Kialoa Paddles
KIALOA Paddle Holiday Sale
Save 20% on Selected KIALOA Paddles, Graphics and ApparelNovember 15 to December 31st 2012 Kialoa Paddles offers Free USA shipping and 50% off to Hawaii for all online purchases this holiday season.
All of us at KIALOA wish you a Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas), Happy Holidays and the gift of 20% off of selected KIALOA paddles and gear. This is your opportunity to give the paddlers on your gift list the KIALOA gear they love to use (or wear) all year long.
Visit our Kialoa.com website for additional holiday gifts to you, like an additional 10% off on any item for a limited time. Check out all of the holiday sale items and you are sure to find a gift that reminds you of beautiful sunny days on the water whatever time of year it may be.
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Woman SUP paddleboarder, Karrie McFadden finished first in the 10 mile 14' class and won a KIALOA Pipes paddle in the Battle of the Bay, San Francisco, California.
The 2nd Annual Battle of the Bay, SUP & Prone Paddleboard Race and Expo, held October 13th and 14th, 2012, took the San Francisco Bay Area by storm. And with a $5,000 cash purse on the line, the world’s top paddlers battled it out for top honors. The explosion in popularity of Stand Up Paddling has infected the San Francisco Bay Area in a big way and its a celebration of paddling in one of the world’s most iconic bodies of water.
Karrie McFadden holding her prize, a KIALOA Pipes paddle www.KIALOA.com
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Paddleboarding with a Dog and a Picnic
Stand up paddling on Hosmer Lake, Oregon, in late Fall. Photo: Jill Rosell
Paddleboarding with friends, including the four-legged ones is a joy ride you won't want to miss before winter sets in at the high elevations. At Kialoa we love our dogs. And, we like to make them as comfy as we are on the water.
Thanks, Jill for this photo — in another month, when the snows are falling in Central Oregon, this photo will be a warm memory.
Jill Rosell, Natural Light Portrait Photographer – Bend, Oregon [Link]
Women's Outrigger Canoe Swamped in Hawaiian Paddling Race
See the most brutal wave action in all of Na Wahine O Ke Kai race history. The woman's outrigger canoe race from Molokai to Oahu was hit with an early season Northwest swell and a lot of wave action. Eight foot Hawaiian swells combined with a strong current that the boats had to get past before even starting the race to Oahu.
Many wahine interviewed felt "empowered" by the crazy swells, but getting out of the harbor before the start proved impossible for some competitors. Ten canoes swamped, one damaged, one paddler injured. One crew pulled out of the race when their outrigger canoe was damaged. Seventy-two crews competed and the outrigger race went on.
Team Bradley of Maui took first place in the Na Wahine O Ke Kai women's outrigger paddling race this year. Rough ocean conditions added 45 minutes to the finish time compared to last year.
Watch this KITV local news report for some great footage. Wow!
www.kialoa.com [Link]
Women's World Champion Outrigger Na Wahine O Ke Kai Race
For 34 years outrigger canoes filled with women-only teams have vied to win the Na Wahine O Ke Kai race. The canoe course set between Moloka'i to O'ahu is through the unpredictable Kaiwi channel.
The September 2012 winners were Team Bradley, 1st in Open Class and Hui Nalu-40's 1st in Master's 40+ class, Kailua-50's 1st in Master's 50+ class. See the Na Wahine O Ke Kai site for a detailed list of finishers. This is a photo of women who just did the Na Wahine O Ke Kai crossing last Sunday.
Here’s a note from Carol Shick, one of our Kialoa 'elele and event paddlers:
We went open because we had 3 young gals on our team, 2 of which have only done channel once, and the other it was her first time. We went under name Team "Oceans 10" and place 8 in open division, 10th overall, and 1st California team.
We paddled for Ocean of Hope campaign to raise money for people affected by cancer.
I wasn't in start crew, but we had no issues getting out of harbor, luckily. Time the sets perfectly. We almost went ama under on this huge fricken cross wave. I thought we were done and then the wave release the canoe at the last moment
I’ve got bruises where they shouldn't be. Hah! 
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Job well done to all of the finishers.
www.KIALOA.com [Link]
SUP Paddleboarding Paddle Stroke Technique
When asked about paddling technique, Dave Chun of Kialoa paddles says, "Listen to the board, Don't worry about what you look like. Listen to the water coming off of it. Feel what makes it go fast and smooth."
Beau Whitehead of Paddle Surf Northwest wrote a great blog entry about paddle stroke that we'd like to share with you. Here's an excerpt:
“. . . .There are a few tips I want people to take away from the following photos… First, about 80% of all my power comes in this series of pictures. When the paddle first catches, to about a foot in front of my toes is where the money is. I get roughly another 20% of forward power from that point to my toes, and close to zero power from my heel back.
Stroke rate is going to depend on paddler strength, paddle blade size and paddling style. 4 years ago I was using a tiny blade and a very high stroke rate. It has slowly morphed into a medium size blade and a slightly slower, more powerful stroke. Sometimes in the middle of a race I will chant two different mantras… Kalama's "reach dammit, reach!" and my own "slow is smooth, smooth is fast."
This really helps me toward the end of a race when I'm fatiguing and my stroke technique is falling apart. . . . " READ MORE from the article Stoke, by Beau Whitehead, Paddle Surf Northwest. www.KIALOA.com [Link]
Tom Carrol, Surfer and KIALOA Paddleboarding Guy in Storm Surfers 3D Movie
Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carrol are surfing waves that have never been surfed, pushing the boundaries of life and luck. This is a documentary about two friends, both middle-aged guys from the 1980s generation of prosurfing. Trailing giant oceanic storms that create massive waves, these men and their crew race around the planet riding those storm waves. This documentary is a visual and emotional journey about surfing, friendship and epic adventure.
Tom Carrol is also a KIALOA Stand up paddleboarder. Thanks Tom, Ross and the crew for your contributions. We are grateful.
Seattle Race Around the Island with Brutal Headwinds
Beau Whitehead
L-R: Cyril Burguriere, Thomas Shahinian, Beau Whitehead Race Around The Island in Seattle, September 9, 2012 – Seward Park, Seattle
Race Results: Men
1st Thomas Maximus Shahinian on an unlimited
2nd Beau Whitehead (KIALOA) on an unlimited
3rd Cyril Burguriere (KIALOA) on a 14'
Race Results: Women
1st Shannon Bell on a 14'
2nd Karen Wrenn (KIALOA) on a 14'
3rd Lina Augaitis on a stock board
Beau Whitehead from Paddle Surf Northwest came in 2nd in the Race Around the Island. He sent us this note:
"Just a few pics… What a race! Conditions couldn't have been a whole lot worse… I had an awful first few miles… I think I was right at the limit of being able to propel a 36 pound, 19' board through the head wind chop. To much surface area or weight? Regardless, at the 3 mile mark I was in 8th place, Cyril was in 2nd place behind Thomas, and there were 5 or 6 14' boards ahead of me. At 6 miles, I had finally started to feel my groove, and only had Thomas and Cyril in front of me. I know Cyril is a bad-ass paddler, but man I was going to be bummed if he beat me on a 14'! I slowly eased by him, before we turned into the last 3 miles into an absolute brutal headwind. I wasn't sure I was actually moving forward at some points. I considered crying at one point. I ended up finishing about 6 minutes back from Thomas (same as last year) and Cyril was only 2 minutes behind me!! Absolute fantastic performance by Cyril.
Thomas later told me his 19' board weighs 21 pounds! 15 pounds less than mine. Do you think that's worth 6 minutes over 13 miles? (-:
Thanks guys for all you do for me, and once again making paddling just that much more awesome!"
Beau
Paddle Surf Northwest
www.KIALOA.com
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Vic Allen in the 2012 World Sprints Calgary Canada
Vic Anthony Allen is the first totally blind paddler to compete at World Sprints in Calgary, Canada. From Hawaii. Vic is one of our KIALOA paddling 'elele (ambassadors) and his guide is Luke Evslin. They hail from Kaui
Here’s a note from Vic:
“Aloha . . I just wanted to send you this short video we put together
for the sprints and most of all say .. mahalo, mahalo for the great paddle..I love it. It grabs so good and has made a big difference in the command I have on the v-1. In the video it shows off your great paddle and I would love to do something for you in return.. just let me know how i can be a better
ambassador. I will be showing it off wherever i go. Mahalo again. pomaika'i, Vic"
You inspire us, Vic! Mahalo!
Vic needs support for his efforts. You can donate to his sports expenses at this link
http://fnd.us/c/4KtCf
Firefighters Volunteer at Paddleboarding Summer Camp for Burned Children
Beau Whitehead of Paddle Surf Northwest is a dedicated standup paddleboarding athlete, a Firefighter/EMT and a husband and father. Burned Children Recovery summer camp for burned children is one of the causes he supports. Here is his story:
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A few weeks ago, I had an incredible experience, on the water. My fire department union, IAFF Local 106, helps support a burned children's summer camp every year. Every summer, I go for a day and play dodge ball, and have water balloon fights with the kids. It is an awesome day, that always leaves me humbled. This year, the camp was on one of our local lakes, and I offered to bring paddle boards and paddles for an afternoon. Our local shop let me bring a handful of rental boards and adjustable paddles down. I was concerned, because I knew that some of the kids were so disfigured that they didn't even have fingers. How would they grip a paddle? But the one thing I forgot about these kids is… nothing stops them, nothing.
I arrived, unloaded the boards, and immediately had a line of kids wanting to take one out… we handed out PFD's and away they went… no fear, no hesitation.
Now, something I have learned by coming to these camps every year, these kids lead very tough lives 99% of the year. But the one week when they are at this camp, they can just be normal kids. No one stares at them, because they are all burned. Another interesting point, if a stranger comes into the camp, the kids are very shy and distrusting. However, if they know you are a firefighter, they immediately trust you unquestionably… it is truly humbling.
We had a great day, spending almost 4 hours paddling around, falling in and splashing one another. One young boy in particular, who has no fingers, paddled for the entire time… somehow grasping the paddle shaft. Completely fearless.
I had such a great day, that I returned the next day, and we paddle boarded again for a few more hours…
For me, it was a great reminder that racing & training are important things in my life, but should never be the most important things. Days like these, sharing my sport with some of the toughest children in the world is far more important. I plan on returning every year, and getting on the water with these little heroes.
For info on the camp, check out this link…
http://www.burnedchildrenrecovery.org
Loaded up for a great day… 
Lots of sunscreen on these kiddos! 
This guy insisted on using my 86" paddle, because it was a "race" paddle… 
This kid was amazing, no fingers? No problem… 
www.KIALOA.com [Link]
Stand Up Paddleboarding Chicago's Lake Michigan
Michael Westenburger, stand up paddleboarder, paddle board instructor and KIALOA 'elele ambassador sent us his story about his move from Key West to the Midwest and his new experiences as a Lake Michigan paddler. Thanks Michael!_______________________________________“What are you thinking?”
Mike Westenburger“How are you going to keep up with your training?”
“Can you even paddle there?”
These were just a few of the questions I fielded when I informed my paddling (outrigger & stand up) buddies I was headed back to the Midwest. Chicago specifically. You see for the last eight years I have been living and paddling in Key West, Florida. Key West is a two by four mile island sandwiched between the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. A paddlers paradise, in Key West your never more than five minutes from the water’s edge in any direction.
Truth be told I could understand the head shaking and the questions. I had them myself. “Could I paddle on a daily basis like I was used too?” “Would I be able to maintain my training in one of Americas largest cities?” When I arrived I quickly realized that not only could I paddle but Lake Michigan is an unbelievable training ground.
Lake Michigan is the third largest Great Lake by surface area and the sixth largest freshwater lake in the world. It has an average depth of 279 ft/85m and is 925ft/282m at it’s deepest point. Added together, including islands, there is 1,638 miles/2,633km of shoreline. Lake Michigan is even effected by lunar tides. People surf the lake.
Standing on the shore of Lake Michigan I quickly realized I was not in Key West anymore. Once out and paddling it felt more like the Pacific Ocean than a freshwater lake. You see, wind blowing across the lake creates swells and waves and these crash into Chicago’s concrete shoreline and create refraction. This unorganized mess near the shore has taken even the most experienced stand up paddler and quickly introduced them to the temperature of the water.
One particular day I wanted to do a downwind run on my OC1 and couldn’t find a ride north (city living and logistics prove to be the most challenging aspect of paddling here-a totally different story!). I decided to make the upwind leg my work out and enjoy the bumps back to the put it. Once past the refraction I was confronted with 5-6 foot swells rolling across the surface of the lake. This did make for a challenging work-out, but riding those swells back the two miles was totally worth it!
I guess looking back on it, the questions can all be answered now. Yes, you can make it as a paddler living in Chicago. Yes, you will get challenging conditions to train in. Yes, you will become a more confident and better paddler because of it.
One more thing, yes, it’s a lot of fun! (just get your fill before it freezes over!)_________________________________________________ SUP Paddle board surfing on Lake Michigan in 6 foot swells for two miles of downwind surfing. www.KIALOA.com [Link]
Gerry Lopez and Dave Chun Discuss Design Process for Paddles and Boards
Designing surfboards, standup paddleboards and paddles blends the truths of engineering with the art of movement and aesthetics of design.
Master shapers Dave Chun and Gerry Lopez discuss how this process can both repeat and refine the past as well as make the leap into the future, when the design becomes something new that has never existed before.
That happens when the new paddle or board design begins to be used by others. The success of the design becomes obvious when the object, in the hands of others becomes a new tool that allows them to do things they couldn't do before. In this way, Dave's prototype stand up paddles that he developed several years ago contributed to the birth of modern stand up paddleboarding.
Watching Dave and Gerry discuss the creative process and how it has intertwined their friendship is a rare look at these two master artists and their work. Enjoy!
Team Building with Aloha Promotes Competitive Success
MJ on English Bay Christie Sandford , ʻA Happy Paddlerʼ and KIALOA 'elele outrigger paddler wrote this article about building a competitive outrigger racing program. Her insights around team-building are valuable off the water as well. Thank you Christie!
______________________________________________________Ever wonder what it takes to build a competitive Outrigger Racing Program?
Ask Lori Velisek and Mary Jill (MJ) Asrat, two racing veterans committed to rebuilding the Women’s Distance Outrigger Program (WDOP) coming out of Vancouver’s False Creek Racing Canoe Club (FCRCC), Canada.
Asrat and Velisek will tell you that the foundations are built from great sponsorship (thanks, KIALOA!) layers of ambitious, high-performing athletes; superior coaching and bonded with a good helping of ʻAlohaʼ.
“Aloha?” Yep. Following the roots of Hawaiian outrigger heritage, ʻAlohaʼ is the practice of living and training with positive energy, mutual consideration and respect for every program member, from bottom to top and back down again. Aloha is family.
True to the Aloha principle, MJʼs uplifting mantra is “Paddle Where Youʼre Happy”. Loriʼs caution is ʻLeave Negativity at the Door". As a newcomer to the WDOP, I questioned how ʻAlohaʼ could apply to training. The racing history of its athletes suggests efficient, uncompromising standards. (Top crew placed 4th at Na Wahine O Ke Kai (2004), with 2nd crew placing 21st in Open. Top crew placed 3rd in the Catalina Crossing (2005) and Velisek, carried on, with Team Bradley, to take first place at the Molokai (2005). Top crew placed 8th in 2008 at Na Wahine; and as for National titles in Canada, letʼs just say they have won more than not).
In contrast, a system of ʻmutual considerationʼ is much like democracy: inefficient and costly compared with razor sharp team building of the ʻsink-or-swimʼ variety. I was skeptical. ʻAlohaʼ resounded with warm, but unrealistic fuzziness. I mean, isnʼt competitive sports just Darwinian by nature? You know: ʻSurvival of the Fittestʻ. ʻNice Guys Finish Lastʼ …and all that. So why muss about with Aloha?
Lori Velisek, Steering with KIALOA "Biscuit" PaddleAloha: Hawaiian or Darwinian One answer is that Aloha promotes competitive success. The ʻfittestʼ get fit by being chased by those who might replace them. Top crews become ʻthe fittestʼ through the push that comes from their team mates at lower levels. What is more, the Program itself gets ʻfitterʼ because it has depth: if a top crew member is injured, one from the next layer rises to fill in.
So, whatʼs in it for the chasers? Well, the lower levels derive their best competitive advantage by chasing the upper levels.
Aloha and the Art of Team BuildingIndeed, maxing out one anotherʼs potential for success is an interdependent and shifting process that
benefits the performance of each individual in the entire Program (ahhh..family ties!). The top is forced to improve by getting ʻpushʼ from the lower levels. The bottom pushes with genuine force, only if it receives a healthy respect from the top for its ʻclose-on-our-heelsʼ potential and its continual improvement.
For team leaders, this means that professional training and attention must be wholehearted (Aloha) on every level. Likewise, all levels must earn that attention through improvement and contribution. The top must respect the bottom – for if the top becomes injured, the bottom will fill in. But if the top is complacent and the bottom realizes its potential, it will exploit the top in a heart beat. (In a family kind of way, of course. ʻAlohaʼ Darwinian style. ; )
The Happy PaddlerHereʼs another thought about why the WDOP values Aloha. Maybe we Happy Paddlers are an evolved ʻsport speciesʼ. We realize that competition can also be about recreation. We ʻre-createʼ ourselves by pushing our limits and transcending what we can be as individuals and athletes, through the support and pleasure of community and teamwork.
Possibly, in rebuilding its program on the axis of Aloha instead of mere raw performance, the WODP has simply arrived at a more highly evolved formula for winning.
Our OC6 Team Paddle is the KIALOA ‘AXEL II’. Also, commonly used by our WDOP for OC1 and OC2 is the KIALOA ‘Hollyakala’.
We proudly recognize and thank Patagonia for their unwavering support over the years. Thanks to KIALOA for supplying two new demo paddles: the single and double bend 'Nehu’.
Team-building techniques for outrigger paddling article by Christie Sanford, Clear Concepts Communications
www.Kialoa.com [Link]
Columbia Gorge Outrigger Race
Epic winds in the Columbia Gorge have put windsurfing and kite boarding on the map. Big waves and big wind on fresh water are also great fun for outrigger paddlers, surfskiers and SUP paddleboarders.
With the Columbia River current going from the East to the West and the wind usually going in opposite direction, waves build sometimes overhead, making for perfect conditions to practice big wind paddling in fresh water.
And the after-paddling day is super-fun. The picturesque towns of Hood River (Oregon side) and Stevenson (Washington side), host great restaurants, brewpubs and ice cream stands. Great hikes and mountain bike trails are a great way to experience the beauty of the Gorge when you're off of the water.
The Gorge Outrigger Race celebrated its 16th year under the direction of JD with Waterwalker. The most anticipated and popular outrigger race in the northwest it gathers paddlers from Washington, Oregon, Canada, California, and even Hawaii. Check out www.nwoutrigger.com for more info and race results.
This year's race had some quieter winds for the women's race that kicked off around 11am on Saturday. The first leg was hot and slow with little surfing but slowly picked up as they rounded for the second lap. There was some excitement at the second turn on the first lap with a t-bone collision that ended with one boat huli-ing on another boats ama. The two boats worked together to ensure everyone was ok and JD was there in moments with his safety crew. Everyone escaped unharmed, thankfully, and the race was back on.
The men then switch with the women on shore and go out for there own race. The winds had picked up a bit more, although not living up to previous years, still a bit of action. The men had their own excitement battling it out at the turns.
Side bar on safety: Equipment damage and injuries are always at risk when irresponsible or inexperienced steersman make bad decisions. The race director, JD, is always clear about the rules of the right of way but in the excitement of the race, it seems safety is often disregarded for competition. Thus concludes my rant.
Kevin McHugh was a great help with registration and timing this year.
And managed to race as well!
Sunday is another exiting day for the Gorge Outrigger Races. This is the single and double craft race day with a fun downwinder! Sunday was a bit windier and cooler than Saturday and there was some good surfing to be had. In this race men, women and co-ed all race together. Starting with a short up wind to help spread out the pack, then the rest is a fun downwind ride to Home Valley.
Although competition is on some peoples minds and everyone does their best, this day is mostly about fun. It is the perfect time to be on a single craft as you have the support of so many other paddlers on the water and 3 safety boats always on the look-out for paddlers in jeopardy. JD's choice three years ago to change the Sunday race to a downwinder has been a real hit!
Next weekend in the Gorge is the Wild Side Relay!
Amy Graves
Paddler for Bend Oregon Outrigger
Columbia Gorge Outrigger Race Leader JD Davies
JD Davies, Gorge Outrigger Race LeaderKIALOA Paddle owner Dave Chun participates often in the Columbia Gorge Oregon Outrigger Race. Here's a note he wrote about his experience and his appreciation for JD Davies' leadership.__________________________________________
When I think about the Gorge Outrigger race and downwind paddling in general on the Columbia River, I think about our protector and teacher JD Davies. For 16 years JD has been at the helm of the race, providing a challenging course for the veteran paddlers and rescuing the novice when needed. The Columbia River Gorge is a particularly dangerous body of water to navigate. Water temperatures are low due to the snow melt confluence of mountain streams, and the West flowing current with East blowing winds make for a life threatening situation if the paddler become separated from their craft. Despite these challenging conditions the Gorge Outrigger Race continues to be a top drawing event on the Pacific Northwest calendar. To me, this event has all the elements which make Outrigger great; camping with friends, drama on the water, and the best competition the region has to offer. Thank you JD.
Aloha, Dave Chun
www.Kialoa.com [Link]
Women Paddleboarding in Hood RIver Race in Columbia Gorge, Oregon
The Adventures of Sofia and Brit from Sofia DeWolfe on Vimeo.
Brit Oliphant and Sofia DeWolfe are awesome women paddleboarders (and KIALOA 'elele) who are always up for an adventure. They SUP paddled the Viento to the Event Site downwind section of the Columbia River.
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Here’s a note from Brit:
This past weekend I headed to Hood River, Oregon to visit my best friend Sofia DeWolfe. The first thing we did when I got there was paddle around the event site. It was only my second time paddling in Hood River and I really enjoyed the challenge the wind and chop created. On Saturday we did a Viento-to the event site downwinder, but unfortunately the wind died down soon after when we started. 3 hours of paddling, and a lot of laughs later we finished with nothing but smiles, stories and tired arms. Here is a little video we put together of our adventure. . .
For more info on Gorge paddling races.
www.Kialoa.com [Link]
Paddleboarding Kids Paddle for Ocean Conservation
Kids on stand up paddleboards, having fun while conserving our oceans and seas is a cause KIALOA paddle loves to support. Here's a thank you note from Sup’nKids Ocean Crest Experience 2012 in Florida:
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“Thank you for being a sponsor of the first ever SUP'n Kids Ocean Crest Experience! 
Thank you again for being our sponsor – we're looking forward to a great first event!"
For more information, visit our web site, www.supnkids.com. Look for us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OceanCrestSupKids.
First Annual SUP'n Kids Ocean Crest Experience 2012 A World Class StandUp Paddleboarding Event for Kids 6 to 16, July 20-22
Standup paddleboarding, one of the world's fastest growing watersports, has been wildly popular with adults – and now there's an SUP event designed just for kids and their families. The SUP'n Kids Ocean Crest Experience 2012 – an interactive ocean/shore experience designed to bring kids ages 6 to 16 together for world-class standup paddleboarding activities while helping advance the mission of Ocean Crest Alliance for conservation of our oceans and seas.
KIALOA paddle company is proud to be a sponsor of this first annual event to be held July 20, 21 and 22 at the Magnuson Hotel & Resort at Marina Cove on Tampa Bay, located at the north end of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
“Interest in this new sport has been incredible – especially for kids," said JoJo Braddock, event organizer. "It's an exciting weekend for the whole family. Kids can have fun on the water while learning about environmental responsibility."
The SUP'nKid's Passport Program designed to encourage kids to be safe, healthy and responsible stewards of our earth and seas. Activities include:• Kids’ Elite Racing Exhibition• SUP Yoga for a healthy mind and body• “Eat Fresh!” presentation on sustainable foods from the land and sea• Marine Turtle and Shorebird Conservation Workshop• Shore Clean-up sponsored by Ocean Minded™• Lifeguard Safety Program
Families can join in for a:• Welcome Sunset Cookout• Native American blessing of the earth and sea• Special screening of the award-winning documentary "This is Your Ocean: Sharks" by world renowned marine life artists Wyland and Dr. Guy Harvey along with shark expert Jim Abernethy.
The event is open to children 6 to 16. Costs are $25 per child. Register at www.supnkids.com. Some activities may include additional fees. Stay up to date with news at www.facebook.com/OceanCrestSupKids.
Hotel Reservations: Call Magnuson Hotel & Resort at 727-867-1151 and mention "SUP’nKids" to receive a special $89/night event rate. For more details, contact JoJo Braddock, 727-324-7614 or info@supnkids.com.
Supporting ocean health and teaching children conservation while they have fun paddleboarding is a great pairing. Be sure to put this on your calendar as an annual SUP event. www.Kialoa.com
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KIALOA Paddle Distributor Chip Booth Sponsored Community Event
Chip and Lainey Booth, owners of Stand Up Paddle Bend in Bend, Oregon recently sponsored the Second Annual Bend Paddleboard Challenge, held at the Riverbend Park (our favorite Deschutes River launching place in the town of Bend).
Chip Booth and Randall Barna on the Deschutes RiverChip Booth is a KIALOA paddle distributor in Bend, Oregon. We love how community minded he is. You can read more about him and the event he hosted on Judy Shasek's website, Elder SUP.
Elder SUP is a result of Judy's infectious excitement for the sport of paddle boarding. Judy was one of the first women to take up paddleboarding when the sport began to hit the mainland about 4 years ago. Be sure to read about her paddling inspiration. Here's an excerpt:
Judy Shasek victorious (and stoked)
“This blog is simply the story of my process of re-discovering my environmental roots along with a penchant for story-telling. In my seventh decade it’s about time! Throughout this blog there will be mentions of specific products, places, links to blogs, foundation, advocacy groups and the like. None of those mentions is a sponsorship or paid comment – we want to keep this blog “from the heart.”
The picture to the left is a favorite shot my husband took in the Summer of 2011 at Waldo Lake. I was thinking about when I took the picture on the right with my phone in the middle of a paddle in Bend OR 1/4 mile outside of town. After work on a fall afternoon Ed and I paddled the stretch not even 10 minutes from shopping and office buildings. Taking a “walk on water’ gave me a perspective on the local waters like none other. The seeds for this blog were planted.. . . . READ MORE"
Thanks Judy, Chip and Randall for paddleboarding with KIALOA.
www.Kialoa.com [Link]
KIALOA Woman Paddle Boarding Athlete Brit Oliphant Wins First for Girls
Surftec’s Jay Race in Capitola, California was a super good time for Kialoa athlete, Brit Oliphant. She sent us this note:
Hi Meg, Dave, & Kialoa Crew!
I am on the road home from the Surftec Jay Race in Capitola California. I
had a super good time in the 12 mile race through the wind and surf. I was
really happy with how my race went and was surprised when I crossed the
finish line to find out I got 1st for girls 14' board class and 5th overall
girl behind Candice Appleby and others. I hope to see you guys out on the
water soon!
Thanks for everything
Brit Oliphant
The Jay Race is a memorial for Jay Moriarty (b. June 16, 1978 – d. June 15 2001). Here's a bit about him from the Surfline website:
“In a dozen short years, from the first time he paddled a surf board out at Santa Cruz until his untimely death from a free-diving accident in the Maldives, Jay Moriarty earned a reputation in the sport that will prevail indefinitely. His much-heralded big-wave exploits and long board exper tise only dab ble the first few brush strokes of a life lived as a masterpiece.. . . . READ MORE"
Karen Wrenn Nominated for SUP Awards Female Paddler of the Year
Vote for Karen 
Karen Wrenn has been nominated for The SUP Awards Female Paddler of the Year 2012.
Congratulations Karen! This is a People’s Choice award, so we are getting the word out to vote for Karen. We think that Karen is a wonderful woman athlete and has done so much to spread the stoke for paddleboarding. Karen has a long list of accomplishments in the paddleboarding world. One thing we've admired about Karen is that she's a inspiring athlete who is always supporting the race effort. Not only is she at the headliner events, Karen attends as many small events as she can. She's a great example of an athlete who cares deeply about her sport.
So… follow this link and please… Vote for Karen Wrenn!
www.KIALOA.comtching the fastest solo crossing from Catalina Island to Dana Point during the Catalina Challenge in 2010, Wrenn, based in Portland, Ore., was also the first woman to make the entire 150 mile Channel Islands crossing solo in 2011. She has a long list of SUP accomplishments, taking first in the 2008 Gorge Games, first in the 2009 Naish US Race Series Championships, first in the 2010 Catalina Challenge, and third in the 10k and fourth in the Sprint RacNotching the fastest solo crossing from Catalina Island to Dana Point during the Catalina Challenge in 2010, Wrenn, based in Portland, Ore., was also the first woman to make the entire 150 mile Channel Islands crossing solo in 2011. She has a long list of SUP accomplishments, taking first in the 2008 Gorge Games, first in the 2009 Naish US Race Series Championships, first in the 2010 Catalina Challenge, and third in the 10k and fourth in the Sprint Race at the 2010 SUP World Cup.Notching the fastest solo crossing from Catalina Island to Dana Point during the Catalina Challenge in 2010, Wrenn, based in Portland, Ore., was also the first woman to make the entire 150 mile Channel Islands crossing solo in 2011. She has a long list of SUP accomplishments, taking first in the 2008 Gorge Games, first in the 2009 Naish US Race Series Championships, first in the 2010 Catalina Challenge, and third in the 10k and fourth in the Sprint Race at the 2010 SUP World Cup. [Link]
Kialoa Women Paddler Vanina Walsh Took Fourth at ROXY Waikki Classic
Congratulations Vanina Walsh for your 4th place finish at the ROXY Waikiki Classic, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Vanina is one of our KIALOA 'elele and also a ROXY pro surfer.
Be sure to check out the surf video Vanina posted below. The event wasn't only about fun. According to the ROXY site, “The ROXY Initiative and Kokua Hawaii Foundation have also joined forces this weekend to set up designated recycling bins throughout the event site and run a free water refill station for anyone bringing their own water bottle to the beach. An official ROXY INITIATIVE water bottle is also available at the event for a $5 donation to the Quiksilver Foundation. All donations will be given to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation to support their Plastics Free Schools program… .READ MORE"
Paddleboarding River Race Up the Rogue with KIALOA Athletes
WPA sanctioned, The Race up the Rogue River, hosted by The Inn of the Beachcomber in Gold Beach, Oregon was an incredibly tough river standup paddle boarding race for women and men.
What: The Gold Beach Challenge and Race the Rogue. $3,000. purse
When: June 10th – 14th
Where: Gold Beach, Oregon
Sponsor: Inn of the Beachcomber 888-690-2378 They are planing to make this stand up paddleboarding race an annual event. Be sure to check with them for race details.
Sanctioned: World Paddle Association
Karen Wren, a KIALOA 'elele an awesome woman paddleboarder participated. Here's an excerpt from Karen's blog post: “Last weekend took me to Gold Beach, Oregon to a race on the Rogue River. I am happy to report that I finished first place in the Women. Cyril Burguiere finished first in the men both of us using the KIALOA Toro blade. It was one of the toughest races I have done. The current was ripping and made for some really difficult sections to maneuver and almost impossible to go forward. There were some really shallow spots that weren't easy on paddles. I even saw a blade that broke in half. Cyril and I were hitting rocks with our paddles but they held up amazingly well. It took us about an hour and 20 minutes up river and about 15 minutes down. That tells you how fast the river was moving. It was a super fun and challenging race. Both Cyril and I had our families along and when we weren't racing our families spent time exploring the many wonders of the Southern Oregon Coast." READ MORE. . .
Learn about the KIALOA stand up paddleboarding paddles for recreational paddlers, SUP surfers, and racers. www.Kialoa.com [Link]
Chuck Patterson Paddle Board Surfed Winning the Open and Age 40+
Congratulations Chuck Patterson! Chuck won the Men’s Open and Men’s 40 and Over Division of the Surfing AmericaUSA SUP Surfing Championships at Huntington Beach, California. Chuck is an inspiration for paddlers of any age.
Riding: Chuck Patterson used a KIALOA paddle and rode a super short Naish SUP surfboard, the Hokua ( 7’8″ x 29.25 x 4.5 )
Conditions: 2'-3' waves with a couple head-high sets. Foggy morning with mid-day sun.
When: June 16, 17, 2012
Chuck wrote a great blog entry about his SUP surf contest experience. Here are a few quotes from him that convey athletic wisdom that also works well in life off of the water:
“. . . It’s funny how your mind plays tricks on you when your paddling back out and you see one of your competitors just rip a wave to shreds and you can’t help but wonder how the heck your going to beat them; but I have learned and keep learning that it is important to stick with your game plan and alway have a plan B just in case. . . I had to really stop and take a deep breath to keep myself from getting too amped because as the clock ticks down and you're in need of one more high scoring wave to really close the deal, you get a little crazy and just go on any wave instead of being patient and selecting a good one to finish on. . . Its great to ride with the best guys because it really elevates your riding. Congratulations to all the men and women athletes who competed and really pushed the level of riding to the next level. Thanks to Surfing America . . . . READ MORE"
Thanks for the update, Chuck. KIALOA is honored to support you. And thanks to The Surfing America Organization for recognizing SUP surfing by adding paddle board surfing into their competition schedule for 2012.
www.Kialoa.com
[Link]
Kialoa Outrigger Dragon Boat Paddle Gets Run Over by a Truck
Thank you Scott Wu for your outrigger dragon boat paddle review on ReadyandReach.com. Wu, a member of the Los Angeles Racing Dragons (TeamLARD or LARD) used our new Makahiki dragon boat paddle and also passed it among fellow team members.
The Makahiki is Kialoa's durable, low cost, low maintenance outrigger paddle. Scott's review is very detailed. You can read the entire post My Thoughts on the Kialoa Makahiki on his blog. Here's an excerpt:
Scott Wu, Team LARD member and KIALOA 'elele “So who would I recommend this paddle to? I would recommend it to any new paddler that wants his/her own paddle but doesn’t want to spend $20 0+ on a high performance paddle. I would also recommend this paddle to any team our festival organizer that is looking for paddles that will last many seasons with little to no maintenance and easily out perform the waterlogged and warped wooden paddles they currently provide their festival racers. Again, if you are an experienced paddler, the Makahiki will not be your race paddle of choice but if you are on a team with a propensity to clack paddles, you might want to give the Makahiki a look as a possible practice paddle as the heaviest paddle clack will likely not do too much, if any, damage to the Makahiki. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a KIALOA ‘Elele (ambassador) and Kialoa sponsors the dragon boat team I coach and paddle for, the Los Angeles Racing Dragons (www.laracingdragons.org). The Makahiki I used for this evaluation was donated to the LA Racing Dragon’s paddle quiver. If you are ever in the Long Beach area during one of our practice, let me know if you want to take the Makihiki for a spin." READ MORE
The Kialoa Makihiki outrigger paddle is super tough. Watch Dave Chun bang the paddle on the ground and run it over with a truck. www.Kialoa.com [Link]
How Does Outrigger Canoe Paddling Build a Better Business Team?
“When you paddle with a Kialoa, you feel a little bit of magic.” Gerry Lopez
Small business is the American dream. And Kialoa Paddle company is growing, making it a shining example in the business world. TIME Business interviewed Kialoa owners Meg and Dave Chun for the article, “ Reinventing the Paddle: A Small Company Rides the "Stand-up" Wave, by Sarah Max.
The article is an in-depth interview about the history of Kialoa and how the company has continued to grow in a down economy. Here's an excerpt about the influence of the sport of outrigger canoeing on Kialoa's business model:
“. . . In fact, the company looks to the team dynamics used in outrigger canoe as an analogy for how to run their company. “In outrigger, every person in the boat plays a unique role with no paddler more or less important,” says Meg Chun." READ MORE
Thank you TIME Business for your article on Kialoa paddle.
www.Kialoa.com
[Link]
Kialoa Women's Paddle Review in Outside Magazine
The Kialoa Pipes stand up paddle boarding paddle for women is designed with a smaller blade because the more narrow blade creates less resistance in the water, allowing for women to keep a higher paddling cadence with less stress on the body.
We are so honored and thankful to have Outside Online give a favorable review for the carbon-fiber Kialoa Pipes paddle. Here's an excerpt:
“. . . it’s remarkably strong for feeling so wispy. Our shoulders were grateful on long flatwater outings, and we appreciated its lithe quickness while chasing waves." READ MORE
See Kialoa's entire selection of women's paddleboarding paddles, outrigger paddles and more.
www.Kialoa.com 
Kihei Student Joe Graves Supports the Environment
Maui resident and student Joseph Graves created a video to share the beauty of Hawaii's open spaces and the necessity of taking political action to maintain and nurture the island's marine ecosystems.
Joe focused his video on interviewing the president of the Save Honolua Coalition (SHC), Tamara Paltin. Based on the island of Maui, SHC's mission is to: Save open space; improve public access and revitalize Bay health, utilizing native Hawaiian values and practices.
They are seeking support for these goals by working on acquiring open lands and developing a management plan. They believe that preserving marine life including the health of the reef ecosystem and maintaining tourism in a balanced way will nurture the island's economy.
Joe filmed the rhythm of waves at the island shoreline, winds ruffling the island forests and people interacting with the nature of the life. It's a beautiful video.
Paddling in all of it's forms puts us intimately in nature. Opening our eyes to the fragile beauty of our planet's ecosystem, we are encouraged to do our best to promote sustainability. Thank you to Joe Graves.
www.Kialoa.com
Karen Wrenn Makes First Ever Channel Island Paddleboarding Crossing
Stand up paddleboarder Karen Wrenn became the first person to stand up paddle 149 nautical miles through California's Channel Islands this winter. Below Point Conception, California there are eight mountains jutting up from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. These mountains form California's Channel Islands. With a support boat by her side for safety, she paddled the island crossings each day and stayed on the support boat at night.
Karen's daily SUP paddles ranged from 17 to 43 nautical miles. Crossing from San Miguel to Santa Rosa island she is joined by whales and dolphins. Crossing from Santa Barbara to San Nicholas Island the crew spots an ominous fin break the surface of the water. The crew chose not to tell Karen about the presence of the shark while she was on the water.
The last day of her paddle was 43 miles from Island to Island, starting at Ana Capa Island it was a 11:33 hour trip. She finished that night, triumphant.
Congratulations Karen Wrenn for the first ever stand up paddle board Channel Islands Crossing! You are an awesome athlete, Karen. Kialoa is proud to be part of your journey.
www.Kialoa.com 
Stand-up Paddleboarding Lakes and Rivers
Central Oregon's High Desert Pulse article What’s SUP?Stand up paddle boarding originated in Hawaii, but it's alive and well in the Central Oregon High Desert. Though Bend, Oregon is a desert (of a type), the nearby Cascade Mountains feed the rivers and lakes that support Bend's thriving SUP paddling scene.
Park at Riverbend Park for the best river paddling access in town.
During the summer (and the rest of the year for paddling die-hards), standup paddlers can get in a nice workout on the stretch of the Deschutes River that goes from the Colorado Bridge to just up-river of the Healy Bridge (Reed Mkt. Rd.) through the Old Mill District.
In the magazine photo, Randall Barna (left) and Tom Burke are paddling their SUP race boards during a paddle training session.
For more info about the Bend, Oregon race scene, check out the 2012 Bend PaddleBoard Challenge site. It's a fun race with a portion of proceeds that go to the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance.
You can read details of the when where and how of the Bend, Oregon, paddling scene in the Spring/Summer 2012, Vol. 4, No. 2, High Desert Pulse article, "What’s SUP? Stand-up paddleboarding catches on," by Ann Aurand, photos by Ryan Brennecke. Though the full article hasn't posted on their site as of publishing this blog post, check out www.bendbulletin.com/pulse for it during the next month or so.
Outrigger Paddling Women's Training Session at Altitude
Daphne Hougard is a dedicated outrigger paddler as well as an amazing professional photographer. Her love of nature, sport and her deep sense of humanity define her personality as well as her photography. When she's not working, she's an avid outrigger paddler, training at elevation on Lake Tahoe, California. She's been paddling for thirty years and founded Tahoe Outrigger club in 2000. Her crew of inspiring woman athletes are mostly age 50 or older. We love seeing vibrant, engaged, strong women like Daphne and her friends. Thanks for inspiring us!
Here’s what Daphne had to say about the outrigger paddling training and race:
“. . . (trained) with the Southshore Tahoe girls before the 2012 Memorial Day, 10 mile Monterey Bay Race. We get a late start training in Tahoe, compared to the sea-level teams and always enjoy Monterey, as our coming out race. (At the race) we placed 3rd overall, 2nd open crew. Seat #2, Heather is the young'un in our crew, most of us are near 50 or over.
90% of our team members use Kialoa paddles. The men use Axels, and a few of them are getting into using the Tevo Hoe. The women bought Hollyakala initially and some have added Axels, especially when racing co-ed. Then everyone is on the same page."
Paddle at altitude. Tahoe-Truckee paddling opportunities www.TahoeOutrigger.org Daphne's Posters are on sales at www.kialoa.com/outrigger-poster.html 
Read more about the history and culture of outrigger canoeing and paddling at www.kialoa.com 
SUP Paddleboarding for Women is Growing – Oprah Features Stand Up Style
Stand up paddle boarding and water-girl culture can make you happier. (We knew that!) Now, the word is getting out that women and paddling are a natural pairing. Check out Oprah magazine , June 2012. You'll see surfing and paddle surfing women model the latest Hawaiian inspired styles on the sea and shore. Though I've never seen the usual woman paddler on her SUP board in the latest couture dress, it makes for a fun read. You'll enjoy the article Making Waves: Surf Inspired Fashion, by Clarissa Cruz.
When paddleboarding is featured in a mainstream magazine like Oprah, it's a sign that the sport is here to stay, and for good reason.
Paddleboarding is the perfect sport for athletic women of most any age and ability. Flat water paddling is so easy to learn that many people don't even fall in the water if their first time paddling is on a glassy and calm lake. And standup paddle gear is easy to load on your car and get to the water's edge. You don't need to study technical manuals, buy a ticket every time you hit the water or invest in new gear every year.
Buying a stand up paddleboarding set up of a board and paddle starts at the low end around $600 with a good board and paddle costing between $1,200 to $2,000 totally. But don't be fooled into thinking you should buy a "beginners" SUP board. The standup paddleboarding learning curve is so short that you'll be paddling with confidence in a mater of hours, so buy a quality board and paddle that will last for years (and have a decent resale value).
At KIALOA we make quality paddles that are built to last. We have a great women-specific paddle called the Pipes, as well as a full line of paddles for all paddlers. And we can help you with practical paddleboarding fashion like paddling shirts, pareos (great around your waist or as a downwind sail), hats and more. Check it out at Kialoa.com
Paddleboarding in Bend, Oregon Featured in the Source Newspaper
Thank you Source Weekly for sharing the Bend, Oregon SUP scene and the KIALOA paddle story with your readers. Stand up paddling is big in Central Oregon. The Deschutes river winds through town and several beautiful Cascade lakes are within an hour's drive from the town of Bend. It's super easy to take a quick fitness paddle on the Deschutes during the lunch hour or before or after work.
We love the Source, it's the go-to free paper in Bend. You can find it at most every coffee shop and cool eatery in Bend. Check out the article, Kialoa Paddles – A Hawaiian tradition meets a Bend lifestyle, by Sebastian Foltz, May 31, 2012. The article shares the story of Kialoa and thanks renowned surf icon and Bend resident Gerry Lopez for his support of Kialoa.
Kialoa is growing every year. Kialoa paddles are distributed to 350 retailers nationwide, including REI stores.
Here’s an excerpt of the Source’s article:
“…..The story of how Dave Chun, a social worker from Hawaii, and Meg, a teacher originally from Wisconsin, wound up in Bend is a story like many of our own. Their company, Kialoa Paddles, started as Dave's hobby and grew out of their passion for the outrigger paddling community… READ MORE"
[Vanina Walsh Paddleboarding Through Surf with her Kialoa
Vanina Walsh, KIALOA team member and Roxy Girl surfing her stand up paddle board in Hawaii. Watching her ride, the words; joy, freedom and fun jump to mind. Taking a few minutes to watch her surf is better than a coffee break. Ocean paddle surfing, a pink SUP board and KIALOA paddle. Thanks for the update Vanina! www.Kialoa.com 
Thank You Outside Magazine Buyer's Guide
Mahalo to Outside Magazine featuring our KIALOA paddleboarding paddles, the Pupu and our women's SUP paddle, the Pipes!! We are stoked and honored to be in the Summer 2012 Buyer's Guide. Check out a copy, it's full of field tested bikes, paddleboards, running shoes, kayaks, and more than you need for your best summer ever.
Paddleboarding SUP paddles, kayak and dragon boat paddles, Kialoa makes paddles that are strong, light and beautiful. www.Kialoa.com 
Northwest SUP Paddleboard Racing Season Kicks Off
Kialoa team members were the finalists in the Gig Harbor Paddlers Cup SUP race.
April 28th was the first inaugural Gig Harbor Paddlers Cup in Gig Harbor Washington. Around 25 SUP racers attended. The 6 mile race came down to a show-down between Kialoa team mates Cyril Burguiere and myself. In the end, after dueling for 4 laps with 5 corners per lap, Cyril bested me by 6 seconds. Our GPS showed we averaged 5.89 mph on our 14' SUP's. Here are some pictures from Scott Vande Vusse:
Myself & Cyril after the race
Myself chasing Cyril on the final lap, and about to be overtaken by a sprint canoe
The next day there was a small race in Bellingham Bay that mostly draws surf skis and OC's. 6 of us competed on the 3.5 mile short course on SUP's. Cyril stayed in Gig Harbor for the 100 meter sprint races. This race was in my back yard and I managed to take 5 minutes off my time from last year while crossing the finish line in first place. Picture by Curtis McCarson…
See ya on the water! Aloha!
Training for SUP races that combine distance courses with sprints is key for success. Thanks Beau Whitehead for sharing your story. www.Kialoa.com 
LA Racing Dragons Prep for an Amazing Year!
Team LARD shares Dragon Boat paddle training race strategies for the best team performance. 
LARD in Tempe, AZ
Tempe was the LA RacingDragons' first major step in our preparations for Club Crew World Championships and our festival races in Hong Kong. Everything we do is to get us peaking in July. The 2012 Arizona Dragon Boat Festival was another step in that process. Both CCWC and the Hong Kong festival races will be the most competitive races we will ever have – especially since local Chinese teams will likely be vying for cash prizes from their sponsors. Money that will literally be used to feed their families.
Traditionally, Team LARD used Tempe as a spring training race where we mixed both crews equally – Yolanda and Gilda. This year, our strategy was a bit different. Although we still viewed this race as a spring training race, we debuted LARD Black and Red a few months earlier than usual. We wanted to get our crews an opportunity to race together earlier in the season so we could see where the teams were currently and determine what areas we needed to improve on. Race placement, although may be important to some of us (especially in the heat of battle), was not of paramount concern for the coaches. What was more important was to see how the teams performed under race conditions and how our personnel is developing.
Tempe was very generous to us this year, as it provided us with race conditions we will likely see in Hong Kong – hot, extremely windy and choppy conditions as well as great competition. The only thing missing was humidity. We learned that our goal of at least 2 sets of world class callers and steersmen/women is on target. Both Megan and Phil performed very well in perhaps the hardest conditions to steer in. Huay was awesome – as expected. Kat continues to progress as both a top level paddler and caller. Justin shows remarkable promise as both a paddler and steersman. We also found a new set of strokes for our Open boat. Patrick and James made a very difficult and stressful position look easy. Well done, gentlemen.
We were also very pleased with our new paddlers' development. The amount of growth they have displayed in only a few short weeks is nothing short of remarkable. Our veteran paddler on both Red and Black showed the grit and fight our team has shown in the past.Although our growth at this point this year surpasses the levels we were at last year at this time, we are not ahead of schedule. In previous years, we looked at late July and even September as our months to peak. We are merely on target as we must be at our peak in early July. We cannot be satisfied. We cannot remain stagnate.
Shortly after the races, I shared some of my observations with my brother, Dr. Will Wu (for those of you that don't know, he has a PhD in Kinesiology and prescribes our land/midweek training). I told him our propensity in Tempe to leap ahead the first 1/2 then lose steam in the second half of the race (there may have been 1-2 races where this didn't happen). He said this was expected based on the training he has prescribed to date in preparation for CCWC.
Right now, our technique and fitness are nowhere close to where they need to be but as long as we have 100% buy in, we will be at our peak in July. It will take a lot of work, dedication, discipline, some frustration, and pain to get us there (yes, where would we be without pain?).
Finally, I will leave you with a quote by Kevin McHale – a hated Boston Celtic – "Outwork your talent." Think about that one for awhile. It's what the great ones do. It's time to be great.
Paddle technique and fitness training are key to Dragon Boat team success. Thanks, www.Kialoa.com 
KIALOA Expands Adjustable Stand Up Paddle Line
Do you like to paddleboard in all conditions but have room for only one SUP paddle? Kialoa's expanded line of adjustable paddle boarding paddles gives you the sophisticated design and performance you need for all occasions.
KIALOA Paddles is growing its adjustable standup paddle to include the all carbon LauLau and half-carbon half-fiberglass Hapa. All KIALOA adjustable paddles feature the innovative LeverLock® adjustable system. Now there are three adjustable paddles in the IKAIKA series.
The new KIALOA adjustable paddleboarding paddles will be available from your local dealer on April 1, 2012. No fooling. Find a dealer Near You
The LeverLock® adjustable system is as sleek as it is simple. Just open the lever, find your height on the graph, line up the center line with the arrows, and close the lever. Combined with KIALOA's IKAIKA Series paddles this system provides the toughest, lightest and most watertight adjustable paddle in the paddleboarding market.
The IKAIKA Series of paddles utilizes for the paddle blade an ultra-impact-resistant Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRT®) technology. The LauLau Adjustable has a carbon fiber shaft, the Hapa Adjustable has a 50/50 carbon fiber/fiberglass shaft and the Pupu Adjustable has a fiberglass shaft . With the CFRT blade's durability, offering an adjustable option on the Ikaika paddles was the obvious choice.
The new Hapa Adjustable and LauLau Adjustable paddles are available in small and large blade sizes. KIALOA now offers three adjustable paddles so you have the perfect paddle for recreational paddling, high performance surfing, or racing.
Hapa Adjustable ™ 
Small Blade– Blade Width: 7 1/2 ”, Blade Length: 16 1/2”, Surface area: 89 sq inLarge Blade– Blade Width: 8 3/4 ”, Blade Length: 16 1/2”, Surface area: 100 sq inWeight: 31 ozRetail Price: $249
LauLau Adjustable ™ Small Blade– Blade Width: 7 1/2 ”, Blade Length: 16 1/2”, Surface area: 89 sq inLarge Blade– Blade Width: 8 3/4 ”, Blade Length: 16 1/2”, Surface area: 100 sq inWeight: 30 ozRetail Price: $299 Paddleboarding paddle length is determined by height and conditions. Your optimal SUP Paddle length changes between surf or flat water. You'll want the paddle shaft a few inches shorter in the surf. The new adjustable length Kialoa paddles are great for traveling. Or if you want to have a spare paddle for friends. www.Kialoa.com 
The Heart of Paddling
Today I can hear my dog snoring, the buzzing of my printer, and even the sliding of a box across a table downstairs. It's quiet at KIALOA because 4 of our team are in Florida setting up for Surf Expo. Their absence also has me answering phones, which is actually something I miss. Not the act of answering the phone per se, but talking to paddlers – I miss that. Thirty minutes ago I spoke with a woman from Washington, a newer outrigger paddler looking for guidance. We talked paddles, naturally, but we also shared a couple of stories, laughed a bit, made a connection. I smiled. Moments later I am going through the mail and a letter appears. A simply typed letter with all of the appropriate conventions, salutations, dates etc. I'm thinking, I love this! I haven't received a traditional letter in who knows how long. The letter holds five easy sentences that I want to share:"A few years ago I bought an outrigger paddle at Island Paddler. I am very pleased with the paddle because it has lasted for a very long time. The paddle feels very nice flowing through the water and is very easy to use. It is comfortable and is very light. I use my paddle every day and I enjoy it very much. Thanks for making great paddles." Another smile, and this one is so big it spurs me to write this blog. Thank you to Cameron Miscovish, the person who wrote the letter, for lifting my spirits and bringing me back to the heart of paddling. Mahalo. 
Chuck Patterson at Battle of the Paddle 2011
The BOP Young Guns
I just wanted to thank KIALOA for your great support at the BOP. It was an awesome Challenging first day with the 2.5 lap trials where they cut half the field and then the final Elite race. It was the most competitive gathering of the Worlds best racers in a single race I have seen yet. If you didn't get the hole shot in the beginning; you were forced to battle it out with any where from 10-30 guys at every buoy turn. It made for some very punishing turns and some luck to get the set wave to separate you from the pack. Congrats to Connor Baxter and Candice Applebee for the BOP win and to our Naish team for doing so well.
Battle at the Buoy!
The 2nd day, we paddled the 10 mile distance race with well over 200+ racers on the starting line. It was a battle to fend off the drafting trains that followed and some times it was so hard to make a clean pass, you were stuck in the drafting train until someone made a mistake and you could take the lead. Jimmy Terrell and I battled the last half of the race side by side, both of us followed by a 10-15 person drafting train. At the end I managed to escape the pack to the finish where I placed 2nd in the 14' class behind Naish team mate Jerry Bess. Great race. The BOP finished off with the always exciting team relay races with 2 laps thru the surf around 2 buoys and a beach run. Naish put together 2 relay teams; The young guns and the Legends. LOL The young guns team finished 2nd overall and our legends team finished 5th overall.
The Naish Relay Legends!
It was an awesome weekend showcasing the future of the sport and the power of the youth brigade. Thank you all again for your great support in helping me push myself and the sport of SUP.
Best,
Chuck Patterson 
LeverLock® Adjustable Paddle Shaft System Explained
KIALOA paddle designer Dave Chun shares the paddleboarding product development process behind KIALOA's expanded line of adjustable length stand up paddles.
So here is a description of how the LeverLock Adjustable SUP came to be, as described by Dave Chun, owner of KIALOA Paddles. It gets a little technical but we think you'll find it interesting and maybe it will give a little insight into what we are thinking of while developing a new product. 
Conception
The patent pending LeverLock adjustable is the brain child of my buddy and design partner Dirk Steinhour. Dirk was one of the original partners at AT kayak paddles. The LeverLock is based on the system used on drain plugs in boats. This idea has also been used to reseal wine bottles.
While the system is simple, the details of the project took 1 1/2 years to
complete. All parts are custom built to our specifications with the
exception of the nut, cotter pin, and the lever dowel pin. All metal parts
are stainless steel.
People might note a unique ribbed cut-out on the bottom of the handle. The purpose of the design is to decrease weight and control shrinking during the injection molding process. More predictable shrinking means we can build to a tighter tolerance.
Many of the discussions Dirk and I had were focused on who we thought would be using an adjustable paddle, as well as how they would be using the adjustable paddle. We felt that the majority of the users would fall into the family and rental categories. This is why we made the price point Pupu Adjustable the first offering. We are currently working on other versions, but are not at the point of having a release date.
Testing
We have been using the original prototypes for over a year. We dropped tested the paddles without any problems. The handle can be snapped off…..but I had to swing the paddle like I was using a framing hammer. I have personally flipped the lever open and closed over 2000 times. The lever should not break or wear out unless the user over tightens the nut. The cable is rated at over 900lbs. All cam activated devices are subject to this type of user error problems. (quick release hubs on a bike wheel can snap the axle if over tightened) Over tightening does not improve the gripping strength of the plug.
The very minimal side to side play of the LeverLock is caused by the flexible rubber plug. A harder plug does not grip as well and will slip. The side to side movement is not detectable when paddling.
Pressure from the top hand is downward when paddling, and the unit does not slip downward. The plug also plays a dual role in preventing any water from entering the shaft and allowing the paddle to float. Kind of important with water sports equipment.
No More Disposable Products For the Landfills
Making something affordable should not mean making something cheap. The goal was a simple device which could be repaired in the event of a mishap. A guiding principle in any project I undertake is to minimize broken paddles in the land fill.
The beauty of the system is that it is simple and repairable. If someone breaks a lever, the fix is easy. Take off the nut, pull out the cable and the broken lever, pop out the dowel which will release the cable, and reverse the process with the new lever to assemble. Very little tightening of the nut is required to get a firm grip.
Like our all our Ikaika paddles, the Pupu Adjustable is built to last.
Aloha,
Dave
KIALOA paddles are produced to last with high quality materials and product craftsmanship teamed with cutting edge design principles. Green product philosophy isn't only about reusable materials, it also includes waste reduction. www.Kialoa.com 
KIALOA's NEW Pupu Adjustable SUP
The Pupu Adjustable features the revolutionary LeverLock® adjustable top. Sixteen inches of infinite adjustability are available with a simple flick of a lever integrated into the Ergo-PalmTM grip. The patent-pending LeverLock is the sleekest adjustable system out there. The blade utilizes impact-resistant CFRT® thermoplastic technology and the adjustable shaft is 100% fiberglass. The Pupu Adjustable is the perfect paddle when you want to adjust on the fly or share with others
The shaft features a sizing system that show the inches corresponding to your height to help you find the perfect fit. Just pull the shaft out to your height and align the arrows with the center line then close the lever. Now your palm grip is perfectly straight and you're ready to go.
The range of the Pupu Adjustable is from 70 to 86 inches.
Surface Area: 97 sq inBlade Width: 8"Blade Length: 16 ½” 
Blade Angle: 10 degreesBlade Material: CFRT® and FiberglassShaft Material: 100% fiberglassLeverLock® Adjustable SystemErgo Palm Grip®Weight: 33ozPrice: $199.00The range of the Pupu Keiki Adjustable is from 53 to 69 inches.Surface Area: 87 sq inBlade Width: 6½” Blade Length: 16 ½”Blade Angle: 10 degreesBlade Material: CFRT® and FiberglassShaft Material: 100% fiberglassLeverLock® Adjustable SystemErgo Palm Grip®Weight: 28ozPrice: $189.00
KIALOA Adjustable paddles are available now at your local dealer! 
The Nehu KIALOA's New Outrigger Hybrid Paddle
KIALOA Paddles is very excited to announce the newest Hybrid outrigger paddle to our line. The Nehu derives its outline shape from the Axel 2. A near exact copy in the tip area, the Nehu is longer in length by 1 ½” and 3.25 square inches larger in surface area. Raised ribs reinforce the knife thin blade on the front and back. The tip has a hooked arc, which facilitates a quick and solid “catch”. At 195g/6.8oz, the blade weighed separately from the other components of the paddle, it is our lightest. Like my favorite tools, the Nehu is pared down to the basic essentials. It is elegance through simplicity. The Nehu or the Hawaiian Anchovy, was a bait fish used to catch Tuna in the days of the hook and pole commercial fishing in Hawaii. Unlike modern day high tech fishing, where purse seine nets are used to surround and slaughter an entire school of Tuna, commercial pole fishing was more sustainable as not all the fish were caught, allowing the majority of the school to escape and live to repopulate their numbers. We are confident that the Nehu will become our most popular OC-6 racing Hybrid in no time.
Look for our ad in the newest Pacific Paddler and have your smartphone ready. A QR code will be displayed and will take you to the newest information about the Nehu.
Kialoa East
In a land far, far away from the islands of Hawaii, the spirit of Aloha lives on the shores of Nova Scotia. The ocean is cold, the paddlers are hearty and the leis are made with maple leaves. No, really- I mean it!!
Buried in the hillside of Dartmouth, NS exists a lake that I am convinced has magical qualities. Lake Banook is home to three canoe clubs (three!) and a dragon boat club that have been producing world class and Olympic paddlers for many years. Flatwater sprint paddling is their world with perfectly marked lanes dotting the lake and classic club houses hugging the shoreline. The language here is "K-1, C-1, K-4, C-2, War Canoe" and on an on. A new word has entered the vocabulary for a few that come from this idyllic place: "OC-6".
The Boys from Banook got their hands on an OC-6 recently and have been applying their lifetime of paddling to outrigger canoeing. They decided to test their skills in the Toronto International Outrigger Challenge last weekend and Kialoa got behind them. The team comprised of Max Tracy, Albert McDonald, Stephen Gallant, Bruce Chiasson, Ed Solino, Bryan Burns turned in the fast est time of the day and a course record!
Congratulations to this fine crew for representing Kialoa with po'okela (excellence) and growing the sport of outrigger to the eastern shores of Canada.
-mk 
KIALOA Toro, an Ode to the Bluefin by Dave Chun
KIALOA Paddle Designer Dave Chun Tells How He Names His Paddles
Chuck Patterson with his KIALOA SUP paddleboarding paddle
Naming a Paddle
As the guy who designs the KIALOA paddles, I get to name most of them. Not all of them, but most. I guess this has evolved at KIALOA because no one actually knows we have a new paddle until I show up at a meeting with a new prototype. Over the years the only trend in regards to my paddle names, is that they are somewhat nonsensical. They do not describe the paddle, nor is the intent to inspire customers to buy. The names are things we find funny, inside jokes, often jokes about ourselves, self-effacing humor. Trust me; you will never see a KIALOA paddle named the Slayer, Violator, or Crusher. All good names, but just not the KIALOA style.
Toro
Dave Chun with his other art form, the cameraI designed the Toro paddle for my friend Chuck Patterson. Last summer Chuck asked me to build a SUP stand up paddleboarding race paddle. He gave me the basic characteristic he wanted in the paddle and I produced 3 prototypes. None of the paddles was exactly what Chuck was looking for in a race paddle, but he did find elements in the paddles which he liked. The Toro is a blend of the 3 prototypes. Chuck wanted a race paddle with an aggressive "catch," something that hooked up as soon as it entered the water. To accomplish this I built the Toro paddle with a pronounced curved arc in the tip area, as well as reducing blade thickness to minimize resistance as the blade penetrates the water. Think Olympic Gold Medal dive versus a drunken spring break belly flop. Bubble free water is a better source of traction than agitated water.
Chuck also wanted a dihedral on the paddle to stabilize the blade in the water. While I am not totally convinced dihedrals are the answer for every paddle, the thin blade core (the foam inside the blade is the core) needed the raised area of a dihedral to provide strength. Race blades should be stiff for maximum energy transfer. I built the Toro paddleboarding paddle with a long Dihedral and a reinforcing rib on the non-powerface to reduce the flex. The paddle outline is Tahitian in essence. This comes from a chance meeting with former Tahitian World Champion outrigger paddler Phillipe Bernardino. I am awed by the skills of the Tahitian outrigger paddlers and the Toro's outline shape is my way of paying tribute.
Why the Name Toro?
Toro is sushi made from the belly of a Bluefin Tuna. While shaping the Toro prototype, I was reading the book, “Giant Bluefin” by Douglas Whynott. Whynott writes, “Bluefin Tuna have evolved into high-mass, transoceanic, high speed organisms. Though they weigh from 300 to more than 1,000 pounds and move through a medium eight hundred times denser than air, Bluefin can swim in bursts of up to fifty miles per hour.” I thought this described Chuck: A big fast fish which traverses the World’s oceans. My project name was Thunnus thynnus, which is the scientific name for the Bluefin, but I got resistance from the rest of the KIALOA family. “Bluefin” lacked creativity, it is too obvious. But Toro, the most prized sushi cut from the most expensive fish on earth, seemed so random, which made it a perfect KIALOA paddle name.
BTW: Before you place your order with the sushi chef, please give some thought to the plight of the Bluefin. My personal opinion is they are being over fished. If you would like to learn more about the status of the Bluefin, “Tuna, A Love Story”, by Richard Ellis, it is a good read.
Aloha,
Dave
www.kialoa.com
Naming paddleboarding paddles brings attention to the plight of the Bluefin Tuna. 
PNW ORCA Winter Series Novice Winners
"Dave, Meg and KIALOA,
Mahalo for KIALOA's prize donation of the 2011 PNW ORCA Winter Series Novice championships. By some miracle I was able to win this award for the Novice Men's OC-1 this season.
This has been my first year racing OC-1 and I've learned a lot about training, racing and and my own physical/mental capabilities.
Most of my paddling has been done with KIALOA products. I just want to let you know that this prize means a lot to me. Thank you."
Jasen Kaya
(Pictured below)
“I wanted to say thanks again, on behalf of everyone who participated in the
winter series races, for the donation of two KIALOA paddles to the
end-of-season prize cache. They were the most coveted awards, as they are
every year.
This year, as I talked with Meg about, I awarded the paddles to the
points-totals winners of the Novice division. Jasen Kaya won for the men,
and Tanja Kroeger won for the women. Here is a link to a photo of Jasen with
his girlfriend Jackie, and the second place novice male, Vance Hashimoto.
Thank you all so much again for supporting paddling in the Pacific NW! Mahalo."
Alan Goto 
Zane Schweitzer Comes Out On Top at the Santa Cruz Paddle Fest
The weather kept many surfers off the water on this incredibly windy and cold March day in Santa Cruz. However, more than 40 SUP paddlers braved the weather. The race was supposed to have been a 6 mile paddle, run on the beach, back to paddling from Cowell Beach to Lighthouse Point to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and back. For Safety reason, the organizers changed the course to a two-lap race next to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Paddlers were looking a little wide eyed and sometimes losing their paddle, forcing them to get prone like a traditional paddleboarder. Although not strictly legal for an SUP race, the die-hard SUP'ers were doing whatever they could to stay in the race. The festival was finally cut short at around 3:00 as the weather conditions worstened. Zane Schweitzer of Hawaii won the expert SUP wave-riding division, Matt Becker won the men's race, and Candice Appleby won the women's race.
KIALOA Paddles
http://www.kialoa.com/ 
2011 HSAA Paddling Championships
Congratulations to our boys at Kealakehe for placing 3rd overall in the state championship and for having the second fastest time of the day.
The High School State Championship regatta was held on February 4th in Keehi Lagoon.
Varsity Boys:
1. KS-Kapalama 3:32:73
2. Punahou 3:37:22
3. Kealakehe 3:37:47
Sizing a Dragon Boat Paddle Advice from Scott Wu
Scott Wu from Team LARD has been a great friend to KIALOA and he came through for us again. We had asked him for some help advising people on sizing their dragon boat paddles and Scott took the time to write up this great post on the topic. Please check it out at his article, "Sizing a Dragon Boat Paddle," on his blog, ReadyandReach.com.
Here’s a short excerpt from Scott's long, detailed, expert paddling article:
“ I would recommend you buy a paddle on the longer side. Why? Three reason – first, you can usually shorten a long paddle (the reverse is not true). Second, longer paddles are usually in higher demand (well, at least on my team) so it will be easier to sell a longer paddle than a shorter one (see all the 46″ paddles that have been donated to LARD). Finally, a longer paddle will give you a bit more leverage – assuming it’s not way too big for you." READ MORE (We highly recommend it!)
After you read Scott's article, be sure to check out his entire site. He is a true renaissance man: A litigation attorney with offices in Los Angeles County; coaches and paddles for the Los Angeles Racing Dragons (TeamLARD), and a professional photographer.
Check out all of our Kialoa paddles at www.Kialoa.com 
Dragon Boating- Rose Parade Style
Some of our friends from the Southern California Dragon Boat Club connected with the folks from China Airlines to create a fabulous flower-powered dragon boat for this year's Tournament of Roses Parade. It took home the International Trophy.
I was too busy applying my native Wisconsin-colored war paint and missed the parade on television but there is plenty of YouTube footage to go around. Scott Wu from Team LARD worked some photo-wonk magic in the shot above.
Here’s some footage of the parade itself:
And lastly, a great video of how it all came together:
Absolutely stunning creation. Kudos to China Airlines for getting authentic paddlers in the boat! 
Mele Kalikimaka from all of us at KIALOA
This video comes from our Friends at Stand Up Paddle Bend. Happy Holidays!
Beau Whitehead's Year in Review
The Year In Review (extended) from Great Dane on Vimeo.
[Gerry Lopez Video by film student Gunnar Oliphant
This is such a cool video, people. Watch it.
“I am officially done with my 5th week of film school and I have watched so many B&W films that it stuck into my brain.
When I showed Gerry Lopez how to use his GoPro, I didn't expect that it would accidentally switch over into picture mode and when he gave the camera back to me, I told him there was nothing I could do with it because it was all photos. But a few days ago I had the idea of making the shots into an experimental slideshow to resemble the early silent films…. low frame rates and one continuous shot. I think it turned out pretty sweet.
So here is Gerry and his dog Lulu surfing at about 5 frames per second. Enjoy!"
Gunnar Oliphant
Trigger Vision
triggervision.tv
Gerry Lopez Stand Up Paddle 2 from Gunnar Oliphant on Vimeo. 
Size Matters – The Teva Hoe Hybrid (by Alan Goto)
SIZE MATTERS – The Teva Hoe Hybrid (By Alan Goto)
In the most recent years of international outrigger canoe paddling competition, one team has stood out consistently above the rest – Shell Va’a from Tahiti. And since arriving in Hawai’i to win their first Moloka’i Hoe in 2006, paddlers across the world have tried to figure out the secret to their dominating performances. One factor that is impossible to ignore is the giant size of their paddle blades, paired with a very natural double-bend shaft. The Teva Hoe, Dave Chun’s newest outrigger paddle, accurately replicates the design advantages of Shell Va’a’s chosen tools.
The first thing you notice about the Teva Hoe is its teardrop shaped blade. To get an idea of its size, let’s look at the numbers: the surface area of the Teva Hoe blade is 133 square inches. In this statistic, it’s much closer to the size of the Foti steering blade at 145 sq. inches, than it is to an Axel II at 108 sq. inches. The only way to describe the Teva Hoe blade is – huge. And being huge is what gives it more versatility than the paddle you are using now. When you “catch” while paddling, you’re trying to plant solidly your blade in the water, so that you can pull yourself and your canoe past it. With its slightly scooping entry, huge surface area, and extended dihedral down the power face, the Teva Hoe catches more securely than any other paddle out there. If you are used to being able to “out-pull” your blade, and “rip” the water past your canoe when pulling at maximum intensity, then you need to try catching again with the Teva Hoe. It allows even the strongest paddlers to transfer their full strength into forward movement, and not lose any energy to cavitation. With any amount of momentum behind you, every last bit of your power is available immediately when you demand it.
Because of the Teva Hoe’s blade size – specifically its length – selecting the proper paddle length is an entirely new process. The Teva Hoe’s blade is 20 ¼ inches long, almost four inches longer than the Axel II, which has a 16 ½ inch blade. So it’s important to note that a 50 inch Teva Hoe will have a 29 ¾ inch shaft, while a 50 inch Axel II will have a 33 ½ inch shaft. Ordering a Teva Hoe at your usual paddle length will give you a paddle that feels very small, because the shaft will be significantly shorter than what you’re used to. Dave’s recommendation is to order your Teva Hoe about 2 inches longer than what you paddle with now. This is a great guideline, especially if your current paddle is a KIALOA Axel or Lanikai. When figuring out the length for your new Teva Hoe, try not to measure your paddle’s overall length, but measure the length of the shaft, so that you can maintain a familiar and comfortable grip.
Now you may ask yourself, “If there’s almost a 4 inch difference in length between the Teva Hoe and my previous paddle, then why should I only size up by 2 inches?” The answer lies in the above explained size and versatility of the Teva Hoe. Because the blade plants so solidly, the paddle allows you to adjust your own style and technique to suit the water and conditions that you paddle in, from moment to moment, without sacrificing your catch, and/or your boat speed. Changing your leverage by choking up or down on the shaft, will help you meter your output when going into or with the wind or current. Varying the degree to which you plant your blade can help you speed up your stroke-rate when you need to, or decide when to shorten or lengthen your paddle stroke. The feedback that the Teva Hoe will give you is immediate – timing issues, running or still waters, and your own efficiency is communicated directly to the paddler, because your connection to the water via the Teva Hoe’s blade is so positive – giving you the ability to adjust and fine-tune any number of details within your own technique to speed your canoe on it’s way.
Because of its extreme size, your new Teva Hoe doesn’t lend itself to being paddled exactly the same way you use your current paddle. If you allow yourself to feel it, the run and movement of your boat in the water will be transmitted to you constantly through the Teva Hoe. When you listen to it, the Teva Hoe will tell you how to become a better and more efficient paddler. World champions choose their equipment for a specific reason, and this paddle was built with those reasons in mind.
Thanks to Alan Goto, Seattle Firefighter, Sail Sand Point Outrigger paddler and all around awesome athlete, for writing this article. It has a permanent residence on the KIALOA website on our articles page. 
Kendog Wilson Continues Victory Quest
Kendog Wilson Continues Victory Quest Ken "Kendog" Wilson, Kialoa Ambassador, continued on his quest for consecutive SUP victories by finishing 2nd in the Stand Up Paddle Surfing Competition and 1st in the Stand Up Paddle Race at the 15th Annual Noll Long Board Contest October 1st, 2010 in Crescent City, California. Ken used his KIALOA Methane Paddle and surfing skill to ride waist to head hide waves in the surfing division as well as his open ocean paddling skills in the 2 mile open ocean race that featured a Le Mans beach start through the head high surf, continuing a mile out to "Muscle Rock", then returning and paddling & surfing to the finish that featured a run up the beach. On October 2nd and 3rd, 2010, Ken competed in the prone Long Board Cruisers surfing division and showed his surfing abilities in riding 6 to 10 foot waves at the contest venue at South Beach finishing 3rd in that division.Ken continues to demonstrate his versatility not only in prone surfing, but also in SUP surfing and open ocean racing competitions. Submitted by Peter Miller 
KIALOA goes to Shanghai
KIALOA was proud to sponsor a dragon boat team from Southern California on their 2010 Glory Cup journey to Shanghai, China in September. The Glory Cup was a series of 250m and 500m races in a 10-man dragon boat (not the usual 20-man that we are most accustomed to) where Team SoCal was expected to finish at the bottom of the heap. Competing against teams that get paid to train and make salary bonuses for wins, the KIALOA hybrid armed men and women held their own finishing 6th place overall. They even brought home some cash that they will reinvest into the dragon boat community in Long Beach, California.
Photo courtesy of Scott Wu
I keep making the mistake of referring to this team as LARD (LA Racing Dragons). The reality is, they were joined up with some other great SoCal 
paddlers from the Killer Guppies and the Space Dragons. Perhaps this is the Killer LARD Space Guppies? Nah… too hard to remember after a beer. I'll stick with Team SoCal as they were representing the Southern California Dragon Boat Club. Or, maybe… Team Awesome?!
The real message here is what a great group of athletes these guys and gals are on and OFF the water. They know the importance of training but understand the importance of maintaining the spirit of community that comes with dragon boating. In the outrigger culture, we refer to that as Ohana. I'm not sure if there is a Chinese equivalent but I'm tempted to call it LARD Love. To read more about the journeys of Team LARD, be sure to check out Coach Scott Wu's blog, Ready and Reach. And if you're wondering about paddling as Guppie, a Space Dragon, or any other number of fantastic teams that paddle with the SCDBC, go HERE.
Here’s a great video compiled by team member and visual media king, Philip Sun, that shows us how much more fun they were having than us that day. Even if their PFD's were blinding to look at:
Congrats to Team Awesome. May your KIALOA paddles always return the love! 
Round the Rock VIDEO, SUP Race in Seattle WA
Here is a great video of the finish line at Round The Rock, the 13 mile SUP race around Mercer Island on Lake Washington in Seattle. This year was its 2nd Annual and was held on September 12th.
Men’s Elite results:
1st place was Thomas Shahinian
2nd Place Beau Whitehead
3rd Place Chuck Patterson
Women’s Elite Results:
1st Place Brandi Baksic
2nd Place Heather Nelson
Thanks to Beau Whitehead for editing and posting this video and Greg Gilbert's step father who filmed the video!
Ken Dog Wilson Smokes the Competition at The Gathering
This was the 3rd SUP competition he has won in a row. The others are the Cape Kiwanda Long Board Classic, August 8th, 2010 in Pacific City, Oregon and the Oregon Open Ocean Classic, August 28th, 2010, Newport Oregon.
Although the waves were small, they were very clean both days of the SUP competition and Kenny used a series of maneuvers more typical of short boarding that included roller coasters and off the lip cut backs. He also incorporated long board nose riding that so thoroughly impressed the judges as he was awarded the highest heat score (77.1) in the 8 years of the event. Kenny uses a KIALOA Shaka Puu and has adapted his surfing and paddle style to utilize the Shaka Puu's high performance characteristics.
Kenny hopes to carry this momentum down to the Noll Long Board Classic October 1st – 3rd, 2010 in Crescent City, California.
Submitted by Peter Miller 
Photos from New Caledonia
These are some of our photos from the 2010 World Sprints.
What an amazing time in a beautiful place, to meet new people, make everlasting friends from around the world, and to be apart of something so big in the sport that I love. 
The Oregon Open Ocean SUP Classic
Nye beach, Newport, Oregon August 28, 2010
Ken "Ken Dog" Wilson was the first over all finisher and first in the stock SUP boards in the 1st Annual Oregon Open Ocean Classic held in Newport Oregon, 8/28/10. The event started at Beverly Beach, OR and finished 7.5 miles South at Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon. Ken lives in Lincoln City, OR and is a sponsored Kialoa athlete. 
The start was delayed until 12:30 PM due to fog at Yaquina Head and the contestants faced 2- 4' shore break at the start of the event. The shore break was so challenging that all women competitors could not shoot the shore break and withdrew from the race. Ken was able to beat the shore break, ride the rip tide out, and after paddling a mile west so as to clear Yaquina Head, turned South to Nye Beach. There was a prevailing south westerly wind between 10 – 15 mph that challenged the balance of the contestants. Ken took the lead at the start of the race and was never challenged. 
Gerry Lopez, Kialoa ambassador, won the unlimited event after having a rough start shooting the shore break. The unlimited class started 20 minutes behind the stock class and Gerry was the 3rd over all finisher, catching all but two contestants. Had the event been an additional mile, Gerry would have probably caught Ken. Gerry demonstrated his surfing talents by catching a wave 100 yards from the finish and riding it into the beach.
Other Bend athletes competing and using Kialoa paddles were Dennis Oliphant and Randall Barna.
Athletes using Kialoa Paddles gathered the over all 1st, 3rd, and 4th finishes. Guest Post by Peter MillerKIALOA NW Rep.
The Oregon Surf Shop posted pictures on Facebook Check them out, there are some great shots coming across the finish line! 
Guest post from Brasil!
“Hi there!
Nice blog, if you want you can post this film.
I’m on Kialoa european team, friend of Jean Phillipe & Georget Wuilmart. (KIALOA European Distributers)
Your paddles are so good !!!
Aloha !!!"
~Rémi
Thanks for your kind words and for the fun video!
~KIALOA
Chuck Patterson, Me My Shark and I
Do not try this at home kiddies! Chuck is braver than most bust this is a bit crazy even for him! Fun for us to watch though.
Check out more videos at Chuck's You Tube Channel cwsports 
2010 Surftech Kalamalka Classic SUP Race
2010 Surftech Kalamalka Classic Report…
Race number one on Saturday was a 3.5 mile loop that included a 200 yard portage over a spit of land that stuck out into Lake Kalamalka. A dozen guys lined up in this stock-only race. Myself and Norm Hann of Squamish got out to an early lead. We paddled side by side for the first 1.5 miles. I slowly started to pull away and wanted to good gap before the run section. When I hit the beach for the portage I looked back and saw that I had about 1 minute over Norm. After the portage we had about 1 mile to go to the finish. I decided to go just hard enough to hold the lead but wanted to save as much energy as possible for the next days 10 miler. I hit the beach and ran to the finish line about 1 minute before Norm.
The second days race was a 10 miler, the length of Kalamalka Lake. There was very little wind and the temp. reached about 80 degrees. They started the women first, the stock guys 10 minutes later, then the 14 foot and over 10 minutes after that. My self, Norm and Brodie Shandro of Surftech stayed together for about a mile… The conditions were perfect for the Naish Javelin and I steadily pulled away, with Norm staying about 1 minute behind me. At the 6 mile point I caught the first woman and the first stock guy. It was HOT and my Camel Bak was almost empty. I hit the finish line on Kalamalka Beach in 1:49, 5 minutes ahead of Norm. That gave me and the Javelin a 5.4 mph average for the 9.9 mile course.
On Saturday, 3 of the top 5 finishers were using Kialoa Paddles. On Sunday, the top 3 guys had Kialoa's! What else is there?
So two races and two wins for the American guy on Canadian soil (-:
Beau WhiteheadNaishKialoa
http://paddlesurfnorthwest.com/
Top 5 guys from Saturdays 3.5 miler… 
Top 3 guys from Sundays 10 miler…
Myself & Norm Hann 200 yards into the 10 miler…
Congrats Kai Ikaika for Success at Rio Tinto in Vancouver
Thank you again for working with Kia Ikaika and providing Kialoa paddles.
The Kai Ikaika 2010 Alcan results:
3rd overall mixed division
1st overall open division
1st overall – 2000 meter guts & glory race (see video below!)
Cheers
Brian Itami 
2010 Rio Tinto Alcan Race in Vancouver BC
Brian Boatman made this really fun video from last weekends race…
Team Kai Ikaika from Portland Oregon
No title
Hello Kialoa from The New Caledonia World Sprints
After 3 days of solid racing we are close to the end of the 2010 Sprints.
I personally have finished my run as a racer representing California and the United States.
I finished 52nd in the Open mens V-1 division, as well as 30th in the Master mens heats,
but I am most proud of my 3rd place finish in the Adaptive V-1 class. It earned me and my Kialoa paddle a Bronze Medal at the 14th World Sprints.
I was also lucky enough to be the only American flag hoisted at today's awards.
(the majority went to Tahiti, what a shock!)
More updates with photos coming up next entry.
Thanks
Greg Crouse 
KIALOA's NEW Pupu Adjustable SUP
The Pupu Adjustable features the revolutionary LeverLock® adjustable top. Sixteen inches of infinite adjustability are available with a simple flick of a lever integrated into the Ergo-PalmTM grip. The patent-pending LeverLock is the sleekest adjustable system out there. The blade utilizes impact-resistant CFRT® thermoplastic technology and the adjustable shaft is 100% fiberglass. The Pupu Adjustable is the perfect paddle when you want to adjust on the fly or share with others
The shaft features a sizing system that show the inches corresponding to your height to help you find the perfect fit. Just pull the shaft out to your height and align the arrows with the center line then close the lever. Now your palm grip is perfectly straight and you're ready to go.
The range of the Pupu Adjustable is from 70 to 86 inches.
Surface Area: 97 sq inBlade Width: 8"Blade Length: 16 ½” Blade Angle: 10 degreesBlade Material: CFRT® and FiberglassShaft Material: 100% fiberglassLeverLock® Adjustable SystemErgo Palm Grip®Weight: 33ozPrice: $199.00The range of the Pupu Keiki Adjustable is from 53 to 69 inches.Surface Area: 87 sq inBlade Width: 6½” Blade Length: 16 ½”Blade Angle: 10 degreesBlade Material: CFRT® and FiberglassShaft Material: 100% fiberglassLeverLock® Adjustable SystemErgo Palm Grip®Weight: 28ozPrice: $189.00
KIALOA Adjustable paddles are available now at your local dealer!
The Nehu KIALOA's New Outrigger Hybrid Paddle
KIALOA Paddles is very excited to announce the newest Hybrid outrigger paddle to our line. The Nehu derives its outline shape from the Axel 2. A near exact copy in the tip area, the Nehu is longer in length by 1 ½” and 3.25 square inches larger in surface area. Raised ribs reinforce the knife thin blade on the front and back. The tip has a hooked arc, which facilitates a quick and solid “catch”. At 195g/6.8oz, the blade weighed separately from the other components of the paddle, it is our lightest. Like my favorite tools, the Nehu is pared down to the basic essentials. It is elegance through simplicity. The Nehu or the Hawaiian Anchovy, was a bait fish used to catch Tuna in the days of the hook and pole commercial fishing in Hawaii. Unlike modern day high tech fishing, where purse seine nets are used to surround and slaughter an entire school of Tuna, commercial pole fishing was more sustainable as not all the fish were caught, allowing the majority of the school to escape and live to repopulate their numbers. We are confident that the Nehu will become our most popular OC-6 racing Hybrid in no time.
Look for our ad in the newest Pacific Paddler and have your smartphone ready. A QR code will be displayed and will take you to the newest information about the Nehu.
Kialoa East
In a land far, far away from the islands of Hawaii, the spirit of Aloha lives on the shores of Nova Scotia. The ocean is cold, the paddlers are hearty and the leis are made with maple leaves. No, really- I mean it!!
Buried in the hillside of Dartmouth, NS exists a lake that I am convinced has magical qualities. Lake Banook is home to three canoe clubs (three!) and a dragon boat club that have been producing world class and Olympic paddlers for many years. Flatwater sprint paddling is their world with perfectly marked lanes dotting the lake and classic club houses hugging the shoreline. The language here is "K-1, C-1, K-4, C-2, War Canoe" and on an on. A new word has entered the vocabulary for a few that come from this idyllic place: "OC-6".
The Boys from Banook got their hands on an OC-6 recently and have been applying their lifetime of paddling to outrigger canoeing. They decided to test their skills in the Toronto International Outrigger Challenge last weekend and Kialoa got behind them. The team comprised of Max Tracy, Albert McDonald, Stephen Gallant, Bruce Chiasson, Ed Solino, Bryan Burns turned in the fast est time of the day and a course record!
Congratulations to this fine crew for representing Kialoa with po'okela (excellence) and growing the sport of outrigger to the eastern shores of Canada.
-mk
KIALOA Toro, an Ode to the Bluefin by Dave Chun
Naming a Paddle
As the guy who designs the paddles, I get to name most of them. Not all of them, but most. I guess this has evolved at KIALOA because no one actually knows we have a new paddle until I show up at a meeting with a new prototype. Over the years the only trend in regards to paddle names, is that they are somewhat nonsensical. They do not describe the paddle, nor is the intent to inspire customers to buy. The names are things we find funny, inside jokes, often jokes about ourselves, self-effacing humor. Trust me; you will never see a KIALOA paddle named the Slayer, Violator, or Crusher. All good names, but just not the KIALOA style.
Toro
I designed the Toro for my friend Chuck Patterson. Last summer Chuck asked me to build a SUP race paddle. He gave me the basic characteristic he wanted in the paddle and I produced 3 prototypes. None of the paddles was exactly what Chuck was looking for in a race paddle, but he did find elements in the paddles which he liked. The Toro is a blend of the 3 prototypes. Chuck wanted a paddle with an aggressive "catch," something that hooked up as soon as it entered the water. To accomplish this I built the Toro with a pronounced curved arc in the tip area, as well as reducing blade thickness to minimize resistance as the blade penetrates the water. Think Olympic Gold Medal dive versus a drunken spring break belly flop. Bubble free water is a better source of traction than agitated water.
Chuck also wanted a dihedral on the paddle to stabilize the blade in the water. While I am not totally convinced dihedrals are the answer for every paddle, the thin blade core (the foam inside the blade is the core) needed the raised area of a dihedral to provide strength. Race blades should be stiff for maximum energy transfer. I built the Toro with a long Dihedral and a reinforcing rib on the non-powerface to reduce the flex. The outline is Tahitian in essence. This comes from a chance meeting with former Tahitian World Champion outrigger paddler Phillipe Bernardino. I am awed by the skills of the Tahitian outrigger paddlers and the Toro's outline shape is my way of paying tribute.
Why the Name Toro?
Toro is sushi made from the belly of a Bluefin Tuna. While shaping the Toro prototype, I was reading the book, “Giant Bluefin” by Douglas Whynott. Whynott writes, “Bluefin Tuna have evolved into high-mass, transoceanic, high speed organisms. Though they weigh from 300 to more than 1,000 pounds and move through a medium eight hundred times denser than air, Bluefin can swim in bursts of up to fifty miles per hour.” I thought this described Chuck: A big fast fish which traverses the World’s oceans. My project name was Thunnus thynnus, which is the scientific name for the Bluefin, but I got resistance from the rest of the KIALOA family. “Bluefin” lacked creativity, it is too obvious. But Toro, the most prized sushi cut from the most expensive fish on earth, seemed so random, which made it a perfect KIALOA paddle name.
BTW: Before you place your order with the sushi chef, please give some thought to the plight of the Bluefin. My personal opinion is they are being over fished. If you would like to learn more about the status of the Bluefin, “Tuna, A Love Story”, by Richard Ellis, is a good read.
Aloha,
Dave
Catalina Challenge with Heather Baus
CATALINA CHALLENGE 2011 TEAM BARK DANE MORRISSEY & HEATHER BAUS Dane Morrissey and Heather Baus, both Team Bark riders, were teamed up by Joe Bark himself thinking these two would be the perfect match for the 39.8 mile, Catalina Challenge open ocean race from Catalina Island to Dana Point Harbor. Heather and Dane were the only 2 person co-ed team competing on a shared BARK 14’. They finished first in their class in a time of 8 hours 18 minutes and 51 seconds competing against 2, 3 and 4 person teams. The woman SUP class started first at 0800, then the SUP team men and co-ed paddlers at 0830, followed by the canoes and outriggers at 0900. The winning overall SUP- 3 man team was powered up by Tom Gallagher, Rob Rojas and Anthony Vela in a time of 7:06:04. First overall 2 man SUP team was Dane DeBoer and Jimmy Terrell in a time of 7:34:58. First overall 2 man SUP Co-ed team was Dane Morrissey and Heather Baus in a time of 8:18:51. First overall 4 man SUP team went to the largest combined ages of "250" years on the "E" Team, Lance Erickson, Mickey Munoz, Peggy Munoz and Jericho Poppler in a time of 8:46:26. First overall 3 “woman” team came in at 8:39:26 by Suzy Strazulla, Julie Wolfe and Kristina Zuhr. The 2 teams that had the most fun were hands down the 3 Woman- team, smiling all the way-Terri Plunkett, Kristin Thomas and Diane Wenzel in a time of 9:22:20 Danny Ching and the “Funnest Team Ever” competed in the open OC-2 class with a 4 man team 2 of which were young groms: Danny Ching,Garrett Crayton (10 years old),Josh Crayton and Ryland Hart (also 10 years)- very impressive considering the headwinds and chop that met everyone the entire crossing. Also the only 2 Woman SUPteam, Jennifer Lee and Jodie Nelson finished in a time of 9:22:20. Over 122 competitors made the crossing. Dane paddled the last leg sprinting to catch one of the woman’s teams that had started 30 minutes prior and was greeted on the beach by Joe Bark and many enthusiastic spectators. Meanwhile Heather was anxious to jump ship and and meet up with Dane at the finish for some serious high fives! The Baus family flew from Puerto Rico on Friday and arrived Dana Point late afternoon whereDane and Heather first met and went for a paddle, immediately clicking and beginning their racing strategy. The support boat was owned and captained by Dane’s Aunt and her friend who positioned the 38ft sportfisher Friday night to Catalina from Long Beach, accompanied by Dane’s entire family. Many competitors took the Catalina Ferry to Catalina Island including the Baus family, where they enjoyed a day on the island and pre race registration and racers meeting the Saturday before the race. Dane and Heather decided on 30 minute intervals for the duration of the paddle. The morning start was cool temperatures and calm winds, turning to stronger headwind and drizzle. Later in the race blue skies and sunshine, with the winds shifting southerly which made for left sided paddling the last half of the race. The water temperature was around 61 degrees and inviting to the toes compared to the cooler air temps earlier in the race. Thankfully the "SUPport" boat was equipped with a functioning fireplace! The awards banquet was held at the Dana Point Yacht club with a lively bunch despite the exhausting conditions to race in and slower average times than past, due to the consistent headwind and chop during the day. Dane and Heather look forward to racing at the Battle of the Paddle, HI and are planning on M2O training together in Puerto Rico early this summer. Sponsors for Dane and Heather included: BARK , KIALOA, Quickblade, Maui Jim, Raw Elements, HINANO, Sweet waterwear, Onit Pro, Victory, and Future fins. By HMB
PNW ORCA Winter Series Novice Winners
"Dave, Meg and KIALOA,
Mahalo for KIALOA's prize donation of the 2011 PNW ORCA Winter Series Novice championships. By some miracle I was able to win this award for the Novice Men's OC-1 this season.
This has been my first year racing OC-1 and I've learned a lot about training, racing and and my own physical/mental capabilities.
Most of my paddling has been done with KIALOA products. I just want to let you know that this prize means a lot to me. Thank you."
Jasen Kaya
(Pictured below)
“I wanted to say thanks again, on behalf of everyone who participated in the
winter series races, for the donation of two KIALOA paddles to the
end-of-season prize cache. They were the most coveted awards, as they are
every year.
This year, as I talked with Meg about, I awarded the paddles to the
points-totals winners of the Novice division. Jasen Kaya won for the men,
and Tanja Kroeger won for the women. Here is a link to a photo of Jasen with
his girlfriend Jackie, and the second place novice male, Vance Hashimoto.
Thank you all so much again for supporting paddling in the Pacific NW! Mahalo."
Alan Goto
Zane Schweitzer Comes Out On Top at the Santa Cruz Paddle Fest
The weather kept many surfers off the water on this incredibly windy and cold March day in Santa Cruz. However, more than 40 SUP paddlers braved the weather. The race was supposed to have been a 6 mile paddle, run on the beach, back to paddling from Cowell Beach to Lighthouse Point to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and back. For Safety reason, the organizers changed the course to a two-lap race next to the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Paddlers were looking a little wide eyed and sometimes losing their paddle, forcing them to get prone like a traditional paddleboarder. Although not strictly legal for an SUP race, the die-hard SUP'ers were doing whatever they could to stay in the race. The festival was finally cut short at around 3:00 as the weather conditions worstened. Zane Schweitzer of Hawaii won the expert SUP wave-riding division, Matt Becker won the men's race, and Candice Appleby won the women's race.
KIALOA Paddles
http://www.kialoa.com/
2011 HSAA Paddling Championships
Congratulations to our boys at Kealakehe for placing 3rd overall in the state championship and for having the second fastest time of the day.
The High School State Championship regatta was held on February 4th in Keehi Lagoon.
Varsity Boys:
1. KS-Kapalama 3:32:73
2. Punahou 3:37:22
3. Kealakehe 3:37:47
Sizing a Dragon Boat Paddle « ReadyandReach.com
Scott Wu from Team LARD has been a great friend to KIALOA and he came through for us again. I had asked him for some help advising people on sizing their dragon boat paddles and Scott took the time to write up this great post on the topic. Please check it out at his blog, Ready and Reach.
Sizing a Dragon Boat Paddle « ReadyandReach.com
Dragon Boating- Rose Parade Style
Some of our friends from the Southern California Dragon Boat Club connected with the folks from China Airlines to create a fabulous flower-powered dragon boat for this year's Tournament of Roses Parade. It took home the International Trophy.
I was too busy applying my native Wisconsin-colored war paint and missed the parade on television but there is plenty of YouTube footage to go around. Scott Wu from Team LARD worked some photo-wonk magic in the shot above.
Here’s some footage of the parade itself:
And lastly, a great video of how it all came together:
Absolutely stunning creation. Kudos to China Airlines for getting authentic paddlers in the boat!
Mele Kalikimaka from all of us at KIALOA
This video comes from our Friends at Stand Up Paddle Bend. Happy Holidays!
Beau Whitehead's Year in Review
The Year In Review (extended) from Great Dane on Vimeo.
Gerry Lopez Video by film student Gunnar Oliphant
This is such a cool video, people. Watch it.
“I am officially done with my 5th week of film school and I have watched so many B&W films that it stuck into my brain.
When I showed Gerry Lopez how to use his GoPro, I didn't expect that it would accidentally switch over into picture mode and when he gave the camera back to me, I told him there was nothing I could do with it because it was all photos. But a few days ago I had the idea of making the shots into an experimental slideshow to resemble the early silent films…. low frame rates and one continuous shot. I think it turned out pretty sweet.
So here is Gerry and his dog Lulu surfing at about 5 frames per second. Enjoy!"
Gunnar Oliphant
Trigger Vision
triggervision.tv
Gerry Lopez Stand Up Paddle 2 from Gunnar Oliphant on Vimeo.
Size Matters – The Teva Hoe Hybrid (by Alan Goto)
SIZE MATTERS – The Teva Hoe Hybrid (By Alan Goto)
In the most recent years of international outrigger canoe paddling competition, one team has stood out consistently above the rest – Shell Va’a from Tahiti. And since arriving in Hawai’i to win their first Moloka’i Hoe in 2006, paddlers across the world have tried to figure out the secret to their dominating performances. One factor that is impossible to ignore is the giant size of their paddle blades, paired with a very natural double-bend shaft. The Teva Hoe, Dave Chun’s newest outrigger paddle, accurately replicates the design advantages of Shell Va’a’s chosen tools.
The first thing you notice about the Teva Hoe is its teardrop shaped blade. To get an idea of its size, let’s look at the numbers: the surface area of the Teva Hoe blade is 133 square inches. In this statistic, it’s much closer to the size of the Foti steering blade at 145 sq. inches, than it is to an Axel II at 108 sq. inches. The only way to describe the Teva Hoe blade is – huge. And being huge is what gives it more versatility than the paddle you are using now. When you “catch” while paddling, you’re trying to plant solidly your blade in the water, so that you can pull yourself and your canoe past it. With its slightly scooping entry, huge surface area, and extended dihedral down the power face, the Teva Hoe catches more securely than any other paddle out there. If you are used to being able to “out-pull” your blade, and “rip” the water past your canoe when pulling at maximum intensity, then you need to try catching again with the Teva Hoe. It allows even the strongest paddlers to transfer their full strength into forward movement, and not lose any energy to cavitation. With any amount of momentum behind you, every last bit of your power is available immediately when you demand it.
Because of the Teva Hoe’s blade size – specifically its length – selecting the proper paddle length is an entirely new process. The Teva Hoe’s blade is 20 ¼ inches long, almost four inches longer than the Axel II, which has a 16 ½ inch blade. So it’s important to note that a 50 inch Teva Hoe will have a 29 ¾ inch shaft, while a 50 inch Axel II will have a 33 ½ inch shaft. Ordering a Teva Hoe at your usual paddle length will give you a paddle that feels very small, because the shaft will be significantly shorter than what you’re used to. Dave’s recommendation is to order your Teva Hoe about 2 inches longer than what you paddle with now. This is a great guideline, especially if your current paddle is a KIALOA Axel or Lanikai. When figuring out the length for your new Teva Hoe, try not to measure your paddle’s overall length, but measure the length of the shaft, so that you can maintain a familiar and comfortable grip.
Now you may ask yourself, “If there’s almost a 4 inch difference in length between the Teva Hoe and my previous paddle, then why should I only size up by 2 inches?” The answer lies in the above explained size and versatility of the Teva Hoe. Because the blade plants so solidly, the paddle allows you to adjust your own style and technique to suit the water and conditions that you paddle in, from moment to moment, without sacrificing your catch, and/or your boat speed. Changing your leverage by choking up or down on the shaft, will help you meter your output when going into or with the wind or current. Varying the degree to which you plant your blade can help you speed up your stroke-rate when you need to, or decide when to shorten or lengthen your paddle stroke. The feedback that the Teva Hoe will give you is immediate – timing issues, running or still waters, and your own efficiency is communicated directly to the paddler, because your connection to the water via the Teva Hoe’s blade is so positive – giving you the ability to adjust and fine-tune any number of details within your own technique to speed your canoe on it’s way.
Because of its extreme size, your new Teva Hoe doesn’t lend itself to being paddled exactly the same way you use your current paddle. If you allow yourself to feel it, the run and movement of your boat in the water will be transmitted to you constantly through the Teva Hoe. When you listen to it, the Teva Hoe will tell you how to become a better and more efficient paddler. World champions choose their equipment for a specific reason, and this paddle was built with those reasons in mind.
Thanks to Alan Goto, Seattle Firefighter, Sail Sand Point Outrigger paddler and all around awesome athlete, for writing this article. It has a permanent residence on the KIALOA website on our articles page.
Kendog Wilson Continues Victory Quest
Kendog Wilson Continues Victory Quest Ken "Kendog" Wilson, Kialoa Ambassador, continued on his quest for consecutive SUP victories by finishing 2nd in the Stand Up Paddle Surfing Competition and 1st in the Stand Up Paddle Race at the 15th Annual Noll Long Board Contest October 1st, 2010 in Crescent City, California. Ken used his KIALOA Methane Paddle and surfing skill to ride waist to head hide waves in the surfing division as well as his open ocean paddling skills in the 2 mile open ocean race that featured a Le Mans beach start through the head high surf, continuing a mile out to "Muscle Rock", then returning and paddling & surfing to the finish that featured a run up the beach. On October 2nd and 3rd, 2010, Ken competed in the prone Long Board Cruisers surfing division and showed his surfing abilities in riding 6 to 10 foot waves at the contest venue at South Beach finishing 3rd in that division.Ken continues to demonstrate his versatility not only in prone surfing, but also in SUP surfing and open ocean racing competitions. Submitted by Peter Miller
KIALOA goes to Shanghai
KIALOA was proud to sponsor a dragon boat team from Southern California on their 2010 Glory Cup journey to Shanghai, China in September. The Glory Cup was a series of 250m and 500m races in a 10-man dragon boat (not the usual 20-man that we are most accustomed to) where Team SoCal was expected to finish at the bottom of the heap. Competing against teams that get paid to train and make salary bonuses for wins, the KIALOA hybrid armed men and women held their own finishing 6th place overall. They even brought home some cash that they will reinvest into the dragon boat community in Long Beach, California.
Photo courtesy of Scott Wu
I keep making the mistake of referring to this team as LARD (LA Racing Dragons). The reality is, they were joined up with some other great SoCal paddlers from the Killer Guppies and the Space Dragons. Perhaps this is the Killer LARD Space Guppies? Nah… too hard to remember after a beer. I'll stick with Team SoCal as they were representing the Southern California Dragon Boat Club. Or, maybe… Team Awesome?!
The real message here is what a great group of athletes these guys and gals are on and OFF the water. They know the importance of training but understand the importance of maintaining the spirit of community that comes with dragon boating. In the outrigger culture, we refer to that as Ohana. I'm not sure if there is a Chinese equivalent but I'm tempted to call it LARD Love. To read more about the journeys of Team LARD, be sure to check out Coach Scott Wu's blog, Ready and Reach. And if you're wondering about paddling as Guppie, a Space Dragon, or any other number of fantastic teams that paddle with the SCDBC, go HERE.
Here’s a great video compiled by team member and visual media king, Philip Sun, that shows us how much more fun they were having than us that day. Even if their PFD's were blinding to look at:
Congrats to Team Awesome. May your KIALOA paddles always return the love!
Round the Rock VIDEO, SUP Race in Seattle WA
Here is a great video of the finish line at Round The Rock, the 13 mile SUP race around Mercer Island on Lake Washington in Seattle. This year was its 2nd Annual and was held on September 12th.
Men’s Elite results:
1st place was Thomas Shahinian
2nd Place Beau Whitehead
3rd Place Chuck Patterson
Women’s Elite Results:
1st Place Brandi Baksic
2nd Place Heather Nelson
Thanks to Beau Whitehead for editing and posting this video and Greg Gilbert's step father who filmed the video!
Ken Dog Wilson Smokes the Competition at The Gathering
This was the 3rd SUP competition he has won in a row. The others are the Cape Kiwanda Long Board Classic, August 8th, 2010 in Pacific City, Oregon and the Oregon Open Ocean Classic, August 28th, 2010, Newport Oregon.
Although the waves were small, they were very clean both days of the SUP competition and Kenny used a series of maneuvers more typical of short boarding that included roller coasters and off the lip cut backs. He also incorporated long board nose riding that so thoroughly impressed the judges as he was awarded the highest heat score (77.1) in the 8 years of the event. Kenny uses a KIALOA Shaka Puu and has adapted his surfing and paddle style to utilize the Shaka Puu's high performance characteristics.
Kenny hopes to carry this momentum down to the Noll Long Board Classic October 1st – 3rd, 2010 in Crescent City, California.
Submitted by Peter Miller
Photos from New Caledonia
These are some of our photos from the 2010 World Sprints.
What an amazing time in a beautiful place, to meet new people, make everlasting friends from around the world, and to be apart of something so big in the sport that I love.
The Oregon Open Ocean SUP Classic
Nye beach, Newport, Oregon August 28, 2010
Ken "Ken Dog" Wilson was the first over all finisher and first in the stock SUP boards in the 1st Annual Oregon Open Ocean Classic held in Newport Oregon, 8/28/10. The event started at Beverly Beach, OR and finished 7.5 miles South at Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon. Ken lives in Lincoln City, OR and is a sponsored Kialoa athlete.
The start was delayed until 12:30 PM due to fog at Yaquina Head and the contestants faced 2- 4' shore break at the start of the event. The shore break was so challenging that all women competitors could not shoot the shore break and withdrew from the race. Ken was able to beat the shore break, ride the rip tide out, and after paddling a mile west so as to clear Yaquina Head, turned South to Nye Beach. There was a prevailing south westerly wind between 10 – 15 mph that challenged the balance of the contestants. Ken took the lead at the start of the race and was never challenged.
Gerry Lopez, Kialoa ambassador, won the unlimited event after having a rough start shooting the shore break. The unlimited class started 20 minutes behind the stock class and Gerry was the 3rd over all finisher, catching all but two contestants. Had the event been an additional mile, Gerry would have probably caught Ken. Gerry demonstrated his surfing talents by catching a wave 100 yards from the finish and riding it into the beach.
Other Bend athletes competing and using Kialoa paddles were Dennis Oliphant and Randall Barna.
Athletes using Kialoa Paddles gathered the over all 1st, 3rd, and 4th finishes. Guest Post by Peter MillerKIALOA NW Rep.
The Oregon Surf Shop posted pictures on Facebook Check them out, there are some great shots coming across the finish line!
Guest post from Brasil!
“Hi there!
Nice blog, if you want you can post this film.
I’m on Kialoa european team, friend of Jean Phillipe & Georget Wuilmart. (KIALOA European Distributers)
Your paddles are so good !!!
Aloha !!!"
~Rémi
Thanks for your kind words and for the fun video!
~KIALOA
Chuck Patterson, Me My Shark and I
Do not try this at home kiddies! Chuck is braver than most bust this is a bit crazy even for him! Fun for us to watch though.
Check out more videos at Chuck's You Tube Channel cwsports
2010 Surftech Kalamalka Classic SUP Race
2010 Surftech Kalamalka Classic Report…
Race number one on Saturday was a 3.5 mile loop that included a 200 yard portage over a spit of land that stuck out into Lake Kalamalka. A dozen guys lined up in this stock-only race. Myself and Norm Hann of Squamish got out to an early lead. We paddled side by side for the first 1.5 miles. I slowly started to pull away and wanted to good gap before the run section. When I hit the beach for the portage I looked back and saw that I had about 1 minute over Norm. After the portage we had about 1 mile to go to the finish. I decided to go just hard enough to hold the lead but wanted to save as much energy as possible for the next days 10 miler. I hit the beach and ran to the finish line about 1 minute before Norm.
The second days race was a 10 miler, the length of Kalamalka Lake. There was very little wind and the temp. reached about 80 degrees. They started the women first, the stock guys 10 minutes later, then the 14 foot and over 10 minutes after that. My self, Norm and Brodie Shandro of Surftech stayed together for about a mile… The conditions were perfect for the Naish Javelin and I steadily pulled away, with Norm staying about 1 minute behind me. At the 6 mile point I caught the first woman and the first stock guy. It was HOT and my Camel Bak was almost empty. I hit the finish line on Kalamalka Beach in 1:49, 5 minutes ahead of Norm. That gave me and the Javelin a 5.4 mph average for the 9.9 mile course.
On Saturday, 3 of the top 5 finishers were using Kialoa Paddles. On Sunday, the top 3 guys had Kialoa's! What else is there?
So two races and two wins for the American guy on Canadian soil (-:
Beau WhiteheadNaishKialoa
http://paddlesurfnorthwest.com/
Top 5 guys from Saturdays 3.5 miler… Top 3 guys from Sundays 10 miler…
Myself & Norm Hann 200 yards into the 10 miler…
Congrats Kai Ikaika for Success at Rio Tinto in Vancouver
Thank you again for working with Kia Ikaika and providing Kialoa paddles.
The Kai Ikaika 2010 Alcan results:
3rd overall mixed division
1st overall open division
1st overall – 2000 meter guts & glory race (see video below!)
Cheers
Brian Itami
2010 Rio Tinto Alcan Race in Vancouver BC
Brian Boatman made this really fun video from last weekends race…
Team Kai Ikaika from Portland Oregon
No title
Hello Kialoa from The New Caledonia World Sprints
After 3 days of solid racing we are close to the end of the 2010 Sprints.
I personally have finished my run as a racer representing California and the United States.
I finished 52nd in the Open mens V-1 division, as well as 30th in the Master mens heats,
but I am most proud of my 3rd place finish in the Adaptive V-1 class. It earned me and my Kialoa paddle a Bronze Medal at the 14th World Sprints.
I was also lucky enough to be the only American flag hoisted at today's awards.
(the majority went to Tahiti, what a shock!)
More updates with photos coming up next entry.
Thanks
Greg Crouse
StandUp4GreatBear Expedition with Norm Hann
385KM STAND UP PADDLEBOARD EXPEDITION COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY StandUp4GreatBear Expedition from Kitimat to Bella Bella Welcomed by Hundreds
of Supporters
Bella Bella, B.C.– May 19th 2010 – Squamish resident Norm Hann has completed what many thought was impossible. His 385km Stand Up Paddleboard expedition through Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest started in the Haisla Village of Kitimat, B.C on May 8th, and ended yesterday in the Heiltsuk village of Bella Bella, where he was greeted by a large gathering of local residents, including school children, hereditary chiefs, elders and other community leaders. With stops in Hartley Bay, Klemtu and as far west as the Moore Islands, the expedition helped bring awareness to the environmental threat the proposed Enbridge oil pipeline and tanker traffic will have on the Great Bear Rainforest, its people and wildlife. Hann also visited a number of vital food harvesting sites for First Nations, which are at risk from potential oil spills. The expedition served to galvanize support amongst coastal residents in opposition to the proposed oil tanker route.
“It was an incredible journey. The weather allowed us to visit wild and remote places rich in wildlife and traditional foods. This expedition confirmed how special and rare this coastal environment really is. First Nations from Kitimat to Bella Bella expressed how valuable their natural resources are to their livelihood and sense of place. They were in full 100% support of not having oil tankers on our coast. Our team was honoured to be welcomed into their communities and we were fortunate to have their guidance throughout our trip.”
Hann runs Mountain Surf Adventures in Squamish and has been a professional outdoor guide in the Great Bear Rainforest for ten years and is very connected to the land and its people. As a fishing, kayaking, wildlife and bear viewing guide he has introduced people from all over the world to the Great Bear Rainforest. Post via Norm Hann's Press Release May 12, 2010Contact Norm Hann for more info 
1st Day of Races In New Caledonia
Cheryl Skribes of Team Canada is keepiing us updated on the antics in New Caledonia.
hey everyone, we had a our first day of racing in new cal. that adreneline pump is always good to get out of the way that first race.
it is a bit disorganized to say the least! not sure what is happening but there is all kinds of rumours flying around. we started 3 hours late and did not get through the whole days schedule. it was a bit frustrating with some long long waits. hopefully today they have it sorted out.
the canadian team did well yesterday. the girls qualified for open and masters V12 finals and leanne z. and kamini won their heats in the open V1 and will advance directly to the semis. leanne s. finished second, also advancing to the semis and helen and chelsey finished 3 and 4 in some very tough heats. those two will be heading for the reps to hopefully secure a spot in the semis.
the kiwis and tahitians are looking strong through all categories. the aussies are looking great in all the older categories. the hawaiians have a small team and so far have not really been a force but i am sure that will change as they start to race the V6 events which start tomorrow. things are going to heat up for sure in the finals today in the V12.
the canadian men are putting in solid performances. The tahitian men are really dominating this event so far.
well it looks to be another calm day of racing. i better get out there.
cheryl
ps. last night we had dinner at a place over the water. as we munched on our beautiful seafood we watched the reef sharks and manta rays swim beneath us. 
World Sprints in New Caledonia are kicked off
Cheryl Skribes from Team Canada is representing at the 2010 World Sprints and is keeping us informed on the antics in New Calidonia.
hi everyone,
the canadians have arrived! and so have the tahitians, kiwis, aussies, hawaiians, samoans, rapa nuians, french, italians and the list goes on. the flight was long but it is very exciting now that we are finally here.
yesterday we had our first practice session and it went remarkedly well with normal trade winds blowing. the wind is definately going to be challenging, but as all us cdn steersmen decided it will make for some very good racing!
today however it is a different story…….it is blowing a gale and pounding rain and i have watched in the past 1.5 hours the wind move from a direct head wind to a honking side wind to what seems to be a normal trade wind direction but with such gusto it should liven things up quite a bit in the 'lets stay on course' department!! oh well that is racing and if it were easy then it just wouldnt be that fun.
some funny moments so far………the italians arrived in fine 'fashion'. the boys had their shirts tucked into their speedos. the guys from calgary just couldnt get over it and wouldnt stop talking about it or starring at them. us girls were starting to worry a bit about but when we mentioned the calgary boys obsession they just spewed out a bunch of swear words and assured us real men dont wear speedos!
yesterday afternoon including a bit of fun and frivolity at the local pub including as you might guess some drinking games. for the most part the canadians behaved (for the exception of a few spouses) for the sake of our upcoming races…….but judging from what we saw in the competition at the bar as i appeard that many other countries didnt seem to be holding back……that canoe race in the bar is the one the canadians are sure to win once the serious part of the competiton is over!
well gotta fly. we have an early morning practice then the opening parade and ceremonies to follow. hope mother natures settles down for our 45 min walk in the parade to the place of celebration (45 min is a long parade dont you think when we are in a full tropical storm!!) cheryl 
Purelight Races
Aloha,
Our team Purelight, have been very fortunate to be able to use Kialoa paddles, in our practice and races. Being an adaptive paddler, the challenges are many. I personally had to adapt my paddle to work with my artificial arm, changing the shaft and the t-top to accommodate my hook prosthesis. These changes took many hours of trial and error, a lot of patience,and a strong paddle to accept the pressure we put onto it.
We were awarded by winning gold in all events, in the adaptive category, two yrs ago at the world sprints. Also the Molokai Challenge, Lililiokulani, and the Henry Ayau races,we competed in the last two years.
We are in the process of updating our Kialoa paddles to the latest design. And look forward to many more races in the future, and hopefully more progressive adaptations. See you on the water…. Mahalo Kialoa, Darralyn Clarke 
Aloha! Dave
In 2008, I joined the Pure Light Racing Team in Honolulu, HI to participate in the Henry Ayau and the Molokai Hoe Canoe Long Distance Races. Being a resident on the island Maui, makes it difficult to practice on Oahu with Pure Light. Aka Hemmings, Head Coach of Pure Light encouraged me to join a canoe club on Maui to continue my practice time, and he loaned me one of the team's Kialoa paddles.
I have have been with Kihei Canoe Club in Kihei, Maui for the pas two years. This past weekend I paddled with Kihei in the Hana Canoe Club, "Sarah Jo Memorial Regatta" to start the 2010 Maui canoe season.
Again Mahalo Nui Loa, Dave…..
Karl Kahui
Wailuku, Maui 
Mahalo Dave!
Kialoa powered Pure Light Racing to Gold at the World Sprints in Sacramento and helped our all adaptive crew become the first to finish the world famous Molokai Hoe. Mahalo for your support! 
Practice – Guest Post by Greg Course
I have been using my new Kialoa Keone paddle for a month now.
It is amazing how much more comfortable it is to use then the old team club blades.
I can't go back to those heavy pieces of lumber.
It’s funny though when someone asks to use your new stick, you have to warn them, "Buddy,
you will never be able to go back to your old club blade."
KIALOA Paddles helped carry the Olympic Torch
KIALOA Paddles was proud to help the Canadians paddle the boat that carried the Olympic Torch on it's passage across Canada. Dave made these custom paddles for False Creek Outrigger canoe club some years ago. Go Canada. 
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This was shot by our friend and European distributer, Jean Phillippe Wuilmart of sunshort.com 
Pipes
Introducing KIALOA's new SUP the Pipes. Although designed for women we're finding that their men seem to digg it as well. Our friend Casso in Australia has some fun with his wife's new Pipes. He "borrows" it while she's at work.
www. australianpaddlesurfer.com.au 
Friends of ASV
“A Tale About Bros Not Pros" I like that title. This is a new release DVD from KIALOA rider Ken Wilson of AwesomSurfVideos.com. Ken is a surfer from the Oregon Coast who recently won a record breaking 4 trophies from the Noll Longboard Classic. Check out the DVD by getting a copy from the Oregon Surf Shop.
Cold Stroke Classic in Wilmington, NC
Meg and Dave Chun, founders and owners of KIALOA Paddles, are at the Cold Stroke Classic this weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina. Cold is definitely and apt title this year as they are currently experiencing freezing weather. The SUP races start at noon on Jan. 9 at Dockside Restaurant & Marina, 1308 Airlie Road and tonight there is a pre race dinner where Chuck Patterson is the key speaker. Paddlers will do a 3.5-mile recreational course or a seven-mile “elite” course. The race is put on by Coastal Urge and proceeds benefit the Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation. Stay tuned to KIALOA's blog, facebook and twitter to get results! 
SUP in Bend Oregon
Bend Oregon is home to KIALOA Paddles and famous surfer Gerry Lopez so it is no wonder the SUPing has some great support here, even if we are more than 3 hours from the ocean.
Treasure Island Classic in Florida
Hi Everyone,
First I want to thank everyone for coming to the Treasure Island Classic. When I first started organizing this event we had three six man outrigger canoes, all from the same club, and a handful of single/tandem participants. This past weekend we had 16 teams of OC6s on Saturday and 48 paddlers racing on Sunday. That's a record!! I want to acknowledge Michael Sieber, Cortland Reilly and Jean Rass for steering three short course boats on Saturday, then coming in and paddling on their teams in the long course, plus they paddled single/tandem canoes on Sunday. Quite amazing, and thanks!!
Second I want to thank all my sponsors and helpers. Harry Black has supported this event from the beginning and has let us “take over” his hotel every year. This year he not only supplied the beer, but also the lunch on Sunday. He and his wife cooked and served all that food, and I can't thank them enough for their hard work. Sloppy Joe's catered the delicious food on Saturday.
Meg of Kialoa supports me every year, and congratulations to Mike Owens of the South Carolina Canoe Club for winning that beautiful paddle from Kialoa. I also want to thank Bill Edwards of MIC, Darry Jackson of Bill Jackson's and Mike Siebel of Canoe Country for their support and contributions every year. I wouldn't have all those cool raffle prizes without them.
I also would not be able to race or run this event without the people who volunteer to help me. Lewis and Erin, great job on the timing with 3 seperate starts on Saturday. Thanks to you two, and Pat, Jeannie and Glenda for helping with lunch and the awards. Beans, I needed your voice for the raffle. That was great!
In addition, I want to thank Angela, who I'm so happy to have met on the beach 4 weeks ago. She's and experienced paddler who paddled in California and recently moved here. She joined Kai aniani a few days later, and showed her Mahalo spirit by immediately volunteering to help me. She helped with timing on Sunday, which is always a sterssor for me, and was there helping to the end. My friend Glenda was also there for me this weekend, with lots of experience at doing this. Terri Bezuidenhout was in charge of photography, and we wouldn't have all these great pictures without her.
I’ve attached a few. To see more pictures please visit the Kai aniani website, which Terri also created at: http://www.clearwatercanoeclub.com/. Then there was Rob Mirlenbrink who had the beer there for us when we all came in!! That liquor run is most important!
I also want to congratulate my team mates for an awesome job. We had never paddled together as a team. Our steers person Mike Owens from South Carolina, Larry Frederick stroking from Gainesville, Doug and Belem who I had never met, but are from this area, and Carolyn, who I have paddled with, all did a great job. We missed John Kee and some of his team, due to a prior planned event. Anita, you did a great job getting a team together from Ft. Lauderdale, and thanks for the advanced registration mailed to me. You are quite organized. I appreciate everyone who came from out of State and to my New York friends who traveled the furthest.
Until next time…. 
Rea SieberRace Organizer, Treasure Island Classic 
SUP on Lake Padden, Bellingham, WA
KIALOA would like to thank Heather and Brandon Nelson for being such enthusiastic ambassadors for KIALOA paddles and the sport of SUP in the Northwest. They did a demo over this last cold November weekend and had a good showing. Check out the video. www.bellinghamsup.com 
Hawaiian Youth Paddler Award
This year at the Hawaiian State Chamionships for Outrigger a student athelete from each island was chosen for the "State Youth Paddler " award. The young paddlers are chosen because they best embody the spirit of Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Paddling, they perpetuate all Hawaiian tradition, show a passion for the sport, show humility, exhibit teamwork, and showcase leadership abilities. Each student was awarded a KIALOA custom hybrid paddle, hand-made by Dave Chun. We gave paddles directly to kids from Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (Big Island), Kauai and Lana’i. Moloka’i had not chosen an award so they took theirs home to choose their paddler at a later time. Pictured above is Meg Chun awarding Jaslynne Chang her custom "orange burst" paddle. Jaslynne paddles for Imua One Blade on Oahu. Jaslynne wrote us a very kind letter and said, "Much mahalos for the beautiful paddle…I'm never going to forget this. You made my whole summer truly amazing and showed me that commitment and dedication really pays off."
Oregonian Ken Wilson Brings Home a Record from Noll
The Noll Longboard Classic debuted in 1996. A True "Longboard" contest, all boards ridden in the Classic must be 9 feet or longer. This year was number 14 and was held in Crescent City, California on Oct 3-4th. The event has a category for all ages and all skill levels are welcome.
KIALOA Rider and Oregonian Ken Wilson took home a record breaking 4 awards in 4 different divisions. Longboard age 30-39, SUP, Tandem and the Superheat, which you had to qualify for from the previous years contest. "So it was kinda 2 years in the making because without qualifying for the super heat contestants can only enter 3 divisions," said Ken. Congratulations Kendog! Be sure to check his website Awesome Surf Videos 
Moloka'i Hoe 2009
Team Shell Va'a uses an all wood Tahitian double bend paddle and the steersman uses KIALOA's Foti Steering Paddle. Keep an eye out for KIALOA's Tahitian Style paddle coming out in 2010. It will be available in all wood single and double bends as well as a Hybrid version.
We’re excited about this new addition to ouroutrigger paddle line-up!
Team Lanikai uses KIALOA's, you guessed it, Lanikai Hybrid Paddle named after their club.
Order of finish:
1st Shell Va’a 4:40:17 Tahiti
2nd Team Primo 4:52:24 Hawaii
3rd Paddling Connection 4:57:51 Tahiti
4th Era’I Va’a 5:02:15 Tahiti
5th Lanikai 5:05:22 Hawaii
Battle of the Paddle 2009
Day One of Battle of the Paddle:
While some will want to use the clichés “Super Bowl of Stand Up Paddling” to describe the Gerry Lopez Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle, I think “Super X of SUP” is a better description for yesterday’s rough and tumble Elite race. Gerry’s motorcycling roots were evident in the winding course laid out by the evil genius.
The course was an in and out affair, taking the racers through the surf zone and into a shallow section referred to by the locals as the Bone Yard. While twisty and technical, a healthy south swell breaking the length of the bay proved to be the triple jumps of the day. I had thought the first buoy turn was going to be a cluster. I was wrong. Mother nature thinned the herd by sending a timely set of waves at the mass. Riderless 18’ unlimited boards mow a wide path. If the sprint out through the surf didn’t get the heart pumping, I am sure having a carbon fiber missile firing at your legs surely did. Karen Wrenn from Portland, Oregon, had asked my opinion on wearing a leash. I told her a leash would complicate remounting the board if she took a spill. 30 seconds into the race and I’m thinking, “Man, that was some bad advice”.
Aaron Napoleon and Chuck Patterson had great starts and my fingers were crossed for a 1 and 2 KIALOA finish. My 2010 advertising campaign was quickly smashed as my friends crashed in pack which included Danny Ching, Slater Trout, and Jamie Mitchell. It was a mad scene as some of the best big wave riders in the world participated in what looked like a surf lesson at Waikiki.
My classic moment of the day was watching Aaron longboard his way to the finish on his last wave. Aaron looked like the Duke as he carved his way “right” though the finish line was to the left.
A side note: KIALOA Paddlers Vicki Mills and Beau Whitehead met for the first time at the local Immediate Care. Vicki needed a few stitches for her head wound; Beau has a new scar on his wrist.
Aloha, Dave More pictures of the event at KIALOA's facebook page.
Top Results:
Elite Men:1.Jamie Mitchell (AUS)2.Slater Trout, HI3.Danny Ching 4.James Billy Watson (AUS)5.Chuck Patterson ,CA6.Aaron Napoleon, HI
Elite Women:1. Shakira Westdorp2. Candice Appleby3. Brandi Baksic
Open Men:1.Mark Raaphorst2.Dane Deboer3. Barth GarritOpen Women:1. Nikki Gregg2. Dian Wenzel3. Sue Sheard Full Results
Karen Wrenn at the Hennessey's Cup and Battle of the Paddle
The Hennessey's Cup in San Diego was this past weekend and Karen Wrenn is becoming quite a contender. Karen was happy with her race, here's what she said, "The Hennessey Race went really well. I got 4th. Which was really good considering who was there. I can tell I have improved a ton just since Tahoe."
The next big event is this weekend, Battle of the Paddle. KIALOA will be on the beach with a booth ready to demo! We are all excited to see Karen compete there as well as defending champ Chuck Patterson.
Both Karen and Chuck will be competing in the elite category with the possiblity of winning the largest cash purse offered in SUP racing, and on Sunday they are teaming up to do a relay.
Good Luck and see you there!
SUP Catch and Release With Michelle Woo Bowan
KIALOA is excited to introduce Michelle Woo Bowman. She is the latest addition to the KIALOA family and has been using her experience in fly fishing and surfing to combine the two sports with SUP. She is an avid fisherman and a full time marine biologist.
http://www.bowmanbluewater.com/ Her husband, Conway Bowman, is a well know fisherman and IGFA record holder. He runs a guide and outfitter service in San Diego.
Southeast SUP Championship in Wilmington, NC
KIALOA Paddles is proud to support the Fastest Growing Water Sport Races through Intracoastal Waterway
Coastal Urge will host the largest Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) race on the East coast this Saturday, September 26, 2009. The South East SUP Championship will draw people hundreds of miles to race the 3.5 mile course around Harbor Island to compete for great prizes from race sponsors and the coveted bragging rights.
Hosting two races earlier this year, Coastal Urge owner Jeoffrey Nathan predicts this race to be the largest yet. Originally 4 classes were established: a 12’6” and under board division and a 14” and longer division for both men and women. This race will bring a new element to the water adding a Lifeguard class.
Dockside Restaurant will host this Saturday’s big event as well as a private racer’s dinner the night before. With the gun sounding at 9am Saturday, racers and their families will be able to join in on Dockside’s community wide bash featuring music and food to celebrate their 25th year in business.
Want to get involved in the world’s fastest growing water sport? The Coastal Urge crew will be running SUP demos out of Dockside all day Saturday. Also, monthly SUP Cleanups are open to all types of paddlers.
While all proceeds from Coastal Urge’s first race, the Cold Stroke Classic, went toward the Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project, all proceeds from May’s Intracoastal SUP Cup and the upcoming South East SUP Championship will benefit the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and enjoying the beaches and oceans.
For more information, contact Jeoffrey Nathan at (910) 256-6468 or Jeoffrey@CoastalUrge.com.
Footage from the Intracoastal SUP Cup can be found at www.vimeo.com/5551962. 
Portland Dragon Boat Races
KIALOA attended our first dragon boat race last weekend on the Willamette in P-Town. The weather was great, the people were friendly and Kai Ikaika had an awesome beer garden. KIALOA would like to thank everyone who stopped by our tent to check out the Hybrid Dragon Paddle. Mahalo! 
Congratulations Ken Wilson 1st at Rogue
Ken Wilson won first place at the Rogue SUP division in Newport Oregon. Ken is one of the KIALOA riders in the Northwest. 
Here is an older photo of the Ken Dog in action.
Check out Ken's website Awesome Surf Videos. 
Meg Chun is Interviewed About Women in SUP
Interview with co-owner of KIALOA Paddles in Bend Oregon Meg Chun and interviews with the Ladies winning team from the Asthetic Clinic YOLO Race Series, Julie Ogle and Nancy Babin. Below is the link to 30A Radios podcast and the video from YOLO.
30A Radio Interview podcast
Ta-hoe Nalu SUP Classic 2009
Vicki Mills 1st place overall for women.
Chuck Patterson 1st pl men and Karen Wrenn 4th place women
Congratulations to Chuck Patterson and Vicki Mills for first place overall in the Men's and Women's categories. The Ta-hoe Nalu had their 3rd annual event this last weekend on beautiful King's Beach at North Lake Tahoe. The weather was kind and the water was a sparkly blue. Both Chuck and Vicki were using KIALOA paddles to take first place out of the 200 plus participants in this year's event. The race is 7 miles from King's Beach to Crystal Bay and back. The Ta-hoe Nalu provides a venue for paddlers of all skill levels from beginners to elite and has become a popular race over the past three years. Here are some pictures and we have a bunch more on our Facebook page and KIALOA's photo gallery.
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First Race in the So Cal 9 Man Series
Congratulations to Team California's men who came in first in Masters and 2nd overall in the first of the Southern California 9 man race series. An excited Chuck Patterson told us that it was his first water change race but not his last. The Whitney Harris 9 man race is a 20 mile course that runs up the beach from Dana Point to Laguna Beach then back towards San Clemente to Dana Harbour.
The men used KIALOA’s Lolo paddle. Check out the video of this race from Andrew Waldron on our facebook page. Click the facebook badge in the left column of our blog. 
The Coolest Underwater SUP Video Eva!
Stand Up Paddle Underwater View from Blane Chambers on Vimeo. 
King and Queen of Dog Patch
The King and Queen of Dog Patch Surf event was held May 16th. KIALOA is proud to have a place with Noah and Chuck in the top two places for SUP. Here is a message from Chuck Patterson about the fun event:
“Hi everyone, just finished a long fun day of fun competition at The Rainbow Sandals King and Queen of Dog Patch SUP surf event.
There was a huge attendance, with over 100 SUP athletes competing and several SUP industry companies supporting the event with demos etc.
The conditions were glassy 2-3' with a couple 4' ft sets on incoming tide, with a slight bump from the West in the afternoon.
There was a cool Aloha vibe with several competitors competing in costumes and wigs.
Final Results
1st. Noah Shimabakura
2nd. Chuck Patterson
3rd. Kyle Mochizuki
4th. Leleo Kinimaka
5th. Tommy Loy
6th Byron Kurt
A huge Thanks to Rainbow Sandals for putting on another great SUP event and to all the supporting sponsors for being there." Chuck Patterson 
Saeman Brothers
We’ve got some cool Go Pro shots from the Saeman Brothers out for a nice day of SUP. A glimpse of summer weather!
Chuck Patterson video
Chuck Patterson with his Go Pro camera.
Chuck’s SUP surf Go Pro (OH) camera mount from Chuck Patterson on Vimeo. 
Rhino Kaiwi Channel Relay
Congratulations to Kai Bartlett and Mike Judd on their relay win last weekend. They beat out a field of 90 paddlers holding off some tough competition.
Bartlett and Judd completed the 40.2-mile course from Kaluako'i, Moloka'i, to Magic Island, O'ahu, in 5 hours, 29 minutes, 43 seconds.
A flat Kaiwi Channel, calm winds, and hot temperatures combined to create a relatively slow crossing. The winning time was almost one hour behind the course record.
read the full article at the Honolulu Advertiser.
Young Bobbie Cooper Takes Home Some Hardware
Bobbie Cooper is one of KIALOA's young sponsors in the UK. She won the BSUPA Championships in 2008 and is well on her way to a repeat victory this year. The first in the British SUP contest series started last weekend and Bobbie placed in several Categories. The 17 year old placed first in Womens Sprint and Wave Expression while taking second in the Women's distance.
Good job Bobbie! We'll keep checking in with her throughout the season. 
Surfers Paradise Outrigger
Surfers Paradise Outrigger won Australia’s Gold Coast Cup race in April beating out their strongest competition, Mooloolaba, by four minutes! An impressive spread in distance outrigger racing.The girls use KIALOA’s Axel II Hybrid but are considering having seats one and two use our Hollyakala Hybrid. It is not uncommon to have the front two paddlers use a smaller profile blade. This allows them to keep up the pace of the boat without fatiguing.Good job ladies! 
Rusty Iron 2009
6 Man Paddling season in the northwest always starts with the Rusty Iron in Portland Oregon on the Willamette River. The weather is ususally suspect and this year was no exception. We had rain, drizzle, wind, cloud cover, and the occasional showing of sun. The constant putting on and removing of layers is classic Spring in Oregon.
Demo Days on the Deschutes
KIALOA was on the water this Sunday for demo days with Alder Creek Canoe and Kayak. Lots of people in Central Oregon got to try out SUP. Alder Creek rents boards and paddles so check them out this summer and join the SUP craze.
British Stand Up Paddle Association
The British Stand Up Paddle Association in conjunction with 2XS.co.uk will be running the first of the British Series at West Wittering beach on 2nd & 3rd May 2009. The event will be wave and distance – the wave event will be run in a heat format and groups of riders will be judged on their best surfing moves. Distance event will be held along West Wittering beach and will be based on the fastest paddle surfer over a fixed distance.
Also at the event will be the SUPGlobal.com big board bash which will allow new comers to the sport to try boards for free all the brands will have paddle boards on demo. There will also be free coaching by head BSUPA Simon Bassett for beginners and Neal Gent.
There are many good local SUP riders who will be competing at the event including British wave champion Neal Gent from Bracklesham, British junior Champion Bobbie Cooper from West Wittering and British ladies Champion Claire Blacklock from Chichester – all hoping to defend their titles in 2009. Second place junior Holly Bassett, aged 10, from Itchenor, will also be gunning for the junior title in 2009.
To win the 2009 British Stand Up Paddle Association series competitors will have to compete in 4 events, West Wittering is the first event for the title race. The other three will be held in Gwithian (Cornwall), Swansea (Wales) and Watergate Bay (Cornwall). It is currently the only stand up paddle series in the world, last year it attracted competitors from all over the UK and beyond.
Sponsored by 2XS Gong Kialoa
Supported by www.supglobal.com Matunas, Indo Board, Da kine, X-trian and Propsort
Cheers,
Simon Bassett
2XS
Tarifa Barn, Carthagena Farm
Bell Lane
Somerley
Chichester
West Sussex
PO20 7HY
Mob: 0774 775 8883
Tel: 01243 512 552
http://www.2xs.co.uk
simon@2xs.co.uk 
SUP Beach Clean Up in North Carolina
Coastal Urge organized the first SUP Cleanup in Wilmington, NC to help clean up the beaches and marshes. A popular place for boaters sometimes the trash doesn't make it all the way to that elusive recepticle called a TRASH CAN, or BIN as the English say, and much of it washes on shore to litter the beaches. Local paddlers came together on a windy and rainy spring morning to clean up Money Island.
“We picked up so much trash we ran out of trash bags! We hope you can join us on April 25th for the next SUP Clean up," says Jeoffrey Nathan of Coastal Urge.
We hope this effort inspires more beach Clean Ups! Let us at KIALOA know of any efforts you are making to keep your beaches and coastal waters clean! We would love to help promote your efforts on our blog and website. 
Ocean Ohana Catalina Challenge 2009
Congratulations to the Catalina Challenge winners Vicki and Julie!The Ocean Ohana Catalina Challenge was held on March 29th and is a 39 Mile OC-1, OC-2, Surfski, and Paddleboard relay. It starts in Avalon California on Catalina Island and ends in Dana Point. The Open Women winners,Vicki Mills and Julie Wolfe, won with a time of 6:04:18 on a Hurricane using custom pink KIALOA Ponos.Complete race results and photos can be found at OCPaddler.com
April Fools!
Hope you enjoyed our April Fools posts teasing our friends Mel Puu and Blane Chambers. FYI Mel is wearing speedos under those fins but apparently he wasn't thrilled to be seen in them and his daughter refused to bring him a towel! Dave, of course, had to maximise Mel's embarassment by taking a picture. 
Exclusive Scoop on Blane Chambers New Board
“Hey!! I told you, no photos of my double top secret prototypes!!" Blane Chambers
Photographed above is Curtis Miyashiro of Dakine, showing Paddle Surf Hawaii's newest top secret SUP board. In Curtis' words, "It doesn't float, it won't turn, and if it hits you in the head it will probably kill you. But for the price of a piece of plywood, you can own a board that will survive flying out of the bed of your pickup at 60 mph. It's not pretty, because it's a prototype."
For more information contact Blane Chambers at Paddle Surf Hawaii. Blane has a stack of sub-floor in his backyard, and we are sure he will cut you a deal on volume orders.
~Dave 
Mel Puu hydrodynamic as a seal
If you want to go fast in the water, you have to minimize friction. Mel is built for speed with his shaved head and no floppy board shorts to slow him down.
I took this photo as Mel exited the water after his body surfing heat at the 2008 Buffalo Contest at Makaha. With Mel, it’s anything to win!
~Dave 
Bonga Perkins finds another use for the KIALOA dragon blade
With the release the KIALOA Dragon Hybrid paddle, I thought this photo might be of interest.
This is Bonga Perkins with our SUP paddle we call “da Oar”. In our discussions about SUP paddle design, BP mentioned that he wanted a straight blade, symmetrical on both sides; so when he is scrambling around after a crash, he doesn’t have to figure out which side of the paddle is front and back. My solution was to glue one of our prototype Dragon Boat blades on a SUP shaft, which when I looked at it reminded me of an oar you would use in a row boat. Hence, “da Oar”.
If you look closely at the photo, you will notice that BP has “Bongafied” his paddle. He rounded the corners of the tip area, and than fiberglassed over the exposed foam core. I don’t recommend modifications such as this unless you are a very confident craftsman, as doing so voids the warranty.
Bonga is the 2008 World Long Board Champion, and has a signature line of long boards and Sup boards through South Point Surfboards.
Dave
Hawaii State Championships 2009
The Hawaiian Outrigger State Championships were this weekend in Hilo, HI. The State Champs are held annually on different island but every other year on Oahu. This year it was in Hilo on the Big Island. States is a Regatta with 39 different events and hundreds of heats that run from about 8:30am to 6pm. The races are held in beautiful boats that are made from traditional Koa wood.The overall top places went to:1. Hawaiian Canoe Club from Maui2. Kai Opua Canoe Club from the Big Island3. Kailua Canoe Club from Oahu KIALOA Paddles had Meg and Dave Chun at the event with a booth. KIALOA was proud to have donated custom paddles to some select young paddlers. Each Island chose a outstanding young paddler whom they thought represented outrigger paddling best and KIALOA presented them with a custom colored hybrid paddle.Congratulations to all the winners and I hope everyone had fun!
Hanna and Superboo Paddle the MR 340
The MR 340 is a 340 mile race on the Missouri River running from Kansas City to St Charles on August 4th – 7th . Hannah and Marissa, aka "Boo", are the youngest to ever attempt this race and they are doing it to help raise as much as 10,000 for breast cancer research. KIALOA Paddles was proud to sponsor the girls with a pair of custom pink hybrid paddles. Check out The Adventures of Superboo and follow their race!
Here is a great video the two girls did about their upcoming adventure.
KIALOA's 2009 Scholarship Winners
The 2009 Live Like You Paddle Student Scholarship was a huge success. The Scholarship commitee had a hard time choosing just 10 winners, in fact, we had to change it to 11 winners this year! We just couldn't compromise. This year was the 6th annual Student Scholarship where kids 18 and under are eligible to apply for the opportunity to win a KIALOA Hybrid outrigger paddle. They were asked to express their love of Outrigger Canoe paddling and how it ties into Hawaiian cultural values. We received essays, poems, videos, collages and drawings, just to name a few. Below is a video by one of the winners, Ho'oulu Bueltmann. He is a 6th grader from Hilo and a first year paddler. Congratulations to the 2009 KIALAO Scholarship winners:Haile Brant, Ho'oulu Bueltmann, Rebekeh Mersbergh, Katie Amberg-Johnson, Ricki Alao, Makana Macomber, Wren Prouse, Alakahea Familar, Rosie Smith, Iris Tung, and Chelsea Kennedy.Check out the KIALOA website soon for a complete winners page and view their projects.Press Release:PDF : http://www.prlog.org/10284558-kialoa-announces-student-scholarship-winners.pdfHTML: http://www.prlog.org/10284558-kialoa-announces-student-scholarship-winners.html 
Gorge Outrigger Races
The 12th annual Gorge Outrigger Races are taking place July 17-19th on the famous Columbia River Gorge! This race draws paddlers from all over the Northwest, Canada, California and Hawaii. The unique waters and beautiful gorge make this the premier race in the northwest and the most anticipated event of the season.
On Friday there is a fun downwinder for OC1, OC2 and surfskis. If you're lucky you can get behind the Sternwheeler for a really fun ride! Saturday is the 6-man races and Sunday is the 1-man races and an SUP category as well. Camping is free at the Stevenson Fairgrounds where you really get a chance to visit with all the clubs for the two nights we're there.
KIALOA has always been a proud sponsor of this race and we haven't missed one in all the 12 years. Most of KIALOA employees are paddlers and we look forward to the event every year! KIALOA will have a booth at Bob's Beach with many good deals to be had!
For more information go to Waterwalker or Bend Oregon Outrigger. Watch a fun and informative video!
Rooster Rock Outrigger Race
The Rooster Rock Outrigger Race was this last Saturday hosted by Mountain Home Canoe Club in Portland, OR. The race was on the Columbia River and about 10 miles long. It was a beautiful summer day and we had crews there from all over the northwest and Canada. There was OC-6, OC-1, OC-2, Surfski, and even an SUP division. I was in the Bend Oregon womens OC-6 boat and we had a lot of fun and did pretty well too! Mahalo Mountain Home for such a great event!
Here are some pictures to share by photographer Paul Cunningham. He has pictures from the race for sale at his website.
Laura Ricker was a key organizer from the Mountain Home team for this event. KIALOA was proud to donate a paddle for the raffle.
“What a great race," said Laura, "but only because of the amazing group we had there. I'm telling you, I was drooling over Dave's KIALOA paddle for months! It was great to see that it brought smiles when it was won. I KNEW we'd have two walk up for that prize!"
Race Results:
Women OC-6
1. Mountain Home (Portland, OR)
2. Bend (Bend, OR)
3. Jericho (Vancouver, BC)
Men OC-6
1. Kai Ikaika (Portland, OR)
2. Mountain Home (Portland, OR)
3. Sail Sand Point (Seattle, WA)
Mixed OC-6
1. Tri-Cities (Richland, WA)
2. Seattle OCC (Seattle, WA)
3. Waikinakona (Seattle, WA)
[Galapagos underwater SUP Camera
Happy Galapagos Sea Lions from Blane Chambers on Vimeo.Austin of Paddle Surf Hawaii was in Galapagos recently having fun with the Sea Lions and his Methane. 
Paddle Round the Pier, Brighton UK
The Brits are celebrating the 4th of July (but probably not Independence Day;) by having an outrigger race in Brighton. Click on the picture for more info. 
TJ Saeman in Indonesia
GoPro Footage: Kandui & Hawaii from TJ Saeman on Vimeo. 
Another Fun Blane Vid
Blane Chambers of Paddle Surf Hawaii on his 12' Gun/Ripper and custom KIALOA paddle. Fun soundtrack!
