Archive for the 'Gear Previews' Category

Boosted Boards First Time Riders

I met up with Kamil and Dewey at the park to let them try my Boosted Board. They had a blast.


(click thumbnail to launch video)

The S.I.C. Standamaran Race SUP and Pueo OC-1

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Mark Raaphorst sent us these pictures of the S.I.C. Standamaran Race SUP and the Pueo OC-1 in matching paint schemes. Which one would you choose? Continue reading ‘The S.I.C. Standamaran Race SUP and Pueo OC-1′

2014 Blue Planet Surf SUP Boards

Blue Planet Surf

I recently visited Blue Planet Surf’s shop to check out their new stand up paddle boards for 2014. Robert Stehlik showed me some of their new 2014 models and gave a LOT of tips on SUP board selection and setup. He talks about board shapes, fin setup, board volume and more. Check out the videos below. Continue reading ‘2014 Blue Planet Surf SUP Boards’

S.I.C. Bullet-14 V3 Sneak Peek

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Here’s a sneak peek at the S.I.C. Bullet-14 version 3…coming soon to Oahu’s South Shore. Continue reading ‘S.I.C. Bullet-14 V3 Sneak Peek’

3D Printed SUP Fins

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I recently posted about my friend Collin Kobayashi who made some SUP fins using 3D printing. This time I got to visit Collin’s workshop where the actual 3D printing is done. Check out the video below. Continue reading ‘3D Printed SUP Fins’

Interview with Mickey Munoz

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I finished my SUP surf session and a guy started asking me about the equipment I was using. After a minute or so I asked him, “Are you Mickey Munoz ?” to which he responded, “Yes!”

Since Mickey Munoz is legendary I pulled out my iphone and shot a quick interview. I first tried the stand up paddle on a rented 12′x26″ Mickey Munoz Surftech Softop board in Waikiki. I couldn’t stand for more than a few seconds. Times have surely changed and the equipment has gotten so much better. Continue reading ‘Interview with Mickey Munoz’

3D Printing SUP Fins

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My friend Collin Kobayashi of 3D Innovations just popped out some SUP fins for his new board. Collin just got into SUP and is an engineer for his daytime gig. Check out the post he did where he shows how he made the fins. We’re gonna test them at the beach this week. Continue reading ‘3D Printing SUP Fins’

What’s New at Werner Paddles for 2013

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I was at Blue Planet Surf on Ward Ave in Honolulu, Hawaii when in walked Taylor Robertson from Werner Paddles. Taylor is the sales rep in charge of Hawaii and he shared with us some news on their stand up paddle line up for 2013. I filmed it to share with everyone. Check out the video below:
Continue reading ‘What’s New at Werner Paddles for 2013′

Starboard Wide Point 9′5″ SUP Surfboard at Blue Planet Surf

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I’ve been riding Starboard Wide Points for a couple years now. I started off with the original 10′5″ version and really liked it. I used it on Oahu’s North and West Shores because it allowed me the extra balance I needed when paddling back out in rough chop. It was also really comfy to ride in town on the South Shore, especially when just coming off a 17′4″ race board. This year’s 9′5″ Wide Point is a definite improvement. The shorter length allows for easier turns and it still feels super stable and turns great. It’s a different feeling than having a sub 30″ wide board with a narrow nose and tail but the loss in “shredability” is totally fine with me. I can’t really “shred” anyway. This board floats my 215 lbs no problem and has pretty good paddle power. Continue reading ‘Starboard Wide Point 9′5″ SUP Surfboard at Blue Planet Surf’

How A Blue Planet Board Is Made: Factory Tour Video and East Coast Distribution Announcement

Blue Planet Surf

Blue Planet Surf is excited to announce that our SUP boards will be available on the US East Coast soon through our distributor Coastal Surf Supplies.

Last week I visited the factory and shot this video that shows a Blue Planet board being made from start to finish:
Continue reading ‘How A Blue Planet Board Is Made: Factory Tour Video and East Coast Distribution Announcement’

S.I.C. X-12 SUP Stand Up Paddle Race Board

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The S.I.C. X-12 flatwater SUP race board is now available in two widths, 28″ and 29 1/2″. Both board models are virtually the same except for the widths as Mark Raaphorst explains in the video below. Continue reading ‘S.I.C. X-12 SUP Stand Up Paddle Race Board’

A Visit to Uncle Joe Blair’s Shaping Room and a Lesson in Shaping Stand Up Paddle and Surfboards

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My family and I recently went on a trip to California and we had the chance to visit Joe Blair at his HQ in Solana Beach. Joe showed us his shaping room and the basics of shaping surf and stand up paddle boards. I usually do the interviews but this time, my boys Koko and Buddy were there to help me out. As you’ll see, Koko has a lot of questions and Buddy doesn’t say much. Check out the video below. Continue reading ‘A Visit to Uncle Joe Blair’s Shaping Room and a Lesson in Shaping Stand Up Paddle and Surfboards’

Boosted Boards Electric Longboard Skateboard – The lightest electric vehicle “almost” available

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I saw the kickstarter campaign for Boosted Boards on a friend’s Facebook page in late September and was blown away. I used to have an Altered Electric MX800 skateboard and really liked it however the weight really deterred me from using it. The board had very good acceleration and power but in order to compensate for that it weighed around 60 pounds. I don’t even like to carry standup boards that weigh more than 30 pounds, much less a skateboard that weighs 60 pounds. Needless to say, I rode it a lot in the beginning with my son and eventually stopped riding it. That’s why I got so excited when I saw the campaign for Boosted Boards on kick starter. It was like nothing I had seen before and if I had to imagine how good an electric skateboard could be, this would be it. Continue reading ‘Boosted Boards Electric Longboard Skateboard – The lightest electric vehicle “almost” available’

S.I.C. Bullet 14′ SUP Race Board with Fixed Fin

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Here again is S.I.C.’s Mark Raaphorst with a fixed fin variant of the Bullet 14′ SUP race board. This is for the guys who want to race in fixed fin SUP divisions. The board is also a few hundred dollars less than the Bullet 14′ with the full steering system. Continue reading ‘S.I.C. Bullet 14′ SUP Race Board with Fixed Fin’

Joe Blair 7′7″ Surfboard / SUP Board for Kids

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Here’s a new surfboard from Joe Blair which also doubles as SUP board for kids. This is a production sandwich construction board. My 9 year old could handle it pretty well but my 7 year old was struggling to carry it. Both were able to paddle and balance with no problem at Cardiff. I may have to get some for my boys. Continue reading ‘Joe Blair 7′7″ Surfboard / SUP Board for Kids’