Nelscott Reef Surf Contest

Definition
Dues: fees for membership in an organization
When applied to Nelscott Paddle In Contest: Oh Shit!
The Contest got a early start with tow in heats starting before I got there at about 0900. Mike Kopra and Whitney got there early and saw the first tow in heat. Weather: Haze, visability 1 mile which improved thru the day; Wind, ESE 2-5, Overcast to broken overcast and a slight drizzle about 1630, Swell: 12' to 16' from the W on the bouy report, Tide started at low water and was high about 1530.
Brewer brothers were there and have some good photos Whitney also took photos of Scotts reef(same day) so we should have some photos of that.
As to the paddle in portion of the contest.... that was worth the trip. You could feel the rush a half mile away just watching the take-off's Steep drops with up to 4 guys on a wave. The peak was shifting with the high tide when they ran the paddle portion and the dues....were steep!
gosser
ps The Greg Knoll Gun that didn't want to go.
Watching the waverunners doing the shuttle for the paddle in portion someone had brought a old Greg Knoll gun, green and white with a huge hunk of wood and a black glassed on skeg / this board was heavy and from the 60's. It would have had paddle speed and weight... but it did not want to go out at Nelscott. It was lashed to a ski skeg first and broke loose twice trying to get it out. Just watching that thing wash in reminded me of the danger log warnings on the beach access.

Greg Gosser Reporting

Photos: John Brewer

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

Gerry Lopez Demos How to Survive a Big Wave on an SUP

Renowned surf and SUP photographer Grant Myrdal took these recent photos of Gerry Lopez on his stand up paddle surf board in some big waves off of the Oregon Coast. Grant owns the copyrights to these photos, so please contact him if you'd like to use these images in any way. (Or have Grant take some photos of you!)

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

Laird Hamilton Interview - He's a Genius and His Wife Likes "It"!

A good laugh is the best kind of coffee break. This funny interview with the founder of modern stand up paddle surfing, Laird Hamilton is worth taking a moment out of your workday to watch.

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

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.

Noll Longboard Classic SUP Event Storms-On

The first-hand report from Peter Miller is that the SUP class of the Noll Longboard Classic was held Oct. 4th 2008 as scheduled. The unpredictable part was the weather and surf. Earlier in the week the surf forecast was for a 25' swell at 16 sec. interval! As the week progressed the swell dropped and the weather set-in.

Friday morning was raining sideways with the strong winds buffeting South Beach, the normal contest site. The standup event was moved to the sheltered side of Pt. St George where the wind was offshore and waves around shoulder-high. The surf was fairly smooth considering the storm seas on the other side of the point.

Results of the top seven as follows: Rhyn Noll, Ken Wilson, Jeff Corning, Spike Richardson, Ollie Richardson, Luke Matheson, Peter Miller. For the complete story check out the link to the local paper: http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=10366

www.StandupPaddleBend.com

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!!

Building a Quiver of Boards

Dear Randall: I am looking for a SUP. I weigh 240# and am 5'10 tall. I surfed for 30+ years and was very good at it but have not been in water for several years. I am a little out of shape but up to the challenge. I am 58 years old. I am looking for a good paddling board that I can also surf smaller waves on. Some shops are saying I should get a 11'+ to 12' board. One guy showed me a 10'3" Lopez and told me that a 11' board was way too large and that the Lopez would suit me much better. He seemed to be experienced. The people selling the larger boards looked more like typical sales people... What are your thoughts? Thanks....John

John,
If you own a quiver of boards a 10'3" Lopez is definitely sweet. I'm also 58 yrs old and I have a Lopez SUP board, but I also have a 12' Ron House that I paddle every day on flatwater and an 11'6" Takayama Surftech that I surf most of the time. I pull out the Lopez when its glassy and fast. If you're building a quiver I recommend starting with the biggest board first. You'd be surprised by the capabilities of a 12' board in the surf and with a bigger board you have fewer unexpected falls and a much faster glide.

Another way of looking at my board quiver is that they're not just mine! My wife Cristina paddles the 11'6" Takayama and my daughter the 10'3" Lopez as their everyday paddlers. When we do get a rare trip to the beach, the surfs up and I often have my choice of the whole quiver!

If your heart's really set on the Lopez, I have a 10'3 Lopez in stock, its got a custom North Shore deck pad and goes for $1579. Plus freight down to San Diego. NO sales tax in Oregon! All the pricing is on the StandUpPaddleBend.com website.

Aloha --- Randall Barna

Buy paddles
Gloss and Soft top boards
Accessories like deck pads, surf leashes, board locks, etc.

Photos: Isabella, Cristina and Randall with our quiver of boards.
Jack Gillen with his quiver in Hawaii.

Jack Gillen with part of his quiver

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: 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: Pacific City, Cape Kiwanda, Oregon

Summer is sort of finally here in the Northwest. Celebrating the end of school (for the kids) some of the Bend Standup Paddle crew went to Pacific City, Oregon, by Cape Kiwanda for the weekend. The weather was warm and the sun was out, you'd hardly even know you were at the Oregon Coast except that everybody in the water was sheathed in black neoprene and only the toughest weren't wearing gloves and hoods.

Pacific City has something for anyone that likes a scene. You won't find pristine wilderness beaches on the South side of the Cape (but you can look over the cape from the top of the dune at some beaches on the North side). Surfing south of Cape Kiwanda is a vibrant beach scene, except that all of the bikinis and board shorts are under wetsuits. You can watch the fishing dories skid onto the beach as they return with the morning's catch. Climb the Cape Kiwanda sand dune to the north, walk around the tidepools at the base of the dune or just sit on the patio of the Pelican Brew Pub and enjoy a handcrafted ale or stout. Some of us stayed at the Cape Kiwanda RV Resort, and others at the hotel next door, the Inn at Cape Kiwanda.

Pacific City is about a 4 hour drive from Bend, Oregon.

It's a great trip. Check out the waves on the Pelican Brew Pub Surf Cam

Here's what's going on in the photos:

• Peter Miller is showing off The Big Board Schlepper. Not only does The Big Board Schlepper make getting to the beach easier, when the wind gusted, the Schlepper helped keep everything together and under control. Peter's paddle is a artisan made Kialoa.
  
• RV Camping at Cape Kiwanda RV Resort.
• Cape Kiwanda in the early morning. Note the trucks on the beach that trailer the fishing dories.
• Get Your Stand up Paddle gear for Surf SUP or Flatwater at StandupPaddleBend.com
  

Travel Story: The Shaseks in Troncones, Mexico

Judy Shasek has some sort of shark karma - luckily, shark karma that doesn't involve getting bitten. She was circled by a shark while swimming in Florida this year and then vacationed in Troncones, Mexico (on the Pacific Ocean in the state of Guerrero, MX) last week during a string of shark sitings. Judy and Ed Shasek sent these 2 emails to our land-locked Stand up Paddle Bend (Oregon) group this past week.
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Hi SUP of Bend (first email)

We went to Troncones Beach in Mexico yesterday. It was a 45 minute cab ride from our resort - along the way Santos the cab driver taught us a lot of Spanish, including the word tiburon - which means SHARK!!!!!! We arrived at Troncones and caught up with some hard core surfers (3-4 times out each day) but they were all on the beach. No one was out on the break. Why-we inquired.. look at this link http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/29/shark.attack.ap/

Three sightings of sharks had occurred that morning chasing everyone out of the water. They suggested we go to a different beach with better surf, called Salitas Beach. It is one of the best long board breaks in the world. It is a point break with long lefts. Our cab driver had waited for us so we hopped back in and began the 30 minute drive - along the way we traveled mostly on dirt roads learning the words vaca (cow), mango (the fruit) and calla (fighting rooster) - we taught Santos many important English words as well.

The first thing we saw at Salitas beach was Jacquiline's restaurant - 20 plastic tables and chairs on the sand with a tarp over, and cages with huge cock fighting roosters. Our cab driver recognized the bird immediately as a champion. Along the beach we saw no one in the nicely formed surf except for 8 caballos (horses). They waded and swam the whole time we were there.

Walking toward a green sign that said "Zurf Shop" we ran in to a nice young woman from Phoenix. She chatted about her morning surfing - apparently several sharks were lolling around and looking up at the surfers and freaked them all out and no one was in the water. She was still wide eyed hours later as she told us about it. She thought it was only right that she tell us since she wouldn't go back in the water herself and we were heading toward the Zurf Shop.

We met a lot of hard core surfers who have been surfing there and they were using the thatch roof Internet cafe or playing ping pong - many had tattoos and were quite fond of the F word. Luckily only Ed experienced that. Judy stayed on the beach with a nice couple from Marin County, California (Mitch and Erika). The surf dudes told Ed that there had been three shark attacks in 3 days and after seeing the sharks this morning it wasn't worth it.

Ok - now think about it. What would you have done. You are an hour and 20 minutes from the resort after traveling gravel and dirt roads and paying $50 one way. The next thing I knew Ed is walking toward me with a surf board. he said "screw the sharks and paddled out." I simply picked up the video camera and pulled on my surf booties to document whatever was going to happen. The water was crystal clear and warm, with a rocky reef bottom but no urchins. It was knee deep 800 yards out. Ed - to his credit- did not go out to the second break (well just to the edge of it ) where the sharks had been sighted.

He paddled for his first wave, made a left turn and surfed it in to the beach. He paddled out again and now there was a second surfer (quite an expert) with him. The tattooed surfer asked him if he knew about the shark attacks. He told Ed not to paddle to the outside break and to keep his legs on the board (read attached article)

Ed took one more wave but about halfway in to the beach, wiped out and cut his knee on the reef. He was bleeding, so he decided to come in and give me the board for my turn. Inexplicably I happily paddled out and took 3-4 waves. Amazingly I caught the waves and had the best surfing I've had in 40 years (can you believe it is 40 years???) Mitch and Ericka (from Marin County) thought we were quite the rock stars. We learned it was Mitch's 40th birthday so we opened out cooler and shared a few beers before calling it a day.

We hooked back up with Santos who had made friends with the owner of the champion cock fighter and we learned it was going to the US (we were perplexed...is that not illegal in the US??) Santos shrugged and told us about his cows and his soccer team all the way home.

Upon reaching the resort we took a dip in the pool with our maragritas, chatted with various club members about our day them showered and went to the wine tasting. We learned the history and culture and passion of the wine makers in Northern Mexico from Yesenia the hotel's sommolier. She was entertaining (sadly, Judy was still in "la turista" and sipped guava tea)

Looking forward to kayaking today, will update later.

Ed and Judy
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Hi SUP of Bend- (Second Email)
Ed and I just got back from Z-town and surfing at Troncones, Mexico (actually the shark attack all but closed down Troncones so we went to La Salidita.)
http://www.courant.com/news/custom/latest/ats-ap_top15may28,0,1059238.story
The surfers there were all out of the water too after spotting three sharks right near them on the outside break. We analyzed the situation and the fact we were only going to be there that one day and had some fun surfing the inside break.

We recommend that the group reads Gerry Lopez's book, SURF IS WHERE YOU FIND IT- it's one that kept both Ed and me engrossed throughout two long travel days and lots of plane delays. We both started loving waves and salt water at the same beach in Florida as toddlers - and the stories hit the ocean-spirit right on!

See ya Friday!
Ed and Judy

Breaking Away from the Flatwater: More Gerry Lopez and Oliphant in Baja

Gerry and Dennis had a great spring break in Baja.

We're still waiting for more spring weather here in Bend, so I'm showing a tropical break. Dennis said the surf kept getting bigger, and bigger, and gnarly to the point that the only one out was Lopez. The last photo is a testimony.

Photos courtesy of Dennis Oliphant.

Stand up Paddle Board Size: 3 Things to Know

This photo of Jack Gillen only shows part of his quiver and he rides them all! The luxury of a standup paddle board quiver assures that you always have the perfect board for the site and conditions of the day and for who you are. Men, women, kids and seniors, everyone buying a standup paddle board has different needs. Make sure the first board you get suits your expected needs, here's three things you need to know.

1. Size for your weight.
Study the dimensions of the boards you're considering and make sure you don't go too small. The general rule is that once you're up to paddling speed you don't want the tail to drag. Stepping slightly forward will smooth-out the water release at the tail but if the board is too small your nose will dig in. Watch other paddlers of similar weight, note the tail turbulence and trim of their board when underway. Ask for the dimensions or at least the length of their boards and size yourself accordingly. Board makers generally agree on certain dimensions. For example, 11' boards that are around 29" wide and 4 1/4" thick, or 12' boards that are 30" wide and 4 1/2" thick. The flotation is a combination of the length, width and thickness of the board. If you can't test a board or are inexperienced, listen to the advice and experience of others.

The division between light and heavyweight in windsurfing is 170# and I think it's a good reference weight for standup paddle board flotation. Heavyweights should have the biggest boards around 12'. Paddlers right at 170# do well on 11' boards and very-lightweights can go as short as 10'.

2. Size for your water conditions.

There are three basic water conditions: flatwater, roughwater, and surf. Flatwater is the ideal condition to check for tail turbulence and trim. You can see your wake and actually hear turbulence. You will even be able to trim a board that is too small but don't get cocky and think this will work for you in all conditions. The size and weight recommendations above work well in flatwater.

Roughwater will not be forgiving. The board seems much less stable and the nose will dig into the chop. The board that seemed fine in flatwater will seem too small. Get a bigger board for roughwater, approximately six inches to one foot longer. For all of our paddle adventures around our home in Bend, Oregon we are often on longer boards for stability so that rarely fall in the cold water.

Surfing has contrasting demands. You want speed and stability for paddling-out and catching waves, which favors bigger boards. Once you are riding a wave you want maneuverability and high performance, which favors smaller boards. Beginners in the surf should stick to the same board they use in roughwater. It will catch the waves easier and you won't fall so often. Better surfers will prefer smaller boards. They've learned the nack and timing for paddling out and catching waves so the performance when riding the wave is primary. 11' and 12' boards work fine in the surf for occasional surfers. High performance surfers are using 9'6" to 10'6" standup paddleboards. Stand up paddle boards we love in the surf are all the Paddle Surf Hawaii boards and the Hobie 10'6".

3. Size for your convenience.
There are many other things you do with your board other that riding it. You carry it to the water. You hoist it up on top of your head to load it on your vehicle. You store it someplace.

It's no good to set your heart on a certain 12' beauty if you cannot physically handle it, especially when the wind blows! Try picking it up and carrying it, hoist it over your head. If you have trouble, look for a board with a hand slot or buy our handle kit to attach a carrying handle. Smaller boards like the Amundson 11'3" and Hobie 11'2" are lighter weight with thinner rails and are easier to handle when out of the water, making these boards especially popular with women stand up paddle boarders. It's worth sacrificing some paddle glide by choosing a smaller board if it means that you can carry and load it. Also, check where you have to store it. If it needs to fit into the locking personal storage in your vacation condo, you better test this before you purchase. Having a smaller board in the locker is better than having a big board stolen from the carport rafters!  Easy carrying, loading and storing is part of the love affair with your first board.

Gerry Lopez & Dennis "the Duke" Oliphant in Baja

The last week of March (Oregon Spring Break) has shown no signs of spring in Central Oregon. There's been a skiff of snow every morning and night temperatures in the teens. Just to make us jealous Gerry and Dennis have sent these photos of the fun they're having in Baja on their spring break!

Gerry, whats the story on those rocks?

www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com

Jack Gillen and Tod Woldridge Connect for Island SUP

Jack Gillen from Kona, HI visited our SUP Flatwater group last month and gave a great talk sharing his stories about island to island SUP. Tod Woldridge (a member of our Bend, Oregon SUP group) connected with Jack for a great afternoon of paddling and surfing at Honokahou Harbor. Note the bend in Jack's bamboo paddle shaft!