Monday morning is best with a little SUPS

So the tide was "high" and the surf wasnʻt. There were some set waves that came in that made to paddle out the made you paddle back in even faster. It was still the best way to start a new week. Stand Up Paddle Surfing with some friends is good fun.

We were camping this past week. Had a chance to share some stoke with some new friends from San Diego at Dana Point Harbor. April (stand up video) and her husband Eric were camping also so we had a chance to get Eric in the water. He had never surfed nor paddled at all so this would be his first time in flat water on a Stand Up Paddle Surfboard. Once in the water I had him do some basic drills, he got comfortable and I showed him a couple other techniques and boo-yah!!! Another Hoe Hee Nalu addict! How much of an addict you ask? He was so amped on the gliding across the water I hooked them up again with Ron House and Eric picked up his new Stand Up Board and paddle while still on vacation and was able to get some water time. I got some video of husband and wife playing on their new toys. I evened had the pleasure of paddling with her brother Spence and son Dane one afternoon. Stay tuned for the video...who knows whatʻs on it, me wifey was videoing!?

See you in the water - in the morning - aloha!

More Stand Up Paddling at the Harbor

It was early afternoon and I get a phone call from a buddy wanting to go paddle. His friend is coming down from L.A. and has tried SUPS once before. With the wind and the swell we decided to have fun and head to the flat water. We cruise from baby beach and head over to disappearing beach and mess around. Tony is paddling around and getting the hang of his turning. Cubby and I are working on balance drills and Cub is nailing it. We make a lap around Dana Point Harbor and Tony is up for some more SUPS fun at disappearing beach. Tony started running out of gas so we paddled back over to Baby Beach and called a day... a fun day!

Stand Up Paddling in Dana Point Harbor Video

Stand Up Paddling the Promise Land

On the way down to the Promise Land.  The fog was in and out but the waves were consistent.  Paddled out and caught a couple waves out front.  A few waves later we found ourselves at the Promise Land with big racey lefts and rippable rights.  Good fun... waves for everybody.

Aprilʻs new Stand Up Paddle Surfboard

Down at Dana Point Harbor this morning, April was paddling her new Stand Up Paddle Surfboard. We did a lap and went over some basic paddling and handling techniques. Sheʻs stoked with her new Ron House Stand Up Board.

Hooked up with Chris and the Magic for a little talk story. He was sporting a inflatable SUPS board- interesting. No travel issues, deflate and roll it up.

Met a couple or SUPSers, Steve, Dave... wasup!

See you in the water, bright in early. K-papaʻS

Hoku out.

Stand Up Paddleboard Surfing Championships

This event will be held during the San Clemente Ocean Festival on Sunday July 20th. This is the first Stand Up Paddle Surfing Championship ever held during the Ocean Festival. On July 19th the Stand Up Paddle Surf Race will be help, like last year.

As for the Stand Up Paddle Surf Contest, the event is open to everyone! Judging is based on progressive & classic maneuvers and style (50%-50%) and the use of the paddle will be part of the judging criteria. The contest is on the North Side of San Clemente Pier. There is a TOTAL (men and ladies), TOTAL of 24 openings in this event so if you want in you best bust a move. If you got questions contact Jack Sutter, 949.481.1205 or seastheday@cox.net

As for the Stand Up Paddle Surf Race, July 19th, 8:30am 10k. Get your paddle on!! You can register for the race at www.active.com

Last of the swell

The last swell is still trickling in. Go a get wet if you can. The sun is coming out and itʻs looking like another beautiful day to Stand Up Paddle Surf in Southern California.

Kapaps Stand Up Day Dos

Check out more Stand Up Paddle Surf

For more Stand Up Videos from the Kingz of the Coast.com

SUPS at Kaulapapas

more stand up paddle surfing

Friday and some Stand Up Aloha

Great little nalus that needed to be caught... and they were. Check out www.kingzofthecoast.com for some more Stand Up Paddle Aloha.

SUPS in Forbes Life

This month's copy of Forbes Life [june 08] is blasting the cover with Laird charging Teahupoo. I wouldn't get to excited...seeing the cover I thought there would be a better spread... page 58 & 59, right after the million dollar Bugatti... you decide. How good is it?

So Laird charging Teahupoo, on a Ron House custom Stand Up Paddle Surfboard, on the cover of Forbes Life. The real question is, why would a beach bum have a subscription to Forbes?

Morning Fun

Good fun this morning. Conditions we clean with small, small surf. Nevertheless good fun. In the lineup there was some extra smoothness. Gliding on some nalus was the one and only, Gerry Lopez . We had a blast considering the set waves were only chest high. Tracy, Ron, Sparky and Li’a (not sure how she spells it but she’s a local girl I’ll spell it Hawaiian Style) all out enjoying the ocean. With waves like today, Stand Up Paddle Surfing let’s you get out and get wet and surf!

Lesson dos

I have to make a quick entry on April's progress. The swell started to fill in on Monday morning and there was a lot more motion on the ocean than on Saturday. We paddled out through the "bay" which is a lot less forgiving than other beaches. She was up and paddling looking really comfortable out there. We paddled around for about an hour or so and she was owning it. She's hooked on Stand Up Paddling, next lesson is Stand Up Paddle Surfing.

Paddle with Aloha.

Stand Up Paddle Surf Stoke

This morning I had the pleasure of spending time in the water with Eric, April & Caleb and sharing the joy of Stand Up Paddle Surfing. This was a great Stand Up Paddle Surf lesson, all three had different levels of comfort and experience in the water.

The conditions were great for the first time in open water. Not much swell in SoCal right now but there was some motion in the ocean. The first time anybody tries to Stand Up Paddle Surf (SUPS) the more calm the water the more better your experience. Now I could write a long blog entry about all the techniques we cover individually to get them up and going but I won't. However the best thing of the whole morning was the ear to ear grins and them feeling that exciting, unique almost indescribable feeling you get the first time you stand up and start to guide on the water. It's a whole different perspective.

Sunset Session

K-MO and myself scored this evening. Paddled up to one of our fav spots and had a blast. It was small and the tide was creeping up but have Stand Up Paddle Board and have fun. We played on this little corner for a while and then cruised up the coast a little more and ended up on a point going left and right all night. The tide eventually came in a flooded the small surf. We cruised back south and passed a bunch of dolphins. Rob showed up just in time for a quick paddle as the sunset. Just another day to be grateful for.

Small Sunny and Stand Up

Cali summer comes with warm air, warmer water at smaller waves. Another Stand Up Paddle Surf summer on call if day's like today on lining up. Fun little lines, glassy surface and good friends. Let's pray for some large southern swells so we can bust out the under 9 footers and have some Stand Up fun in some breach break barrels.

See in the water.

Fun past swell

Plenty of waves to be had these past couple days. I'm tried! No Stand Up Paddle Surf pictures from this swell, everyone was actually surfing this time.

I'll huff and I'll puff

Says the SOUTH wind!

Da Story

What's the story with these guys standing up and paddling on surfboards?

There is a buzz in the local waters, Stand Up Paddle Surfing. What is it and where did this come from? Ku Hoe He'e Nalu in the basic, most elementary translation is: to stand-to paddle-to surf-wave. This is surfing, the sport of the Kings (hence "kingz of the coast"). Prior to this year there have been a few newspaper articles written, a couple spots in some of the surfing magazines, maybe a video shot here or there, a blog here or there and one or two websites that give limited information about the sport of Stand Up Paddle Surfing. Now it's a whole new virus and everyone is catching it!

This worldwide segment of surfing known as Stand Up Paddle Surfing was made popular back in the Waikiki Beach Boy days of the 1960's. Stand Up Paddle Surfing, gets the alias of "Beach Boy" surfing from those days in Waikiki when the Beach Boys would stand up on their longboards and paddle with outrigger paddles while taking pictures of the tourists surfing on vacation. Documented "modern" Stand Up Paddle Surfing dates back to the 1940's with the great waterman Duke Kahanamoku and a crew of Beach Boys. However, Hoe He'e Nalu predates even Duke, to the ancient Polynesian paddlers. The roots of royalty are what you experience when gliding and sliding as you Stand Up Paddle Surf. On a side note- the term "Beach Boy" comes from when Duke was a teenager and bailed on school to hang out with the other braddahs down a the hau tree at Waikiki Beach. Duke is known as the father of modern surfing, the ambassador of aloha and the one who made Waikiki "Beach Boys" famous.

So this "new" idea is really one of old and is making a revival. In Hawaii, Stand Up Paddle Surfing is really starting to be seen all over in the islands...and in between them. Hawaiian watermen, such as Dave Kalama, Brian Keaulana, and the others mentioned here, are actively pushing the sport forward with channel crossings, down wind runs and Stand Up Paddle Surfing being added to events like Makaha's Big Board Surfing Classic in 2004. Also in 2004, Archie Kalepa entered the Molokai to O'ahu Paddleboard race as a Stand Up Paddle Surf entry. He finished the 32 mile race in 6 hours. From what can be told he was the first to cross that channel solo by means of Stand Up Paddle Surfing. Laird Hamilton has paddled from O'ahu to Kaua'i, Catalina to Dana Point, the English Channel, even the Grand Canyon, and has Stand Up Paddle Surfed Jaws and Teahupoo.

Currently in Southern California, we are promoting the sport and more importantly the spirit of this regal and majestic Pacific Islander tradition. With the hopes to broaden the perspective of other watermen and water-wahines worldwide. Paddle with Aloha.

More good fun

Got a break and made a break to the break.... give me a break!? What a great session. Don't want to talk it up but it was unreal. 2-4 ft clean lefts and rights peeeeeling. Little crowd, plenty of waves, warm air, clear skies. Fun! The only Stand Up Paddle Surfer out, called in some sets for the guys that couldn't see'em coming in. Everyone was stoked. Even pulled off some helicopters...good fun. Had to call it when the arms stopped working.