Standup Paddle Magazine

OP E R AT IO N P H O E N I X : : : JOSH COLLINS PADDLES FOR HIS LIFE

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A REID INOUYE PUBLICATION

YAP, NEPAL, ETHIOPIA, TURKEY AND MEXICO A WILD RIDE THROUGH

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GLIDE

NALU

MANA

ALANA

INFLATABLE

INFLATABLE/CROSSOVER

INFLATABLE/CROSSOVER

INFLATABLE/CROSSOVER

INFLATABLE

2016 INFLATABLE SERIES If variety is the spice of life, Naish makes things extra tasty. With collections for touring, racing, wave, fitness, inflatables, crossovers and everything in between, there are plenty of options to fit whatever the conditions call for. Each offered in a variety of sizes and constructions, Naish boards are engineered to

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the highest standards with quality that is built to last. Look through the line-up to find why so many choose Naish to fill their quiver. Check out all of the sizes and full technical specs online at NaishSUP.com.

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT. SPICE IT UP!

p s Pacific Boardsports LLC NaishStandUpPaddling

NaishSUP

.

pbs@naishsails.com

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(509) 493-0043

Photo: frankiebees.com, Riders: C. Patterson, M. Schweiger, A. Reinckhart, A. Baxter, J. Langeree

12/1/15 12:20 PM

APEX 4-R SERIES 14’ - 12’6

ELITE TOUR 12’6

sup_mag_v7N6.indd 2-3

VENTURE SERIES 12’6 - 10’4

ATRv3 SERIES 11’2 - 10’4”

EVA-LUTION 12’2” - 11’ - 10’6 - 10’

SPORTSMAN DAY TRIP AIR

10’9

8’

TOUR 12’6

ADVENTURE COASTER 10’2 10’8

CMLB SERIES 9’8 - 9’

CORKY993 9’3

CM SERIES 9’6LB - 9LB - 9’4 - 8’10

@hobiestanduppaddleboards #hobiesup #haveahobieday

H O B I E .CO M

2/1/2016 3:13:10 PM

2o16 L I N E U P

New designs | New shapes | New technologies

Whether you surf, practice yoga, fish, cruise or race we’ve got your lifestyle covered. Visit us at yoloboard.com to learn more about this exciting new lineup.

(844) YOLO-BOARD | YOLOBOARD.COM

www.cova.com #foundmycova photo | pat myers

guy pere | cova ambassador

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Sequence: Heifara Navarro

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BUMP - HIGH PERFORMANCE PADDLE The BUMP paddle features a raised carbon fiber weave around its shaft, giving it a textured feel for increased grip, ABS edging around the blade for durability, and comes standard with our Chokehold Handle for comfort and added torque in your stroke. The BUMP paddle has a wet sand finish to add even more grip, save weight, and give it a stealth look. Available in 7.5”, 8.0” & 8.5” blade widths.

Ryan Helm

Photo: Scott Shannon

Broadcasting what is possible on his Whirling Dervish SUP-Surf Pro Model.

Whirling Dervish 7’6” x 26”

8’0” x 28”

CHOKEHOLD - PADDLE HANDLE Extended ergo paddle handle is great for adding torque in your stroke by choking down on the paddle when paddling sprints, into the wind, or getting into waves. The Chokehold is easily added to a existing paddle without having to shorten the overall paddle length. Fits 29mm paddle shafts.

@rivierapaddlesurf /rivierapaddlesurf rivierapaddlesurf.com

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D E ST I N AT I O N ISTANBUL, TURKEY

:: BOSPHORUS STRAIT :: Paddling at night by the Ortak y Mosque - officially the Büyük Mecidiye Cammi in B esukitas, Istanbul, Turkey - which is situated at the waterside of the Ortak y pier square, one of the most popular locations on the B osphorus.

Photo: Franz Orsi

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M A ST H E A D VOLUME 8Nº1

PUBLISHER Reid Inouye EDITOR Ben Marcus COPY EDITOR Mason Thorpe MANAGING EDITOR Lucy Lucille DESIGN First in Flight Creative ADVISORS NUTRITION COACH Scott Estrada YOGA INSTRUCTOR Jeramie Vaine TRAINERS Thomas “Maximus” Shahinian, EJ Johnson

STAFF WRITERS Stone Parker, Jim Freeman, Eric Haka STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Freeman, Eric Haka, Paul Ensyde

DESIGNED ON MAUI BUILT IN CANADA PROVEN IN EVERY OCEAN RIDER: JIMMY SPITHILL

AWARD-WINNING HYDROPHOBIC WATERWEAR B LU E S M I T H S .CO M

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Franz Orsi, Romona Robbins, Sean Murphy, Courtney Brewer, Chris Owen SALES sales@standuppaddlemagazine.com EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTION CONTACT info@standuppaddlemagazine.com SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

$59.95 includes shipping in the United States of America.

Printed bimonthly February, April, June, August, October and December. subscriptions@standuppaddlemagazine.com

STANDUP PADDLE MAGAZINE LLC A REID INOUYE PUBLICATION P.O. Box 625 Cardiff, CA 92007 contact info@standuppaddlemagazine.com Printed in Hong Kong Copyright 2016

S TA N D U P PA D D L E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

facebook.com/standuppaddlemagazine instagram.com/standuppaddlemagazine twitter.com/supmagazine pinterest.com/spmagazine ISSN 2372-2274

2016SU

RACE LE PRO PERFORMANCE RACE

STROKE SMARTER, NOT HARDER

WAVE LE PRO PERFORMANCE WAVE

ERGO GRIP* = Filament-wound reinforcement in critical areas

KAHOLO PERFORMANCE RACE /TOURING/WAVE

PRECISION CUT CNC HD CORE* = Absolute precision shaping

NEW HEAVILY REINFORCED ANTI-TWIST VARIO SYSTEM MAKANI

= Easy length adjustment + perfect blade/handle alignment

RACE/TOURING/WAVE

75% CARBON PRE-PREG SHAFT*

Introducing the new 2016 Naish Paddle Collection. Engineered for maximum performance and durability, the 2016 line strikes the ideal balance between strength, power and flex. Using cutting-edge materials and shaping techniques, our paddles feature refined constructions and precision blade shaping. Our patented adjustable paddle shaft** delivers heightened convenience for precise, on-the-fly adjustments. Available in a variety of sizes, Naish paddles are designed to optimize your stroke for any activity.

Whether for touring, racing, wave riding or all-around use, Naish paddles offer unmatched performance, quality and value.

Pacific Boardsports LLC . (509) 493-0043 . pbs@naishsails.com Visit NaishSUP.com for more info.

NaishStandUpPaddling

NaishSUP

= Optimized resin content + lightweight + durable

ABS RAILS HELE

= Built in blade edge protection

ALL-AROUND/CRUISING

ALANA WOMEN’S ALL-AROUND

KEIKI KID’S ALL-AROUND *Reflects info for Kaholo paddle. Specs vary per model. **Patent No. US D739,804 S

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NE W ED I TOR’ S N OT E

I don’t like writing in first person. I don’t like starting sentences and paragraphs and entire stories with the first person “I.” It’s toooooo…. personal. I don’t like writing in first person - it’s considered bad form.

And yet here I am, doing just that. Invisibility is my preference. If I had my way, everything I wrote would be under a nom de plume. I just like to write, get history right and facts straight, bank the checks and keep to myself.

Let others have the byline glory. I’ve had enough. More than enough.

At Surfer Magazine from 1989 to 1999, I brainstormed and wrote 150 issues of that august magazine. I wandered from Santa Cruz to Orange County with one finger in my ear and the vague goal to “Put Santa Cruz and nor Cal on the media map.” Well I wrote the story that broke Mavericks to the world. It’s astounding what has happened since, so mission reaccomplished on that mission.

Since leaving Surfer in 1989 I have put my name on somewhere around 20 books about Las Vegas and Malibu and surfing and the history of skateboarding and quite a few surfing books and one book on The Art of Standup Paddling (please buy it so I don’t have to write first person).

I have done a lot of writing for websites, including writing a lot of the copy for WaveLoch and WaveHouse and Waterways Travel.

Most recently, I wrote a piece on Kelly Slater’s artificial wave for Surfline. Here I am thinking I am too old for this stuff, and irrelevant, but the views on that story are up to 50,000+, with another 25% added on for mobile and other aps.

That’s a lot of eyeballs, so I guess I am still relevant in the surfing world, even though I haven’t prone-paddled a surfboard for about 10 years. The last time I can remember surfing was on an 11’ 6” Robert August Surftech that I bought from Wingnut. I remember surfing the Canyon Fire Swell of 2007 - because that Tuesday was just nuts. Malibu was absolutely perfect all the way through low tide, with 70-degree offshore winds in October, and there were maybe 20 people on the beach and in the water.

I walked down the beach and told people: “Okay, this is what happened. We all died in the fire, and this is heaven.”

People agreed. The Fire Swell was heavenly. A three-day taste of the 1950s - cranking Malibu and maybe two dozen guys. Locals only. No one else could get in.

And that’s the last time I remember actually surfing. From then on it’s been SUP and it’s been fun.

Don’t get me wrong: In Santa Cruz in the 1970s and into the 1980s and the 1990s, I surfed as much as anyone. I was a decent surfer and I liked being a decent surfer, but age and an office-job lower back lessened my skills and enthusiasm, to the point where I stopped surfing.

A long story about that whole period after Surfer - painful in more ways than bad backs. I was a lost and lonely wanderer, living in my van, taking two trips to Alaska - once with a cat named Ike that Greg Noll gave me. Lost and lonely, like I said, but at some point I ended up in Malibu in 2003, to write a book about surf wax for Zuma Jay. I’m a nor Cal guy who doesn’t like so Cal or deserts, but I liked the cut of Malibu’s jib, and ended up spending about eight years in Malibu writing a whole bunch of books, getting a screenplay stolen, and easing into a SUPiphany.

I remember when I first got to Malibu in 2003, I saw Laird in the parking lot at Colony Plaza with his mondo F350 Ford pickup.

I said, all wiseass: “You got enough truck there, hoss?”

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KEEP He replied, “It’s for my standups.”

I thought, “Laird is doing standup comedy from the back of an F350?

Weirdo!”

But no, Laird meant something else, a something else that slowly revealed itself to me over the next couple of years. Like when Tom Moore hired me to write a baseball screenplay and we paddled out at L____ D____ and there was Laird owning the place, standing up on a big, orange tandem board and catching waves with a paddle. Wasn’t exactly sure what in God’s hands he was doing, but he made it look good.

And then one time sitting at Geoffrey’s interviewing Ralph Collier

Ben paddling that “borrowed” 12’ 1” Surftech Laird in Pillar Point Harbor, California. Photo: Dad

of The Shark Research Committee, I saw Laird seemingly walking on water, way out in the kelp beds, all by his ownself on one of those lovely, lonely, wind-tossed Malibu summer afternoons.

I thought, “Is he looking for white sharks to wrassle?” or something.

What was he doing?

No, Laird was standup paddling, and this was in the early years. I would come to learn that Laird started doing it on Maui in the mid 1990s and then brought it to Malibu during the summer and did it a lot: “Keeps my legs in shape for Jaws,” Laird would tell me later, and that made sense. The guy is a workout fiend.

At the time I, like most people, cracked jokes behind his back. I called

PADDLING

FORWARD

him The Gondolier and other snide things.

And then I had what I call a “SUPpiphany.” I tried standup paddling.

First board was a 12’ 1” Laird that I think I “borrowed” from Randy French at Surftech - and never gave it back. Still have it. Thanks Randy.

Well that was that. Surfing was pau. At first I was paddling from Carbon Beach to First Point and back, when there were only a few SUP out there: Vince Klyn, Allen Sarlo, that Aussie dude with the Mercedes, the guy on the inflatable, a few others.

And now it’s been almost 10 years and I SUP as much as I possibly can, to try and stay healthy and keep my back from killing me and clear my head. From 2012 to 2014, I was in Seattle for two years taking care

Yeah I don’t surf anymore, but most of my friends from Santa Cruz don’t really either. We had such a ridiculously good time surfing Santa Cruz in the 1970s, that the magic just isn’t there.

So, I SUP. Sue me.

In Waikiki for the past year I have been living on a boat, first in the Ala Wai in front of Chart House, and now in Kewalo Basin. I call myself a “boathemian” or a “hoboat.” I regularly paddle Ala Moana Beach Park, and sometimes all the way around or through Magic Island to the Royal Hawaiian and back. Saw a couple of sharks, almost fell on top of a big spotted eagle ray, got barked at by a local or two, but for the most part it’s been fun. A lot of rainbows, waves, wind, surf, exposure and much-needed endorphins.

And now, by the hand of fate, I am the editor of two SUP magazines Standup Paddle Magazine and Samata Mag. Remember The Princess Bride?

Vizzini (To Inigo) And remember this, never forget this: when I found you, you were so slobbering drunk, you couldn’t buy brandy! [turning to Fezzik] Vizzini (To Fezzik) And YOU: friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed, in Greenland?

That’s kind of how I was in Oahu, and now Reid Inouye has given me a new lease on life, and I can afford to eat at L and L Hawaiian in Ala Moana Beach Park every morning.

So here I am, Friday January 29, 2016 at 14:11 PM, sitting at Snappers on the corner of Hobron and Ala Moana Boulevard, drowning out their modern country music listening to 60s oldies on Spotify, writing an introduction in first person for my new job.

I don’t like first person - leave that to others - but it goes with the job.

Looking forward to using Standup Paddle Magazine as a platform to take SUP into a bigger and better future - whatever that’s going to be.

In the revision to The Art of Standup Paddling, I did a quick interview with Laird, which started with him paddling out at First Point in September of 2002, on that orange tandem board when no one but a few knew what he was doing.

And then, 13 years later, he shot the pier during the Hurricane Marie swell. And in that 13 years, SUP had become a worldwide sensation. In that interview I asked Laird if SUP was a billion-dollar industry and he said, “Don’t know, but it probably will be next year!”

He’s a comedian that Laird. Smarter and funnier than people give him credit for. Maybe he should do standup comedy from the back of his F350.

So anyway, hopefully this will be the last time I write first person for Standup Paddle Magazine. I just want to edit the magazine, make sure the i‘s are dotted and the t’s are crossed and it’s fair and balanced and entertaining and lays down history properly - and leads SUP into that billion-dollar future.

Can’t paddle Ala Moana Beach Park and sit around at L and L and Snappers and sip funny drinks at the Mai Tai bar all day.

Let us know how we are doing.

of my mom and spent a lot of time SUPing in Green Lake and Ballinger Lake. I used to paddle near the Edmonds Ferry Terminal, but I guess I made the Homeland Security guys nervous, and they whistled me out of there and told me to beat it. Never went back.

And in the summer of 2014 I worked at a SUP rental place on Lake Sammamish near Issaquah, and was astounded by how popular SUP was in that obscure corner of Seattle, and how much money they made during a fairly short Seattle summer.

In 2007 I wrote a book about SUP - The Art of Standup Paddling, which I just revised recently with chapters on SUP Yoga and SUP Racing.

(Please buy a bunch of them so I don’t have to write first person)

Ben Marcus Snappers Bar at Ala Moana and Hobron January 29, 2016 14:11 PM

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C ON TEN TS V O L U M E

8 N º 1

: : 2016: : 22

EDITOR’S NOTE

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HOW TO Scott Estrada: Spirulina, Ancient Protein for Moderns Thomas Maximus: Entering the Ocean With Waves Part II Jeramie Vaine: Breathe more, worry less EJ Johnson: Wrist Rolls

F

E

36

A

T

U

R

E

S

THANK GOD I’M A COUNTRY BOY Haleiwa’s Kione Dahlin

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OPERATION PHOENIX Josh Collins Paddles 3,500 Miles For His Life

62

DD GOES XXL Talking Story With Darrick Doerner

80

TRAVEL FEATURE 5 Countries, 3 Weeks with Bart and Franz

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QUIVERS AND WHEELS BOTE’S Clark Wagon Standup Paddle Mag Wheels Starboard’s Tiki Wiki

O N T H I S P A G E : L a k e A w a s a , O m o Va l l e y , E t h i o p i a . F r a n z O r s i a n d B a r t d e Zw a r t g o t a l l E n d l e s s S u m m e r w i t h t h e i r S U P, l e t t i n g t h e l o c a l r o g u e s ch e ck o u t t h e b o a r d s , p a d d l e t h e m , even race. Photo: Franz Orsi

O N T H E C O V E R : A p r i l 2 0 1 5 Tw o o r t h r e e d a y s after the earthquake in Nepal, Bart and Franz decided to paddle a descent on the Madhi River: Spending a few days in the beautiful valley untouched by western tourism, going down the river and simply experiencing Nepal first-hand with no filters.

Photo: Franz Orsi

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H OW TO H EA LT H w ith Scott Estrada

ANCIENT PROTEIN ENERGY SYNERGY :: Why Spirulina? Many reasons.

Spirulina, the single-celled, ancient, blue-green spiral algae, is probably one of the best forms of nutrient density, amino acid protein compounds most people don’t consume ever or even know why they would want to. I mean, freshwater-growing blue - green algae that are at the basis of the food chain since life began on this planet - why and how would we consume this stuff?

Hippie-leaning, progressive cafes and smoothie/ juice bars have been offering the dark-green powder to superfood drinks for years and with sound nutrition to back it up. Here’s the breakdown of this primordial, spiral-helix, algae superfood.

Spirulina are strong, resilient organisms.

Exposure to heat doesn’t affect them, perfect for travel or processing into various foods. They grow naturally in warmer, alkaline lakes and clean freshwater bodies. History tells us two civilizations thrived on wild spirulina: the people of Mexico City long ago and the citizens in the area of Lake Chad in Africa. Both places were perfect natural environments for the algae to flourish and was a staple protein for thousands of years.

Today on the southern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii a modern farming company named Cyanotech harvests a variety called Spirulina Pacifica, grown in large isolated pools of fresh water.

The magic of photosynthesis transforms the sunlight energy into the rich array of nutrients – chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, nucleic acids, (RNA & DNA), polysaccharides, and a wide array of antioxidants so rich and protective that only other algae like chlorella and marine phytoplankton come close to matching its density. It has the highest concentration of any food at about 70% protein, containing all eight essential amino acids and eighteen in total making it a complete source of very restorative protein.

Also rich in vitamins A (beta-carotene), B1, B2, B6, E and K. High in enzymes, mineral salts, phytonutrients and chlorophyll. A rich source of gamma-linolenic acid (G LA), a highly anti-inflammatory essential fatty acid supporting a healthy brain and nervous system.

The amino acids in spirulina are not just for building and supporting strength but also endurance, balanced blood and brain chemistry, rapid healing/recovery, bone density, and every other facet of vibrant health. It’s a 100% raw source of protein that has more iron than beef, and is four times more absorbable per gram than animal protein. It only uses 2% of the water resources to produce compared to beef, which is becoming more of an issue as awareness of environmental impacts grow when we consider the footprint of our food supply.

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THE TOP POINTS OF PROTECTION AND LONGEVITY FROM SPIRULINA: • First class complete protein • Blood builder (iron, chlorophyll, blue pigment phycocyanin) • Anti-oxidants (beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, superoxide dismutase, plus 20 other carotenoids) • Immune system builder • Highly anti-inflammatory • High in sulfur compounds (liver detoxing, connective tissue builder) TIPS FOR SOURCING: • Look for organic varieties in powdered form that you can add to smoothies, raw juices, soups, dressings or use the capsule form when traveling, especially air travel.

• Source “fresh” smelling brands, for when it begins to go bad it will smell sour or rancid.

Avoid brands that use “caking or tableting agents” to form tablets.

MY FAVORITE TRUSTED BRANDS ARE: • Health Force Nutritionals Spirulina Manna healthforce.com • Earth Circle Organics earthcircleorganics.com • Also look for spirulina used in superfood snacks with raw cacao (chocolate) - these two compounds mix very well together and create a strong synergy of energy!

Twelve years ago I hiked up Mt. Whitney (14,000+) fueling on only a mix of coconut water/spirulina, dates and cacao beans and avocado. While my buddies were dragging, eating processed dehydrated food, I felt like I had energy for days, was light on my feet, and was super agile on the trail. Try adding some of this amazing food into your daily intake to fuel paddle workouts and other adventures around the globe! Spirulina sustained the people around old Mexico City for about 5000 yearslet’s glean some of that nutritional wisdom and thrive today!

For info on this or other health/nutrition topics email Scott Estrada scott@risesup.com / Instagram: @scott_estrada

Mint

Ocean

Amber

Coral

Jade Howson Touring the open coastline of Dana Point, CA.

Lavender

Moss

12’6” x 32” VOYAGER - TOURING SUP The 12’6” Riviera Voyager is a perfect board for the first time and novice paddlers who want to feel comfortable, stable and confident paddling flat water or mild open ocean conditions. The Voyager has all the features of a raceboard but has been toned down to make it more stable and user friendly. The displacement hull makes this board cut through the water efficiently, making long paddles much easier than a standard surfboard shape cruiser. It comes equipped with nose and tail bungee systems to tie down all your gear.

All our Riviera Voyager boards start their life as an Eco Molded Blank.

@rivierapaddlesurf

/rivierapaddlesurf

rivierapaddlesurf.com

HO W TO TRAINING with Thomas “Maximus” Shahinian

ENTERING THE OCEAN WITH WAVES:: (Part 2 of 3) This is Part II of III of “Entering the Ocean with Waves.“ In the previous issue of Standup Paddle Magazine, Part 1 discussed the importance of assessing your own ability, location and conditions; paddling with a partner; and techniques to safely enter the water. We suggest you read and understand Part I before proceeding. In this installment we’ll discuss paddling out through larger surf.

1

2

Once you’ve evaluated the timing of the waves and committed to your course, begin paddling out, keeping the nose of the board heading straight when encountering small chop and whitewater (the centerline should be perpendicular to the wave). It may be helpful to maintain a stance slightly further back on the board or apply more pressure through your heels to allow the nose of the board to easily ride up and over small chop and whitewater. In essence - popping a wheelie to get your nose through the whitewater.

3

When paddling past larger whitewater from a breaking wave, your goal is to lift the nose of the board up and over the top of the whitewater by quickly lowering your center of gravity, stepping back into a surf stance and shifting your bodyweight toward the tail of the board, simultaneously taking a stroke on your front-side just before the nose of the board touches the whitewater.

4

Pull back on the paddle as the nose of the board lifts over the whitewater. Shift your bodyweight forward before completing the paddle stroke. A few quick paddle strokes to increase your board’s forward momentum before this maneuver helps. Be cautious to avoid the nose of the board flipping back into your face.

Once your board has crested over the whitewater, you’ll want to return to your normal paddling stance while keeping a low center of gravity.

Continue paddling as you sight your course and next obstacle to get beyond the surf line.

It’s good practice to have your paddling partner wait on the beach until you’ve navigated beyond the surf line and signaled for the other to proceed while keeping a watchful eye on each other. It’s important to know your own abilities before attempting to launch through the surf line. Consider seeking professional one-on-one instruction.

Riviera team rider Thomas Maximus has more than 18 years of experience racing outrigger canoes. He has competed in more than 150 SUP races since 2008, resulting in over 80 first-place wins and multiple course records.

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H OW TO YOG A with Je ramie Vaine

BREATHE MORE, WORRY LESS:: The drive to the beach, the start of the race or the work day we just left, it all has an effect on us. It may elevate our heart rate, take our mind off what we came to do or even ruin the whole reason on why we came to paddle. In yoga we use breath to lead us through poses, but it also keeps us present in the moment. These tips on Pranayama will allow for our standup paddle experience to be an even better one.

PRANAYAMA: Start in a comfortable seated position, legs crossed and hands on top of your knees. If this is uncomfortable sit on a pillow or block - this will elevate the hips and release stress on the lower back and hips. No matter the position find a place where you can sit for 1 - 3 minutes. Let your sit bones ground down into the earth and sit tall as if someone were pulling you up from the crown of the head. Allow your shoulders to relax, gently broaden your back by sliding your shoulder blades down your back.

By placing the left hand on the heart and right hand on the stomach, the feel of the breath will occur. As the air rolls into the body the diaphragm begins to work bringing the air into all the spaces and expanding, all the way down into the stomach region and up to the heart. Feeling this will connect us to our bodies and let us understand what is happening with each breath. The inhale expands the diaphragm, the exhale releases.

Soften your eyes, close them and begin to bring the air in through your nose. The breath should be slow and controlled and drag it into your body down the back of the throat. Once all the air is brought in, slowly exhale bringing the air out through your nose. As the breath comes in and out of the body, the inhales and exhales should take the same amount of time, a count of three for each.

As the air is exhaled, the goal is to imagine fogging up a mirror with the breath.

The benefits of this breath work is something that can be seen in minutes. By practicing this for 1 - 3 minutes, the body becomes calm. The heart rate is lowered, stress levels reduced, a focused mind created and there also are physical benefits that come into play. As a paddler we have times when our hearts race or mind wanders, if we reconnect with this breath we can control both those issues and get us back to being present in the moment.

On the inhale, the breath will make a sound, think of the ocean and the tide rolling in and out. This sound will become part of the pranayama breathing on both the inhale and exhale - it is bringing the air into the deepest part of the body while exhaling all the old stale air.

Jeramie Vaine is a BOGA team racer and yoga instructor. He shares his knowledge and the benefits of yoga at clinics, demos and races around the country. Contact him at jvaine1@gmail.com.

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H OW TO T R A I N I N G with EJ Johnson

WRIST ROLLS:: EJ Johnson is a true SUPioneer. From living on a sailboat to hand-shaping beautiful, one-of-a-kind paddles, he truly embraces the ocean fitness lifestyle. Since 2005, EJ helped shape the future of the West Coast race scene, and today assists with research and development for YOLO boards and paddles.

DIY PROJECT Perfect DIY project for paddlers to help overused wrists. Consists of 1.5� PVC pipe, thin rope and spent Garden Of Life protein container filled with beach sand. This works excellent for paddlers because typically most of our wrist movement is always down, or towards us. It is very beneficial to do reverse wrist exercises, and this cheap DIY project will strengthen your hands and wrists and make your shoulders burn.

1 Hold pipe in front of you, arms straight at a 170-degree angle from your body.

Container is resting on the ground to start.

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2 Holding the pipe in both hands and roll the pipe upwards toward your body, from the ground up to eye level. This will achieve a nice burn in your muscles.

The paddleboarding adventure of a lifetime...

Lake Powell

I do three sets at a time, in both directions without stopping to achieve a nice burn. This exercise will help cure tendonitis and carpal tunnel and strengthen your grip overall.

Photo: Trevor Simington

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Slowly unwind the rope from the pipe returning to starting position.

4 Repeat the same process but reverse the direction of the roll. Rolling the pipe this time, away from you. Repeat step 3.

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Photo: Michael Tavares and Zack Hughes

PROFILE KIO NE DAHLIN

Thank God I’m a

Country Boy Haleiwa’s Kione Dahlin

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“Everything I do is ocean related. You name it, I do it. Being out in the water whether it’s SUP surfing or diving just calms me and puts me at peace with everything.

Out here you can never get bored. There’s always something to do. If the waves are perfect, we’re surfing.

If the wind is blowing we’re hitting a downwind. And if the waves are too big we’re out at Haleiwa riding the backwash.”

—Kione Dahlin on life in Haleiwa

Kione Dahlin grew up in Haleiwa town, a historic location in surfing culture, and a place deeply rooted in the island lifestyle. Descended from a surfing family, Dahlin is a fisherman, diver, SUP surfer and racer. An allaround waterman. When you are a country boy you do it all. He’s also a family man who works a real job to support his wife and kids while keeping the connection with the water, especially in his beloved quiet side of the north

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PROFILE K IONE D AHL IN

between Waialua and Haleiwa.

Son of Earl and Dale Dahlin, husband to Annabelle, father of Akila and Lana Dahlin, Kione is a Haleiwa boy from womb to the tomb.

Mainland kids have video games and TV and all the indoor entertainments, which keep them indoors. For Haleiwa kids, it’s all about the ocean: Fishing, diving, surfing, sailboarding, kite surfing and now - standup paddling: “When I was growing up in Haleiwa the town consisted of maybe a thousand people,” Kione said. “Where everyone knew each other and everyone was your aunty or uncle who would always be there for you. Growing up in a family of water people had a major influence on my way of life. My dad surfed the Pro-Am when he was younger and my mom surfed just as good out at Haleiwa. My older brother was a professional longboarder, and my younger brother also is

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a longboarder.”

Haleiwa kids go to the sea early, like baby sea turtles. Soon after they are hatched they are crawling across the sand and getting tossed around in the shorebreak - and from there they learn their skills in an ocean that can be both friendly and fierce. “I’ve been in the water at Ali’i Beach all my life,” Dahlin says. “But I remember my mom and dad teaching us how to swim when we were just old enough to walk. Ali’i Beach was the place you could bring your family and go surf with no worries about your kids because one of the uncles or aunties had them and gave you some free surfing time.”

Dahlin attended Waialua High, which has surpassed Punahou for producing Hawaii’s best surfers: “No one knows it but Waialua had the most professional surfers come out of that school,” Dahlin says. “There

“Mainland kids have video games and TV and all the indoor entertainments, which keep them indoors. For Haleiwa kids, it’s all about the ocean:

Fishing, diving, surfing, sailboarding, kite surfing and now - standup paddling.”

were people like Brock Little, Clark Little, Jack Johnson, my older brother Kanoa, Ross Williams and all the young bucks like Freddy P, Sean Moody, Joel Centeio.”

Kione Dahlin started surfing under the gaze of Skill Johnson and alongside contemporaries such as Andy and Bruce Irons. Ryan Wilson, Rocky Canon and Dayton Segundo.

Like a lot of surfers, Kione wasn’t too sure about standup paddleboarding at first. He saw it as a crutch, as something guys did when they were too old to even longboard. But then he had a SUPiphany at the age of 32: “It all started with a friendly bet on how hard a SUP race was,” Dahlin said. “The race was the Ocean Quest paddle board race. My uncle and friends did the July 4th Hui race and told me how hard it was. I said no way. And that’s how the bet started. They said

next race let’s do it and make a small bet: lunch. So I borrowed a board from my older brother Kanoa. It was a 12-foot paddle surfboard that wasn’t even a downwind or race board. So as the days came closer I trained and trained and thought I had it until the week of the race when I found out I was under gunning it.

“My uncle and his friends all went to C4 Waterman and Dennis Pang and bought legit race boards. Fast forward to the day of the race: I walked up and saw all these guys and everyone else with race boards and knew I was in for it. Well I figured just try and do my best. Came out and beat four of the five guys in the bet. The last guy (Henry Blas), I trailed him all the way to the beach where we had a sprint to the finish.

As I ran left to pass him he ran left holding out his paddle so I cut back right and he went right with his paddle out again beating me to the

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PROFILE K IONE D AHL IN

SUPing brought back the fun in my surfing.

“The day I sucked it up and started to SUP surf. Didn’t know what I was missing out on. At Haleiwa I got shacked on my SUP on a six-foot Hawaiian-scale bomb set.

That was it.”

finish by a fraction of a second. So I lost to him but came in 16th place out of 50 in my first race. Which lit the fire for me. There was a race three weeks later and I wanted to do it but on a race board to even out my chances. So I hunted around for a board but couldn’t find anything I wanted. That’s when my uncle introduced me to the Hobie rep here on Oahu - who by chance knew my parents and we hit it off from there.

We ordered a Hobie 12’ 6” carbon with a bamboo inlay on the deck.

That race was the Haleiwa Joes Labor Day race. I came in 10th overall and won my division of 19-39-age bracket for the 12-6’s. And the rest is history.”

And after that, like one ulua, Kione was hooked fierce: “The day I sucked it up and started to SUP surf. Didn’t know what I was missing out on. At Haleiwa I got shacked on my SUP on a six-foot Hawaiianscale bomb set. That was it.”

Kione SUP surfs often, but his favorite is downwinders: “Being out

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in the open ocean, just you and your board and paddle. Second would be SUP surfing. It made my surfing fun again and not aggro like when I used to longboard.”

Kione has been with Hobie since 2012: “Hobie was the company that had my back from the very beginning and everyone there is like an extension of my Hawaiian family. From the beginning they all had the most generosity towards me and my family.”

Over the past four years, Dahlin has gone through 10 boards, but now his ride of choice is a custom Hobie Apex 12’ 6”: “It’s a blend between the regular piercing nose of an SUP and a prone paddle board.”

Dahlin is a family man: Father to Akila (14) and Lana (12) and husband to Anabelle - a woman who’s always had Kione’s back: “My kids are getting older now so school is first priority but other than that we try to get in the water as much as possible. Family is everything, and the ocean does balance my energy. A day of not going in the water

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PROFILE KIO NE DAHLIN

Nothing beats breakfast from Cafe Haleiwa after a morning sup surf session.

With a full quiver, feeling lucky to be part of the Hobie family.

drives me nuts. It’s like a drug that I’m addicted to.”

Dahlin does regular downwinders on all sides of Oahu with a crew that includes Bullet Obra, Kaihe Chong, James Casey Donovan III, Alika Tom and Kane Pai, “To name just a few of them.” Dahlin said. “I guess you could say they keep me young at my age of 37. The run we hit on weekends would have to be Hawaii Kai to Kaimana Beach Park.

You have a full mixture of things going on. From riding bumps to side slosh to surfing waves at Diamond Head.”

And closer to home? “On the right wind Turtle Bay to Haleiwa goes off.”

Dahlin has seen the number of standup paddlers around Haleiwa accelerate over the past few years and he thinks that’s a good thing -

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another thing to get Haleiwa people in the water: “To hopefully get the kids and more adults involved in paddling, and let them know you don’t have to be a racer to paddle a race board.”

But while the number of SUP riders around Haleiwa is increasing, Dahlin is concerned about the population of frigate birds - the ‘iwa from which Haleiwa draws its name - the home of the frigate birds: “I haven’t seen the ‘iwa flock around Haleiwa in recent years. Maybe they moved on to somewhere else for the time being. Hopefully they’ll come back. Just as I did once to do my career but now I’m back for good.

Haleiwa will always be my only home.”

PHOENIX

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BY MACKENZIE AMOS

Wounded Warrior Paddles 3,500 Miles For His Life PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROMONA ROBBINS

T

o most, paddling every day through grueling winds and waves over the course of four months, 3,500 miles from Texas to New York, sounds like a death wish. To Josh Collins, it sounds like a new beginning.

Josh is a Special Operations combat Veteran with multiple rotations to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bosnia, along with numerous other deployments around the globe in support of the War on Terror.

Moreover, Josh is a wounded warrior with seven American Special Operations veteran Josh Collins rigged and ready in Destin, Florida, preparing his 3,500-mile restorative paddle from Texas to New York City.

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Portrait of a vet determined to put his mind, body and soul back together.

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documented traumatic brain injuries (TBI) with loss of consciousness— four from explosive blasts, two by parachute landing falls, and one more from combat training.

After he retired in December of 2008, Josh continued to support the military as a contractor both stateside and abroad. It was during an elite Special Operations training exercise in 2013 that he sustained another major concussion, complete with fractured nose, ribs, and cervical spine compression, putting him over the edge: “I couldn’t function through the day without extreme headaches, fatigue, and disorientation,” Collins said. “I never had problems psychologically until I had problems with my head from the TBI’s.

“It’s like this: If a record is skipping, it could be that it is scratched (PTSD), or that the record player itself has a broken/cracked needle (TBI). The combination of TBI and PTSD exacerbates both issues. The

VA has a much easier time diagnosing PTSD because the environment and horrors of combat are undeniable, but unlike TBI, they can medicate and call it a day. This is why I began to ‘self-medicate’ heavily with alcohol until I was up to well beyond a bottle of hard liquor a day.”

This deathly combination of prescribed meds and alcohol not only tore his family and marriage apart, but it completely turned Josh into a different person. “I did not know my husband anymore,” his wife Tonia stated. “So I did everything I could to bring him and our family back to what we were, and that’s when I found the Task Force Dagger Foundation.”

Task Force Dagger Foundation is a United States Army Special Operations Command-based organization dedicated to providing assistance to all wounded, ill, or injured members and their families.

Established in 2009, TFDF is a federally recognized non-profit

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On the beach in Destin, Florida, Josh and Tonia Collins embracing before Josh departs on a shakedown paddle.

You can carry the Traveller through the bush or strap it to your car, but this board is best on the water. This is Collins headed for the water in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

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foundation that supplies emergency funding to those SOCOM service members and their families who cannot afford the proper care.

With their help, Josh was immediately taken to the James A Haley VA Polytrauma Unit in Tampa, Florida where he underwent TBI therapy. After three months, he was returned to his family where he was able to rebuild his marriage and life. Although Josh was beginning to reconstruct the foundation of his former life, he was still suffering from severe inner ear (vestibular) damage, right eye nerve palsy, and vertigo from a compressed cervical spine at two levels.

After receiving more than a dozen surgeries to correct some of these problems, Tonia purchased Josh a stand-up paddleboard in hopes of getting him exercising again. However, Josh quickly found that it helped with more than just his physical fitness. In Josh’s own words, “Standup paddle boarding brought balance back to my life.” Finding solace on the water was a huge achievement for Josh, but he was surprised at how simple of an idea it was that paddle boarding could so easily help his TBI. “When I’m on the water, everything around me stops moving. The horizon holds still because of the subtle movements of the water. It is my sanctuary.”

Having departed for many missions in the military, Josh knew he would be departing for one of the most important missions of his civilian life—helping other veterans in need. More than twenty two veterans a day are taking their lives, and this now accounts for more than ten times the number of casualties overseas due to lack of help and over-prescribing meds for TBI and PTSD. In an effort to raise awareness of these statistics and help raise money for the foundation that helped save Josh’s life, he came up with a plan to make the longest journey ever paddled.

“We were talking about board designs and how we would like this board to inspire people from all walks of life.”

Josh knew this was a huge endeavor and that he would need all the help he could get. In hopes of finding a standup paddleboard company to support his cause, he reached out to BOTE in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. “We do everything we can to help our military locally,” says BOTE Owner and CEO Corey Cooper, “When Josh approached us with his idea seeking a partnership and support, we instantly knew this was something we wanted to be a part of.”

After multiple phone conversations with BOTE’s team to discuss board ideas, Josh told his story and everything he went through to regain his life, and just like that, Operation Phoenix was born. “We were talking about board designs and how we would like this board to inspire people from all walks of life,” Cooper said. “when it hit us—The Phoenix rises from the ashes and is stronger than it was before— which is exactly what Josh has done.”

To make the process even more interesting, a few days after having asked their Creative Director, Rob McAbee, to create a logo with the phoenix, he returned with an addition that had not been talked about previously.

“I’ve also added a little something to the bottom,” said Rob. “‘Noli Desiste’ it means ‘Never Quit,’” to which Josh quickly replied with a picture of a tattoo on his arm also transcribing ‘Never Quit.’” Cooper exclaimed, “Every single one of us had chills in that moment that we received the picture of Josh’s tattoo. We knew this was going to be bigger than us.” For the next couple of months, Josh and BOTE worked together to make the boards and prepare for Josh’s expedition that would now be codenamed: “OPPHX.” The expedition entails a four-month-long paddle that Josh already began in March from Corpus Christi, TX to New York City, NY with rallies being held along the way. “I want to bring the military STANDUPpaddlemagazine.COM /

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At BOTE headquarters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Josh and Tonia Collins in the company skunkworx - the BOTE Darkroom.

families and their surrounding communities together to get them out on boards and raise money for TFDF. BOTE will not only be supplying limited edition ‘Operation Phoenix’ (OPPHX) boards for Josh to take on his four-month-long paddle, but they will also be supplying the same limited edition boards to be raffled off at the rallies and sold on their website alongside other OPPHX apparel and accessories. A portion of the profit for all OPPHX sales from BOTE will be given to the TFDF.” Although Josh will be making this voyage on his own, his hope is that at these rallies, with the support of local SUP companies, people will get out there and join his journey, even if it’s just for a mile. “People don’t realize that anyone can paddle, even if you’ve never stepped foot on a paddle board before. Nothing would make me happier than to see paddling helping others with TBI and PTSD too.”

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When asking Tonia how she feels about the trip she says, “Of course I am worried about Josh—there will be some days that he will be paddling in twenty mile per hour winds and white capping waves—but seeing the passion and purpose that he feels for this cause on a daily basis shows me that this is what he is supposed to be doing.”

Success is something that most would find hard to define with this mission—there are many factors that can affect Josh arriving to his final destination—but for Josh, “Success for me doesn’t mean making it to New York. Success is raising enough money to save more lives. Even just one life would make this all worth it. But I have not quit anything thus far in my life and I’m not looking to start now.”

OPERATION PHOENIX info —— To find out more about Josh’s mission and rally locations please visit: VETERANVOYAGE360.COM

For more information about Task Force Dagger Foundation vist: TASKFORCEDAGGERFOUNDATION.ORG To buy OPPHX boards & apparel, please visit: BOTEBOARD.COM/OPPHX To help donate to Josh’s cause, please visit: CROWDRISE.COM/VETERANVOYAGE360

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DD DARRICK

D OERN ER

PHOTOS COURTESY DARRICK DOERNER

G O E S

Darrick Doerner is 58 now, and he has been on the North Shore for 41 years, since 1975.

He learned to surf in the South Bay of Los Angeles, and when he came to Hawaii he fell in love with big-wave surfing. According to Matt Warshaw in The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Darrick, “took his style cues—a slightly bowlegged stance, a smooth, composed line—from revered North Shore surfers Tiger Espere and Eddie Aikau.”

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1992 - Peahi. Photo: Darrel Wong

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“I think that stand-up paddling has its own style of apparel, clothes, accessories so it’s created a huge industry in the market.”

From left: Andrew Mecinsky, Gerry Lopez, Darrick and Joe Tudor at the SEA Paddle NYC. photo: Darian Boyle

Darrick began working as a North Shore lifeguard in 1976, watching and learning alongside Eddie Aikau, who taught him a lot: “Eddie was really really quiet. He liked my sandwiches. What I learned from Eddie was nothing mattered to Eddie, except for the surf. But what I also learned from Eddie was the lineup at Waimea Bay. He gave me the over and the across and the in and out. So if you pinpoint those two areas, and look off your surfboard you’re sitting right on the corner of a big giant rock that empties out in the bay, so it’s super obvious. It wasn’t an outside lineup. It was more where you wanted to be to catch the good meat and potatoes.”

Darrick started surfing Waimea Bay in 1982 on a 9’ 6” Dick Brewer gun. Unlike the hulking Thunder Lizards of the 1960s, Darrick was more in the Reno/Hakman weight class - 5’ 6”, 140 pounds, but quick, brave, well-trained, experienced = imua! Darrick learned from Eddie and many others, made a name for himself at Waimea and cemented his

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legend on Super Bowl Sunday, January 31, 1988, by catching a bomb that Peter Cole describes as “the most impressive ride I’ve seen in the past ten years.”

Like a buffalo getting pushed off the plains and into the mountains, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Darrick saw crowds overwhelm Waimea Bay, and that pushed him, Buzzy Kerbox and Laird Hamilton to experiment with using small boats and then PWC to catch waves at places like Backyards: tow surfing.

The tow surfers moved from Oahu to Maui, figured out that small was beautiful when it came to tow boards and evolved this new kind of big-wave surfing. In 1996, Darrick got a giant barrel at Pe’ahi/Jaws and pushed the envelope a little farther.

Darrick didn’t entirely say farewell to his arms though, and he competed in the 1986 and 1990 Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau contests at Waimea, finishing sixth in both.

XXL photo: Darian Boyle

Darrick is a waterman, always looking for new ways to get his kicks: Surfing, paddle boarding, kite surfing, sailboarding, tow surfing. As an actor/stuntman, Darrick had roles in In God’s Hands (1998), and Die Another Day (2002) but he is most famous for doubling for Patrick Swayze/Bodhi in the big finish to Point Break (1996).

Always connected with Hawaiian waters and what is happening on all the islands, Darrick first got into standup paddling in the early years, when Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama and Loch Eggers were experimenting with this new kind of paddling and surfing on Maui: “I think it was on the island of Maui and we were using 12-foot tandem boards,” Darrick said. “Billy Hamilton boards that Billy had shaped Laird. I believe they were about 20” wide but they were 12 feet so they went downhill really good. We would start at Maliko Gulch and blow all the way down past the airport. Some of the rides were probably 400 or 500 yards. Because the island faces the perfect direction for what I

believe… standup surfing is great for broad reaching, you know, from Point A to B. I would quote Loch Eggers on that but I would say maybe around ‘95.”

Like with tow surfing, in the early days of SUP, equipment was trial and error - and the errors were a trial: “Everything was aluminum poles, and they were breaking. We couldn’t find the good blades. The boards were too narrow, and it wasn’t until after that - five or six years later - that someone got the idea to make them 30 inches. And from, I think, that point on, the basic width of an SUP was relatively in the same window.”

From the initial tinkering in the mid-90s to now, Darrick has watched SUP explode into a sensation that has swept the nation - and the world.

A sport that barely existed as recently as 2002 is now a giant industry.

Sped up by the Internet and just the general speed of communications these days. And like with tow surfing, Darrick had a hand in the

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Darrick and his active quiver of boards.

XL Darrick on Super Bowl Sunday 1988. Photo: Mike Grosswend

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evolution: “I got this idea, out of the blue, at two in the morning, that boards could be seven feet long, and 30 to 35 inches wide. You could open up your car door, put the seat down and you could put it right in your car. One size fits all kind of a deal, and that’s when boards started really evolving. Look at what it is now. It’s just become the biggest sport. The biggest all-around recreational sport. With the technology and the products they have nowadays it’s going through the roof. Super high-tech paddles that weigh like a pound. And look: mom dad, kids. Everyone can do it. It’s a bicycle on water.”

Is Darrick surprised by this explosion? Did he have any idea that what they were messing around with in 1995 would explode the way it has? “I think that stand-up paddling has its own style of apparel, clothes, accessories so it’s created a huge industry in the market. What’s really brilliant about the stand-up board is: one board fits all. I mean you could use it as a surfboard, you could sleep on it, you could use it as a table. It’s real versatile, but what I really really enjoy about SUP is it’s brought so many people that left surfing because either of crowds or crowds, or more crowds - if you get my idea - and they left because they had other responsibilities and commitments or other directions to go and now they’re back. I mean to tell you on any given day anywhere in America or internationally you’ve got guys that come down to the beach and changed their lives and saved their lives. For example, look at China Uemura - seven days a week he’s right there at Concessions. He sets up his saw horses, all his friends show up, they go SUP, they come in, they fellowship, they laugh, they go eat. You know that is what is missing in surfing. Surfers get upset real easy. Whether it’s territory or crowds or someone else getting them in a lot of trouble. SUP is just, I mean look how fit the people that are doing it and that’s what’s really taken the industry in so many different areas. Fins, boards, everybody is trying to do stuff and it’s just begun and it might just go to the Olympics. Can you imagine? The one man kayak and the six man kayak, how brutal that sport is? Every single muscle has got to be firing. When I go to SUP races with the technology and the race boards, everybody has their secret weapon but the bottom line is: let me see what you got. I’m telling you if you passed that finish line first you’ve earned it because these kids are so fast and so in-shape they’ll kick your ass by a mile. My son entered his first race last summer. He found out about training because he didn’t train and Aaron Napoleon trained and his son trained: kicked his butt.”

Below: Darrick and his son Tiger.

photos: Eric Haka

ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL Darrick is all about SUP for training, for wave riding, for adventure: “Gerry Lopez ventures to the delta every other weekend. He loves it. He has a Mercedes caravan. He has his SUPs and his kiteboards all in the van, and him and his wife go camping. All the time. Somewhere in the Sacramento-ish, Shasta Lake area.”

Darrick has his own secret spots for paddling: “I’ll tell you a secret. I

Darrick and his son, Tiger. Surf education 101. Photo: DD Sea Inc.

“SUP is a great physical toy.

I would rather SUP then go to 24-Hour Fitness. It’s core, it’s all core.”

paddled from Monterey’s Cannery Row to Pebble Beach and that’s got to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done: the golf course, the rocks, the reefs, the kelp, seals, crystal clear. It’s amazing. So this summer what I’d like to do is open up a resource where I have seven or eight or ten boards and every glassy day I am headed out so people can come and we can paddle. It’s whale season during the summer.”

NorCal yes, but what about North to Alaska?

“You know what would be something brilliant to do along the lines of Audrey Sutherland, Paddle My Canoe, which she did up in Alaska where all those indigenous cultures live in all those bays that are untouched by man. Wouldn’t it be spectacular to pull in and do a whole month-long trip - all of your stuff tied on - and go adventure and travel. With that all being said you will notice a lot of indigenous cultures they do a lot of fishing and stuff but they are not water recreational people. They don’t swim very good they could use SUP as a tool “ FITNESS At 58, Darrick is all about staying in shape, and he passes his techniques onto the clients he teaches as a personal trainer: “SUP is a great physical toy.

I would rather SUP then go to 24-Hour Fitness.

It’s core, it’s all core. SUP complements surfing tremendously by creating balance - not falling off.

That is what SUP is all about. The fitness aspect of it, the breathing aspect of it, the timing but most of all the core and without the core you are going to fall off.

“It’s a win-win for surfing so with all of my clients that I train, one of the first things I say is that you gotta go out and get an SUP board and then get a yoga ball and start training. Within a year’s time they’ve lost a lot of weight, they’re not falling off, they’re paddling twice as fast and they’re able to keep up with me - because I’m pretty fast.”

SUP OR SURF? One of the most accomplished big-wave surfers of all time, Darrick takes his SUP out into the heavies. He loves the advantage of seeing what is coming and getting there twice as fast, but there are also hazards to SUP in big waves: “Something

on a big wave with a big board, you get pulled by a wave and it could pull your hip right out of placement. I lost one out at Paradise here when Paradise was out around the red buoy. The big left: I never did that again, I’d rather just let it go in and go find it with a ski. It just pulled me. I like the idea of wearing a belt like whitewater SUP. Hook your leash to a belt because your core is stronger than a socket.”

Whether it’s lifeguarding, surfing, paddle boarding, tow surfing, or SUP, DD is all about getting water time. He has been immersing himself in Hawaiian water going back to the mid-70s.

Why? “Short and sweet, When I get to the water - simplicity - I solve all my solve all my issues with my personal life on land but everything seems to wash away. It soothes my soul. The smells, everything around it and I gotta say everything is going to be OKAY.” THE BIG FINISH Everything is going to be okay, but Darrick is a little worried about the growth of SUP and a population of SUP riders blundering into the lineup like bulls in a China shop.

As much as SUP has grown in the 20+ years since Darrick started noodling around with Laird and Loch and Kalama and dem, he knows there is a lot more growth to come: “If you think it’s crowded now well you just give it ten years, I just hope that there’s a message we can run by people. Blane Chambers has a website, called Kook or Cool: people need to review that and I’m not going to mention any names or anything because you could be in the lineup kinda catching waves and one of your friends will paddle out and catch a wave and he’ll paddle back out on his SUP and catch another wave and then another wave and you’re still sitting there waiting for one wave and then you look up and ‘Brah! You know what I mean? Go paddle over there!’ And they’ll look at you and say, ‘Not me!’ You need to review that, it’s basic, it’s respect and be safe with your vessel because they can hurt someone. Being run over by an SUP can hurt. So I say learn the rules of the road, learn how to drive it in flat water before you even get near the surf and if you don’t ever get in the surf that’s fine.”

“When I get to the water - simplicity - I solve all my issues with my personal life on land but everything seems to

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Tavarua, Figi Plowbreak. Photo:Don King/Courtesy: Darrick Doerner

Darrick ducking under at Tavarua, Fiji.

wash away. It soothes my soul. The smells, everything around it and I gotta say everything is going to be OKAY.�

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CONNECTED B

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Bart looking out over Omo Valley in Ethiopia

B Y

B A R T

D E

Z W A R T

D BY WATER P H O T O S

F R A N Z

O R S I

W

travel to

IN 3

Bart & Franz

S

• 5 • • C •

NTRI U E O

EEKS •

L

ooking at the endless stretch of water beneath me, from 10,000 feet in the air you realize again how much water we have on this Earth. Water, which connects this world. Water that gives a standup paddler all the possibilities. The possibilities to explore the world.

This story is about going to the corners of the world and meeting the people connected by the water.

Places where an ocean, river, or lake plays an important role in their daily lives. Franz Orsi and I bought around-the-world tickets, packed two inflatable SUP, a tent and some clothes. In all we would be on 19 flights and five continents until I returned to Maui.

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The traditional sailing canoes in Yap, still used for interisland travel

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1

Yap

After one night in Japan, photographer Franz Orsi and I are on our way to Yap, a tiny Micronesian island in the South Pacific. After a rough landing the airplane door opens, I look outside and take a deep breath of the warm, humid air, the tropical smell, with that mixture of tropical flowers, damp air, and sweat. After immigration two bare-chested girls with leis and hula skirts greet us by hanging beautiful lei around both of our necks.

With only two flights arriving per week, this is a happening, which many of the locals come to watch. A local police officer, Joe, gives us a ride and shows us our camping place for the night. We inflate our tent and go to sleep. In the next days we learn a lot about the island and its people.

We catch a ride to the northern edges and arrive in a small village where we get permission to put up our tent. Most of the islanders live right on the beach and fish and gather from the forest directly behind their houses.

Here they say, “Nobody goes hungry except the lazy people.” It’s also the home of stone money, huge pieces of rock carved into a mostly-round shape with a large hole in the middle. The size ranges from 1 to 15 feet. At first I thought stone money was a thing of the past. But nowadays, although symbolic, it is still an important way to settle quarrels or buy land. Unfortunately, these 1000-pound stones won’t buy you any groceries at the local shop.

This is a very good example of the dilemma they are struggling with here. The old ways versus what they call the “Western ways.” Most live a very simple lifestyle: small open wooden houses, and no luxury goods, except the occasional television. Kids only play outside with what they can find. They do, however, have cars. Speeds on the road don’t exceed a very slow 25 mph, but most drive a lot slower than that.

The only way to get off the island is by plane or outrigger. Until very recently the natives would sail to Guam, Palau, or one of the other 180 other islands of Micronesia.

During this 7-10 day trip they had to rely on the handcrafted wooden sailing canoes and the stars to show the way. You need exceptional navigation skills to ensure you don’t miss the tiny islands.

The first afternoon, we pump up our boards and check out the area. We brought two different boards to ensure we were prepared for anything. One 14’ Starboard touring good for open ocean, lakes and rivers, with enough space to carry all our gear if need be.

We also brought a 10’5 Starboard Drive, which is very versatile, and works everywhere, even in modest waves.

Paddling, we see some of the outriggers and man houses along the coast. The man houses are still used solely by men who get together after a day’s fishing and talk story.

Sadly we hear that the younger men are showing much less interest in joining. The elderly try to keep this tradition going.

The water in Yap is like an aquarium; you can look down and clearly see the colorful coral and fish, just below the surface. We paddle for a couple of hours, mesmerized by all the surrounding beauty, and come back just in time before the tide is going out again.

The pace of the island is very slow; partly because there aren’t many impulses to have

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Fresh coconuts are to be found while exploring the coast of Yap

Some villages are taboo for outsiders. So the next day we seek permission to visit the most northern village of Yap. a high-paced lifestyle and partly also because almost all men and women chew betel nut, all day, every day. This lightly narcotic nut is broken in two, rolled in a leaf with lime and chewed on. The result is an orange sap, which clearly colors and rots the teeth. The more they laugh, the scarier they look.

Some villages are taboo for outsiders. So the next day we seek permission to visit the most northern village of Yap, separated by just a narrow gap of ocean, on a separate island. We find Jason, who was born there and is one of the few allowed to guide us to the village. We paddle over to the island, and later Jason follows us with his boat. On land we find a small green paradise with stone paths and small huts hidden in the green surroundings. The stone path is lined on both sides with small palm trees and betel nut trees.

We quickly arrive at an opening to the forest where we find the biggest of the stone money produced in the old days. It’s still a proud possession, and the reason why this village is the richest on the island.

Yap has 10 villages. There are chiefs who make the most important decisions in the community; at the same time there is also a modern court system. Again: traditional versus western. At times this old versus new creates tensions. The chiefs settle smaller quarrels but at some point the court takes over.

On our last day we paddle halfway around the island. We bring our goggles and drift over the amazing underwater world. Then we go to one of the small passes and catch a few waves. We have to take care not to be sucked out at sea because of the strong outgoing current. We follow the coast along the mangroves and see more villages with man houses. After deflating our boards and packing up our stuff we head for the airport. It’s a nice scene at this tiny airport, it’s midnight and many groups are waiting for families to arrive.

Seven older, chatting, bare-chested ladies are all nervously excited for their loved ones to come back to Yap. Our mind is wandering off to our next destination: Nepal, a long flight through Tokyo and Abu Dhabi and finally Kathmandu.

2

Nepal:

Of Himalayan earthquakes and waters What still amazes me every time is the contrasts whenever I travel. I mean, that with only one flight there is literally a world of difference. It shows when we arrive in Nepal. Just before landing I see the peaks of the Himalaya Mountains in the distance, the majestic, snow-white peaks of the highest mountains this Earth has. I have always been intrigued by those mountains; as a little boy in the stories of Tin Tin: and later by the many books of climbers and expeditions.

We arrive in a buzzing world of honking cars and motorbikes chaotically driving through the dusty and dirty streets of Kathmandu. What a contrast to the slow pace of Micronesia. In the night we walk through the narrow streets of Thamel, full of tiny little restaurants, outdoor gear shops, and trekking agents. I feel right at home. This is expedition country. The land of white water rivers, world’s highest mountain peaks and hiking trails.

We take the bus to Kothara, 130 miles and eight hours on the narrow roads through the mountains. Kothara is at the foot of the 8084-meter (26,545 foot) Annapurna. For many, this is the starting point of a trek through the mountains.

The next day we paddle on Phewa Lake, the second-biggest lake in Nepal.

Although it’s slightly cloudy we see several of the snowy white peaks in the near distance. We meet a few other boats; most are just rowing to the little island at the center, home of their temple. People come here to worship and offer flowers and coconuts to Buddha. Paddling on the lake is nice but the real adventure in Nepal is paddling down the rivers. And with the melting snow from the Himalayas there are quite a few rivers to explore. However, only a few of the rivers are calm enough to paddle down with our gear.

In the afternoon we decide to go for a hike to the start of the Annapurna trek. On our way to the bus the ground suddenly begins to shake. People start screaming and when we look up we see the buildings moving violently, just about to crumble.

We run to the other side of the street, away from anything that might fall down on us. Again a big shake, a second wave this time and I am sure that the hotel I

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Sharing the Madhi River with the local boat traffic

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The fear of another earthquake brings the village closer.

Everybody is sitting and sleeping together in makeshift tents close to their homes.

am looking at will come down, but miraculously none of the buildings fall.

Suddenly it’s quiet again, just like nothing happened. Little did we know about what had just happened. A little shaken but thinking this is a regular occurrence we continue our way to the mountains, walking a part of the trail to Annapurna. At a camp site, we meet a guide who tells us about the many buildings which collapsed and the casualties in Kathmandu: Front page news on the BBC. Only then, do we realize this was a serious earthquake. First I contact Dagmar, my wife, to let her know that we are ok. Apparently it was already all over the news, she and many of my friends are happy to hear from me.

The following night we are greeted with many aftershocks. Every 20 minutes we have a small shake. I sleep next to the window, which starts to vibrate and rattle a little; twice we have to run out of our hostel to safety because of the violent shaking. The next morning we see the wife of the hostel owner sleeping in the car and the majority of the town camping in the streets, too afraid to go back to their homes. Here in Kothara miraculously no buildings came down and nobody was hurt. We decide to go and camp, which seems safer than sleeping in a building. We take a bus to the Madhi River, and after a long day through difficult terrain we get to Bhorletar.

The aftershocks are still going strong. In Bhorletar, far away from the rest of the world you find the real Nepal.

We set up our tents on the riverbed, the eyes of the kids on our every move. At night we walk through town and are invited by one family after the other, for tea, for food and for many stories. They are as interested in us as we are in them.

The fear of another earthquake brings the village closer. Everybody is sitting and sleeping together in makeshift tents close to their homes. We return to our own tent and have a good sleep, without any fear.

The next day we pump up our boards and strap on our gear. The kids

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come back to watch what we’re doing and wave us farewell. Here is where the real adventure begins, going down the river.

Nepal has many rivers great for rafting, kayaking, and standup paddling. Our river with a class 2 is a mild one, but exciting enough with all our gear. We pass by beautiful landscapes and small farms. The river is an important source for river rock and sand, which villagers use for watering the rice terraces and building. We pass by kids playing on the riverbanks next to their parents, who are fishing for the evening meal. We are on the river for two days before it’s time to go back to Kathmandu to catch our flight - that is if the airport is even open. Luckily the roads are open again and we can take a bus to Kathmandu. There we see the devastation of the earthquake: collapsed buildings crumbled to the ground and many homeless camping on the streets. Almost all of the old buildings without steel-reinforced concrete weren’t able to withstand the tremors of the earthquake and collapsed to a pile of rubble. We walk through the old town; many of the people have stories of a family member who lost family, friend, or their home. A sad scene, but also here we see that it brings the people together, communities eating together, helping each other. Shops are opening up again and life is starting to regain a small sense of normality. Another difficult situation is the lack of water in the city of over a million people. Water is brought in, but sanitation is bad and the people will be much more prone to illnesses.

We don’t see the hardest hit - the small villages deep in the mountains close to the epicenter, which can only be reached by helicopter.

At the airport we see mainly foreign organizations, coming from all over the world with equipment and goods. We leave a country in a difficult situation, which has to rebuild from the bottom up. The positive attitude of the majority of citizens is remarkable, though this got them down on their knees they’re already getting up and rebuilding. A beautiful country with beautiful people, I definitely have to come back soon and bring my family.

We leave a country in a difficult situation, which has to rebuild from the bottom up.

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One of the local tribesmen, trying out our boards

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3

Ethiopia

Air Ethiopia brings us to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Because of the delay at Kathmandu we get rerouted through Doha and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is next to Mecca, a pilgrimage site, where every Muslim should go at least once in their life. When we land in Jeddah, we realize that the whole plane, except us, is made up of pilgrims, all dressed in white robes. And then everyone in the plane starts to pray loudly and recite the Koran. A surreal experience, which again shows the big cultural differences between, places so close together. We couldn’t get any more of a difference between Qatar’s rich oil state, luxury airport and a basic airport with their bureaucracy arriving in Ethiopia, where the minute you arrive you realize that you are in Africa.

Although the country is known for its scorching hot temperature, it’s surprisingly cool; the high altitude of 2500 meters/7500 feet is the reason.

Because of the distance to Omo Valley and the relatively short time, we’ve decided to use a car with an accompanied driver to get us there and back.

Chappy, an Ethiopian war veteran who was shot twice in Mogadishu, is our driver. Then there’s Ephram, our guide through Ethiopia. We load the 15-year-old Nissan Patrol and hit the road.

Once we leave the big, and relatively wealthy city, we see the vast and dry landscapes of Ethiopia. Along the road, houses are no longer made of bricks and mortar, instead a mixture of wood and mud.

On the way we stop at several lakes, paddle, and explore. At Lake Shala we see a huge expanse of water, completely deserted except for some flamingos. This lake is known to be salty and oily, thus containing very little fish. I make a nice excursion with my board along the coast and let some locals paddle for a little bit. We stay the night in Awasa a city on Lake Awasa.

In the early morning we paddle into the village for the fish market.

Coming into the bay of Awasa, the village locals warn us to stay away from the banks because of the hippos. Just in case we make sounds to warn them off but don’t see any popping up. At the beach over 50 of the villagers surround us, staring at our boards. We let two try, which

Chappy, an Ethiopian war veteran who was shot twice in Mogadishu, is our driver. We load the 15-year-old Nissan Patrol and hit the road.

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Meeting a fellow stand-up-er on Awassa Lake

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inspires a round of laughs and entertainment, especially when one almost falls in. After some fried fish for breakfast we continue to Omo Valley, which takes us the rest of the day.

Following a very simple, but good sleep in Turmi we drive to Omorate, where the Dassanech tribe live. We’re finally in Omo Valley, eagerly get the boards ready and enter the river.

The Omo River has a strong current towards Kenya only 60 kilometers down river.

After only 20 minutes down we arrive at a small village with three kids watching us coming down the river. When we paddle towards them two of the three run away, scared. We make clear that we are friendly and gesture at the one left to come try our boards. Slowly and with some hesitation he comes down to the riverbank and looks at the boards and paddles. We show him how it works and he steps on and tries. Before we know it, we have the whole village around us taking turns paddling. I take the smaller kids with me, and the bigger ones try by themselves on Franz‘s board. The kids too scared to try, have a good laugh while watching the others. It turns out to be the highlight of our and their day.

Although the river is full of crocodiles we only see a cadaver on the banks.

Later at night we visit another tribe, the Kara, a little more north where we put up our tent. The tribes live in the most basic conditions possible, with their only possessions being their huts and cattle. The men and women only wear a goatskin around their waist, and a few in their tribe own an AK47-to protect their cattle from being stolen by other tribes.

Cattle are highly valued and used as payment for a bride. They are also an important defense against starvation when the rains and crops fail. In the dry season families travel to temporary camps to provide new grazing for the herds, surviving on the milk and blood of the cattle.

We offer them a goat, which is killed and roasted above a fire.

While we sit around the fire with them, we are offered blood to drink, known to them to be very healthy. We respectfully decline, and only two hours later the whole tribe has eaten everything. We meet one of the elders who have multiple scars marked across his chest, our guide tells us that they mark themselves with a scar, for every person they kill in their life.

Apparently not all the tribes like each other.

The next morning, we sit down in one of the huts and drink coffee - at least that’s what they say it is. The coffee tastes of something very different, in this case not a good different. We break up camp and drive back in the direction of Addis Ababa.

On the road the guide tells us about a disturbing ritual the tribes practice in Omo Valley. If a baby gets its first teeth in the upper instead of the lower part of the jaw, they think it will curse the tribe and bring bad luck so the baby is left in the desert to die, or drown in the river. Also, all women here still get circumcised at a very young age so they can focus on their task in life. For me I find it difficult to comprehend their way of thinking.

Along the road we see how hard the women work in this country. They are responsible for finding wood and getting water, two very tough jobs in an environment like this. Men take care of the cattle, a comparably easy job.

We leave Omo Valley with mixed feelings. If you go where the guides bring you the tribes only meet you for the money they get out of it. It’s a weird vibe if you visit some of the tribes and not the right one. Everyone pulls at your shirt, saying, “I like this one, can I have it?” We enjoyed it so much more where the tourist guides don’t go. It’s a beautiful country but also a harsh one to live in.

We fly the next day to Istanbul, Turkey leaving with mixed emotions about a very poor but very beautiful country.

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4

Istanbul

When we arrive in Istanbul, Turkey, we also arrive in the modern world again. Istanbul lies at the Bosphorus Strait, the connection between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, partly in Europe and partly in Asia. Istanbul is eastern and western, old and modern at the same time.

Since we are here only for two days, we check into our small, family-owned hotel, take our backpacks with the inflatables and try to find a few spots in the city where we can paddle.

There is a lot of water in Istanbul, but also a lot of traffic. Many small ferries, fishermen, pilot boats and the container ships are all trying to make their way through the crowded waters. We have to pick our places carefully because they don’t want us paddling in the busy areas.

We find a small inlet opposite of the Süleymaniye Mosque. It feels great to paddle in a city with a background like this. The small stalls and bars along the waterfront, the high minarets behind that pointing to the sky, and the ferries making it almost impossible to stay dry.

Later we take one of the ferries to the Asian side where things are slightly calmer. Since there is no beach here everybody is sitting on the boulders and enjoying the sunset with the silhouette of the city as a backdrop. We paddle along the coast until the sun is about to set and we are getting hungry. We still have a little trouble eating everything we want since we caught a stomach bug in Ethiopia.

There is so much good food here and so much to choose from. Franz has a hard time staying away from the döner kebabs and ends up paying for it later.

The following day we wander through the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. The amount of small shops is amazing; the competition here must be murderous. Thousands of tiny shops under one roof filled with Turkish delicacies, fine fabrics, and ancient and fake Turkish art work.

With 12 million people, this is a big city where traffic gets scary.

The hotel owner explains that is not fun to live here anymore: nobody cares about anybody, he needs two hours commute to his house, and the noise is constant, 24/7.

Outside in the country the people still care, are super friendly, and have time for one and another. I understand him but for a short visit, the city and the water still impress me.

In the evening, before we eat in a local restaurant, I paddle at dusk at the Ortaköy Mosque. It’s breathtakingly beautiful from the water, lighted up from all sides, glistening against the water.

With 12 million people, this is a big city where traffic gets scary. Outside in the country the people still care, are super friendly, and have time for one and another.

ISA World championship Sayulito, training for the beach race

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5

Mexico

The next day we fly across the Atlantic to Sayulita, Mexico, host of the ISA World Championships.

We fly with a stop in New York. After stops in Saudi Arabia, Africa and Istanbul I somehow expected homeland security to have a lot of questions for me at the border.

But it’s an easy “welcome home” and I feel halfway home already.

Again what I enjoy is the differences, within a week we went from Dark Africa, through Europe/Asia to Central America, the cultural differences couldn’t be greater.

Mexico is always nice, with good food, easy going vibe, warm water and this time a world-class race.

Although I am to race, I also explore a little with Franz along the coast. Sayulita is far from remote but it’s still very easy to go off the beaten path and paddle along the coast to find desolate beaches with hefty shore breaks.

The next day is the opening parade: every country walks through the main street of Sayulita with a flag bearer and a Mexican couple in traditional clothing. With all countries walking in their country team clothing a lot of national pride comes up.

The Mexican team is extra loud and with the biggest flag. This whole happening makes you almost feel as if you are walking in the Olympics.

In between races, we go with some friends to Islas Marietas, known as the hole in the roof. These protected islands are about five miles off the Mexican coast and have an abundance of life: birds, fish, and unfortunately quite a few jellyfish.

While most explore the underwater world, I paddle along the coast, still observing all the fish in the clear water below me. The islands have many spectacular caves. At the main cave of Islas Marietas the roof gave in, which explains the “hole in the roof.”

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Sayulita is far from remote but it’s still very easy to go off the beaten path and paddle along the coast to find desolate beaches with hefty shore breaks.

While I stay to race, that evening Franz flies back to Portugal, marking the end of our world trip.

We have travelled more than three weeks together and have been through many adventures, countries, continents, many highs and very few lows on this trip. What I realized again is that this world is so diverse and there is still so much to explore. I wish we had a little more time in some places, but that is a lesson for next time. Travelling with the Starboard inflatables proved again to be the best choice we could make. It is just an extra backpack but it gives you the world of exploration: all you have to do is find some water. My mind is already wandering off, where to go next.

Biggest thank yous to Starboard, my main supporter, for making exciting new boards with endless possibilities. Mahalo also to Black Project fins, Supskin, Maui Jim, Patagonia, Nikon.

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QUIVERS & WHEELS BO TE SUP

By Mackenzie Amos Photos: Sean Murphy

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THE BOTEMOBILE (AKA THE CLARK) BOTE BOARD F O R T WA LT O N B E A C H , F L O R I D A

Bought for two beaver pelts and a silver coin on Craigslist, this 1987 Mercury Colony Park - aka The Clark - has only 44,575 miles on it yet seems so old, it probably runs on a steam engine. According to Corey Cooper, BOTE Owner and CEO, “Every couple of years we aim to purchase a badass vehicle to represent our brand and our lifestyle. This year we are kicking it old school with the Clark.”

Deemed the Clark due to its resemblance to Clark Griswolds’ vehicle in National Lampoon’s Vacation, this wagon pays homage to the time-honored surf vehicle - The Woody - and transports people back to their childhoods of driving in the family car. “At BOTE we consider ourselves a family and the Clark is the ultimate transportation for all of us,” says Cooper. “Not only can it comfortably fit five people, but when empty, it can also nicely hold up to five paddle boards, making it a seamless SUP transporter…. until it breaks down, of course. In which case we grab the strapped-on Flood, Grambler, Jackalope, HD, and Axiom to hit the water.”

Round, round get around the Clark has gotten around for BOTE. From photo and video shoots to Surf Expo, actually driving around on its own power, or being trailered, this wagon has seen it all. Sadly, however, the Clark took its long last ride in January 2016 and is now permanently retired to the floor of their Fort Walton Beach, Florida retail shop where it will live out the rest of its days as a board display.

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QUIVE R S & W H EELS BOT E S U P

QUIVER FLOOD 12’: The fun board, the long board, the cruising board, that all ‘round board.

Volume, length, and shape combine to make this board all of the above. The “Surf Style” shape makes this board friendlier in open water or at the beach riding waves. Similar in shape to the HD, it has a comparable capacity and offers similar goodies like the Stashpod™, Tackle Rac Receivers and bungees. Don’t let the word “Surf” fool you, this bad boy still

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paddles like a dream...plus it looks really cool on top of your car!

GRAMBLER 10’ 4”: A soulful spirit, born from the desire to create a stand-up paddle board with traditional longboard feel and performance, The Grambler surfs beautifully in small to medium conditions. The thumbtail and single wing on the rails allows the Grambler to be nimble, surf rail to rail and

make quick turns. The 10’ 4” length and ample volume transitions effortlessly into recreational paddling making this board ideally suited for the surfer or paddler looking for a slightly larger board to use in both the surf and flat water. The Grambler...East Coast style–West Coast soul. Hit the water, and gramble on.

JACKALOPE 8’ 6”: The Jackalope, a socalled mythological creature, combining the

Deemed the Clark due to its resemblance to Clark Griswolds’ vehicle in National Lampoon’s Vacation, this wagon pays homage to the time-honored surf vehicle - The Woody - and transports people back to their childhoods of driving in the family car.

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horns of an antelope and the body of a jackrabbit. The BOTE Jackalope is also a hybrid of sorts. The combination of a stepped deck and aggressive rails gives the Jackalope enough volume for superior stability while maintaining excellent surf performance.

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HD 12’: It’s all about the lifestyle ... And the HD embodies it. The board that redefined what a SUP should be. The HD is a hybrid between a recreational surf-style hull and a displacement-touring hull with a “V” nose entry. The design

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QUIVERS & WHEELS BO TE SUP

“Every couple of years we aim to purchase a badass vehicle to represent our brand and our lifestyle. This year we are kicking it old school with the Clark.”

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paddles effortlessly while maintaining excellent stability.

Throw in a Stashpod, Tackle Rac receivers, and nose/tail bungees and you’ve got the most versatile board that BOTE has to offer. If you’re looking for a “one board for everything”, then the HD is for you. Load up your coolers with some frosty beverages, put your dog on the front and go enjoy some time on the water!

AXIOM 10’ 6”: Axiom is the essence of an all-around paddle board. The Axiom’s unassuming, yet bold design is surprisingly feature rich. The integrated paddle strap allows you to seamlessly secure your paddle to the rail while hanging out, doing yoga or transporting the board. The full-length, multitextured deck pad provides a soft sitting area for dogs and kids while also protecting the surface of the board. The Axiom’s surf-style hull is super stable, which make it easy to paddle in flat water or while surfing some swells. The integrated Travelink™ Carry System makes the Axiom easy to transport and store. All in all, the Axiom is what all-around is all-about.

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Q UIVERS & W H EE L S MAG W HE E L S

By Stone Parker Photos: Paul Ensyde

MAG WHEELS

WORKING OFF THE GRID IN A 1996 DODGE VAN Standup Paddle Magazine Van CARDIFF, CALIFORNIA

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“Mag Wheels” is the rolling work loft for Standup Paddle Magazine - for this Internetconnected day and age, a new concept and style in working on the road. Nomadic working class, comfort and style of the Conversion van class B type. For riders of the Earth, Mag Wheels is where we lived, ate, worked, slept and showered while being off the grid in the second half of 2015 - putting out magazines and traveling throughout California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona as well as being based for a week at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City in August.

This 1996 Dodge six-cylinder powered vehicle gets around 22 miles to a gallon while hauling a staff of three people working simultaneously. Courtesy of SportTrek custom conversions, Mag Wheels allows the modern comforts of an eating area for four, a double-bed which opens up to another seating area, a kitchen with a two-burner propane stove, a sink, a refrigerator which runs off propane or external power, along with an inside hot water shower and a built-in toilet. It also has a 30-gallon water tank, and a Honda 2000-watt generator that runs an overhead air conditioning system on a gallon of gas for 12 hours along with power for three laptops.

Says Reid Inouye, publisher, “Mag Wheels was a concept to see if we could actually live and work off the grid and for how long a period of time before cabin fever set in. Well guess what, cabin fever never did set in and it’s a way I could easily work and live for a long time. And to break up the craziness, we just drive up to the local beaches where the waves were best and work while watching the crowd factor thin out. As soon as the crowd dispersed, I’d paddle out to usually just a handfull in the lineup and as soon as the crowd came back out, I’d jump back in and keep working.”

To keep the brain firing, he says, “And we always have a fresh-roasted bag of Zumbar Nicaragua-Costa Rican beans and a DēLonghi Dedica espresso maker which

QUIVE R S & W H EEL S M A G WHE E L S

Mag Wheels traveling through Utah and Arizona. Getting the van wrapped by TruckSkin.com and stopping in at Lake Powell Paddleboards in Page Arizona

runs off our Honda gen, along with almonds and organic fruits from Sprouts or Trader Joe’s on hand.”

“Last summer it was perfect because the hot spell from July through early November kept us cool. During the Pacific Paddle Games we actually stayed in our van at Doheny State Beach Park while everyone at the event was baking in 101-degree heat and Travis Grant was parked directly across from us.

He looked at the Mag Wheels with envy with no idea we were working while watching the webcast.”

“But on a daily basis, we’re in here working away, running off our ATT Hot-Spot and cranking things out

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completely off the grid.

Even to the point where we have a routine: 1. Early-morning social media with a lot of images from the waters we paddle.

2. A quad espresso, 3. A three-mile beach run.

4. Some fresh-pressed organic juice from our Breville juicer: beets, kale, lime, lemon, carrots and celery.

5. Either surf or power through until the crowds leave.

6. A hot meal in our kitchen.

7. Back to more work till the sun goes down.

8. Watch and shoot the sunset and/or go out for a paddle session.

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For riders of the Earth, Mag Wheels is where we lived, ate, worked, slept and showered while being off the grid in the second half of 2015 - putting out magazines....

S

QUIVE R S & W H EELS M AG WHE E L S

“Mag Wheels was a concept to see if we could actually live and work off the grid and for how long a period of time before cabin fever set in.”

Reid continues: “But don’t get me wrong, we’ve also taken the Mag Wheels up through Utah and camped at some beautiful places both on the southwest side of the state and at Deer Creek Lake while the Demo Days of Outdoor Retail were going on.”

90 /SPMagazine / VOL 8Nº1 2O16

And lastly: “Make sure you have a two-way air ventilation system on your van, any kind of van. Two is even better because the aroma while on the potty can break the momentum of your workforce and create a foul smelling situation for your staff.”

QUIVERS & W H EELS JIM B RE W E R

By Stone Parker

JIM BREWER’S STARBOARD TIKI WIKI VAN photo: Courtney Brewer

Starboard Tiki Van S A N TA B A R B A R A , C A L I F O R N I A

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Big and powerful and built to take a pounding, the Mercedes Sprinter Van is the drooler of the utility vehicle set, The equation of Mercedes engineering x power x space x style x engineering = comfort and durability on the road, whether you’re crossing the train tracks to get down to Jalama, or crossing the country to deliver boards to Maine.

Home-ported in Santa Barbara, the Tiki Wiki is Starboard “USA” team manager Jim Brewer’s personal and company drooler, “Its function is to be a rolling water-toy garage and ready for all Starboard events. It’s also my kids’ and mine surf mobile. Sometimes I sleep in it when on the road. It has many uses. Sprinter vans are the best rigs for the SUP traveler. Could not get along without it.”

Photo: Courtney Brewer

Brewer bought the van new in 2008 for use at his SUP retail shop, Blueline Santa Barbara which he sold in 2014: “It was a hollow tin box and I added a removable back seat, carpet, board racks and insulated the van wall to wall. Inside it has custom board racks and a back seat that can be removed. It also has eight years of SUP history smeared all over the walls and carpet. Oh if those walls could talk. The outside roof has large racks that can carry very long boards and other big gear. It also has two very larger than life Tiki dudes on both sides.”

The Sprinter has a 6-cylinder turbo diesel Mercedes engine that burns at 21 miles per gallon. For Brewer it’s a daily driver - down

Photo: Chris Owen

94 /SPMagazine / VOL 8Nº1 2O16

to the beach, or across country: “Every day the van is in motion. I have driven it crosscountry as far as New York and Nova Scotia in Eastern Canada. Most of the time it’s at a Santa Barbara surf spot or making the rounds in California doing Starboard work. The Tiki van is lightning in a big tin box. It’s beautiful to me but probably not to our competitors.”

Right now the quiver is: Starboard 7’ 4” carbon hyper nut SUP. Starboard 8’ 0” carbon Pro SUP. Starboard 11’ 2” carbon Nut SUP Starboard 5’ 8” carbon Ultra surfboard Starboard 9’ 3” carbon fiber longboard Starboard 12’ 6” x 25” carbon Allstar race board Starboard 14’ x 25” carbon Allstar race board Dewey Weber 9’ 0” longboard with hatchet fin Ryan Lovelace “rabbits foot” surfboard.

QUIVER According to Brewer, the quiver within and attached to the Tiki Wiki “Totally depends on the week and where I am traveling.”

“That’s just what’s in the van right now. Next week it could be totally different with twice as many boards.

ahead...

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