Kalamalka Classic SUP Race in Canada June 19th and 20th

Kevin O'Brien from BC, Canada sent us this notice of a new major Stand Up Paddle race in Canada. Here's the info:

The warm waters of Kalamalka Lake between Vernon and Oyama, BC will be home to the first major SUP race in Canada – The Kalamalka Classic. It’s a 3-event SUP race at one of Canada’s prime flat water Stand Up Paddling locations and the organizers have partnered with Gatzke’s Farm Market to provide great food, a hammock hangout, bocce’ and accommodations.

Overview of the Event:

Dates: June 19-20, 2010
Location: Kalamalka Lake – Vernon & Oyama, BC (3.5 hrs from Vancouver, 4.5 hrs from Seattle)
Organizer: Kalavida Sports Ltd. / Kalavida Surf Shop, Vernon BC email: oksup@shaw.ca
Host: Gatzke’s Farm Market/Kalavida Sports Ltd.
Sponsors: To be announced
Nearest Int’l Airport: YLW Kelowna (20 mins)
Nearest Major Int’ Airport: YVR Vancouver

Friday: To be announced.

Saturday: (The Kaloya Crossover) It’s a short, loop course that has two different races; one for the newbie’s and one for the experienced paddlers. Newbies will do a short 2-mile version of the course and the experienced paddlers will ‘crossover’ the land at Kaloya Park as part of their 6-mile loop course. The afternoon will feature a more casual atmosphere with sprint races for prizes, board demos, vendor expo, followed by dinner at Gatzke’s Farm Market.

Sunday: (King/Queen of Kalamalka) The day that we’ll see the King and Queen of Kalamalka Lake crowned. This is the long distance paddle and the first male and female to cross the length of Kalamalka Lake (from Oyama to Vernon) will be crowned. Expect the winning time to come in around 2 hours for the 9-mile trek – An amazing chance to see one of the world’s most beautiful lakes up close and personal.

Event Fees and Registration: To be announced

Classes and Age Groups: To be announced

Contact: Kevin O’Brien – oksup@shaw.ca

Accommodations at Gatzke’s:

• 3 Cabins available (sleeps up to 6 people) *book now!
• Tent sites
• RV parking with no hookups
• Contact Lindsay Wong at: events@gatzkefarmmarkets.com

* We know you already have questions…. so stay tuned for more information *

Course Pics and Course Layouts (subject to change)

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

Yellowstone and other Places to Paddle from Al & Kay

Click here for Al and Kay's Yellowstone Road Trip album

Bring your stand up paddle board on a vacation and add more adventure and fun to your trip!
Al Paterson and his partner Kay sent us photos of their trip road trip from Bend, Oregon to Yellowstone. In Yellowstone and along the way, Al got some time on his SUP paddle board, even finding a section of river rapids to experience.

Al said that this photo of his first time on river rapids should be depicting how challenging it is. But -- the light was flat so the water looks flatter than it was. Any of us that have tried even a few riffles on rivers know that current, rocks and water speed can make the experience scary.

Read more about other adventures Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

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

Fin Hits Rocks in Shallow Water

Hi - I normally SUP surf on Long Island, but also flatwater SUP on the Hudson River. This morning I took my stand up board to a local creek, but found that it was too shallow for my fin. Do you sell very shallow (short) fins? Or can you tell me how an SUP handles in flat water with no fin?
Interested in your thoughts.
Great to hear that Bend is a SUP meca. I lived in Vida, OR when I was a kid and went to Three Sisters, lava house, etc... love it up there.

Mark

Hi Mark,
The smaller the SUP fin the less tracking you will have. That's OK for maneuverability but not for going straight. If we're expecting to hit bottom a lot, we use the Super Flex Fin on our accessories page for $56. It's 9" and is also available in a 7" on special order for $52. Hitting rocks is no-problem with this fin, you'll barely notice.

Aloha, Randall Barna

Purchase your stand up paddleboard gear from us at www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com
We appreciate your support. Thanks!

Places to Paddle: Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Harrison RV Park in the town of Harrison on the South East side of the lake, about an hour drive south from the town of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Harrison RV Park is on the waterfront, next to the town’s public marina. The Rails-to-Trails bike path called Trail of the Coeur D’Alenes borders the east side of the RV park. Lake Coeur d'Alene is 30 miles long and 1 to 3 miles wide.

RV Park info: The park isn’t big, so contact them regarding availability before making the drive. First come, first served “free” boat mooring for RV park campers. 208-689-3212 or 208-689-3393, cityofharrison@smgazette.com

Bike trail info: Coeur d’Alene Tribe Trail Manager, 208-686-7045. The trail is 73 miles of 10 foot wide asphalt that is perfect for the cyclist, walker or in-line skater. Certified handicap wheelchairs are allowed.

Bike Rental and Repair: Pedal Pushers, 208-689-3436. Open in the summer and some Spring and Fall hours. Call first.

This place is great! The town of Harrison numbers 267 citizens. The Harrison Trading Co. general store rents DVD’s and Ruby’s ice cream shop sells bathing suits. Founded in 1891 and past its heyday by the 1930’s the tiny town is filled with historic buildings, many of them shuttered. The RV Park is a minute walk into town where you can get an espresso, a banana split or a pub dinner in a town filled with friendly people.

Rent a bike or bring your own and ride on the paved Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. It's part of the Rails to Trails cycling complex. Travel south towards Plummer and you’ll ride along the river before crossing the only bridge over the lake, a 3,100 foot long railroad steel trestle bridge built in 1921. From the RV park it’s about 8 miles to the end of the bridge to Heyburn State Park, the Northwest’s oldest state park.

The lake is surrounded with low mountains and a forested shoreline that ranges from steep to shallow and marshy. We launched in the marina and headed north into the shallow marshlands. We turned into the wide mouth of the south fork of the Coeur d’Alene river and paddled upriver for 20 minutes. Head high bamboo-like grasses and shorter aquatic plants thickly trim the rivers edge. We saw turtles, bald eagles, bear sign, deer, rabbits and fish. The lake water is clear, though because of past land use practices the lake has heavy metal contaminants. Placards in the marina advise showers after being immersed in the lake. This doesn't put a damper on the locals as they seem to swim and boat regularly.

Photos: Isabella Barna riding the bridge trestle on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene. The view of the town of Harrison and including the RV Park (on right) & the boat dock on left. (From the jetty.)

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Places to Paddle: Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Lake, Wyoming

Where: Wyoming. 25 miles north of the town of Jackson, WY and 12 miles south of Yellowstone National Park.

Where to launch: Many places on the lake are accessible. We launched at Colter Bay.
Contact Info: 307-543-2811. Colter Bay Visitor Center - 307-739-3594
Note: Purchase a boat permit at Bridge Bay. Price is $10.00 a week for each non-motorized craft. This permit is good for Yellowstone also (You’ll need an additional sticker (free) when you check in at the marinas on Yellowstone Lake.) Life jackets are required for all ages and all watercraft including windsurfers. Check with the Parks service for the most recent regulations.

On the west side of Jackson Lake the Grand Teton’s Mt. Moran juts straight out of the water and up 12,700 ft. The roughly 3 miles wide and 16 miles long expanse of water is garnished with small islands and many inlets teaming with wildlife. A mixed forest of pine and a few aspen with shrubs of willow and other plants edge the shoreline. The water is cold, clear and ranges from shallow shorelines to over 450 ft. deep. We saw bald eagles, many waterfowl and a family of otters. We paddled out of Colter Bay, though any of the marinas offer a great place to start. We like to paddle in mid-morning when the lake is glassy. We paddle towards the direction the wind will most likely originate from and adjust our course as needed. If the wind does pick up we surf the wind-chop back.

The weather can change very quickly. The glassy surface of a still morning can become whipped to white caps within 8 to 10 minutes. (This happened to us.) The wind-chop became swells within 30 minutes. High clouds on a sunny day can turn into a sudden mountain storm, complete with lightning and thunder. Jackson Lake supplies water for Idaho farm irrigation, so the water levels can vary year to year and within the season. Check with the marina staff for the weather report and current water levels.

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Winter Paddling on the Potomac River

Winter stand up paddling in the Northern Latitudes is becoming a favorite with hardcore types (like my husband, Randall and his buddies, Ron Thompson and Eddy Miller on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon). I've written about water safety in the winter, and Randall has too and as you can see by reading his post and her post, we have different ideas.

Well, Randall and his buddies aren't alone in their hardcore attitude. Suggs Miller in Maryland gets his SUP board on the winter Potomac river and dodges ice slabs. Now that's hardcore!! Here's a note he sent with a photo.

_________________________________________________________________


I have been paddling all winter. The Potomac has become a new river w/water levels rising almost 10 ft plus at times. I can't get to the usual play spots, so I make a paddle workout out of it. It has settled down a bit as of Jan 3rd. I tried to go out the other day, but too much ice made it risky for the Uli Inflatable. Also, huge ice slabs were flowing everywhere.

The kayakers have rolled out the welcome mat and have helped me learn the river. They even put me on the front page of their kayaking website. PotomacPaddlers.com. The attached photo is on Jan 3rd at Maryland Chute on the Potomac. Water temp was 34F and air was 35F.

Hope you are having a fun winter. I was snowboarding at Mt Baker last week and I saw that the Nooksack River has some great features for SUP. I might try to give it a go sometime this summer.

Aloha,

Greg"Suggs"Miller, Director
potomacboardrats.org
__________________________________________________________________
Get your paddle gear -- and a good deal on last season's demo boards. Call Randall 541-389-4547.

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Event: Noll Longboard Classic, Oct. 4th, 5th 2008

A long, gentle slope and sandy bottom makes for great long board waves. Combine that with the renowned sunny autumn days on the California North Coast and the conditions for a surf contest are half-way perfect (the ocean can be overhead or knee-high, each year it's different). Noll Surf and Skate, owned by Rhyn Noll, the renowned shaper and son of Greg "The Bull" Noll, debuted the annual Noll Longboard Classic in 1996 in Crescent City, California.

Members of our local Standup Paddle Bend community are heading to the beach for this years' Noll Longboard Classic contest which will include a stand up surf category. There is no age limit and a division for every age group. If you're going to bring a surfboard, it has to be 9ft or longer - not a problem for the SUP crowd. They encourage beginners to join, so a few of us beginner SUP women are going to give it a try. (That should be an interesting blog!)

Here are the particulars. For more info, go the Noll Surf and Skate website.

• When: October 4th & 5th, 2008
• Where: Crescent City, California
• Cost: $40. includes a t-shirt and goody bag. Late entries are $45.00, but you take a chance that your division will be filled.
• Who to Contact: Noll Surf & Skate 707-465-4400
  

We just spent 5 wonderful days in Crescent City and checked out places to stay and eat. The waves near the jetty were small and perfect for beginners. Randall and the other experts paddled south a hundred yards or so for bigger waves. The largest waves were in front of the Crescent Beach Motel.

Places to stay:

• Harbor RV: 707-464-1724, 159 Starfish Way, Crescent City, CA -- A paved, flat rv site with gravel central medians. Clean bathrooms and showers. It is across a paved road from the beach, and near a good restaurant, a diner and a surf shop. This is the nearest RV park to the surf break. It's not a beauty, but the management is nice, it's clean and the location can't be beat. You can take walks on the beach or down the jetty towards Whaler's Rock or the Harbor. Space numbers that are closest to the beach are 11 thru 19 (looking at the beach through the trees) or 1 - 10 (on Anchor Way looking across the harbor). They don't have a website.

• Anchor Beach Inn: 800-837-4116, 880 Hwy. 101 South, Crescent City, CA -- next door to the Harbor RV. It's a good place to stay if you want to socialize with your RV buddies. Check out the Anchor Beach Inn website for details.

• Crescent Beach Motel: 707-464-5436, 1455 Highway 101 South, Crescent City, CA -- about 1/2 mile from Harbor RV and the Anchor Beach Inn. This is the only hotel actually on the beach AND right in front of the contest surf break. The hotel looks clean (I didn't go into a room, just the lobby).

Places to eat:

Bistro Gardens, 707-464-5627, 110 Anchor Way, Crescent City, CA -- a short walk from the RV park and Anchor Beach Inn, this restaurant is owned by a restaurateur from Beverly Hills. The locals raved about it and the menu has something for everyone. I asked, and the server said they only saute in olive oil.

The Beachcomber Restaurant , 707-464-2205, 101 South Beach, Crescent City, CA -- next door to the Crescent Beach Motel: The vinyl sign outside says "voted best restaurant on the coast". I don't know what year that was. Five of us ordered meals and paid about $23. to $30.00 for dinners that included a foil wrapped baked potato and dehydrated chives alongside Texas toast. The tarter sauce had a clear yellowish glaze (the sheen that usually means the sauce was left too close to a heat source). When I inquired, the server had to check with the kitchen about the fry oil. They use the standard hydrogenated cooking oil. The sauces where uninteresting and the fish entrees were over-cooked (very dry). None of us liked our meals and considered the experience over-priced.

Need some new gear for the Standup Paddle Surf contest? Check out our website at www.StandupPaddleBend.com

Places to Paddle: Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana

Our nation's tenth National Park, Glacier in the state of Montana, includes more than a million acres of land. The Salish and Kootenai reservation is southwest of Glacier. The Blackfeet Reservation is on the east side of the park. This entire area holds great spiritual importance to the Blackfeet, Salish, and Kootenai people.

Eddy Miller, a member of our Bend Standup Paddle community sent us these photos of his time spent paddling on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. The lake is 10 miles long and 472 feet deep. There is a speed limit, so you won't see any wake-board boating or jet skis. The morning Eddy went out the water was cold and the day was beautiful. He said that the best time to paddle is in the early morning or late evening. Lake McDonald is a high mountain lake and wind and storms can come on quickly, so take precautions and plan for safety. Thanks Eddy for the photos.

The National Parks service has a Webcam so you can see this lake and others in Glacier Park.

Information to help you plan your visit to Glacier National Park is on the official National Parks Service website. There are 13 campgrounds within Glacier Park and several historic lodges, so there are plenty of options for travelers.

Here's how the National Parks website describes Glacier:

Glacier National Park preserves more than a million acres of forests, alpine meadows, lakes, rugged peaks and glacial-carved valleys in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Its diverse habitats are home to over 70 species of mammals including the grizzly bear, wolverine, gray wolf and lynx. Over 260 species of birds visit or reside in the park, including such varied species as harlequin ducks, dippers and golden eagles. The landscape is a hiker's paradise that is traversed by more than 750 miles of maintained trails. Glacier Park's varied climate influences and its location at the headwaters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Hudson Bay drainages have given rise to an incredible variety of plants and animals.

Read about more Places to Paddle on our website.

Flatwater Wind Waves on Yellowstone Lake

Standup paddling on inland waters is not about boring. My family and I went on a camping trip to Yellowstone last summer and brought along the standup boards. We put the boards on top of the van and left Bend, Oregon traveling east through the Eastern Oregon high plateau desert, Idaho and into Montana. Gas stations guys and diner staff along the way would nod towards the east and ask us if we knew the ocean was "back that way."

When we got to Yellowstone, we went to the Ranger station and got tags for our boards. (Required for any watercraft.) We parked at the North end of Yellowstone Lake and after about 45 minutes on the water we noticed a dark wind-line on the lake in the distance to the South. It took about five minutes until we were hit with a line of wind that built to a 15-20 mph steady blow within 10 minutes. We turned back towards the shore and paddled with the wind to our backs.

Our daughter noticed that the wave chop was becoming waves that looked surfable. Pushed by the 24 miles of open water, the waves were 12” to 24” by the time they reached Mary’s Bay. The gradual shallow slope of the bay created waves that we could ride for quite a way. Wind generated, the waves were close together and unpredictable. We found that we could walk the boards out faster than we could paddle them. Standing on the lake bottom we’d push our boards into a wave and quickly jump to standing position. We surfed for a couple of hours. A bull bison came down to the shoreline and watched us awhile before rejoining his herd as it meandered down the road to the west. READ MORE. . . .

http://standuppaddlebend.com/Standuppaddlebend/