In follow up to my previous post, I was able to hook up with Joe Blair for an interview on his all new 12’6″ race board. He shared his philosophies on why the board works, why it’s so different than others and all in the normal Blair style. Check out the interview and hear more [...]
After finishing 4th at the recently concluded Molokai Paddleboard race, I had a chance to talk to Morgan Hoesterey, the only female paddler for the SUP solo unlimited division. Morgan said that her stint in this race was just to step up to the challenge; she never expected anything from it. Using a 14’ board [...]
In my recent interview with Hawaii born international shaper/surfer, Dennis Pang, I got a chance to know the guy who’s more than just your average shaper. Dennis talks about his SUP race creation for Tropical Blends – the 17’6” custom race board that Guy Pere won rode to win the 2009 Duke’s Oceanfest.Dennis said he [...]
I did this interview with Joe Bark last month over the phone. I just learned about Joe while getting more and more into the SUP distance paddling arena. Joe is famous for his paddleboards and is now expanding into stand ups. He’s got a new 14′ SUP racer coming out from Surftech [...]
Last month I interviewed Maui based shaper and surfer Mark Raaphorst, and he discussed the differences between the F14 and F16’s along with other boards being used for downwinder stand up paddling. I shared with him my experience using the F16 while doing a downwinder and how the board became faster when it filled with [...]
I got a chance to interview the legendary Donald Takayama over the phone. At 65, Donald Takayama is still going strong. He started his career of making boards at age 11, became a shaper, surfer and still proves to be the master of style and technique. Takayama discusses his board designs, quality, and craftsmanship which [...]
Here’s a short video clip of Joe Blair helping me touch up my board. The part with the spray paint is from a repair needed from hitting the reef and busting out my fin box. I got the board fixed but didn’t get any color at their suggestion. Needless to say, it [...]
DaKine came out with a coiled stand up paddle leash designed for downwind runs or touring. The coils have a larger diameter than others I’ve seen and used and the leash cord is thicker.This is a dedicated downwind or touring leash because it stays nicely out of the water but if you wiped out [...]
Dave Chun of Kialoa Paddles answers questions about paddling technique, paddle design and performance, his all-new Shaka Puu paddle, and general concerns about the stand up paddle surf culture. Dave also talks about choosing the right paddle, which all boils down to intuition that tells what type of paddle is best for the stand [...]
Dave Chun of Kialoa Paddles answers questions about paddling technique, paddle design and performance, his all-new Shaka Puu paddle, and general concerns about the stand up paddle surf culture. Dave also talks about choosing the right paddle, which all boils down to intuition that tells what type of paddle is best for the stand [...]
Dave Chun of Kialoa Paddles answers questions about paddling technique, paddle design and performance, his all-new Shaka Pu’u paddle, and general concerns about the stand up paddle surf culture. Dave also talks about choosing the right paddle, which all boils down to intuition that tells what type of paddle is best for the stand [...]
I bought a DaKine board bag for a friend for Christmas which turned out to be the best present he got last year. The bag was for a 9′ longboard but that gave me insight into the quality of these bags. For the first 3 months of 2008 we drove to the north [...]
I don’t have any good excuse why this took so long to post. First off, a BIG Mahalo (Thank You) to Bill (Pono Bill), Diane, Bob (stoneaxe) and Sue for treating me like family. I had the best time and really enjoyed getting to know everyone. I hope I wasn’t too much [...]
I got my hands on 2 DaKine paddle bags for stand up paddles. I’m glad DaKine came out with a padded travel bag because it was pretty hard to find a travel bag that offered enough protection to go through the airline baggage process for my Maui trip to Pono Bill’s board test.The padded [...]
There’s been some talk about hydration bags for stand up paddling and especially for long cruises or downwind runs. There are a number of choices out there although this is the first one I found that is water sports specific.This pack is very minimalist in that you have only what you need. There aren’t [...]
I got a chance to hang out with Joe Blair during his recent trip to Oahu’s north shore. We surfed everyday and had a blast on this new 8′9″ x 30″ x 4.25″ stand up board. I was shocked that at 220 lbs I could stand on it comfortably. In fact, once [...]
Doug Lock talks about the dimension and performance of the F-17′6″, and shows the Active Steering System he attached on a 15′ board.(click thumbnail to launch video) Doug Lock: This is a 17’6” shaped by Mark Raaphorst of Sandwich Isle Composites and… Evan Leong: So would it be called F-17? Doug Lock: F-17’6”. It’s [...]
Doug Lock of Wet Feet shows us the new Jim Terrell hybrid paddle from Quickblade and talks briefly about the blade’s design.(click thumbnail to launch video) Evan Leong: What are we looking at? Doug Lock: Yes, these are Jim Terrell’s new hybrid paddle—carbon shaft, carbon t-handle with a fiberglass blade. This particular blade, this [...]
Joe Blair shares a technique for spinning your board around quickly. It’s not as easy as it sounds. I tried it and it takes some practice.(click thumbnail to launch video)
Last month I spoke with Dave Chun, founder of Kialoa Paddles, about his paddles, which he has been manufacturing since 1990. Dave started with stand up paddles in 1999. I got him to answer some questions from our stand up paddle surf community at Wet Feet Hawaii’s store. You gotta tune out the [...]