Stand Up Paddle Boarding UK
Interview with Rick Thomas
Rick Thomas was the first person to bring Stand Up Paddle Surfing to mainland America, and you could argue that from that his influence SUP has spread all over the world. Bob Long (Mission Surf) told me that there are 6 degrees of speration between anyone in California who has learn't to Stand Up Paddle and Rick Thomas. [Link]
Paddle Round the Pier Brighton 2008
The Paddle Round the Pier Brighton event 2008 featured a Oxbow sponsored Stand Up Paddle race on the Saturday morning, originally the distance was going to be ten miles from Worthing Pier to Brighton West Pier, but due to bad conditions the safety team felt it was not to be. However, at around 7.30am the wind switched to a more helpful SSW and the decision was made to run the race, but from Shoreham Harbour to West Pier, a distance of five miles. [Link]
Stand Up Paddle Surfing Session with C4 at Cardiff Reef
Before we got over the Southern California (SoCal) Bill Fitzhugh from BSUPA had put us in contact with some people in California, one person was Ted Rutherford, who, apart from being a full time airline pilot, is also C4 Waterman's US mainland representative. After a few emails and phone calls we were to meet up early at 6am in the State Beach car park at Cardiff (about 30 minutes drive north from San Diego). Little did I know what a great session this was going to turn into. [Link]
The Top 5 Myths, Mistakes, and Misconceptions
C4 Watermans Dave Parmenter has been waxing lyrical about the current state of the stand up paddle surfing sport. In an excellent article he debunks myths and corrects mistakes. Over to Dave: It seems the new hybrid sport of stand-up paddling and surfing is getting more popular everyday. That’s great, but so things are moving so fast that it is getting hard to keep up with all the advances. It seems like each day another SUP-oriented business sprouts up, and each seems to have its own ideas about equipment and techniques. [Link]
Stand Up Paddle Surfing the Bitches
Matt Smith from Gower SUP has always been a hardcore surfer, and he is now taking SUP to new levels, and new locations in the UK. A well known Kayaking spot in Pembrokeshire was his recent target on account of its standing wave, known as the Bitches. [Link]
BSUPA Sunset Classic Round Two Results
THE SUNSET SURF CLASSIC 14th & 15th JUNE 2008 HELD AT GWITHIAN BEACH IN CORNWALLThe British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) held the 2nd round of the British Stand Up Paddle series at Gwithian beach Cornwall over the 14th and 15th June. Around 40 competitors travelled from around the UK to compete in the Cornish waters. The event was sponsored by Sunset Surf Nautilus, Starboard, Onfire, C-Skins, Liquid Vision, Prosport Sunscreen, Surfboard-tracker.com, Skinners Brewery, Surf Drops and Jolly’s drinks. [Link]
Bob's Mission Surf Shop - the home of SUP in San Diego
The first impression you get of Bob Long's surf shop when you walk in is that its an Aladdin's cave of Stand Up Paddle surfing equipment. Its literally packed to the roof with boards, paddles, wetsuits, clothes and everything else you can think of. The shop is located on 4320 Mission Blvd, just a block back from the beach. Bob has been running the shop for about 15 years and while other surf shops in San Diego were ignorant about stand up paddle surfing Bob decided that he was going to embrace the sport. [Link]
The Top 5 Myths, Mistakes, and Misconceptions
C4 Watermans Dave Parmenter has been waxing lyrical about the current state of the stand up paddle surfing sport. In an excellent article he debunks myths and corrects mistakes. Over to Dave: It seems the new hybrid sport of stand-up paddling and surfing is getting more popular everyday. That’s great, but so things are moving so fast that it is getting hard to keep up with all the advances. It seems like each day another SUP-oriented business sprouts up, and each seems to have its own ideas about equipment and techniques. [Link]
Congratulations Chris "Guts" Griffiths and John Hibbard
The end of the second round of the British Stand Up Paddle Assocation 2008 series has seen Chris "Guts" Griffiths win first place in the mens open stand up paddle surfing and John Hibbard first in the mens distance.Marie Buchanan took the stand up paddle surfing and the distance for the ladies in an impressive clean sweep. In the junior division stand up paddle surfing Connor Griffiths followed in his fathers winning foot steps and came first, and in the junior distance Bobbie Cooper won. [Link]
BSUPA Contest Round Two
The 2nd round of the British Stand Up Paddle Association (BSUPA) 2008 series takes place over the weekend of June 14/15th at Gwithian Beach Cornwall.
With its wide beach offering great waves during the range of tides, Gwithian is an ideal SUP location and it’s expect to attract SUP’ers of all abilities from across the UK. [Link]
Million Dollar paddle with South County Surf
On our Stand Up Paddle Surfing Forums SouthCounty, or John, as he is in real life put up a post about an SUP board that he had shaped, when I checked this out it turned out that he was based in Irvine, the first stop on my California adventure. A few PM's later and we were meeting up a Newport Aquatic Centre and heading out for a paddle around Balboa Island. [Link]
BSUPA GONG & 2XS Contest Results from Round One
A good weekend was had at West Wittering for the GONG and 2XS first round competition of the 2008 series. The swell was small on saturday, but that did not stop Patrice Guénolé from throwing 360's and nose sides, with a few drop knee turns thrown in for good measure. The first distance race started at 10.30am and was a punishing trianglular course, with a relatively easy downtide first leg then a hard leg against the tide and a final leg against the wind ! [Link]
Finisterre Base Layer
Finisterre is the sort of company that should immediately appeal to all SUPers and surfers. They are based in Cornwall and produce quality technical clothing designed for watermen/women. Not only that, they also have set up their company with sound ecological and sustainable ethics. No dodgy third world sweat shop products from this company. [Link]
BSUPA Results from Round One
A good weekend was had at West Wittering for the first round of the 2008 series. The swell was small on saturday, but that did not stop Patrice Guénolé from throwing 360's and tail sides, with a few drop knee turns thrown in for good measure. The first distance race started at 10.30am and was a punishing trianglular course, with a relatively easy downtide first leg then a hard leg against the tide and a final leg against the wind ! [Link]
BSUPA Contest Round One - UPDATE
The first round of the BSUPA contest series to find a men and womens Champion in 2008 is now on, it will feature distance races, coaching tuition and board demo's. Location is West Wittering Beach on 17th and 18th May. Simon and myself have been working hard on the contest rules and regulations and we are now publishing them on as many SUP sites as we can to get the message out. If you would like to compete then please read the rules, join BSUPA and fill in the contest entry form. We also have a party planned on the Saturday night at the Bell Inn in Birdham. All in all it should be a great weekend. [Link]
GONG 9' 11'' Electric Stand Up Paddle Board Review
I have had my lovely red GONG board for about a month now. I was tempted to do a review straight away, but I resisted that temptation as I really wanted to get some hours on the board, in the surf and on flat water to get a good impression of what it is all about.GONG SUP have interested me since I found their advertising banner on Nate's Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine website. I was really pleased to find a European manufacturer who appeared to be way ahead of the curve in board design. I was also really pleased when I found out 2XS were the UK distributors, and I called up Simon and got myself an Electric 9'11''.So did it cut the mustard ? Read on and find out… [Link]
Emmet O'Doherty Crowned First Irish Stand Up Paddle Surf Champion.
It looks like a good time was had in Bundoran for the Irish National Surfing Championships. The event took place at Tullan Strand, which if you have never surfed there is well worth a visit. It is one of my favourite beach breaks with a really nice peak and long lines. Anyway back to the news that part of the competition was for Stand Up Paddle Surfing and they have crowned Emmet O'Doherty the first Irish Stand Up Paddle Surf Champion. [Link]
C4 at San Onofre
C4 have been mixing it up with the celebs in San Onofre, California. San Onofre Surf Beach offers a world renowned and historical surf break, it also offers San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) provides nearly 20-percent of the power to more than 15-million people in Southern California. You can see the Nuclear power station in some of the photo's. Yikes ! [Link]
Stand Up Paddle Surfing the Bitches
Matt Smith from Gower SUP has always been a hardcore surfer, and he is now taking SUP to new levels, and new locations in the UK. A well known Kayaking spot in Pembrokeshire was his recent target on account of its standing wave, known as the Bitches. [Link]
New look Stand Up Paddle Surfing website
As you may have noticed Stand Up Paddle Surfing UK has undergone a face lift ! 
This means that we will be retiring this blog as the new website takes over. In the mean time the archive will stay here. Here is our very own press release : Over the winter, while we in the UK were being hit by storms and conditions too windy to stand up paddle surf in, Matt Argyle, the owner of http://www.supuk.org was busy designing a face lift for the website. Working with his graphic design and programming team, they have made the website live today. The popularity of Stand Up Paddling in the UK has exploded, and this has been reflected in the number of unique visitors to http://www.supuk.org had risen from around 30-40 per day in November 2007 to over 1,500 per day in February 2008. Given this rise Matt felt that he needed to build a website that would be better able to handle the bigger visitor numbers and to have scope to increase the amount of contributors to the website. Matt continues “Simon Bassett from 2XS is travelling to Maui in April and I asked him if he wanted to be a roving reporter for the website, he agreed, but I realised that I needed to create a website that would allow him to update it with the minimum hassle. I am travelling to the US soon as well and I wanted to be able to post features and reviews in internet cafes, so I don’t need to take my laptop, the platform for this website will enable me to do this”. Matt runs a web design company and his experience told him that the open source system Joomla! would be perfect for the launch. Allowing content editors, around the world, to log in and publish content to the site with no software needed other than an internet connection and a web browser. Matt continues “I think that stand up paddle surfing is the first water sport to be “born” in the internet age, people now expect information to be available immediately and they want to join an online community to ask questions and help others. I hope that Stand Up Paddle Surfing UK will be able to provide this service for stand up paddle surfers in the UK and all over the world”. [Link]
BSUPA at the Outdoors Show, NEC Birmingham 14th - 16th March
From tomorrow I will be putting my British Stand Up Paddle Association hat on and heading to the NEC to help spread the SUP word. We shall be on the beach area with alot of Olympic kayakers and sailors, so it should be a good weekend. Myself, Simon and Bill will be running demos and introducing the sport to the many thousands of people that visit the show every year. 
This (more…) [Link]
The first ever paper based stand up paddle surfing magazine’s !
Boards magazine and Kitesurf magazine have both produced paper based SUP suppliments, I have read them both and they are really good (and this has nothing to do with me getting my photo into both ;)). I recommend getting out there and securing a copy. 
[Link]
Would you like to be a GONG SUP beach ambassador ?
Ride some of the most progressive shapes in SUP, like your profile added to the www.gongsup.com website, we are looking for good riders around the breaks in the UK send us some details to simon@2xs.co.uk the UK GONG distributor. 
(more…) [Link]
Results of the Ku Ikaika Challenge are in
HONOLULU - (February 14, 2008) - Today’s inaugural QuikSilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull, was a hugely successful celebration of the waterman heritage, epic surf and aloha that have been Hawaii’s gifts to the world for centuries. Staged in waves that ranged throughout the day from six to 15 feet (wave face heights of 12-30 feet), the world’s first big-wave stand up paddle surfing event was more about gathering together to honor a tradition than it was about winning. 
The first place winner’s check of $4,000, ultimately claimed by revered Hawaiian waterman Aaron Napoleon (Pearl City, Oahu, 41), was presented on his behalf to the West Side Junior Lifeguard Foundation. Every surfer in the main event (more…) [Link]
First BSUPA contest details announced.
Here is the latest poster for the BSUPA contest event at West Wittering on 17th & 18th May 2008. It is the first contest that will form part of the 4 part series to crown a UK Champion. 
For more details see the BSUPA website. [Link]
Ku Ikaika Big Wave Challange
We had a press release from the guys in Hawaii about the first SUP big wave competition being held at Makaha Point. The contest is ON for today. and there is a live link to see the action. Remember the action starts at 7am Hawaiian Time : http://www.kuikaikachallenge.com/ 
HONOLULU - (February 13, 2008) - The world’s first big-wave international stand up paddle surfing competition - the one-day QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull - will tackle macking Makaha Point surf tomorrow, with forecasts for the West Side coming in at 12 feet (wave face heights of 20+ feet), with set waves as high as 15 feet (30-foot wave faces). Competition will get underway at 7 a.m. 
“The storm system that generated this swell was absolutely enormous,” explains NOAA forecaster Pat Caldwell. “If it had (more…) [Link]
Australian Stand Up Paddle Surfing - Fraser Island Challenge
Youtube has provided again. Last year two intrepid paddlers Chris de Aboitiz and Eugene “Woogie” Te Manu Marsh, decided to try and get around Fraser Island, some 300kms, in 7 days. (more…) [Link]
GONG SUP arrives in the UK via 2XS
2xs are now the official UK distributor and a stockist for Galaxy of New Generations (GONG) stand up paddle boarding kit. 
As you may have noticed I have been intrigued by these boards, as the company is European and produces a really large range of 17 different boards (as well as a recently introduced childs board) from the website it appears that they will even (more…) [Link]
Great training video on how not to fall off your board.
This should be part of anyones training routine. If you are serious about improving your balance this is the way to go 
[Link]
Sustainable clothing company Rapanui launches line..
You beat me to it guys ! I am always keen to promote anything ethical and green as these issues are really important to me. I was talking to Andy from Airhead about setting up an ethical surf clothing company before Christmas, just really throwing ideas around, but these guys at Rapanui have beaten me to it, and they are local, so that makes it very cool. I hope to be seeing your stuff in the shops soon - good luck ! Press release is below : Rapanui Clothing is an organic and sustainable clothing company based on the Isle of Wight. Powered by renewable energy throughout the product life cycle and only using natural fabrics, Rapanui has a fair claim to being the greenest clothing company in the world, on its credentials alone. 
Set up by surfing brothers Rob and Mart Drake-Knight, 23 and 21 respectively. The brothers were motivated to influence environmental change after becoming ill from surfing in polluted waters. Mart wears scars from a skin infection caused by pollution; Rob spent three days of a holiday in France in bed due to sickness caused by field run-off.
(more…) [Link]
Adam Zervas C4 Waterman - first stand up paddle surfer to ride the Cribbar.
Adam Zervas has been busy again ! On Monday 28th Jan 2008 he became the first Stand Up Paddle Surfer to surf the Cribbar. I think we are going to be seeing alot of firsts over 2008. 
[Link]
Bonga Perkins nabs Paddle Core Fitness Pro at Sunset
Paddle Core Fitness Pro Sunset Beach, Hawaii
20 January 2008 Bonga Perkins claims Paddle Core Fitness Pro at Sunset Bonga Perkins from Haleiwa took down a final of international big wave riders on eighteen to twenty five foot westerly peaks at Sunset Beach to claim the first ever Paddlecorefitness.com stand up surfing event on the north shore of Oahu. 
Bonga Perkins : photo Allen Mozo (more…) [Link]
Free Surfing Exhibition in Havant
Here is something for all you South Coasters. This weekend in Havant there is an exhibition on surfing at the Havant Museum. 
Here are the details : (more…) [Link]
Pavement SUP ?
It had to happen…… 
(more…) [Link]
Getting shacked at pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii.
You have to love Garrett McNamara, not satisfied with tow in surfing the waves made by ice falls from glacier, he decided to pull in a pipeline on his SUP. The footage has to been seen to be believed. (more…) [Link]
C4 Team training in great waves on Oahu’s West Side
Here is a great video with the guys from the C4 team getting some water time in on super glassy big waves. (more…) [Link]
QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge wait period starts
Great news that Quiksilver and C4 are putting on a big wave SUP contest at Makaha Point, I would dearly love to be there to see all the action. I happen to know that UK big wave surf Simon Jayham is on the North Shore at the moment and he has posted that big waves are forecast over the next few days - prehaps he could pop down to Makaha and check it out for us (hint, hint). Here is the press release : QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge
Presented by C4 Waterman & Red Bull Makaha Point West Side Oahu
15 January - 29 February 2008 
Brian Keaulana : photo Allen Mozo QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge wait period starts The official holding period of the QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull, will get underway tomorrow, January 15, and will run through February 29, 2008. The QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge is the world’s first big-wave stand up paddle (SUP) surfing event and will be held at Makaha Point, on Oahu’s West Side. (more…) [Link]
Wave pool in the Thames ?
What could be better after a hard days work in the City of London, than popping on the tube, board under arm, for some 100 metre point break, 6ft waves ? Fantasy …… or is it. Following this article in the Guardian news paper it looks like this might have stepped closer to reality. Outline planning permission has been granted and, if all goes well, by 2011 you could be catching a wave after work. 
(more…) [Link]
The British Stand Up Paddle Boarding Association update
The British Stand Up Paddle Surfing Association (BSUPA) has been set up to provide information, organisation, training and contests for this new sport in the UK. It was set up in September 2007 by Olaus Macleod and since then has started to grow from strength to strength. 
(more…) [Link]
More news from C4 Waterman
C4 Waterman have release a 14ft racing board called the C4 Vortice XP. Its a hollow, carbon fibre race board that weighs in at under 20lbs. Its being released in Hawaii in Febraury 2008 so I guess we might see some in the UK later this year. It could be a good option if you are going to get into the distance paddling side of the sport. Here are some pictures :
(more…) [Link]
West Wittering beach SUP Winter Warmer with BSUPA
The British Stand Up Paddle Boarding association (BSUPA) are holding a ”Winter Warm Up” on Saturday December 15th - Noon till Dusk - at 2xs on West Wittering Beach. 
(more…) [Link]
Duncan Scott surfs massive Irish waves in Donegal
For those of us who competed at John Hibbards Stand Up Paddle board competition back in September 2007 we all will remember the cheerful South African Duncan (you can hear him in the background of some of the September Session videos). Duncan has been surfing Mullagmore Head in Donegal Bay, with waves thought to be the biggest surfed in Ireland. 
(more…) [Link]
More GONG SUP
A fantastic video of, I think, the short 7 foot SUP board with footstraps on being used in anger. I really want one of these, if any one knows how much they cost then get in touch ! [Link]
Charity Ebay Auction for wood stand up paddle.
I recieved this email from Bob Babcock the other day, he has created some amazing looking wooden paddles which he is currently auctioning on ebay in the US. He has said he would be happy to ship to the UK. Its for a great cause (save the children) and with almost $2 to £1 its a great chance to get a wood paddle at a great price and help out a cause. 
(more…) [Link]
The Mule - an answer to carry your stand up paddle board.
One of the most physically exhausting things I have ever done is, after a good 2 hours stand up paddle surfing session, tried to carry my Jimmy Lewis 11ft up the beach to the car park (about 1/2 mile walk) against a force 4 off shore wind. I was already knackered after the surf session and battling against the wind was a nightmare. The fine people at Stand Up Paddle Surfing magazine have just carried out a review of a neat little device that looks like it might solve my problems. Its called the MULE and it seems to be a nifty bit of kit. 
(more…) [Link]
The Flame Ball SUP Company
Yes its all in French and badly written Franglish, but check out these boards : 
This puppy is a 7 ft 7 SUP board with foot straps so you can pull big airs. I predicted the sport was going to go short next year but these guys are ahead of the pack. I would love to get out for some stand up paddle surfing on one of these. They are based in France, but the have a lot of dealers and one is based in Belfast : www.elementsportz.com (more…) [Link]
Stand Up Paddle Surfing at Mavericks Video
I have been to Pillar Point and looked over the reef in front of mavericks. At the time I thought that I did’nt fancy getting dragged across it with a surfboard attached. I fancy it even less with a SUP board attached. 
So huge respect to Garrett Mcnamara who paddled out to drop in on afew bombs on this day at Mavericks. (more…) [Link]
C4 Waterman release new range of boards for winter 2007/08
Just when you are loving your latest C4 waterman board they go and release a whole new sexy looking selection. 
(more…) [Link]
British Airways bans surfboards.
Thinking of flying off for a surfing or SUP break somewhere ? Are you flying with “Britains Favourite Airline” ? If you are flying with them after the 7th November 2007 you had best leave the boards at home. 
(more…) [Link]
Stand Up Paddle Surf Hawaii
While paddle surfing the web I can across this website : Paddle Surf Hawaii Check out some of the fantastic looking boards and very scary looking pictures ! 
This is taken from the website - make sure you get over there to check out the rest. I now want a board off these guys ! [Link]
Website issues
As you may have noticed stand up paddle surfing uk has suffered some problems over the last 24 hours, we are sorry about that, the server that the website resides on has had a hard disc failure and this is being fixed today. We should be back in business asap ! [Link]
Surfing Vs. Stand Up Paddle Surfing - A scientific study.
Yeah right ! Scientific….well prehaps not, but everybody talks about how stand up paddle surfing means that you can get out in the water more that surfing. With smallers waves being easy to surf on a SUP board, but a nightmare on a regular long or short board. So I thought where is the evidence of this ? Rather than wait for a man with a beard in a lab coat to come up with the answer I have decided to conduct my own study here. I live, more or less, on the beach at a break called Bracklesham and everyday I do a surf report. 
(more…) [Link]
C4 Waterman 10ft 6” Stand Up Paddle Surfing Board Review
I have been working away on this review and now it is ready to go. I love this board : 
See the full C4 Waterman SUP board review here for a quick look at the conclusions: (more…) [Link]
Indo boards - get fit in the comfort of your own living room.
During the Stand Up Paddle Surfing competition last weekend I met up with Adriano from Indo Europe. Over the years I had been bumping into him via the Shore Surf Club and surfing with him at East Head and various other local breaks. I have been interested in balance boards ever since I broke my leg on a half pipe and the physio who got me back in action used several different types of balance board to return my balance, leg and ankle strength and rotation to full health. 
I can certainly see the physiological benefits from being rehabilitated, but I was unaware of the edge it can give you for surfing and stand up paddle boarding, so here is the press release from Indo, writen by Adam Zervas, a pro surfer/SUPer : Whether you are dreaming of doing an “Hawaiian style” paddle between islands, as they do in Polynesia, or a paddle at your local break - you are going to need a lot more fitness strength than you think. The Stand Up Paddle Board is exploding on to the market and is here to stay as part of our beach and ocean culture. (more…) [Link]
Stand Up Paddle Boarding/Surfing forum launched.
We have been getting alot of emails from people asking “What is the Starboard 12ft 6 SUP like ?” and should I get a C4 waterman paddle ? (yes ;)), infact our inbox was getting so full that we no longer have time to reply to all the questions. So we decided to launch our very own stand up paddle surfing forum. The forum will be the place to ask all these questions and hopefully, the SUP community, as it grows, will be able to answer. We have also added a “For Sale/Wanted” section which will help you get hold of the kit you need to go Stand Up Paddle Surfing. So come on over to the forums, create an account, login and say hello ! 
[Link]
The British Stand Up Paddle Association
There has been an exciting development for all UK based stand up paddle surfers. We now have our very own organisation that offers insurance (which is vital these days), competitions, sports development and many other benefits. In their own words : Key benefits include: Worldwide third party public liability surfing insurance cover, up to £5 million – well worth having, in our increasingly busy line-ups (more…) [Link]
The September Sessions - report and videos are ready !
Finally everything is finished. All you need to do is go to our Stand Up Paddle Surfing events review page to check it all out ! (more…) [Link]
“Action” report
The video is almost finished and the report is almost writen, but here are a couple of photos to tease you. The weekend was amazing, some great stand up paddle surfing and a collection of some of the most talented surfers and windsurfers from the UK and even around the world attended. Hopefully the full report will be ready tonight. (more…) [Link]
The September Sessions - get down to Watergate Bay
The bags are packed, the roof rack is on, the excitment is mounting and all I need is some SUP talent in the water ! Tonight stand up paddle boarders and stand up paddle surfers from all over the UK will converge on Newquay in Cornwall ready for the first ever dedicated Stand Up Paddle boarding/surfing competition in Watergate Bay on Saturday morning. The fun starts from 9.30am, the forecast looks pretty good with various websites showing
a clean 2-4ft wave, perfect ! The competition is now full, but come along and have a look. If you
can’t make it don’t worry, we will be
there armed with a video camera and a full review will be posted next week. 
[Link]
Escape are making eco-friendly stand up paddle surfing boards
I heard on the grapevine that escape have been making more environmentally friendly
surfboards for a while now and so I got in touch with Bill and Charlie to find out somemore. What I did’nt realise, which I think is really exciting, is that escape can make a custom SUP using bio blanks and eco resin. Considering how environmentally unfriendly standard surfboards and stand up paddle surf boards are this is great news, and even better - its from a British company. Below is some information from Charlie, I intend to pop into the factory in October and do a full feature on these guys. Escape Surfboards are based in North Cornwall and been manufacturing and testing a new range of Stand Up Paddle Boards ( SUP ). This sport has a long history but has become popular due to surfers like Liard Hamilton bringing it to the attention of the media. But you don’t need to be a pro surfer to enjoy it just going out for a paddle is fun and a good work out. As for surfing you only need a small swell line to have a ride or you can take it on and push yourself as far as you want. Some surfers are riding double over head barreling waves on them or getting smaller boards made for a more progressive style of surfing. Its now huge in Hawaii , America , Oz and now England has the bug too.Its fun , progressive and keeps you fit so have a go. Escape now stock SUP,s , pads and paddles we can also do custom orders in Epoxy , Bio Foam or standered. The other thing we are excited about are the Eco Boards we are making. We can manufacture any style board from a 12′ SUP to a 6′.0″ Performance short board using Bio Foam blanks that are 40% plant based and for the laminating we use Eco Resin that’s 94% plant based all from Cornish based companies. Now you have an affordable more eco friendly alternative to the other boards on the market, So you can order your Custom Eco Board from Escape and feel good about it. Well done you. You can contact escape on 01208 863898 or 01208 863962. The escape website is good place to learn more as well. Here are some pictures of escape products in action. 
[Link]
Stand Up Paddleboarding instructional DVD
I found this nice footage on youtube while checking out the latest Stand up paddle surfing videos, looks interesting and the surfing footage is good. REAL Kiteboarding is excited to announce the release of our newest instructional DVD, Standup Paddleboarding! Over a year in the making and shot in locations such as Hawaii, British Virgin Islands, and on much of the East Coast, this DVD will teach you what you need to introduce yourself to the world of standup. [Link]
C4 Paddle Surf Board 10′6″ arrive in the UK
Andy Cooper from airhead surf shop in Rustington has got the first lot of C4 Stand up paddle boards in the UK. Andy took it for a test and wrote up the results on his blog here. I am looking forward to checking this board out, for more info get in touch with the airhead crew. 
[Link]
7 foot long stand up paddle board action !
Is short the future ? Will stand up paddle surfing go the same way as longboarding did when the short surf board revolution took the sport by storm at the end of the 1960’s ? Who knows for sure, but the footage below will get people thinking. Thanks to Ivan van Thanks to Ivan Van Vuuren from Extreme Sports Movies for bringing this to our attention. The action takes place on a 7 foot kids Starboard windsurf board in a 2 foot swell on Maui. Have a look and draw your own conclusions. [Link]
Indo boards - get fit in the comfort of your own living room.
During the Stand Up Paddle Surfing competition last weekend I met up with Adriano from Indo Europe. Over the years I had been bumping into him via the Shore Surf Club and surfing with him at East Head and various other local breaks. I have been interested in balance boards ever since I broke my leg on a half pipe and the physio who got me back in action used several different types of balance board to return my balance, leg and ankle strength and rotation to full health. I can certainly see the physiological benefits from being rehabilitated, but I was unaware of the edge it can give you for surfing and stand up paddle boarding, so here is the press release from Indo, writen by Adam Zervas, a pro surfer/SUPer : Whether you are dreaming of doing an “Hawaiian style” paddle between islands, as they do in Polynesia, or a paddle at your local break - you are going to need a lot more fitness strength than you think. The Stand Up Paddle Board is exploding on to the market and is here to stay as part of our beach and ocean culture. As a pro surfer and stand up paddle waterman I am very focused on how to achieve satisfaction on the paddleboard using the Indo Board as a perfect training tool. Living in the UK you need to make the most of every surfing opportunity offered and utilize bad weather days for strengthening you weaknesses and improving core strength. As you head out on your stand up paddle surfboard for the first time remember, like most new sports, stand-up paddling should be undertaken in small steps. Overdoing it in the beginning pinpoint muscles you never knew existed. That is why the lack of preparation could hold you back. Every windy day or dark evening is an invitation to get your Indo Board Training Pack out and practice conditioning those muscles for the next paddle session. For more expert surfers, operating at a higher level, the most effective way to stay in top shape is to focus not on just one muscle group, but rather on groups of muscles together. When you work on all the muscles together to develop connective strength, you can take on a greater range of sports with less risk of injury. Like Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Indo Boarding trains the whole body, not just one muscle at a time and it stretches and strengthens the critical athletic motions - rotational, side-to-side, and front-to back especially when using the IndoFlo cushion. While at a trade show I met Hunter Joslin who is the Indo Board creator, and he ran through with me a basic workout routine on the Indo Board and Indo Flo cushion. When I cannot get near the water for a few days, I train with the basic routines. To be specific; squats, lunges, press-ups, wood chops, one leg stance etc. I must admit that I have always been an Indo enthusiast, but since I have been Stand Up Paddle Boarding, I have used my Indo Board more than ever. The Indo Board is the closest thing to get the same sensation of balance as on the Stand Up Paddle board. My level of control on the Stand Up Board has been pushed to whole new level. Indo Board should be part of every S.U.P kit! For more information visit: www.indoeurope.com 
[Link]
Stand Up Paddle Boarding/Surfing forum launched.
We have been getting alot of emails from people asking “What is the Starboard 12ft 6 SUP like ?” and should I get a C4 waterman paddle ? (yes ;)), infact our inbox was getting so full that we no longer have time to reply to all the questions. So we decided to launch our very own stand up paddle surfing forum. The forum will be the place to ask all these questions and hopefully, the SUP community, as it grows, will be able to answer. We have also added a “For Sale/Wanted” section which will help you get hold of the kit you need to go Stand Up Paddle Surfing. So come on over to the forums, create an account, login and say hello ! [Link]
The British Stand Up Paddle Association
There has been an exciting development for all UK based stand up paddle surfers. We now have our very own organisation that offers insurance (which is vital these days), competitions, sports development and many other benefits. In their own words : Key benefits include: Worldwide third party public liability surfing insurance cover, up to £5 million – well worth having, in our increasingly busy line-ups Membership pack, including: BSUPA t-shirt, car sticker membership card Monthly “Big Strokes” E-zine and entry into all bsupa events throughout the year – whether you wish to compete or just come and hang out. Senior Membership - £25 (Full package for individuals who are over 18 Jan 1st 2007) Junior Membership - £17.50 (Full package for individuals who are under 18 Jan 1st 2007) Family Membership - £40 (Includes 2 over 18’s & 2 under 18’s) BSUPA will also be running a series of SUP competitions throughout the year. These will constitute the official British SUP Tour. Through these schemes we hope to produce athletes who will one day be able to represent Britain in SUP competition at an international/Olympic level. All Memberships run for twelve months from the date of payment. You will be notified by email or post when your membership is due for renewal. They already have a nice website http://www.bsupa.org with lots of information on it. If you want to join download the BSUPA Application Form and send it off to them. The contest schedule for next year is provisional but looks like this : March 29th - 30th BLU - Bathsheba/Waterhole Classic Perranporth, Cornwall
May 10th - 11th BLU - Oxbow/Wateringhole Classic Perranporth, Cornwall
June 7th - 8th BLU - Citigroup/Freedom Log Jam St Ouens Bay, Jersey
June 16th - 17th BLU - Oxbow/Midsummer Classic Watergate Bay, Cornwall
July 5th - 6th Paddle Round The Pier Brighton, East Sussex
August 21st - 25th Wight Air The Isle Of Wight
September 13th - 14th BLU - Oxbow/Sunset Surf Classic Gwithian, Cornwall
September 27th - 28th BSA - BSUPA End Of Season Grand Final Fistral, Cornwall [Link]
The September Sessions - report and videos are ready !
Finally everything is finished. All you need to do is go to our Stand Up Paddle Surfing events review page to check it all out ! Videos - Part One : Videos - Part Two : 
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“Action” report
The video is almost finished and the report is almost writen, but here are a couple of photos to tease you. The weekend was amazing, some great stand up paddle surfing and a collection of some of the most talented surfers and windsurfers from the UK and even around the world attended. Hopefully the full report will be ready tonight. Update : Some more pictures from Will Comer who was on the beach with the big camera, first off Brian Talma : 
And here is Simon Bassett on a wave :
Some more :
And one of Adam Zervas :
[Link]
The September Sessions - get down to Watergate Bay
The bags are packed, the roof rack is on, the excitment is mounting and all I need is some SUP talent in the water ! Tonight stand up paddle boarders and stand up paddle surfers from all over the UK will converge on Newquay in Cornwall ready for the first ever dedicated Stand Up Paddle boarding/surfing competition in Watergate Bay on Saturday morning. The fun starts from 9.30am, the forecast looks pretty good with various websites showing
a clean 2-4ft wave, perfect ! The competition is now full, but come along and have a look. If you
can’t make it don’t worry, we will be
there armed with a video camera and a full review will be posted next week. [Link]
Escape are making eco-friendly stand up paddle surfing boards
I heard on the grapevine that escape have been making more environmentally friendly
surfboards for a while now and so I got in touch with Bill and Charlie to find out somemore. What I did’nt realise, which I think is really exciting, is that escape can make a custom SUP using bio blanks and eco resin. Considering how environmentally unfriendly standard surfboards and stand up paddle surf boards are this is great news, and even better - its from a British company. Below is some information from Charlie, I intend to pop into the factory in October and do a full feature on these guys. Escape Surfboards are based in North Cornwall and been manufacturing and testing a new range of Stand Up Paddle Boards ( SUP ). This sport has a long history but has become popular due to surfers like Liard Hamilton bringing it to the attention of the media. But you don’t need to be a pro surfer to enjoy it just going out for a paddle is fun and a good work out. As for surfing you only need a small swell line to have a ride or you can take it on and push yourself as far as you want. Some surfers are riding double over head barreling waves on them or getting smaller boards made for a more progressive style of surfing. Its now huge in Hawaii , America , Oz and now England has the bug too.Its fun , progressive and keeps you fit so have a go. Escape now stock SUP,s , pads and paddles we can also do custom orders in Epoxy , Bio Foam or standered. The other thing we are excited about are the Eco Boards we are making. We can manufacture any style board from a 12′ SUP to a 6′.0″ Performance short board using Bio Foam blanks that are 40% plant based and for the laminating we use Eco Resin that’s 94% plant based all from Cornish based companies. Now you have an affordable more eco friendly alternative to the other boards on the market, So you can order your Custom Eco Board from Escape and feel good about it. Well done you. You can contact escape on 01208 863898 or 01208 863962. The escape website is good place to learn more as well. Here are some pictures of escape products in action. [Link]
Stand Up Paddleboarding instructional DVD
I found this nice footage on youtube while checking out the latest Stand up paddle surfing videos, looks interesting and the surfing footage is good. REAL Kiteboarding is excited to announce the release of our newest instructional DVD, Standup Paddleboarding! Over a year in the making and shot in locations such as Hawaii, British Virgin Islands, and on much of the East Coast, this DVD will teach you what you need to introduce yourself to the world of standup. [Link]
C4 Paddle Surf Board 10′6″ arrive in the UK
Andy Cooper from airhead surf shop in Rustington has got the first lot of C4 Stand up paddle boards in the UK. Andy took it for a test and wrote up the results on his blog here. I am looking forward to checking this board out, for more info get in touch with the airhead crew. [Link]
7 foot long stand up paddle board action !
Is short the future ? Will stand up paddle surfing go the same way as longboarding did when the short surf board revolution took the sport by storm at the end of the 1960’s ? Who knows for sure, but the footage below will get people thinking. Thanks to Ivan van Thanks to Ivan Van Vuuren from Extreme Sports Movies for bringing this to our attention. The action takes place on a 7 foot kids Starboard windsurf board in a 2 foot swell on Maui. Have a look and draw your own conclusions. [Link]
