Molokai Race training video with team mate Greg Pavao

This is a video of training with Greg Pavao on the Blue Planet 14' x 28" Bump rider preparing for the Molokai2Oahu two man team race this coming Sunday.  Filmed with the tail mounted camera setup which is shown in the beginning of the video. The video was shot on three different downwind runs from Hawaii Kai to Kaimana. Although I was trying to avoid waves due to the big camera mount and no leash, a wave was breaking and I had no choice to catch it.  Luckily I did not fall in and got a long ride at the end of the video coming in by Tongs and shooting right through the reef outside of the Elks Club.  Filmed and edited by Robert Stehlik, enjoy!

Getting close to Portlock, the last 5 miles are the toughest part of the M2O race

Aloha, Robert Stehlik

www.blueplanetsurf.com

Weekly SUP training group: technique coaching, downwinders, and time trials every Wednesday

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Our Wednesday SUP training group is the longest continuously running training group in the world!

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The Stand Up Paddling Association of Hawaii (SUPAH), sponsored by Blue Planet Surf and Wet Feet, is holding a weekly training group event every Wednesday, this page will have the latest updates, results and coaching videos/ information posted.  The group is coached by Robert Stehlik and Jeff Chang as well as guest coaches.  Depending on wind conditions we meet to do a downwinder from Hawaii Kai to Kahala, or a time trial or interval training in Hawaii Kai.

Wednesday until further notice: We are meeting by the Hawaii Kai boat ramp, unless we are doing a downwinder, in which case we are meeting in Kahala.  Please make sure to subscribe to the e-mails so you get the latest information.  We also post updates on the Oahu Downwind Paddlers facebook group, please ask to join if you want to be part of this facebook group.

Meeting place for the Wednesdays training group: This sign by the Hawaii Kai boat ramp

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We welcome anyone to join our weekly training group, although these sessions are targeted towards intermediate and advanced paddlers to improve their technique and to improve fitness through regular high intensity training.  We will usually run the regular time trial course which can be shortened for those that do not want to paddle the whole 2 mile course.  Sometimes will do shorter sprint training sessions.  If the wind is good, we will do a Hawaii Kai to Kahala downwind run (for downwinders, we meet at Kahala earlier, please sign up for the e-mail newsletter to get updates).  If you are a beginner, we recommend taking some private SUP lessons first as our coaching topics are geared towards more advanced paddlers.

Click here for information on Blue Planet SUP rentals.

Click here for more information coached downwind runs.  

Click here for information on private SUP lessons.

This is the time trial course, approximately 2 miles. 

When the wind is good, our training group does a Kahala run downwinder instead of the time trial.  Please sign up for the newsletter to know when to meet for a downwinder instead of the time trial.  We meet at Wai'alae Beach park in Kahala and launch from the Canoe Hale in Hawaii Kai for downwinders.  If you have never done a downwinder before, please sign up for a private coached downwind run before you join the group runs. 

On windy days, our training group does this Kahala Run (about 5 miles) and a shorter run (about 2.5 miles) for those less experienced in downwind paddling.  

Wai'alae Beach park in Kahala is the meeting place (and finish) when we do the downwind course.  Please sign up for the weekly newsletter to fins out when and where to meet on Wednesdays afternoons.

The results of the time trials are posted online on Racesplitter:

http://racesplitter.com/blueplanetsurf-wetfeet

The first training group is always FREE to newcomers.  If you are attending for the second (or more) time, we ask that you make a contribution to SUPAH. You can purchase a single session for $15 or a 10 session pass for $100. If you purchase a pass we will keep track of your usage. All proceeds are a donation to the Stand Up Paddle Association of Hawaii, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote SUP training, racing and youth development.  We don't take payments at the event, so please go to this link to make a payment: http://wetfeet.rezgo.com/details/50782/training-clinic Demo boards: Please reserve a demo race board with 24 hour notice with either Robert or Jeff, please make a $40 contribution per demo board use which includes transport to and from the event. Mahalo! This is the windguru wind forecast page we like to check, if we have good, moderate Tradewinds from an easterly direction, we will usually do a downwinder: http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=20449

All participants are required to sign this waiver form before participating.  We will have forms available or you can print the form and bring it to the next meeting

This is a video playlists of videos from our weekly training groups, so keep watching to see all the videos from the last few years:

Below is the video from last weeks class, taking another look at stroke technique.  Everyone has been improving their technique.  We will watch this as a group and talk about things we notice, this video has no narrating or music, just raw footage.  I edited the footage to put each paddlers clips together.  Watch yourself a few times and see what you can learn about your own stoke.  Look at the reach, catch, lower hand grip position, stroke rate, shoulder twist, lean, exit, feather, relaxed recovery, breathing, etc, all the things we have talked about.

The Blue Planet team with the 2016 race board models

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Aloha, Robert Stehlik

www.blueplanetsurf.com

2012 Molokai to Oahu race coaching bootcamp by Robert Stehlik

If you ask anyone who has raced in the Molokai to Oahu race what the hardest part of the race was, the answer will most likely be: the last few miles.   Being prepared and training for this last part is key to having a good race, so for the last couple of years, I offered to coach some racers on race strategy, picking a good line and doing a run from Sandy Beach to Hawaii Kai to prepare for the Molokai race. 

This year, Jeff Chang and I joined together to offer a Molokai race training workshop the Wednesday before the race and we had a great group of nine first time Molokai racers sign up.  Although all the participants were experienced racers and have spent a lot of time training and preparing for this race, everyone said they learned a lot.  

The M2O race is considered the ultimate challenge in SUP and when I first got into SUP racing, completing the M2O race became a big goal of mine.  I often hear from new SUP racers that completing this race is on their bucket list.  I have talked to several paddlers doing this race for the first time that say they enjoyed my race recaps and videos on this blog and that it helped them prepare for the race as there is not much information out there.

I decided to put together this post and the narrated video to put out more information for anyone planning to participate in this race.  

Here is a video of the workshop:

We are planning to hold this workshop again next year, so if you are interested check back with us a few weeks before the race as we limit it to 10 participants.

Here is a recap of our workshop.

Molokai to Oahu race coaching workshop

Stand Up Paddle race technique workshop, presented by Blue Planet Surf and Wet Feet, open only to racers signed up for the M2O race.

Coached by:  Robert Stehlik and Jeff Chang

Date: Thursday July 26th, meet at the dirt parking lot close to the finish line of the Molokai race, look for the trailer.

8 am - load boards on the trailer, go over race strategy, explain objectives. Set finish of race as waypoint on GPS for navigating.

8:15 to 9:00 - drive to China Wall (Portlock point)- go over reef areas and talk about options and strategy depending on conditions on race day.

9:15 to 12:00- drive to Sandy Beach, launch through break and paddle downwind along coast, past Hanauma Bay, along Portlock to finish through rough waters to prepare for last few miles of Molokai race.  Faster paddlers will paddle past China Walls several times, exploring several lines.  Debrief on beach, Q&A

M2O bootcamp course- this map shows the course we paddled as well as the straight "rum line" from the start to the finish and the recommended line for the Molokai race.

This map shows the whole M2O race course, with the straight "rum line" and the recommended line: going a little north of the "rum line" at first and ending up along the wall at Portlock point.

I did the race as part of a 3 man team this year, partnering with Jeff Chang and Doug Lock, sponsored by Bluerush Boardsports in Sausalito, CA.  Some of the screenshots in the video show the actual course we took during the race. Here is the complete GPS data from our race:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204630679

Below is a gopro video of the start and first leg of the Molokai race:

Aloha, Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com

SUP Paddle Technique Part 4: Reach and Catch by Robert Stehlik

I started the technique series with the power phase as this is where I saw the quickest improvements when coaching.  All the phases of the stroke have to work together smoothly for the stroke to be efficient and without good reach and catch, the stroke won't be effective.  I already started working on a technique post on breathing but before I get into that I really want to go back to what should have probably been part one of the technique posts: the Reach!

photo: Alex Nix

Work Out vs. Practice
I used to think that SUP racing is mostly a contest of endurance and muscle power.  I worked out hard hoping to become more fit than the competition.  As I spent more time on the water and paddling with others, I realized that technique and efficiency are often more important and usually play a bigger role than overall fitness in race results.  When training the focus should be on practicing good technique and not just "working out".  Fitness is important, of course, and comes as a bi product of practice.  By practicing good technique when training you will train the right muscles to do the right thing automatically when racing.  If your technique is bad, "working out" can actually be counter productive.   By working out the wrong muscles, muscle memory can make it harder to change the stroke to make it more efficient later.

Reaching forward as far as possible will make the stroke longer and more efficient.  The most effective part of the power phase occurs well in front of the feet.  The further forward you can begin the power phase, the better.   If your paddle is too short, you will not be able to achieve good reach, so make sure you have a long enough paddle first, see "choosing the right paddle"

Reach:
Pay attention to how far forward you currently reach when stroking and try to go further.  There are several ways of extending your reach.  First of all, keep a loose grip with the lower hand and open the lower fingers up to allow the paddle to reach a more forward angle.  Straighten your bottom arm and stretch it forward by twisting the shoulder and hip forward.  Bend the elbow on your top arm to angle the paddle forward more.  Practice this and keep trying to reach further and further forward.

Catch:
You can have great reach but if you don't plant the blade in the water effectively and quickly for a good catch, much of the great reach can be wasted.  To "catch",  the blade can be slid into the water from the side or by projecting it straight down into the water, usually a little of both.  Either way, the focus should be on entering the water smoothly and quickly with the paddle edge slicing into the water cleanly, creating minimal turbulence.

Once the blade is fully submerged and "planted" it's time to apply the power.  If you start pulling too soon, the blade tends to cavitate (air bubbles form along edges of blade) and will slip through the water instead of holding.

A good way to practice efficient strokes with a clean catch, power phase, and release is what I call "stealth mode".  It works best on a calm, quiet day (or night).  Go into stealth mode by making as little noise with your paddle as possible.  If your paddle splashes on the catch, try to make the entry smoother and don't pull on the paddle before the blade is submerged.  If the paddle is gurgling through the power phase, focus on really planting the whole blade in the water before applying the power (think of "surprising" the water).   If you are splashing water behind you, try to end the power phase sooner (keep it in front of your feet) and release the paddle smoothly.

A good way to practice your reach is from Danny Ching's technique DVD:  Practice just the reach: Put your blade in the water as far forward as possible but don't pull, just take the paddle back out and repeat this a few times to really focus on just the reach and catch.

Here is the video that goes with this post, shot in our shop with a board on top of a cooler.  Thanks Evan Leong of StandUpPaddlesurf.net for shooting and posting it.

Links to the paddle technique series posts:

Paddle Technique Part 0: Introduction to SUP

Paddle Technique Part 1: Choosing the Right Paddle

Paddle Technique Part 2: The Three Ingredients of a Powerful Stroke
Paddle Technique Part 3: Stacking the Shoulders

Paddle Technique Part 4: Reach and Catch

Paddle Technique Part 5: Recovery, Paddle Length and Grip

Paddle Technique Part 6: Turning the Board
Paddle Technique Part 7: Catching Waves

More reading:

Reach, Dammit, Reach and Kalama's 50/50 by Dave Kalama

Video stroke analysis from SUP racing workshop

Here is an excellent new video using high tech stroke analysis from Quickblade:

Danny Ching gets good reach during a tug of war battle 
at the demo pool, Surf Expo Orlando, Jan. 2011 photo: Rob Stehlik

Aloha,
Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com

Here is part two of the Quickblade technique video, also very good:

Cali SUP trip part 2- Battle of the Paddle by Robert Stehlik

Battle of the Paddle pictures courtesy of Doug Hopkins and Jeff Warner

Battle of the paddle 2009

Saturday, October 3rd 2009 was the big day that many of us had been training for- the second annual Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle. Probably the biggest SUP event of the year with four races, a SUP expo and $25K in prize money. Sparky, the owner of Rainbow Sandals had a great vision and this second event was great. I did not make it to the first BOP and was excited to be in Dana Point for this event.
The first race in the morning was the age group race. This had to be the biggest field of SUP racers ever, with hundreds starting in each division from the beach in a staggered start. Mark Raaphorst had the fastest time and Zane Schweitzer came in first in the Stock division with a 5th place overall, beating a lot of guys on unlimited boards. My training partners Jeff Chang and Edmund Pestana got 1st in their divisions- good job guys!
Follow this link for complete race results. I did not enter in the age group race as I wanted to save my strength for the Elite race which started at 1:30 pm.
There was a big crowd of people on the beach and many companies had demo boards available to try. Check the video I shot of the race, pretty amazing to see that many people racing.

Battle of the Paddle 2009 age group race video from Zen Waterman on Vimeo.


The Elite Race
With a $25K purse and a spectator friendly format this invite only event has established itself as the most important SUP race of the year. I did not go to the first Battle of the Paddle last year and was not on the invitee list for the Elite race but I really wanted to be part of this ultimate SUP race. I e-mailed and called organizer Barrett several times with my race results and asked to be allowed to enter with no replies and was getting worried. I finally got a message a few days before the race that I could enter- sweet! Just being part of the event as one of the Elite racers made me feel pretty darn good.I printed out this map and spent some time studying it before the race but was still confused by it. The route turned out to be easy- just follow the other guys!
I was so pumped up and ready for the start. I had visualized and practiced the start many times and my heart would start racing just thinking about it. I really tried to stay cool and keep my heart rate down as we were standing close to each other on the beach, holding board and paddle, ready to charge into battle...

BOP 2009 elite race start

Doug Hopkins took this picture, I'm in the middle just about to get up. I got off the beach and on my board quickly and had no paddlers next to me in my peripheral vision for the first few strokes. Then I saw Aaron Napoleon leading the charge and a bunch of guys appeared all around me- the pace was frantic. The waves were fairly small and gentle but during the Elite race there were some pretty good size sets coming through which made the race super exciting. After passing the outside buoy, the course was M shaped with the third buoy marking a 180 degree turn inside the surf break. With many racers on each wave approaching this turn, the announcer was having a field day with collisions, pileups and just general mayhem at "the hammer". I kept hearing things like - "Ooooooh, they're having another yard sale at the bone yard!"
The Elite women division was launched a few minutes behind the men. Candice Appleby on the left getting ready to launch.

After completing the first round, we landed on the beach, had to run through the "chicane" with the crowd cheering us through the 75 foot beach run and launched back into the surf. Jeff Warner was my board handler and had the 12'6 Everpaddle board I was using ready on the other end. The low tide made the launch tricky as my fin touched bottom quite often. Next time I'll bring a fin that's not as deep.
Jeff in the Legends "sweeper" uniform did a great job handling my board and keeping me going.

Everything went fairly well and I went into the third round close to the lead pack probably in 15th place or so. I kept thinking I should have trained harder as the level and speed of the paddlers around me was fast and furious. I usually try to be relaxed and focused while I race but that went out the window, I was going all out and relied on my instincts to get me through the race. As we came down the outside stretch in the third round, Ekolu called out one of the day's biggest sets approaching. I turned the buoy just in time to catch the first set wave from all the way outside and started riding it towards "the hammer". Other racers took off on the wave and we were angling towards the inside buoy. I somehow angled too much and as the wave jacked up and broke, I was not able to straighten out in time to control the board and got flipped off. Without a leash, the board took out the rider next to me as well and got washed inside with the whitewater. I started swimming in with my paddle, hoping to body surf the next wave to get to my board. The next wave came full of racers hollering at me to watch out as I actually considered body surfing between the out-of-control boards and wide eyed racers but opted to put safety first and dove under the wave. By the time I reached my board, more than 10 racers had passed me and I could not make up the lost time. I finished in 24 th place and in one piece, the battle was over.

It was the most exciting SUP race I have ever been in and I have compared it to riding bumper cars, gladiators, ice hockey, windsurfing slalom racing, and demolition derby. The format and close interaction with the crowd on the beach made for a highly charged event. Respect to the impressive top two finishers Jamie Mitchell and Slater Trout and congratualtions to all finishers. Thank you Sparky for the vision and Rainbow Sandals for putting together an amazing race.

Evan Leong of standuppaddlesurf.net took this picture of Hawaii racers Kainoa Beaupre, Edmund Pestana, Zane Schwietzer and Robert Stehlik after the distance race on the day after the Elite Race.

Aloha,
Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com

California SUP trip- Hennessey's and Tahoe races posted by Robert Stehlik

The crew from Hawaii before the start of the Hennesey's race that would take us around Alcatraz Island (L to R): Kevin Seid, Carlos Gillis, Robert Stehlik, Kainoa Beaupre, Morgan Hoesterey, Nikki Gregg, Honora Kalama and Eloku Kalama

Travel Report: 10 day Stand Up Paddle racing trip trough California. Sept. 25th to Oct.5th, 2009:
It started when my friend Kainoa Beaupre told me about the trip he was planning with Ekolu Kalama to participate in three SUP races and asked me if I wanted to come along. Of course I wanted to go, I was not sure if I could pull it off but everything came together. Here is the story.

Hennessey’s International Paddleboard Race 2009

I arrived in San Francisco on a red-eye flight from Honolulu early Friday morning before the race, took the BART subway and walked from the station to Fisherman's Wharf. I got to the beach and ran into my friend, Jeff Warner from Legends Surf in Carlsbad. We decided to rent bikes and head to the Golden Gate bridge.

When we got to the bridge it was covered by fog and overrun by tourists so we headed back to have lunch.
This is Jeff heading back to Fisherman's Wharf.
Kevin Seid from Everpaddle arrived in the afternoon with three brand new 12'6" Stock race boards that we were excited to try out before the race. We did some sprints in the bay and tried to pick the fastest boards for the next morning. All three boards were fast and it was almost impossible to tell which one was fastest.

Kevin Seid, Jeff Warner and myself with the pier and Alcatraz in the background. I loved the jailhouse themed race jerseys.

To my surprise, there were plenty of swimmers in the bay, training without wetsuits. The water was cold, especially compared to Hawaii, but it was not a cold as I expected.

After a night in a crowded hotel room shared with my friends from Hawaii, we made it to the beach. I was worried my friend Robby Ellingson from Boardworks would not make it to the start on time, he was bringing a C4 XPR race paddle for me to use. He spent most of the night driving up from Encinitas and just slept a few hours in his van, but he showed up bright an early.
Robby and Carlos unloading the van. So, I had a paddle but Kevin had the boards and he was not answering his cell- was he still sleeping? He showed up last minute with the race boards and we were all set for the start.
The sunrise was awesome and we lucked out with nice weather. The ground felt freezing cold but as soon as we started paddling I warmed up. Since we were all paddling, I have no pictures of the race, sorry. The Unlimited race started first, with a nine mile course around Alcatraz and Angel island. I was in the 12'6" stock division with a 6 mile course that took us towards the Golden Gate bridge, then back to Fisherman's Wharf then out to Alcatraz, around the island and back to the finish. I was under the impression, like most people seem to be, that the waters around Alcatraz are treacherous with ripping currents and patrolled by great white sharks, making an escape from the old prison next to impossible. To my surprise, it turned out to be a pleasant, scenic paddle (or would have been if I was not battling for position with some of the fastest SUP racers in the world). This is probably one of the most scenic urban settings to have a paddle race.

The stock race:
I got a decent start and soon found myself drafting behind TJ Saeman with Shakira Westdorp and Brandi Baksic following close behind. We were following TJ like ducks in a row. I tried to pass TJ a couple of times but he would pick up the pace and I could not pass him so I kept falling back into the drafting position. This was the first time I drafted in a race and I was surprised by how much much less energy it took to draft than to cut through the chop. I think the water coming back together behind the leading board creates a small bump that you can actually ride, also the water gets smoothed out and pulled forward by the lead board. This drafting effect seems to be even more pronounced in the third or fourth position. The tricky part is to maintain a close distance to the board in front of you without bumping into the tail and without going off course. I focused on the tail in front of me and usually switched my paddle one or two strokes after the lead paddler. I had to constantly adjust the power of my stokes to maintain the right speed. I would estimate that I used 15 to 20% less energy when drafting on the stock board, which is significant. On longer unlimited boards with their smooth water entry, drafting is probably less effective.
Coming around Alcatraz, a ferry boat bringing tourists to the prison was churning up water, which was tricky to navigate, around the next corner, TJ was cutting it super close to the rocks; his fin hit a rock and he fell forward off his board. I took the lead for a little while but TJ got up quickly, caught up and passed me again. In the final approach we all put in a last ditch effort to pass each other and Brandi pulled ahead on her thick Brian Syzmanski/ Starboards prototype, those boards seemed to work great for the conditions. I ended up behind TJ and Brandi but my 8th place overall finish time was enough for a 3rd place in my division, so I was stoked. Hennessey's put together an awesome luncheon party at a fancy restaurant overlooking the race course.

Big smile, this is the first time I ever won money in a race, so I was excited. Next to me are first and second overall finishers- Byron Kurt and EJ Johnson- those guys are fast and proved it again at the distance race at the Battle of the Paddle the next weekend- good job, guys!

The top three SUP Unlimited 40+: Thomas M. Shohinien, Thomas Gallagher, and Chuck Patterson- these guys were PUMPED UP.

The top three SUP unlimited under 39: Jared Vargas, Ekolu Kalama, and Dolan Eversole. Next to them is Mr. Hennessy himself in the white jacket- thank you sir, for the great contest, parties and price money!

I did not get a good shot of the other top finishers, sorry. Congratulations to all racers.
complete Hennessey's race results

When the luncheon was over, it was time to pack up the gear and head to Lake Tahoe, the site of the next race on the itinerary. Kevin Seid and I drove his rental van to South Lake Tahoe and checked into a cheap motel. Jeff and Robby ended up staying in San Francisco and left at 3:30 am to drive to Lake Tahoe to meet us at the start. The rest of the crew from Hawaii decided not to do the Tahoe race although they ended up going to Reno to gamble and met us at the finish in North Lake Tahoe.
We got up just in time to get to the start and I was scrambling to get some food in my stomach before the race. I did not take my camera with me during the race so I have no photos from the Tahoe race at all, bummer. If anyone has pictures, please e-mail them to me so I can post them.

2nd Annual Tahoe Fall Classic Paddleboard & SUP Race

2009 Tahoe Fall Classic

I took this picture of the start from the Tahoe Paddle and Oar website where you can also find the complete race results.
The start was at Camp Richardson, the air was clear and you could see the other end of the lake where the finish was at King's Beach. The air, ground and water felt freezing cold but it was a beautiful day but once again I warmed up as soon as we started paddling. There was no wind and the water surface was completely smooth and glassy with only a few boat wakes disturbing the glassy water. I was concerned about the altitude and SUP'ing on fresh water for the first time, but neither turned out to be much of a problem. The race started fast with the lead pack breaking away quickly and keeping a fast pace. I meant to draft behind my buddy Robby Ellingson on his unlimited board but after a few strokes his tail started spinning out. He stopped paddling and as his board slipped into a turn said "I don't have a fin!". He forgot to tighten the fin plate screw, so he had to turn around to put in a new fin. Despite getting a 15 minute late start he still passed most of the field and finished in the top 10. I could not catch up with the fastest guys on unlimited boards but found a fast local paddler on an unlimited board (the guy in the black shirt in the middle of the picture above, I forgot his name but he has a construction company in Tahoe). I was able to draft him on my 12'6 Everpaddle stock board for about an hour and a half without a break. I had a water backpack lying on the board at my feet and wanted a drink badly but did not want to stop and loose the good draft, so I had to wait for him to take a break. He finally did and I had just enough time to put the Da Kine waterbag on my back and keep going. The drafting was working great and I was hoping I could draft across the whole lake for the 22 miles. Unfortunately that strategy did not work out but the drafting made it easier, for sure. The water in the middle of the lake was beautiful with the sunlight making cool patterns in the deep clear water. I focused on my breathing and synchronized it with my strokes, exhaling with each pull. My mind went completely blank a few times in a trance-like meditative state. I drafted behind Lance Erickson from Dana Point for a while and had a good chat with him until he got tired and needed a break about three hours into the race. The finish looked pretty close by then and I thought I could finish it in another 30 minutes or so and started paddling all out. There were some boat wakes going in the right direction and I tried to time my strokes to use all the push I could get from the tiny bumps. Even though the finish looked deceptively close, I still had quite a ways to go. I finished the race in under 4 hours and was stoked- first place in the stock division! I did not fall in the whole race and finally took a cooling dip at King's Beach after finishing. We got to meet some of the friendly locals at the finish, and Kainoa and the gang from Hawaii stopped by too, on their way to Reno. We were served a nice lunch and had an outdoors awards party before catching a ride back to the south end of the lake.
My request for Tahoe pictures was answered:
Jeff Warner sent this shot of the awards luncheon at King's Beach: Dan Gravere, Robby Elingson, Robert Stehlik, Jeff Warner and Kevin Seid.

Kevin Seid sent me this one he took right before the start, check out the clear water and beautiful scenery. The Tahoe Fall Classic was a great, memorable day.

After getting back to South Lake Tahoe, we went to a Thai restaurant and ate lots of good food before heading back to San Francisco. The next morning I headed back towards Encinitas with Robby. We had to pick up some C4 Waterman demo boards he left at the Log Shop in Pacifica, they had a big party (and surf contest, I think mostly as an excuse to get a permit) at Ocean Beach the night before. The Log Shop is one of the coolest surf shops I have seen with indoor skate park and graffiti walls in the huge space they occupied. Check out their my space page for skate videos.

I was wishing my shop in Hawaii (Blue Planet Surf Shop) was that big.

Robby with his computer shape
at Segway Composites

We drove most of the day to pick up Robby's computer shaped blank at Segway Composites. He designed a 12'6" race board on his computer and wanted to use it in the Battle of the Paddle six days later. The owner, Ken spent several hours educating us about surfboard construction, very interesting.
We ended up driving to Robby's hometown, Mt. Baldy, the closest ski area to L.A., where his dad owns the Mt. Baldy lodge. He was celebrating his birthday when we arrived and we had a few beers and shot some pool in the bar.

Altitude training at Mt. Baldy

The next morning we got up early and drove to the top of the ski area to do some altitude training, we went running at 8000 feet and I quickly ran short of breath following Robby up a steep climb. This time I definitely noticed the thinner air. We were hoping to boost our red blood cells for the Battle of the Paddle. Later that day we dropped the computer shaped blank at Casey McCrystals shop in Huntington beach and watched him finish shape the board.

Casey McCrystal shaped, glassed and finished in only 3 days for Robby to use it at the Battle of the Paddle.

On Wednesday I met up with Jeff at Cardiff for a morning SUP surfing session in decent waves. We were catching the waves to the right of the main break. There was an outside peak that would back off and if you could connect, jack up again for a fast inside closeout section. I tried the new 9'6 C4 SubVector model for the first time and was impressed by how stable yet manouverable it was.
We then went by Donald Takayama's shop in Carlbad to drop off a paddle Jeff had borrowed. Donald was in the middle of a business meeting with his Japanese partners pouring over spreadsheets, so I just expected a quick handshake. To my surprise, Donald excused himself from the meeting (he was probably bored by it anyways) and took about half an hour of his time to show us around his shop and talk story about his design ideas for Stand Up Paddling boards and Hawaii. I was amazed by the stoke, energy and enthusiasm he had after so many years in the industry. He still has plenty Aloha, too.

With the legend: In Donald Takayama's shaping room with a wooden blank

Afterwards we went to Jeff's comfortable store in Carlsbad, Legends Surf where I hung out in the recliner for a couple of hours.

Jeff Warner at Legends Surf Shop in Carlsbad

Jeff in his super cool hangout shop- Legends in Carlsbad, where he also runs Warner designs on his computer in the back behind the big fish tank.

On Wednesday I visited the Altered electric skateboards warehouse in Lake Forest. I distribute their boards in Hawaii through Bionic Wheels.

Altered Electric Skateboards

I checked out their latest (still secret) prototypes, went for some test runs and talked business for a while. I checked into my hotel in Dana Point and went for a paddle at Doheney state park that evening.

On Thursday, I met Zane Schweizer, a 16 yr old from Maui who was staying at the same hotel. Zane's grandfather, Hoyle Schweitzer, invented Windsurfing. When I started windsurfing, all the gear had to be "licensed by Hoyle Schweitzer" as he held the patent. We did some training runs to get ready for the big race, practicing the transition from running on the beach to launching into the water and back out. In the evening we went to a talk by Jamie Mitchell, the 8 times Molokai race champion (prone paddling) at the Cardiff Patagonia store.

Jamie Michell's Molokai training program:
Here is what I learned about his training regimen: Jamie, his coach Mick and his Aussie mates prep for the Molokai race with three paddle training days a week, with one long run on the weekend and two shorter ones during the week. They work themselves up to doing more than the race's 32 miles on the weekend run and more than half the distance during the weekday runs for a total of more than twice the Molokai milage per week. In addition Jamie swims several times a week- over 3 miles each time and does some strength training and running as well (he did not even mention surfing, SUP or tow in surfing). In addition he talked about the importance of nutrition, recovery (rest, sleep, taking days off) and having a training group that pushes each other. There you have it- now you know why he is so fast.
When Jeff Warner asked him if he plans to Stand Up Paddle race competitively he said that if they held the Molokai race on two weekends with prone and SUP held on separate weekends, (which is a possibility in the near future) he would do both but for now he will stick with prone paddling. Jamie said he entered the BOP race "for laughs". For those that don't know, he won the Elite race against most of the fastest SUP racers in the world two days later, for more on that see the next blog entry.

On Friday I walked down to the beach to find a buzz of activity and a big group of my friends from Hawaii. I talked story for a while and helped some of my friends set up their tents for the Battle of the Paddle SUP Expo, had dinner with Doug Hopkins and his friend from North Sports whose Aquaglide boards I also distribute in Hawaii and then went to bed early.
The Battle of the Paddle SUP Expo. For more on the BOP, check Part 2 of the California SUP travel story

Please watch the Zen Waterman interview with Kevin Seid at the Battle of the Paddle Surf Expo below


Kevin Seid, Battle of the Paddle interview from Zen Waterman on Vimeo.

Aloha,
Robert Stehlik
www.blueplanetsurf.com