Perhaps you’ve noticed that standup paddling has been making some pretty big splashes in some fairly mainstream news outlets. From Outside magazine to ESPN to CNN, SUP is quickly finding it’s way into the mainstream consciousness. The latest hit came this month when SUP yoga guru and talented racer Gillian Gibree landed the cover of Yoga Journal. The mother of enlightened publications featured Gibree and talked about the benefits of SUP yoga (see vid of photo shoot below).

“It’s such an honor to be on the cover and featured in their first SUP yoga story,” Gibree says. “I’ve already had people write to me who saw the feature saying they cannot wait to try the sport and start paddling this summer. I’m amazed at how much SUP Yoga has progressed over the past few years and never thought it would become what it is today. I’m feeling pretty lucky, and grateful.”

Here’s a sun salutation to that sentiment. More mainstream coverage of our sport certainly helps the industry as a whole. Where else have you seen standup paddling covered in the press? And more importantly, how does it make you feel?

Welcome to the 2013 “Find the Glide” contest, presented by SIC. Our mission is to build the largest downwind database on Earth. The “Glide Guide” will give paddlers everything they need to access bump runs the world over, from ideal wind direction to shuttle tips to the best après paddle eats.

And if you help, you could win an SIC Bullet and a three-day, three-night stay for two at our favorite downwind destination (secret spot to be revealed in June).

Here’s how: From March through August 30th, enter your local downwind spot into the database and you’re registered to win. At minimum, we need a picture and brief description that includes put-in and takeout, wind direction as well as the prime season. Help other paddlers by giving up more detail (hey, it’s not like a crowded lineup, the more the merrier, plus you’ll get a byline in the most complete downwind guide on Earth). Include a jpg of a map (ie Google), best spots to eat and any other favorite details you deem worthy like outfitters, guides or shuttle services. Include a video link in your description or, better yet, upload your videos. Fill out the form below and it’s on.

The drawing will take place in late August so look for weekly updates at SUPthemag.com as SUP magazine editors highlight their favorite weekly glides or follow us on our Facebook page. And may the wind be smokin’ wherever you’re paddling!

Click Here for Official Rules

Traveling is hard. Traveling with SUPs is harder. In 2011 my husband and I timed our honeymoon so that we could combine it with the SUP World Tour on Namotu. Unfortunately, our lightweight carbon boards arrived damaged by the airlines leaving us to scramble for a repair kit to fix them. Not only that but we found out quickly that oversized “surf boards” have very expensive transfer fees, if airlines even allow them. It all worked out and we had an amazing time in Fiji, but knew that we needed to find a better way to travel with our gear.

This year we were invited on a Caribbean cruise with our extended families. We were immediately excited to travel to many renowned beaches and knew that we had to find a way to paddle at each of the different islands. Our research quickly showed that renting gear was not going to be very easy due to our limited time off the cruise ship each day.

Before leaving town I purchased a 12’6’’ Starboard Tour Inflatable SUP along with a three-piece breakdown Werner Paddle. I was able to fit the inflatable SUP, three-piece paddle, all of our snorkeling gear, and my tri-pod into a large duffel bag. All of the equipment combined weighed under 50 lbs and fit in a regular sized checked bag, saving us lots of money in checked & over-sized baggage fees. Getting onboard the cruise ship was just as easy. No questions were asked about our bags and it even fit in our small closet in our sleeping quarters taking up virtually no living space.

Our first SUP adventure off the cruise ship was in Antigua. We grabbed a cab from the port and headed north on the island to Jabberwock Beach. At the beach we pumped up the inflatable SUP and pieced together the paddle in less than fifteen minutes. It was windy and I was a little hesitant to go out in the water having not used the inflatable prior to the trip. I quickly discovered that it was extremely stable in choppy water. We had the beach practically to ourselves, with the exception of a few kite boarders on the water.

From Antigua we traveled to St.Maarten and ported on the Dutch side of the island. There were five cruise ships in port and we were determined to find an un-crowded beach. After a few minutes of asking around, a local suggested we head to Simpson Bay. Our cab driver dropped us off at among a few hotels and bay full of sailboats. The water was turquoise blue and calm as can be, perfect for a little tour.

Our last stop was St.Thomas in the U.S.Virgin Islands. We heard that you could easily catch a ferry over to St. John’s where over two thirds of the island has been preserved as a national forest. With our SUP bag, we hopped on the ferry and the caught another cab over to Cinnamon Bay. From the parking lot at Cinnamon Bay we walked through a rain forest with birds chirping until we arrived at a breathtaking bay known for it’s turquoise waters and pristine snorkeling. This was by far our favorite spot to paddle.

The best decision we made for our cruise was to bring an inflatable SUP. It was easy to travel with and convenient to use every day. There are many inflatable adventures in our future. –Words and Photos by Jennifer Gulizia

For more SUP photos from Jennifer take a look at her website.

For more Field Notes, click here.

Welcome to another installment of The Rides We Love, SUP mag’s tribute to the best (or most hilarious) rides in standup paddling, whether surfing, running rivers, catching downwind bumps or generally, going big.

This week, Dan Gavere literally jumps into Washington’s White Salmon River for a spring run. Chris Emerick filmed from his own SUP hot on Gavere’s heels.

For more Gavere river antics, click here.

(San Clemente, Calif) – Throughout the summer of 2013, SUP magazine and Natural Vines, makers of all-natural licorice, have partnered to support some of the best events in standup paddling like the Santa Monica Pier Festival, the Midwest Paddlefest, the Tahoe Nalu and the Chicago stop of the Standup World Series.

In addition to supporting these fantastic events, SUP magazine is teaming with The H20 Generation of Rockaway, New York to host a “Sandy Can’t Stop Us,” party in honor of this community that was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy last fall. Following that, the SUP America Tour crew will travel to the iconic Youghiogheny River outside Pittsburgh in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania for a celebration of whitewater paddling.

SUP magazine videographer Morgan Hoesterey will be traveling the country to capture the true essence of American standup paddling culture. The videos she makes will run as a series on SUPthemag.com, highlighting the unique personalities and different SUP colloquialisms she encounters along the way. Come say hello to Morgan and pick up a free copy of SUP magazine and a bag of Natural Vines licorice, made from all natural ingredients.

“The SUP America Tour gives us the chance to travel and meet different characters across the country who have helped create new standup paddling communities and support their efforts,” says SUP magazine publisher Jim Marsh. “You can’t do that from the seat of a desk.”

The SUP America Tour kicks off June 6 at the Santa Monica Pier Festival and concludes on September 30, 2013 with the Battle of the Paddle in Dana Point, Calif.

Click here for a full schedule of events.

Photo: Nicholas Doll

The Conch Republic may not be recognized as a sovereign nation, but a trip to the Florida Keys can be like entering an entirely different world. The 16th annual Key West Paddleboard Classic race provided a four-day festival of SUP fun in the sun for hundreds of paddlers.

The weekend-long event kicked off early with a Thursday evening “Yappy Hour” meet-and-greet hosted by race organizer Sue Cooper of Lazy Dog at the Hurricane Hole Marina, complete with board demos, live music, an invitation to “bring Fido on a leash” and a pack of completely unrestrained paddlers.

After a Friday morning Paddle Yoga session at the Lazy Dog shop, Sue Cooper and elite paddler Justin Cook held an afternoon paddle clinic at the race start location. The official Kick-off Party was held that night at historic Turtle Kraals where, in days past, sea turtles swam in pens awaiting a trip to market.

Heather Baus, the 2012 women’s winner, was happy to be there, saying “I can’t say enough good things about the Key West Classic,” noting that, “race proceeds go to the Special Olympics, so you really feel good about participating. The course is scenic and offers a lot of room to navigate, which can make or break a good performance, but it is packed with a lot of tricks, including heat, wind and currents. This race is not about winning – it’s about finishing.”

Anticipation ran high among attendees from all over. Betsy and Bob Risner drove almost 3,000 miles from Park City Utah, leaving home one day after returning from the Carolina Cup, to attend. Betsy had competed the past three years, but was sitting this one out while recovering from knee surgery. “It has never been a fun race to do,” she said, due to conditions, “but there’s a magical draw. The destination brings you there, the people hold you, and you keep coming back. You would think, going around an island, that the wind would be at your back at some point, but it never was.” Risner didn’t sound like she’d miss pushing through the narrow tidal waters of Fleming Key Cut either, recalling that in past years “it required ten to 20 strokes to move an inch.”

Helga Goebel of Fort Lauderdale, the top Florida female racer for the past four years and Riviera Paddlesurf Team member, who won the women’s overall this year and in 2010, plus the women’s 12’6” in 2011, agreed that the course was challenging, with shifting wind and “currents are all over the place. You don’t know what direction they’ll come from – it’s crazy.” She described struggling against the tide while a competitor cruised along parallel to her, riding a counter current. Helga said she has not been training as hard lately, and her goal this year was “to finish, have fun, enjoy, and help other people.”

Photo: Nick Doll

The main event was held Saturday, May 11th, at Higgs Beach on the southern shore of the island, near the Southernmost Point in the continental U.S. Racers lined up for the Elite 12-mile “Paddle Around the Island” with 14′, 12’6”, and 12′ and under board categories, as well as a four-mile Open Race, both with an ocean start and beach finish at Higgs Beach, near the White Street Pier. The 12-mile race also included prone paddleboard, outrigger canoe, surf ski, kayak and dory categories.

Prior to the start, a traditional Hawaiian Pule Blessing was offered by waterman Reid Inouye of Honolulu, to express thankfulness, request safe passage and provide the paddlers a moment for reflection and camaraderie.

The 12-mile clockwise course transited portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Key West Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico, and passed multiple historic locations including Civil War-era Fort Zachary Taylor, Naval Air Station Key West’s Truman Annex, and the historic Sponge Market and Aquarium. After entering the harbor and passing the local sunset-viewing spot, Mallory Square, racers battled the swift currents of Fleming Key Cut and then traveled the length of the island’s Gulf shore before passing through Cow Key Channel and completing a long Atlantic leg back the start.

Helga Goebel took first place in the women’s 12-mile 14’ category, and won the women’s overall, while having fun, Lizi Ruiz took second and Tammy Brinkman was third. Heather Baus won the women’s 12’6” category, Bailey Rosen took second and Mini Cunha Margareth Lagace placed third. Race organizer Sue Cooper of Lazy Dog captured 8th place in the 12’6”. Aranza Rodriguez won the women’s 12’, Sandy Rodriquez was second, and Holly Amodio took third. 11 year old Savannah Baus and her father Jim won the tandem category.

“This is always a hard race,” said Bailey Rosen. “I think it’s one of the most difficult technical races in the world. It was hot, it was long, and we had either a headwind or a side wind basically the whole time,” she said. “There was a lot of back and forth drafting and passing the whole time, but there was great sportsmanship out on the course and always camaraderie between racers. It places in my top three hardest races of all time,” Rosen added.

Thomas “Maximus” Shahinian won the men’s unlimited category, and the men’s overall, with Daian Hildreth in second and Juan DeLeon in third. In the men’s 14’ division, Charlie Howden came in first, Matt McDonald took second and Jacob Portwood was third. Justin Cook was first in the men’s 12’6” division, Joseph Morel took second and Jamie Twigg was third. Bill Whiddon was first in the men’s 12’, Bert Koch was second and Alex Pelley took third.

Thomas “Maximus” Shahinian, who raced on his rudderless 19’ x 23” board, described the choppy crosswind conditions, saying “luckily it smoothed out on the back side of the island enough for me to make up ground before rounding the island and heading back to the finish line, with even stronger crosswind conditions. You know it’s bad when you need to dodge kite surfers on the course!”

Photo: Nicholas Doll

The Four Mile Open Race consisted of a two mile out-and-back, parallel to shore course starting and finishing at Higgs Beach, with paddlers competing in 14’, 12’ and 12’6” board divisions. In the men’s 12’6” category, Skot Scott took first, Jake Stepp was second and Brad Hallock took third. Andrew Dickey won the men’s 12’ division, Richard Thompson was second and James Bennett took third. Barry Josepher took first in the four-mile 14′ category. In the women’s 12’6” category, Jessica Cichra took first, Annette Garcia was second and Cristina Boeri took third. Jen Hayes won the women’s 12’ division, Alex Cotleur was second and Kimberly Depasquale took third.

Kelly Beard, 32, of Stuart, Florida, who competed in the four-mile race for her first time, and took 14th place in the 12’ and under category, provided these comments: “The four mile race was brutal. We paddled two miles into the wind with rough chop and swell hitting us from the side, so we had to paddle on our left side the entire first half. The second half was certainly better, with the wind at our backs, but you couldn’t see the swells coming, so it was still a challenge.”

A Special Olympics paddle, led by Team Lazy Dog, was held right after the four-mile race. Suncoast Surf Shop of Treasure Island, Fla. donated paddles for each of the athletes, Baus donated the board on which she won the past two 12-mile races, and Lazy Dog donated $1,800 to Special Olympics.

The awards celebration was held at Turtle Kraals & Half Shell Raw Bar in the Historic Seaport. Raffle prizes included donations from local restaurants and shops, a custom bamboo paddle rack by Ernest “EJ” Johnson, a pair of Riviera paddles custom painted by Drew Brophy, as well as the grand prize, a custom 14’ Zulu Warrior race board donated by Packet Casey, who won the men’s 12-mile 12’6” last year, and placed fourth this year in the 14’ category.

“The after party is off the charts! I think it’s probably the best after-paddle party, hands down!” said Baus. “It couldn’t be put on by a better group of ladies,” she said of the Lazy Dog crew, adding that the overall gathering is like an “SUP family reunion.”

On Sunday morning, 17 year old Bailey Rosen ran a sold-out SUP class for 20 kids, assisted by her fellow young paddlers Savannah Baus, 11, and Milla Navarro. “I love doing clinics and helping kids with paddling and stroke!” said Rosen. “They are all so stoked and have a ton of fun, and that’s what makes it most fun for me. I teach safety first, then paddle technique, and skills like buoy turns. It was a blast,” she added. After the clinic, the youngsters competed in a one-mile Kids Race for paddlers 15 and under.

Sunday’s festivities continued with sprints and relays. Sprint races were run in heats on boards 12’6” and under, with the top five paddlers in the men’s and women’s divisions competing in the final heats. The Relay Races featured four person teams, with at least one female per team, and only one 12’6″ or under board per team, on an eight-lap ocean circuit course, in which competitors beached their board and ran through an obstacle course before tagging their teammates.

“The Lazy Dog crew did a great job with the entire event and certainly made me feel at home,” said Beard. “The SUP community is incredibly welcoming, and the pros I’ve met are so friendly and willing to share their knowledge. Nothing compares to the hospitality and graciousness of the people in this sport. I’ll be investing in a race board and entering the 12-miler next year, for sure,” Beard added.

— Tom Fucigna

[Show as slideshow]

For more info, visit: LazyDog.com

In the SUP community there have been giant leaps in training, gear and nutrition over the past few years. We’re seeing more functional on and off water workouts like SUP yoga and CrossFit-style programs tailored to paddleboarding, that are helping athletes enhance strength, flexibility and endurance. And with many of the top male and female paddlers buying into eating organic, locally-produced and whole foods, they have the fuel to push through these workouts and aid recovery afterwards.

But for many standup paddlers, there’s a missing component: rest. Whether it’s a long downwinder, the kind of intense-interval workout Danny Ching favors, or a hard gym session, EJ Johnson-style, training tears down muscle fibers. Eating right goes part way to rebuilding muscle fibers and supporting other physiological aspects of recovery, but without proper rest, a paddler is going to struggle to translate workout gains into race-day performance, regardless of whether you’re an elite competitor on the Standup World Tour or a newbie entering a fun event. Here are three tips to help recover better:

Turn Off the Electronics and Get to Bed!
When you’re recovering from a hard day’s paddling or a long gym session, it’s tempting to kick back and reach for the remote or an iPad. But it’s easy to get sucked into a Game of Thrones marathon that eats into your much-needed sleep time, or to get caught in a Facebook back-and-forth that lasts a lot longer than planned. To adequately recover from training, you need a minimum of seven hours uninterrupted sleep, and preferably eight to 10 hours. Laird Hamilton often gets 12+. So, if you want to be your best the next day, put down the remote, iPad or phone and get to bed! And, try to create a 30-minute buffer in-between screen time and sleep, as the sensory stimulation of looking at a screen can interfere with your body’s sleep pattern.

Photo courtesy of Lake Effect Outfitters

Embrace the Nap
Only kids and college students need naps, right? Umm, not so much. The reason that young people sleep during the day is not because they’re lazy (well, college kids might be an exception), but because their bodies are growing too fast for a good night’s sleep to be enough. Pro athletes have long been fans of napping when and where they can. An article on big wave surfer Rusty Long stated that he and his brother, Greg, can sleep just about anywhere, including on his board bag in an airport. Even getting 15 to 30 minutes of shuteye during the day can help your body recover and be ready to perform at your best, particularly if the first tip on this list wasn’t possible. And if you can’t get to sleep, try just closing your eyes, relaxing your muscles and listening to calming music. “Power naps” can be powerful, indeed!

Photo courtesy of Athleta

Take a Rest Day
Going to the limits is becoming the norm in fitness circles—solo SUP expeditions, ultra marathons and “extreme” races like Tough Mudder, to name just a few examples. As such, overtraining is becoming an increasing problem, even for the most health conscious of paddlers. You can start to view taking a rest day as a sign of weakness, another opportunity lost for a workout. Not so, according to a growing consensus in exercise science. Taking a complete rest can actually help aid gains, while never taking a break inhibits them, driving up your resting heart rate, causing chronic fatigue and even contributing to heart disease. You don’t have to be completely idle, and some light exercise such as taking a walk or bike ride, doing some myofascial release exercises (think using a foam roller on sore muscles, for starters), or going for a very easy paddle can help increase blood flow and reduce soreness. Just save ‘pushing it’ until tomorrow. —Phil White

For more Paddle Healthy, click here.

NEXT Swimwear – known for integrating swim, fitness, and fashion – is proud to announce the 2nd Annual NEXT National SUP Day taking place nationwide on June 15, 2013. The company has once again teamed up with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) to celebrate the burgeoning sport of standup paddling and raise awareness of the health benefits the sport provides young people who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of nearly 30,000 children and adults in the United States.

Going on four years, NEXT has closely aligned with CFF and is excited to partner with the organization to promote this special day of SUP festivities. Scheduled SUP Day events are taking place in Chicago; Austin; San Diego, Newport Beach, Calif.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Clinton, Conn.; Brick, N.J.; and Grand Haven, Mich. At each event, professional and avid stand up paddlers will hold free clinics for children afflicted with CF. The Chicago, Newport Beach, Clinton, and Brick events are also free and open to the public. Additional events around the U.S. are expected to pop-up the day of as well.
“Year two of National SUP Day has grown from five events to eight events, and we know that others are going to pop-up on that day,” said Lisa Vogel, president of NEXT Swimwear. “The event really is more of a nationwide day of celebration, and we’re excited to work side-by-side with CFF to raise awareness of their cause while we all enjoy SUP!”

“Through the generosity and support of companies like NEXT, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is able to share the exciting health benefits of SUP with the CF community,” said Michael Shumard, executive director of the Orange County Chapter of CFF. “Our kids and families really look forward to the hands-on experience, whether they are paddling for the first time or are already pros.”

For more info, visit: NationalSUPDay.com

Competitors paddling out of Maliko Gulch to the starting line.

The downwind run from Maliko Gulch to Kanaha Beach Park was a grueling one, with weaker wind and swell than previous years, but local paddlers couldn’t complain as they’ve been lacking winds for the past few weeks leading up to the event. As competitors completed the 8-mile paddle, they continued the race on land, running 150 yards through soft sand to the finish, forcing many competitors to battle it out head-to-head before a crowd of spectators. Maui’s Connor Baxter claimed his second overall win in two years, sealing his victory with a dramatic dive across the finish line.
“Everyone was paddling their hardest and giving me a run for my money,” Baxter said. “To defend your title is always a nice feeling because you’ve got a huge target on your back from the year before and everyone’s trying to chase you down, so I’m stoked,” Baxter said.

2x Champion, Connor Baxter, crossing the finish line with style.

Legendary waterman Dave Kalama took second place ahead of two-time World Champion and local Maui boy, Kai Lenny as well as elite Maui paddler, Slater Trout.
“Dinosaurs still roam!” Kalama joked as he crossed the line, making reference to his second place finish ahead of the sport’s many dominant young paddlers.

Maui’s favorite Brazilian transplant, Andrea Moller, took the overall win for the ladies, continuing her winning streak at the Ho’olaule’a with her fifth overall win in as many years.
“There are a lot of really good paddlers out there, so I’m really happy to win,” Moller said. “I always have fun [at Ho’olaule’a] and we need events like this to help our sport grow,” she added.

First and second place ladies, Andrea Moller and Talia Gangini, catching up post race.

Talia Gangini of Maui came in second (as she did in 2011 and 2012), just ahead of local girl Devin Blish— an impressive finish for not having paddled in nearly a month. “I haven’t paddled in like three weeks and for me that’s a long time, so I had to push myself even more,” Gangini said.

Local paddler, Reza Danesh, and friends watching fellow competitors come in at the finish.

A traditional luau wrapped up the day, with hula performances and some of Hawaii’s most popular artists rocking the hale (house), including Molokai’s Ekolu Kalama, Paula Fuga, and Anuhea.
Ho’olaule’a, meaning “celebration” in Hawaiian, also featured another day of downwind racing for OC-1s, -2s, and surf skis, as well as free events throughout the weekend. In honor of OluKai’s Ohana Giveback program partners that are local to Maui, as well as to express gratitude to the hosting community, a family fun paddle was held at Paia Youth and Cultural Center, and canoe sailing rides were held throughout the day at Kanaha Beach Park. Proceeds from the event go to the Ohana Giveback Program, benefiting Maui Cultural Lands and Hawaii’s Junior Lifeguard program. The Monday following Ho’olaule’a, Olukai employees and volunteers continue to give back, hiking into Honokowai Valley to help the Maui Cultural Lands with reforestation and archeological stabilization projects. —Shari Coble

Results:

For full results, click here.
For more about OluKai, visit: OluKai.com