Talia Gangini loves to play in the water. And she loves to do it with her pals. Gangini, who finished third in last year’s SUP Awards and is up for another one this year, is a perennial downwind favorite and a skilled surfer. But she puts all her skills on display in this cut…

By now you’ve seen the photo galleries? The SUP Awards presented by Teva went off in one of the most exciting nights in standup paddling history, September 22, 2011, at the historic Casino San Clemente.

This spring, SUP magazine Editor Joe Carberry accompanied some of the world’s best standup paddlers on a surf expedition to Indonesia. They got waves, they explored the Mentawais Islands’ little-known corners, but most importantly, they got to know each other on a personal level. Above all else, in this game we call standup, it’s about the people you meet. Each athlete on the trip brings a beautiful perspective to the sport.

Last week, Rob Rojas, arguably one of the world’s best distance paddlers, won the O’Neill Sea Paddle NYC, a 26.5-mile race he blitzed in three hours and 56 minutes. As New York is one of the most picturesque cities on Earth, we thought it proper to make sure a camera was following Rob’s every move. So enjoy the Rob Rojas Cam as he recaps his Big Apple victory….

Mariko Strickland Napali Coast SUP Run

Aaron Napoleon’s Best Wave from the He’e Nalu TNTV Sapinus Pro

Candice Appleby Defending Champion of Battle of the Paddle 2010

Connor Baxter Surfing in Secrets, Maui, Hawaii

GoPro footage and music by Ekolu Kalama

Dan Gavere standup paddling punchbowl falls on the west fork of the Hood