (besides the Toro) did not have the slight dihedral on blade to help with tracking in water. Also, the thin blade's shape is a longer teardrop with slight curve at tip. Without getting too technical, the Hulu just feels smooth and effortless in how it enters, tracks through and releases from the water. The oval shaft for lower hand grip and the top T-handle feel great in my hands - making for a comfortable 13 mile 'Round the Rock race in Seattle or the rare 18 mile training run down the Willamette River. This is truly a high performance paddle - It is for those that want to get as close as possible to feeling like they have nothing in their hands while getting a smooth, comfortable pull on the water."

The New KIALOA Hulu Race Paddle Shaft

The Hulu is available in three versions: the Hulu Light, the Hulu UltraLight and the Hulu UltraLight GL. The UltraLight weighs in at just 17 ounces! The UltraLight GL comes with the iconic Gerry Lopez signature logo and the Light and UltraLIght are available in black or a choice of several brand new KIALOA blade graphics.

Oh, Hulu means feather in Hawaiian in case you’re wondering!

6/10/13 Update: The KIALOA Hulu now comes in even more varieties.  Check out the new round shaft Hulu RST which comes with either a fixed length or adjustable shaft and in three price points.