Catch a BIG fish on SUP Stand Up Paddle Surfboard

The Gathering Rogue Longboard Results

"The Gathering" Rogue Longboard Classic was interesting, to say the least, with the giant swell rolling through on Saturday. Sunday was smaller and barely manageable but a few of our Bend SUP borders and surfers managed to make it to the podium! Judy Shasek in the SUP womens class, Tom Burke in the SUP mens class and Peter Miller in the grand dukes longboard class. Congratulations to all of our Stand Up Paddlers from Bend, Oregon. Read here for more about the Gathering.
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Here's what Ed Shasek had to say about the 2009 The Gathering event:

"Swells were 14 feet on the face Saturday, frightening. It looked like "Victory at Sea" The waves were crashing all the way over the jetty. Randall and I didn't go out. The SUP guys that did were getting smashed. Tom Burke went out and got at least one good ride inside the big stuff, still overhead, Peter Miller went out and decided to stay out of the big stuff and came back in, although he did get 4th in the Grand Dukes prone surfing class (over 60) with several great rides on Sunday. Tom said it was very difficult to get out and he had to turn-turtle several times. He got a lump on his cheekbone when his paddle clocked him. There were very few rides by SUP on Saturday, I think I saw two, and these guys were good SUP surfers. Tom made the final six for Sunday finals, but did not go out as he was tired and wanted to get back to Bend with his wife to paddle the river and rest. He had just returned from Maui the day before. Randall picked up his 6th place trophy for him. For the Sunday finals, it was overcast and cold on the beach. The swell subsided to about 6-8 face, but it looked like a washing machine. Judy's Saturday heat was postponed to the Sunday finals, as there were only two SUP women. She did great. I was so proud of her. She got all the way out and got one up-and-down ride and one ride across the face on the outside break. The other woman couldn't get out and road the foam a bunch of times to take 1st. This woman was good enough to get 3rd in the woman's prone over 25 class. She was 48 years old from Alaska and thought the weather and water was balmy. Judy got the second place trophy. She was 1st in our minds as she had the strength, steel ovaries and determination to get outside. She is a much better woman than I am a man. If she was a man they would clang when she walked. In fact, I thought I heard them when she was walking up the beach after her session. We all paddled the Bay at Newport on Saturday afternoon and had a beautiful paddle. Had to paddle against a strong wind to get back to the put-in."
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Click here to view these pictures larger

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Local Bend, Oregon SUP Paddle Surfers Head South to the RainBow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle

This weekend, Oct 3,4, is the Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez "Battle of the Paddle" It's a long way down to So Cal for this event, but I'll guarantee Gerry's going!

Here's a link with the info: http://www.rainbowsandals.com/battleofthepaddle/
This is the ultimate SUP Stand up paddling event to attend and everyone can participate too! Karen Wren, from Portland and an occasional contributor of information to our blog, is entered with the Elite group and paddling for Hobie. Good luck Karen!

Tim Henion, of Bend, will be at The Battle of the Paddle via Arizona and doesn't have a way to get his SUP board there.

• If anyone is going and has room on their roof racks to take his SUP board to him contact Tim: thenion@bendbroadband.com or call Tim @ 503-519-8591

Otherwise, our Friday @ 4:30 gatherings are still on! Just bundle up if it's cold. Meet at the paved parking lot by the Bend Outrigger canoes and Alder Creek kayak. Newcomers are welcome and bring your favorite beverage for afterward. I've missed a few Fridays lately due to weekend get-a-ways for surfing at the coast. I've got some great stories to tell this Friday so hope to see you there!

Aloha,
Randall Barna
www.StandupPaddleFlatwater.com

Grant Myrdal Surf & SUP Photography Art Exhibit at the Minnesota Market Building

Beautiful, sensual photographs of surf are not what you might expect from a Central Oregon photgrapher, but another surf luminary has moved to Bend, Oregon (besides Gerry Lopez and the Chuns (Kialoa Paddle). Surf and SUP photographer (and all around GREAT scenic photographer) Grant Myrdal moved to Bend a couple of years ago. Originally from South Africa, Grant has toured the world with his camera. One look at his portfolio and we are the richer for his travels.

His renowned fine art photos have been exhibited in New York City, San Fransisco, Los Angeles and Newport, RI. He is represented by the Belenky, Sagemore and Montanaro galleries. Grant's adventure sports images have been published worldwide in magazines including Outside, Mens Journal, Surfer, Surfing, The Surfers Path, ESM, Waves and Zigzag.

A selection of Grant Myrdal's Hawaiian water imagery is on display at the Minnesota Market Building, freshly framed by the creative crew at ArtOnTheGo .

• WHERE: 25 NW Minnesota, Bend, Oregon
• WHEN: September 2009
  
• FOR MORE INFO: contact Grant at grant@grantmyrdal.com www.GrantMyrdal.com

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com Thank you for purchasing your SUP gear and accessories from us, we appreciate your support.

Stand Up Paddle Magazine is the New Glossy in the Line Up

Growing along with the sport of stand up paddling are the magazines and websites about SUP. Standup Paddle Magazine is the latest gorgeous new glossy in the line-up. A quarterly magazine, it's available at your local surf shop, Barnes and Noble or by subscription on StandUpPaddleMagazine.com .

We met Mike Muir at the Tahoe-Nalu SUP race in August as he was handing out copies of the second issue of the magazine. We read the publisher, Reid Inouye's column, Publisher's Note and think that Reid makes an interesting point about Standup. Here's an excerpt:

"SUP has split into three directions: flat-water, surf and open-ocean. For the flat-water paddler, all it took was the sun to come out and burn off the cloud cover and the harbors were filled with men and women working out and breaking some serious sweat."

We think that Reid is right -- flatwater is a serious form of stand up paddle boarding and a direction the sport is taking that will only grow. We live in a Northwest flat-water mecca of freshwater lakes and rivers in Bend, Oregon. People of all ages and fitness abilities are learning to SUP paddleboard, a key component to nurturing the sport. If women and kids like the sport, it'll REALLY grow!

And that is the kind of growth we support through our efforts. We encourage everyone to try the sport and we also encourage activities that aren't only about muscle and fitness; like down-river paddles that allow the weaker paddlers to socialize and share the adventure with strong paddlers (the river current helps!).

So -- all of you SUP event and race organizers, be sure to include race categories and prizes for all ages and both genders whenever possible in a race or promo event. When you're creating marketing and sales publicity, be sure to have visuals that include women, kids and older people as well as the usual photos of muscular guys with great tans. Inclusion will win the sport converts. Guaranteed!

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Naish Stand Up Paddleboard Race in San Diego Sept. 13th

Naish ran a race series this summer with about 12 retailers throughout the country. Each retailer held races once a week for 4 – 7 weeks where a cumulative score was tallied throughout. Retailers then awarded the top 3 of the men and the top 3 of the women. Naish then gave these winners an invite to San Diego for the national championship. The top 3 men and top 3 women of the championship then get the above prizes.

Only those racers that competed in the race series are able to win the prizes.

However, Naish is also offering an open race for anyone who wants to paddle that will run at the same time of the championship.

WHERE: 1100 West Mission Bay Drive, Bonita Cove, Mission Bay, San Diego, California
WHEN: Sunday, September 13, 2009.
Race registration 10:30 am
Race start 11:30 am
FOR MORE INFO: supchampionship@naishsails.com

For your stand up paddle ocean flat water gear, please shop our site www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com. Thanks, we appreciate your support.

Rogue 7th Annual Longboard Classic and SUP Surf Contest in Newport, Oregon

This is a last minute reminder for anyone who is planning on either long boarding or stand up paddle surfing in this fun contest. Save room for lunch. The Rogue Brewery serves hot coffee and snacks in the morning and gets the BBQ grill going for lunch. Non-alcoholic beverages are available as well as Newport's finest hand crafted ales.

Note: If you need help getting your gear to the beach, volunteers run trucks from the jetty to the surf venue.

WHAT: Rogue Brewery's "The Gathering" 7th annual Longboard Classic Surf and SUP Surf Contest
WHEN: Sept 12th and 13th,
WHERE: South Jetty, Newport, Oregon.
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: August 28th. NO Beach entries, no exceptions.

CONTACT: e-mail contact is: Stacey@rogue.com

WHERE TO CAMP: The campground at South Beach State Park in Newport is almost full so get your site ASAP.

Read about last year's contest on our blog entry. We posted a video of the conditions, let's hope this year is sunny and no 30 mph winds!! (Like the photo from the 5th Annual Rogue Gathering Surf contest.)

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com
Thank you for buying your SUP gear from us, we appreciate your support.

Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race has a Bend, Oregon Connection

Jack Gillen sent us this photo and the note, (Here's) "The owner of rainbow sandals, my wife and some dude from Bend, Oregon." Of course, that "dude" is Gerry Lopez of Bend, Oregon. From left to right are Jay Longley (Sparky), the ever-gorgeous Terry Gillen and Gerry Lopez at the:

13th Annual
RAINBOW SANDALS - MOLOKAI to OAHU PADDLEBOARD RACE
Presented By Honolua.

Jack Gillen entered the race. Here's a photo of him paddling during his 8+ hour race. He was the only solo stand up paddler on a fixed-fin stand up paddleboard.

To get his stand up paddle board to the race venue on Molokai, Jack and his friend Ekolu Kalama paddled the boards from Maui to Molokai three days before the race. Then. . . they raced!

Because of the side-winds during the race, Jack had to paddle on one side the entire course. The other solo competitors were on SUP paddleboards with rudder fins. Rudder fins allow the paddler to paddle on both sides while steering with the rudder rather than using only the paddle stroke to steer. Jack feels that a fixed fin stand up board is pure and true to the sport of stand up. So he chose a fixed fin in homage to Stand up paddling's surfing roots.

Jack came in last in the solo category for his efforts and told Randall that he spent 80% of the race thinking how he would never do the race again.

Several days later, Jack was back training for next year. We love this guy!
Here's how the race shook out. Jamie Mitchell claimed the 8th consecutive Rainbow Sandals Molokai to Oahu Paddlebaord. Hawaii's Kanesa Duncan Claims the Women's race.
 Ekolu Kalama Takes Standup Honors . . . READ MORE at Rainbow Sandals;

Read more about Jack Gillen (Terry's husband)

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Planning a Group Beach Trip to Pacific City

Places to Paddle Circa Bend, Oregon:
WHERE: Pacific City aka Cape Kiwanda, Oregon
DISTANCE: About 4 hour drive from Bend, Oregon.
SEASON: All year. Fall is best for weather

Stand up paddling or surfing on the Oregon Coast can be a family trip if you go to Pacific City, Oregon. Pacific City (or PC) is a favorite place for paddler boarders and surfers from Central Oregon.

I put together a list of accommodations within short (100 yards) walking distance of each other that would suit all levels of amenities and prices at Cape Kiwanda so that you'd know what to book if you want to travel with a group of people. From tent camping to luxury cottages, Pacific City / Cape Kiwanda has something for everyone.
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The Cottages -- Gorgeous new buildings that have level access (easy for walking). These cottages have a direct view of the area of surf.

• The cottages have 2 and 3 bedroom options.
• The Dory Fleet ships out and in on that section of beach -- always entertaining.
• Also the tide pools and the big dune that many people hike up are also right there. If you want to watch the activity from the comfort of the living room or deck, you don't have to go anywhere.
• Also -- if want to go to the beach without walking the 100 feet, there is a driveway for the dory boats (and anyone else) to drive onto the beach (another source of endless entertainment).
  

Here's the link to photos of The Cottages
Here's a link to the rental page for the Cottages
Here's the phone from the website: 888-965-7001 rentals@kiwandacottages.com

The Inn at Cape Kiwanda (owned by the same company that owns The Cottages) - This is a decent hotel with renovated rooms that all have a view of the ocean and a little deck, gas fireplaces, etc. You can see from the website that it is a very short walk to The Cottages and is half-way between the beach and the RV park.
The contact number is the same as above: 888-965-7001

Cape Kiwanda RV Park - This has many low priced options (we'll camp here) that includes camping (tents & trailers), camping cottages and deluxe cottages (very nice and new). None of the park has ocean views, but the store/office is next to The Inn at Cape Kiwanda, so it is a short walk to the other locations. The RV park includes an indoor pool and hot tub,
Children's play structures, market / ice cream / souvenir store, pizza place, laundry machines and bunnies hopping around the park.
Contact number is: 503-965-6230

Here's a link to our Stand Up Paddle blog that has a couple entries we made about our visits to Pacific City.

Check out our website for SUP stand up paddle boards that are good in the surf and flatwater.
www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Amundson Stand Up Paddle Board Rocks Surf and Flatwater

Judy Shasek loves her new Amundson Aquaglide 11'3" SUP paddle board. Here's a photo of her rippin' down a wave at Pacific City, Cape Kiwanda, Oregon.

The Amundson is a sweet paddleboard. Thin rails carve in waves and make this SUP board easier to handle from your car to the beach. Fast in flatwater, great in ocean waves, picks up wind-driven lake waves. Fiberglass construction is tough. The Amundson is a great all around paddleboard for anyone weighing under 170 pounds.

The soft deck of the Amundson paddleboard saves you the cost of deck pads. If windsurfing is your thing, you can attach a rig in the center slot of the Amundson paddle board and have another way to play! The Amundson Aquaglide is a favorite SUP paddleboard because it's easy to handle both off and on the water. Thank you John Amundson for shaping such a great stand up paddle board.

FREE SHIPPING AND NO TAX IN OREGON Aquaglide Amundson length: 11'3" width: 29.5" weight 27" volume 180L. Compare this board with the Laird Gloss 11' 6" and the Soft top Laird 11' 6". Windsurfable (has a center slot for the mast).

Check out our Stand Up Paddle Boards.

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com.

Whale Watching Up Close!

Dennis Oliphant is one of the founders of our original SUP paddling group in Bend, Oregon (he's 4th from the right and Mike McColms is the guy in the white tank top on our blog header photo). Dennis sent us these photos and story about SUP stand up paddling in Mexico:
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While in San Jose we spent a few days going out and paddling with the whales. A cow and calf had been out most mornings so I paddled out with Mike and Judy McColms to hung out with the pair as the past mornings we seemed to observe without much disturbance.

They were swimming around with us for about 30 minutes when the mom suddenly swam toward me and when just a few feet away she turned and dove. With her tail straight up in the air, she shook it twice (lobtailed) and slapped it just few feet from me. Boom!

The water shot into the air and I bounced around on the board and was totally immersed in water!! Mike got a couple of photos but missed most as he had sat his camera down on his board, still you can see the splash and how close the whitewater ring was to me and my board! I was just a few feet from the epicenter.

It was one of the most exciting experiences EVER! Her tail was about 10 feet across and I was looking right at it maybe 15 feet away. The strange photo with the paddle was when I was
covered/underwater. I tried to take the photo just as she lobtailed but theshutter was slow and I was just hanging on when the photo was taken. You can see the splash and turbulence in the underwater photo. A once in a life time experience!

See you on the water!
Best Regards,
Dennis Oliphant

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Fitness and Race Standup Paddle Boards

What's the difference between a race and a fitness standup paddleboard?

Most fitness paddling is done on boards that cross-over to surfing. Since the goal of the activity is "working out," it seems that any board will do the job. Well, not so! If you run for a workout do you wear hiking shoes! If you cycle on the road do you use a mountain bike? Of course not, you use the right tool for the job. For covering distance on flatwater what's important is glide. To get good glide on a board thats also designed to surf you simply go long, 11' to 12'6". For body weight over 170# consider 11'6"to 12'6". For under 170# consider 11' to 12'.

The ultimate standup paddleboards for glide are race boards. They are not good in surf, but if you don't surf, or if you are OK with a quiver (more than one board) then a race board is most pleasing for fitness paddling. The size of race board seems to be standardizing around the race classes, of 12'6"(and under), 14'(strictly 14'), and unlimited length (and design, including rudder steering).

Nate, editor of supsurfmag.com says, "14' is a race board class because they likely determined 14' to be the point where things start to get really FUN for full size or bigger riders on downwinders. It is a huge stoker to be getting longer, funner glides. So, if that is where the most fun is, and you are already riding that for max hoots, why not race that? It is not like a 14 foot board or even a 17 is much more $$$ than a race weight 12'6. At least from what I can tell, the difference in speed in going longer over a great 14' is pretty negligable, so deciding to go unlimited may be a tougher choice. But that is for downwind races. Things could be different for flatwater races."

Hard-core race boards use exotic materials like carbon fibers and hollow cores. They also can be narrow and tippy, sacrificing stability for speed. Citizen racers and fitness paddlers can consider less expensive constructions that still offer great performance. The board companies are labeling these boards with names like Distance, Expedition, or Touring.

For me, I can't wait to get a 14 footer. It will be a Joe Bark Expedition from Surftech and should be available in May '09. The other one I'm awaiting from Surftech is the Laird 14', available sometime this summer. Check www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com for their arrival.

Along with design changes in the paddle boards are changes in stand up paddles. The SUP paddle blade trend is towards a smaller blade in distance conditions. In a down winder, the blade size can be larger because of board speed. Check out the Kialoa Methane paddle for distance paddling.

Note: In Oregon, two distance races (so far) are the Outrigger Canoe Race in the Gorge (formerly The Gorge Games) and the Odell Lake Pioneer Cup Canoe Race (6 mile race). 

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Nelscott Reef Oregon

It looks like the Nelscott Reef pro surfing contest for 2008 had another epic swell! JB apologized for the photo quality, are you kidding? Although you can barely see the tiny surfer at the bottom it's the wave!

Congratulations to the surfers brave enough to go out there and escecially those that paddle-in.

I haven't heard of any standup paddlers in this wave yet. If so, send photos!

www.StandupPaddleBend.com

14' Standup Paddle Boards - Racing & Touring

Take a look at a 14' foot paddle race boards and it challenges the usual definition of an SUP. Is this 14' long surfboard a watercraft, surfer, racer or adventure touring board? These SUP boards certainly have the heritage of a surfboard, like a giant "big gun," but the intention is open water and ocean racing and touring. In the old days surf contests were all about prone paddling, so now the sport is returning to it's island roots. Then, the fastest glide and speed would get you between islands and to next surf break before the tide turned. I can't wait to paddle one of these beauties!

The legendary paddle board shaper, Joe Bark has shaped a new 14' stand up paddle board racing / touring design for Surftech and it will be available next spring. The above flyer has the information and specs. The boards have a glossy white bottom and yellow or red decks.

The trend in SUP paddles has been towards the smaller blade (depending on your stand up paddle board speed). Pair this board with the Kialoa Shaka Pu'u paddle. For women paddlers or small (less muscular) men paddlers, I suggest you buy the Kialoa Methane paddle.

Another good reason to buy  your racing SUP boards at Stand Up Paddle Flatwater in Bend, Oregon is because Oregon doesn't have sales tax. To be guaranteed to get a Joe Bark Expedition 14', let me know now so I can set one aside for you.

Call me: 541-389-4547
www.StandupPaddleFlatwater.com

SUPs and PFDs

This is a follow-up to my post August 12,'08 "Hassled About PFD?"

The US Coast Guard recently made a determination:

"Based on the information available, the Coast Guard has determined that, when beyond the narrow limits of a swimming, surfing or bathing area, the device known as a "paddleboard" is a vessel under 46 U.S.C. 2101, and therefore subject to applicable regulations administered by the U.S. Coast Guard and its Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, unless specificallly exempted."

In essence, if the paddleboard is being used for transport on lakes, bays, or rivers, a PFD is required.

I guess we're responsible for national policy on this. I doubt that
anyone making this decision has ever been on a paddleboard (maybe never
even seen one) and certainly didn't get any input from the paddling
community. If so, the paddlers could easily explain that the PFD
requirement will not increase the safety of the sport in most cases.
Granted, a paddler could get struck by lightning or hit-and-run by a
boat and knocked unconscious. But then, the PFD would only save them if
they were wearing it and the rule says it just needs to be on-board.
Paddleboards are unsinkable. A more common sense safety rule is to wear
a tether-leash attaching you to your board and this is widely practiced
without the need of regulation.

Paddleboarding is a healthy, low-impact and environmentally friendly new
sport. The enthusiasts do it because they are so un-encumbered by
standing on top of a board instead of sitting within a boat. The feeling
of freedom and experience of the outing is incomparable. Some paddlers
choose to wear PFD,s and my point is that it should be a choice. The
expectation is that it will not be required to have a PFD because
everybody knows a board is not a boat.

The reactions from the few people that were already warned by marine patrols were brought to my attention immediately, disbelieving, distasteful, even calling it harassment.

I'm requesting that the Board consider rule making and adopt rule
language to exempt "paddle boards" from the PFD requirement. I will be
glad to testify and could provide many others to testify if it would help.

Randall Barna

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com Thank you for purchasing your SUP gear from us. We appreciate your support.
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The 6th Rogue Gathering Longboard Classic Results on the Oregon Coast

A group of us SUP surfers from Bend, Oregon traveled to Newport, Oregon to compete in the annual longboard classic and Stand up Paddle surf contest called The Gathering, hosted by the Rogue Brewery every September. The weather was windy and sunny and sometimes foggy in the early morning. The surf was small to overhead. Handcrafted brew, hot coffee and BBQ burgers kept all of surfers and audience happy. The announcers and judges did a great job making this 6th annual event, The Gathering a friendly, fun event for everyone from novice to expert.

This past Sept. 6 and 7th at The 6th Annual Rogue Gathering the SUP standup paddle class grew in one year from six to sixteen entries! This was enough for three heats, two for men and one for women. The two men's heats led to the top six for the finals heat. It was a really fun event.

The gals were all beginner SUP surfers from Bend: Judy Shasek, Susie Miller, Isabella Acosta Barna and Cristina Acosta. With the exception of Isabella (who won first), they mostly got stomped in wind gusts in the 24 mph range and the biggest waves this group of gals had ever been in. The good news is that they showed up and filled the top 6 places, so they all got a plaque!

For camping and other info, check out our prior blog entry.

Thanks to Michael Carpenter and Randall Barna for video footage and Isabella Acosta Barna and Randall Barna for editing the movie.

Thanks to Ron Church's estate for the photo art and Penny Murie of Medusa Design for creating a cool & groovy poster with Ron Chruch's surf photo. Penny Murie is also the Rogue Brewery label artist.

The Results for the 6th annual The Gathering Annual Longboard Classic surf contest hosted by Rogue Brewery, Newport, Oregon are:

Stand Up Paddle SUP Gals (all ages, which happened to be 14 to 59): 1st - Isabella Acosta Barna; 2nd Cristina Acosta; 3rd Judy Shasek; 4th Susie Miller
Longboard Gals:
Menahunes w/Parent (12 & under): 1st - Kaya Linn Remmers; 2nd Izzy Martinez-Ybor; 4th Savannah Russo
Gals Under 25: 1st - Olivia Schroeder, 2nd Haley Richards
Gals Over 25: 1st - Carly Dye, 2nd Kristin Lovett, 3rd Nelly Daanslow; 4th Skylar Bieraugel; 5th Lisa Field; 6th Jessica Dumoulin

Stand Up Paddle SUP Guys (all ages): 1st Tony Stein; 2nd Ken Wilson; 3rd Mike Field; 4th Ollie & Bella (the dog) Richardson; 5th Randall Barna; 6th Peter Miller
Longboard Guys:
Menahunes w/Parent: 3rd Woodrow Mayer; 5th Wynslow Mayer; 6th Joey Swan
Gremmies (13-19): 1st Travis Cockcroft; 2nd Kevin Sennewald; 3rd David Klistoff; 4th Laird Tuel; 5th Brandon Cotte
Boys (20-29): 1st Ollie richardson; 2nd Patrick Mason; 3rd Mattie Starr; 4th Jedi Jonny Knape; 5th Louie Golar; 6th Jeff Guggenheim
Hot Shots (30-39): 1st Nathan Smith; 2nd John Bieraugel; 3rd Tor Rockness; 4th Travis Prince; 5th Larz Richardson; 6th Ken Wilson
Mid Life Cruisers (40-49): 1st Patrick Crotty; 2nd Rob Russo; 3rd Mike Tuel; 4th Nolan West; 5th Brad Miller; 6th Joe Stoops
Dukes (50-59): 1st Bill Bourdon, 2nd Phil Rovai; 3rd Ray Benner; 4th Tony Stein; 5th Spike Richardson; 6th Bill Delanty
Grand Dukes (60-69): 1st Danny Anderson; 2nd Nick Parry; 3rd Peter Miller; 4th Bix Weir; 5th Michael Harrington; 6th Fred Sickler

REMEMBER -- Buy your Stand up Paddle Surf gear from us at www.StandupPaddleBend.com Whether you're paddling the inland flat water, wind waves or getting in some ocean surf time, we have the SUP gear for you!!

Hassled About PFD? - ask Randall

Hi, I was paddling on the Nehalem River estuary the other day and imagine my suprise when the Tillamook County Sheriff stopped me and gave me a warning for not having an approved PFD and whistle (like I was a boat)! Do you guys have any experience or advise you'd like to share? I called the director at the State of Oregon for water activities law enforcement and he said there was a policy that seemed vague about requiring a PFD and whistle if I was in flat water, though not requiring them in a surf zone. I'm puzzled and irritated that I was singled out for this application of a silly rule (I don't see any adults wearing PFD's and whistles on your website. Is Dechutes County more enlightened than here on the coast?). I've been surfing in Oregon for 43 years and boating longer than that and this is the first I've heard about any rule or policy like this. Your comments please.
Regards, David, Manzanita, Oregon

Hi David, This subject is like de-ja-vu all over again. We went through the same thing in the 80's with windsurfing. We windsurfed for years without PFDs and then someone decided that they should be required so they started enforcing it. Finally enough windsurfers complained to the marine board and maybe even the legislature and they changed the rule. I believe it states that anything considered a water toy and that you are on top of, opposed to sitting within, is exempt from the PFD rule. In Bend there are thousands of people floating down the Deschutes through downtown and the Old Mill district. City buses shuttle them back to the start. If they're on an air mattress, PFDs aren't required. If they're in a $10 toy raft PFD is required. Inner tubes are another grey area since your butt is in, however, technically you're on top since it has no floor. In the old windsurfing days, the ironic thing with the old PFD law is that you didn't have to actually wear the PFD, you just needed to have one "on board". We would bungee cord a PFD to the nose and be legal, which was absolutely ridiculous!

Real safety is a concern but this PFD requirement gets into a human rights and freedom issue like requiring adults to wear bike helmets. This helmet issue recently came up and was proposed to go to the legislature and was immediately squashed by a huge outcry in objection.

This is my opinion on safety and the PFD issue:

1. PFDs should not be required on standup paddle boards. They should be treated the same as surfboards, windsurfers, air mats, etc.
2. In open water with current or wind use a leash. When wearing a leash you are always tethered to a personal flotation device, the board! Every board has way more flotation than any Coast Guard approved PFD.
3. Respect the elements and water, assume risk, and use good judgment. Regardless of flotation, sh-- happens!
Randall Barna
standuppaddleflatwater.com

SUP Tips From Flatwater to Surf

When you can't get on the water, you can still pickup a few Stand Up Paddle surf tips from the comfort of your couch. Stand Up Paddleboarding Instructional DVD from REAL has been a popular pick with members of the Standup community. Randall viewed this DVD and says that it's great for beginners. We'd love to hear some of your comments about this DVD. Here's what the DVD covers (according to the producers):


"GEAR Board Types, Board Constructions, Fin Choices, Paddles, Deckpads, Wax, Leashes, Wetsuits, Booties, Sun Protection. GEAR SET UP Proper Wax Choice and Application, Installing your Standup Deckpad, Installing Leash and Fin, Choosing your Paddle, Paddle Sizing. THE BASICS Standing Up, Proper Stance, Holding Paddle, Paddling Technique, Using Paddle to Balance, How to Fall. FIRST SESSION Flatwater Session, Basics Review, Finding the Sweet Spot, Advanced Paddling Techniques, Turning Techniques. WAVE SESSION Flatwater Review, Paddling over Whitewater, Waiting for Waves, Catching Waves, Riding Waves, Exiting Waves, Falling in the Surf. BONUS SECTION Standup Etiquette, Jimmy Lewis Surf and Standup Paddleboards, REAL BVI Slideshows, Cape Hatteras Bonus Footage."

www.StandupPaddleFlatwater.com

Learn to SUP surf at age 40, 50, 60. . . .

If you've ever dreamed of surfing but thought that maybe you were just a tad too old to go through the tough learning curve, give Standup Paddling a try. Surfing is one of those sports with the reputation of being only for young(er) people. Most of the older surfers have been at the sport for many years and have the skills to make up for any slow spots in their joints.

I had my first surf lessons last summer in Tofino, Canada at Surf Junction. At age 47, though generally athletic, I'd never surfed. Growing up in the small Southern Californian hamlet of Playa del Rey, I spent a lot of time playing in the water, so I had some level of familiarity with ocean waves. Nonetheless, my first time on my standup SUP board in the ocean waves I was freaked. Standing and surfing on a wave seemed almost impossible at first, then I caught my first wave. I was standing in waist deep water with a Laird 12'1". I jumped on, paddled and caught a wave. I glided into shore, the wave foam somewhere around my ankles. I was so stoked!! Compared to regular surfing, it was much less work for a ride. Within the hour I was regularly catching little waves. I was hooked!

And, as is my way -- my enthusiasm bubbled over. My friend, Judy Shasek tried my board last summer at the South Jetty in Newport, Oregon and got just as hooked. Here's a photo of Judy this July in Pacific City, Oregon. She's all focus on the wave. She's also a lot of fun. I asked her to share her thoughts about surfing and aging. Here's what she had to say:

"From the Summer of 1966 through most of 1968, Ed and I surfed every day we could at Hollywood beach FL. Our BIG WAVE DAYS were in the 2-3 foot range and we mostly had chop, never long lines or well formed waves. We transitioned to Hobie Cat sailing to catch waves and eventually switched to sailing, with some windsurfing when the kids were growing up. To re-discover surfing 40 years later – with good waves – is amazing. We feel very much the same as we did waaaay back in 1968 and are loving the experience of west coast surf. Being older – zoning in on age 60 next year – is a non-event in this surfing process. If you love the ocean, love the exhilaration of speeding over water, and simply have a ton of fun with very cool paddling/surfing friends then the surf experience is awesome at any age. Celebrating our recent 38th anniversary by catching some of our first Oregon Coast waves will go down as a favorite memory."

This month my friend Gary Yoder (age 54) was surfing with us in Crescent City, California on the North Coast. He recently bought a 9'6" Surftech Soft Top and was learning to surf for the first time ever. He hadn't been out much more than a time or two, so he was a beginner. I convinced him to trade me time on a Laird 12'1". (I thought it'd be fun to try traditional surfing.) By his second hour of board time on the Laird, Gary was regularly catching waves!

As for the traditional surfing, it's too much work. I'm back on my Standup, a Takayama 11'6. I LOVE that board. At first, I fell off it a lot in chop, but by the 2nd day I was much steadier. The Takayama picks up waves so easily. When my husband, Randall Barna rides it, he carves shoulder high waves with ease.

The first time I did Stand up Paddling last summer on flat water, my feet were practically frozen to the deck (but, I didn't fall in). Now, I'm practicing moves on the flatwater and every month or so getting a couple days at the beach to SUP surf. With less time in my schedule and tolerating less of a margin for the physical abuse learning a new sport often entails, Standup Paddling has opened a new world for my friends and me. See you out there!!!



Photos: 1. Judy Shasek on the wave. 2. Gary Yoder 3. Cristina Acosta (red hat) on a wave 4. Cristina Acosta and Gary Yoder on the Beach. Thanks to Ed Shasek and Katy Yoder for the photos.
Contact Randall and Get the Standup Paddle Gear that's right for you. Email him at randall@footform.com or 541-389-4547

Event: The Rogue Gathering, Newport, Oregon Sept. 6th & 7, 2008

(Click Here for RESULTS for the 6th Annual Rogue Gathering Surf Contest)

Surfing and beer (in that order) are a natural combo. And in the Pacific Northwest, the land of great beer, it's only natural that a brewery would sponsor a surf contest. If you're a fan of either, we recommend you show up for the Rogue Gathering surf contest sponsored by the Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon. Even if you're not a surfer, the beach scene is fun, and the Rogue Brewery will be on the beach serving refreshments and food.

Randall Barna and Peter Miller entered last year (2007), the first year for a Standup Paddle class. Peter is holding up 2 trophies because he's an awesome guy and entered (and won) in both the Longboard and SUP classes. The weekend was sunny and in the 80's (not always the case)! Hope to see you there!!

The Rogue Gathering - Sponsored by the Rogue Brewery
When: Sept. 6, 7, 2008, 7 A.M. start both days. Check in Sept. 5th.
Where: Newport, Oregon
Check in at the Rogue Brewery, Friday 6 -7 pm, Sept. 5th, below the Yaquina Bay Bridge at the Port of Newport, South Beach Marina. 2320 OSU Drive, Newport, OR
Contact info: 541-961-0142 email: stacey@rogue.com
Registration: is Limited. NO Beach entries, Aug. 20th DEADLINE, no exceptions.
What Else: Contestants receive t-shirt and other gifts. The trophies are hand made with beautiful images.
Where to Camp: South Beach State Park, South of the Jetty,
Oregon Parks and Rec Dept., 800-452-5687 www.oregonstateparks.org
The campground is paved roads with bathrooms and showers and is very clean. Walk from the campground and over the sand dune and you are on the beach by the contest venue. Ask for a site near the 1/3 mile trail near the "C" Loop to the South Jetty. This is a busy weekend, so don't wait too long to reserve a spot.

Get your gear at StandupPaddleBend.com