In true Hawaiian style, Standup Paddle Magazine and Xcel pulled off the first ever Break for the Lake earlier this week at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Demo Day
(Lake Jordanelle, Utah).

With "Officer Joe K. Aloha" explaining the rules multiple times - and subsequently issuing multiple "citations" - four-man SUP relay teams of manufacturers and buyers gave chase as Standup Paddle Magazine's very own jailbird, Fox, tried to keep some very enthusiastic racers off her tail.

In the end, Team Hobie emerged victorious, (relatively) playing by the rules and with their win, raised $250 for the "Adopt the Gulf" charity fund.

The relay race began with Officer K. Aloha, trusty megaphone and handcuffs at the ready, making sure the rules were perfectly unclear to teams from throughout the SUP industry gathered at the Standup Paddle Magazine corral. Fox then broke for the middle of Lake Jordanelle, officially kicking off the race.

In addition to the actual relay competition, Break for the Lake proved an excellent opportunity for product demo, with plenty variety of SUP boards and paddles in the mix, as well as Xcel's UV Performance Gear race jerseys and Honolua Surf Co.'s hats as relay tags.

Mahalo to Standup Paddle Magazine, Honolua Surf Co., and all the participating manufacturers and buyers for coming out.

For more Break for the Lake photos, check out Xcel's photo gallery.

Photos: Top: All's fair in love and SUP. Bottom: Fox, Team Hobie, their winning check, and Officer Joe K. Aloha. Courtesy of Standup Paddle Magazine.

Photo on right: Women’s division race
Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. (July 21, 2010) – YOLO Board announces the results of the fourth 2010 YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series race event on July 15^th at Western Lake at the WaterColor BoatHouse.  The Unbalanced and Laser Awesome teams repeated victory for the second race in a row winning the Women’s and Men’s Division respectively.  The Unbalanced team is composed of Jessica D’Aleo, Bernadette Leach, Amanda Martin and Gina Seton.  Team Laser Awesome consists of Jay Etheredge, Brian Martinez, Phillip McDonald and Shane Reynolds.  The SoWal Lifeguard YOLO team of Justin Cook, Sean Hughes and Gary Wise finished first in the Elite division race, marking their fourth consecutive victory in their division.  The 2010 series includes 14 Women’s teams, 11 Men’s teams and four Elite teams.

The Women’s Division 2^nd and 3^rd place finishers were the On the Coast Magazine and Drift teams while the Grayton Beach Fitness and YOLO Juniors teams rounded out the top three for the Men.  The Sunset Beach Services and GUSU teams finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in the Elite Division.  The final race event is scheduled for Thursday August 19^th at Western Lake at the WaterColor BoatHouse at 5:00pm.  The 29 teams will

compete in the final race to determine who receives the champion title “YOLO Board Cup Series” in each division.

The final YOLO Stand-Up Paddle Series Family Day race was held on Sunday, July 18^th at Western Lake at the WaterColor BoatHouse.  The lighthearted event offered children the opportunity to learn how to paddle and enjoy a little friendly competition out on the water.  Children participated in different types of
paddleboard races including parent/child races, relay style races and individual races.

The YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series is made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsor The Destin Real Estate Company.  Co-sponsors include: Stand Up Paddle Magazine, The Thirty-A Review, Kialoa Paddles, Wells Fargo Advisors, Seaside Beach, Copy Systems, Bud & Alleys, Pizza Bar, Taco Bar, Destin Health & Fitness Club, Vitamin Water, Pizza by the Sea, Swantree Concierge, Modus Photography, I Will Design For Food, and M Public Relations.

For additional information regarding The YOLO Stand-Up Paddle Series, please visit www.yolorace.com.

Photos courtesy of: Chandler Williams of Modus Photography

Photo on Left: YOLO Board Co-Founder Jeff Archer teaching young Ethan D’Aleo to paddle

NEW YORK, NY (July 19, 2010) – Less than thirty days remain until stand-up paddlers from around the world converge on Manhattan’s waterways for the 4^th Annual SEA Paddle NYC.  As participants continue to register and train for the 28-mile charity paddle around Manhattan, organized by Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA), key figures in the surf, stand-up paddle and entertainment industries have come on board in support of SEA and the paddle’s eight autism beneficiaries.

This year, avid waterman, extreme sports extraordinaire and environmental advocate Tom Jones is not only joining industry legends for the paddle around New York, but is in the process of making history leading up to SEA Paddle NYC.  Jones is currently traveling the 2,800-mile stretch between Key West and New York City via paddle board to advocate for a plastic-free ocean.  Now along the coast of the Carolinas, he should arrive in New York just in time for a celebration paddle around Manhattan with SEA’s 200-plus participants.  If successful, Jones will break his own previous World Record for paddling 1,200 miles along California’s coast.

In addition, Israel “Izzy” Paskowitz, founder of Surfers Healing, one of SEA’s charity beneficiaries, returns for a second time to paddle alongside surf legend Joel Tudor, actor David Chokachi and Extreme Suring World Champ Garrett McNamara.  One of Hawaii’s elite big-wave chargers, McNamara has paddled, been towed and stand-up paddled into some of the largest and deadliest waves on the planet.  From the “Jaws” of Maui to the Tahitian beasts at Teahupo as well as into the tsunami-generated waves of Alaska, “Gmac” has ridden it all.

Jamie Mitchell, one of the world’s premier ocean athletes has signed on for SEA’s first-ever Elite race around Manhattan. The Australian-born waterman, big-wave surfer and international swell-chaser is an eight-time Molokai-2-Oahu paddling champion.  Having won nearly every paddle race he has entered in the last eight years, Mitchell promises to bring his paddling prowess to the inaugural Elite race.

After the world-class watermen and industry greats complete their journey around Manhattan, they’ll join paddlers, family and friends for SEA’s Ultimate Beach Party at South Street Seaport’s Water Taxi Beach starting at 3:00 p.m.  The good times will continue on the third-floor viewing decks of the Seaport for SEA’s biggest party of the year, the White Water Evening.  Boasting the Brooklyn Bridge as the backdrop, White Water partygoers will celebrate the paddle and honor this year’s beneficiaries with silent auctions, a charity poker tournament, live music, an award ceremony and much more.

This year marks the first time SEA will host its renowned fundraising after-parties in Manhattan.  To learn more about SEA Paddle NYC, or to purchase tickets to the Ultimate Beach Party and White Water Evening, please visit www.seapaddlenyc.org.

About Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA)

Surfers’ Environmental Alliance is committed to the preservation and protection of the environmental and cultural elements that are inherent to the sport of surfing. SEA’s goals are achieved through grassroots activism, community involvement, education and humanitarian efforts. The non-profit organization successfully engages in projects that strive to conserve the quality of marine environments; preserve or enhance surf breaks; protect beach-access rights; and safeguard the coastal surf zone from unnecessary development.  To learn more, please visit www.seapaddlenyc.org.

The 1st Annual Stand 4 Something (SUP 4 Cancer) kicked off with 30+ mph winds, big swell, and strong currents in the Columbia River for 30 competitors on Sunday. The 8-mile downwinder started at Viento State Park and finished at the Hood River Event Site, with hundreds of windsurfers, kiters, and one large island in the middle.

Competitors started standing in knee-deep water with their boards in lines of two and three.  At the start, competitors jumped on their boards and took off. Leaders opted to follow the shoreline over riding the swell, hoping for the eddy push.

The Start of the race.

Karen Wrenn took the lead for most of the race until the last 1 1/2 mile stretch when racers had to make a risky decision of paddling the longer starboard side (inside shoreline) of Well’s Island or the more direct port side (in the Columbia River current) of the island. Karen took the outside, while co-leaders Doug Hopkins (Amundson SUP) and Mark Ribkoff took the inside of the island.

Mark Ribkoff, on what seems to be a solo session of the race in the beautiful Columbia Gorge.

At the finish line all competitors had to carry their boards about 10 feet up to a grassy area, then run up across the Full Sail finish line with their paddle. The SUP 4 Cancer finish was tight down to the hundredth of the second.

Doug Hopkins takes a sneak back to check his lead.

Approaching the shoreline Doug Hopkins had the lead, Karen Wrenn was in 2nd, and Mark Ribkoff in 3rd place.  A slight board fumble from Karen Wrenn when she came out of the water moved her into 3rd place as she and Mark ran up to the finish line.  The finish was tight with Doug Hopkins coming in first at 1:26:07, Mark Ribkoff a close 1:27:05 and Karen Wrenn a snug 1:27:06 behind Mark.

Mark Ribkoff and Karen Wrenn race it out for 2nd and 3rd at the SUP Endurance Race

The top 3 finishers

Complete Results:

Overall:
1st – Doug Hopkins, 1:26:47
2nd – Mark Ribkoff, 1:27:05
3rd – Karen Wrenn, 1:27:06

Men:
1st – Doug Hopkins, 1:26:47
2nd – Mark Ribkoff, 1:27:05
3rd – Rod Parmenter, 1:28

Women:
1st – Karen Wrenn, 1:27:06
2nd – Keely Kelleher 1:40:53
3rd – Victoria Hopkins 1:44:19

Overall Times:
1:26:47 – Doug Hopkins
1:27:05 – Mark Ribkoff
1:27:06 – Karen Wrenn
1:28 – Rod Parmenter
1:30:16 – Steve Gates
1:30:22 – Dave Hazenboom
1:40:40 – Cyril Burguiere
1:40:53 – Keely Kelleher
1:44:01 – Rick Graves
1:44:03 – Tom Hanny
1:44:19 – Victoria Hopkins
1:44:57 – John Wrenn
1:45:20 – Jeff Bigler
1:45:51 – Jeff Castleberry
1:46:06 – Glen Mulvey
1:46:11 – Rob Dies
1:48:00 – Heidi Ribkoff
1:49:08 – Becky Bishopp
1:54:58 – Tatiana Lensenn
1:59:15 – Lori Capra
2:02:46 – Kelly Watermeyer
2:06:27 – Pam Galvin
2:06:46  – Stacey Castleberry
2:15:35 – Audrey Davis
2:16:00 – Tee Wolf
2:16:25 – Kevin Francis
2:18:04 – Jessica Peterson