Joins us April 24th & 25th, 2010 at the Strand Pipe in Strand, South Africa for an event full of fun and grear prizes. Naish Africa will be there daily providing SUP demos, lessons and more. There may even be time for a race or two.

Log onto www.breach.co.za for entry forms and more info. 

The weekend of April 17th-18th, 2010 was the date, La Cicer beach break in front of the promenade of Las Palmas bay on Gran Canaria the place, for the first stage of the “Canarian Surf & SUP Tour”. Conditions provided 1-3 ft. glassy surf and sun. Power couple Nicole Boronat and Stephanne Etienne took the opportunity to compete as training for the upcoming SUP Worldtour stop in Anglet/France. Stephanne scored a 3rd place on his Hokua 8’10" despite a muscle injury which he obtained in his first heat.

On April 19, 2010, Naish team rider Jenny Kalmbach and  friend Morgan Hoesterey, two of the world’s elite female standup paddlers, completed the fourth channel in their eight-channel quest - Destination 3° - to link together the Hawaiian island chain via the legendary open-ocean channels that separate them.

After being delayed several days on the Big Island by gale-force winds, Kalmbach and Hoesterey crossed the Alenuihaha channel between the Big Island and Maui on April 7.

They followed up with a short run on the Kealakahiki channel between Maui and Molokini; 12 miles in the Au’au channel from Maui to Lanai’i; and a 15-mile stretch in the Pailolo channel from to Maui to Molokai.

Up next is a paddle along Molokai’s famous sea cliffs; the Kaiwi channel from Molokai to Oahu on April 23; the 80-mile Kauai channel under the full moon on April 28; and finally finishing with the Kaulakahi channel between Kauai and Niihau.

To follow these 2 paddlers on their adventure check: www.destination3.com and on Facebook at Destination 3° (degrees), or on Twitter at 3degreepaddle.

Whether you are a novice or an expert, or anything in between, Karen along with Mike Roberts of Paddle Surf Warehouse on May 1, and SUP Company Fitness Trainers on May 2, will help you improve your paddling technique, and most importantly just have fun. Best of all it will be free!

Alexandre Gregoire, owner of the Surf Shop in Hyere, Almanarre commits fully to Naish Stand Up equipment in his shop as well as a School/Rental Stand Up Station.

Naish Dealer, Paddleboard Specialist, is super stoked to announce that their SUP summer challenge series will not only help spread Standup Paddleboarding to the Midwest, but it will help a great cause too.

The “Paddle for the Polar Bears” series will raise funds for Madison, Wisconsin’s Henry Vilas Zoo, which will help to complete the Arctic Passage, a home for polar bears and seals.

Don’t own a board? A $15 equipment charter including a lesson is available.

When each challenge is completed, Paddleboard Specialists will also be holding official Regional Naish Surfing races with the top finishers across the six-event series qualifying to compete at the national Naish Surfing final event in Lake Tahoe on September 26, 2010.

Want to get a jump on the competition? Call Paddleboard Specialists at 1-877-473-1199 or email info@paddleboardspecialists.com

Details:
Location: Wingra Park on Lake Wingra in Madison, Wi.
Dates: Sunday, June 6; Sunday June 27; Saturday, July 17; Sunday, July 25; Saturday, August 7; Sunday, August 15
Time: 10:30a.m.-1:15p.m. lessons; 1:30 p.m. challenge events, 3 p.m. Naish Surfing race series races
To assure availability of charter equipment, participants can pre-register for lessons and for the events by emailing info@paddleboardspecialists.com

The German SUP scene is getting its first Stand Up Paddle race series. The German SUP Challenge 2010 will have a total of six tour stops. Nations like the USA, Japan, France, Spain and Switzerland have established their competitions already, but now it’s time for the most individual competition series in Stand Up Paddling all happening in the center of Germany. The German SUP Challenge 2010 is bringing the pro sport together with amateur sports in one event. SUP is still avery young sport and in order to make it as accessible for everyone as possible, different competition forms for the different age groups as well as different athletes were developed. Goal of the German SUP Challenge is in different forms of competition, therefore, in addition to the usual 2km race distances there are short sprints, high-speed GPS paddling and Long distance Races

2010German SUP Tour – Dates and Locations:

Naish welcomes the addition of Tahitian Big Wave Surfer Vetea “Poto”  David to the Naish SUP Team. The powerful regular footer who spent over a decade competing on the world tour was one of the guys to put the world famous Teahupoo on the surfing map.

Welcome to the team!

Photos: Vincent Devert

Congratulations to Laux Patrick Patuariitea and Tuturu Tutea who took first and second at the 2010 Hui Maohi Festival in Tahiti. Riding their Naish Hokua 9’3 and Mana 9”5” both riders were charging through the heats to end up on the podium!

Laurent Grimaud won the 10km Open SUP downwind race on his Glide 14’0” Congratulations from all of us at Naish.

Stand Up Paddling (SUP) is taking the world by storm – and so is SUP-racing.

Naish SUP and Primi Extreme are proud to present the first national SUP race series with races confirmed for Durban and Cape Town. The objective of the race series is to develop SUP racing in South Africa and to ultimately crown a SA SUP racing National Champion.

Event dates
Durban

1. 02.05.10 Primi/Naish SUP Season Opener (incorporated into Surfski New Balance Season Starter Grading race  – Venue: Marine LSC Durban – 6km 

Cape Town

1. 17.10.10 Primi/Naish SUP CT leg 1(incorporated into Brians Kayaks Mellerware Grading Race) – Venue: Long Beach/Simons Town - 6km
2. 21.11.10 Primi/Naish SUP CT leg 2 (incorporated into Powerade Oceana Race) – Venue: Oceana PBC, V&A – 7km
3. 01.12.10 (date TBC) – Primi/Naish CT leg 3 (Downwind Milnerton – Big Bay) – Venue: Milnerton – 10km
4. 12.12.10 Primi/Naish SUP Final (incorporated into Peter Creese Lighthouse Race) – Venue: Fish Hoek LSC – 6km

Entry fee:
Series Entry fee: R250 (includes contest Lycra)
Per race entry fee: R50 (+R100 for contest Lycra)

Classes:
12’6 – boards up to 12’6 with fixed rudder
14’ – boards between 12’6 and 14’ with fixed rudder
Open – anything that is paddled standing up with one bladed paddle
Ladies, Mens and Juniors

Prizes:
1st Prize: Naish Glide (Overall Mens Race Tour Champion)

+ R20,000 worth of prizes across classes.

Registration at:
Email:  peter@sup-culture.co.za  or on the day – please check updates on Media Partner www.SUPHQ.com

Kai Lenny took 3rd place at the 6th Annual Ian Walsh Menehune Mayhem surf event at Hookipa on Maui, Saturday March 28th.

Congratulations on yet another stellar performance Kai!

Photo Credit: Bob Bangerter

Photo Credit: Zak Noyle

Story Credit: Matt Willett

Matt Willett  Congratulations to team rider Karen Wrenn for paddling the renowned “Catalina Challenge” solo in a time of 9:10:01 on March 28, 2010.   

On March 26, Karen, her husband John, and myself hopped on board the SS Metaphor, a 50 foot sailboat owned and captained by Chris Wyman, Sports and Marketing Director for Kaenon Sunglasses.  We set sail to Avalon Harbor on Catalina, the starting point for this 40 mile race.   

We all pitched in and helped run a very successful demo on Saturday, a day before the big race, which attracted both locals and tourists to South Beach.  With a quiver of Manas and Glides, our boards were constantly on the water.   After a long day, Karen retreated to her cabin on board to prep for the early 8am start at Lovers Cove.  With calm conditions and a beautiful sunrise the next morning, Karen and about 15 other groups of SUP’s set off for Dana Point. 

About one hour into the race, Karen was greeted by an unlikely visitor.  A 30 foot Minke whale popped up right alongside Karen and her 17’ Glide and continued to swim right with her for over 2 hours, gliding under her board and our sailboat.  It was truly a once in a lifetime moment.  According to whale experts who saw the footage, Minke whales are rare in that part of the ocean, and it is even more rare for one to be so friendly for so long.

"I saw it swimming below me in the clear water, I could see the whales eyes looking at me, its tail would be at times right under and in front of my Naish Glide. The polarized glasses I was testing worked almost too well. I just had to trust the whale and keep paddling.”  Karen kept a steady pace though and continued on without taking one break the entire race.   

Hours of training in challenging conditions in Oregon provided her with the strength and motivation to keep focused on the finish line.

At 5:00 pm, she rounded the channel at Baby Beach, and even though she had to battle a fierce headwind at the final push, she cruised into the finish tired, but in great spirits from an amazing trip.  “I had a great day, it was an amazing experience and a huge personal accomplishment. “ 

What is even more impressive is after a great night sleep, she joined us the next day as we cruised up the coast to surf at a spot called Bolsa Chica.  Karen jumped in ready to paddle again and catch a few waves, obviously recovered and up for another challenge, a true testament to her ambition and competitive nature.   

Karen Wrenn

You can read more about her adventure and see photos and video at: www.karenwrenn.com.

Next on the schedule is the Waterman’s Applied Science Paddle For Humanity for Surfaid International on May 1, 2010.

MyGeoLive

Follow the Naish SUP France Tour on MyGeoLive. See live tracking on the races, photos, videos and updates.

For current information on the tour visit the Naish France facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/naishfrance

Gruissan Contest

The first stop on the tour consisted of 3 races in Gruissan. One race was held in town while another was held outside of town and the third race was a 25 knots downwinder. Everyone was stoked!

1st Place: Rico Leroy (Glide 14'0" AST)

2nd Place: Alexandre Gregoire (Glide 14'0")

With disaster comes tragic stories, but also thousands of amazing tales of heroism and humanitarian efforts. What is fascinating to me is the way people have learned to talk to one another again.

The entire country feels like a small village today where everyone knows and appreciates each other. Positive energy and solidarity are abundant and you walk the broken streets amongst real life heroes. 

For example, yesterday Duao the fisherman brought his entire catch of the day to the city of Curico and gave it away for free as a gesture of appreciation for the help they received right after the tsunami hit.

There are many stories like this one, but despite them, there still remain regions far from returning to normality and thousands of kids have still not returned to school. Winter is fast approaching and the first rains in the south have hit, stressing the emergency for solving the housing issue that so many still face. 

Another important issue today is the psychological consequences of the mega 8.8 quake. In some coastal villages, people are still afraid of going back to their houses and prefer to camp on the hills. There have been many aftershocks and the fear of another tsunami is still omnipresent. 

Surfers have been helping a lot in this sense, like in Pickilemu, Chile's surf capital, where we just had a "Reconciliacion con el Mar" as a symbolic event of peacmaking with our Ocean. Some surf schools in this area are back to work and seeing kids overcome their fears is another positive step forward. In fact, it even feels good to see some crowd back in the line-up.

Every spot has changed, but the conditions have been excellent, and the atmosphere has never been better...we feel a bit more humble I guess. It will definitely take a long time for reconstruction, but whatever we do, Chile will never be the same again.  

Saludos, Arnaud Frennet

Naish team rider Frogier Steeven took 1st place at the SUP contest organized by Nuuroa Surf Club on his 8'10" Hokua.

Competition was tough and Frogier proved his dominance in the sport once again with a solid victory for Naish Tahiti!

Congratualtions Frogier!

Frogier Steeven

Naish welcomes the addition of Beau Whitehead to the US SUP Team. Beau is an avid paddler who has placed 1st and 2nd in many races throughout the west coast. Based in Bellingham, WA, Beau has been training and racing in the cold Northwest rivers and oceans for over 2 years. Take a look at these results:

2009

Dan Harris Challenge, Bellingham - 1st Place SUP, 1st Place Overall (short course)

Round The Rock, Seattle - 1st Place (13 miler), 1st Place (2.5 miler)

Naish Summer Championship, San Diego - 2nd Place

Deception Pass Dash, Whidbey Island - 1st Place SUP

2010

Paddling Dynamics Race, Seattle - 1st Place

Lake Union Wakinikona OCC, Seattle - 1st Place SUP

Beau is a Firefighter for the Bellingham Fire Department and uses SUP along with many other cross training workouts to stay in shape for not only his job, but for the many races he competes in every year.

Beau Whitehead

Naish Italy welcomes Leonard Nika to the 2010 SUP team. Leonard won the San Teodoro event last year in Sardinia with a very large lead. Welcome to Naish Leonard!

• Name: Leonard Nika
• DOB: 6/16/87
• Years SUPing: 3 (11 surfing)
• Favorite Spot: In front of my house in Torvaianica (Anzio, Rome). Also, 'i soldati' and Santa Marinella: Banzai.
• Favorite SUP Products: Boards: Glide 12'0" and Hokua 9'6". Paddle: Naish Carbon 8".
• Additional Sports: Surf, Wakeboarding and snowboarding.

Leonard Nika

The 10th Annual Billabong Global Big Wave Awards came to a close this year on March 19th.

Kai Lenny was nominated in the Big Wave category for a monster ride at Jaws on Maui this winter.

Congratulations Kai and good luck!

http://billabongxxl.com/biggest_wave/index.html

Join Naish on their 2010 Beach Tour as they travel around North America showcasing the latest SUP boards and paddles.

Check out the demos and clinics and prepare to get addicted to the most convenient and fun sport of the decade.

Naish team riders will be on hand during the tour in locations containing both waves for stand-up paddle surfing instruction as well as on flatwater for beginners that want to get the hang of cruising around and gliding on top of the water. Whatever your ability and goals, pros will be available to meet your needs during the race and wave clinics along the tour.

Contact matt@naishsails.com with specific questions or comments. See you on the beach!

Go to the Naish Facebook event page to keep up to date on the tour as it progresses:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=368838318528&index=1

UPDATE: TWO NEW STOPS ON THE TOUR:

Catalina Island, CA at South Beach in Avalon: March 27th

Baby Beach, Dana Point, CA: March 28th

Location/Date

Dana Point, CA w/ Becker Surf March 6, 2010
Dana Point, CA w/ Paddlesurf Warehouse March 7, 2010
Redondo Beach or Oceanside, CA (TBA) March 8, 2010
Cardiff, CA w/ Wdream Sportz March 10, 2010
Laguna Beach, CA w/ SUP Company March 11, 2010
Dana Point, CA w/ Mickey Munoz SUP Fiesta and Mongoose Cup March 13, 2010
Santa Barbara, CA w/ SUP Company March 14, 2010
Pismo Beach, CA w/ California Kiteboarding March 15, 2010

An amazing winter in Hawaii brought attention to ABC news where they featured extreme surfers Dave Kalama and Laird Hamilton riding monster waves in Hawaii.

To view the news story go to: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/

Naish Team rider Lynden Kennings wins the New Zealand SUP Nationals in Whangamata over the weekend. Naish teammate Shane Murrell also made it into the SUP final.

Fortunately a big low-pressure system threw in some epic conditions with 6 foot sets pounding through for the entire event.

In a mammoth effort he surfed his way in to 3 finals (spending almost the entire finals day on the water) winning the SUP National Title - 2nd in the over 40s Longboard and 3rd in the Open.

Shane Murrell in his first year came in a credible 4th and Daniel Kereopa one of NZ's surfing greats was stoked to be mixing it  up again with his Naish Team mates.

Local legend, Lynden, was the standout all weekend with his natural dynamic style.

The 2010 Dakhla Festival in Morocco was a success for Naish team riders and SUP was the main event this year.

The festival featured competition in windsurfing, kiteboarding and SUP. Naish came out to support the program with demo boards for the children of Dakhla.

Men ranking:
Alexis Deniel (Nalu 9'6'')
Alexandre Grégoire (Nalu 9'6'')

Women ranking:
Fabienne D'Ortoli (Nalu 9'6'')
Sarah Hébert (Mana 9'5'')

View life through the eyes of a waterman. World Famous big wave surfer and Naish Rider, Dave Kalama has launched his website and started a blog.

Check out Dave's new site at: www.davidkalama.com

Save The Waves field teams hit the ground running in Chile.

March 6, 2010, Pichilemu/Curanipe, Chile - Save The Waves Coalition's Chile relief ground teams have begun to distribute initial relief supplies to towns and villages that were hardest hit by the recent 8.8 - magnitude earthquake and following tsunami. Teams have been traveling south from Pichilemu through the remote coastal areas and inland, reaching as far south as Duao in the northern part of Region VII, and supplying aid in small hard to reach towns along the way.

Save The Waves surf ambassador Ramon Navarro is leading the way in these efforts, and with his local knowledge of the region has already helped to supply initial water filters to provide clean drinking water, a crucial necessity right now, to those in need. Volunteers have also helped to clean up a school in Boyeruca that has suffered major damage. While more supplies arrive, water filters will continue to be dispersed over the coming days to help the many displaced families that are still without clean drinking water. Professional surfers Greg Long and Kohl Cristensen also arrived in Chile on Saturday with major supplies, including more water filters, and met up to support Navarro and others out of Pichilemu.

Further south, in the coastal town of Curanipe, which sits just 5km from the quake epicenter, Save The Waves’ Josh Berry arrived Saturday with a team of medics and truckloads of relief supplies, to distribute in the region. Berry and team also rendezvoused with Save The Waves’ local Coastkeeper program manager and Curanipe resident, Rodrigo de la O, who is directing a large portion of the relief efforts in the area.

Save The Waves has been working with nonprofit Waves for Water to supply water filters for clean drinking water to devastated communities where homes, restaurants, and entire fishing fleets have been completely destroyed. There are currently 1,000 filters now either in or en route to Chile, for distribution to coastal regions, in addition to other supplies. While initial relief effort progress has been significant, much more support and assistance will be necessary in the coming weeks as Chile continues to recover from this massive disaster.

How You Can Help:

Online Donations: http://www.savethewaves.org/

Donations by check: Save The Waves Coalition

PO Box 183, Davenport, CA 95017, USA;

+1-831-426-6169

Mark "Chile Earthquake" in comments/memo fields.

Save The Waves Nonprofit Tax ID # 36-4515216

Contact: Lindsey Davis, + 1-831-426-6169, lindsey@savethewaves.org

US Media Contact: Dean LaTourrette, dean@savethewaves.org; +1-415-596-7873

My name is Arnaud Frennet. For those of you who do not know me, I am a Naish rider for both SUP and Winsurfing based here in Chile.

As I am sure you have heard, we have been hit by a devastating 8.8 Earthquake that was followed by a Tsunami.

My family and myself have been very fortunate given the circumstances, despite some material damage (the tsunami reached our house in Punta de Lobos but did not destroy it).

Unfortunately, some of our friends and neighbors did not have the same fate and lost everything. We put all of our energy into helping them recover.

All of the Surf, SUP, Kite and Windsurf communities have come together to help. The most damaged areas extend from Tirua to Pichilemu, which is the most famous area for watersports in Chile, and for sure one of the most intense on Earth.

- Arnaud Frennet

In June, 2010 Naish SUP team rider Claire Blacklock will be taking part in the first SUP Relay paddle of the English Channel.

The Paddle is being organized by Surfers Against Sewage, who work tirelessly to protect coastal waters.

Claire said, "I have achieved so much in the past 2 years since I started paddling, becoming 2008 and 2009 Distance and Surf Champion for The British Stand Up Paddle Association and becoming sponsored by Naish. I love being out on the water and feel that the work the SAS does is invaluable. They rely totally on the support we can give them. I am the only woman taking part in this paddle and feel privileged to be so. The training is a huge challenge for me as will be the paddle itself. I hope you will support me in this. Every little amount helps so please donate what you can."

For more information and to donate visit: http://www.justgiving.com/Claire-Blacklock

Naish France introduces the Naish Stand Up Paddle Tour.  The tour will have four stops across France all featuring unique landscapes, conditions and bodies of water.

The goal of the tour is to introduce SUP to as many people as possible in France that haven’t already discovered it away from the surf.  The tour hopes to promote the family fun and fitness of the sport along with the racing, long distance and flatwater accessibility.

Each week of the tour anyone can participate and try out SUP for free in the morning and races as well as training will be held in the afternoons.

The first stop is in Gruissan (South of France) on April 3 – 4, 2010.

Three tickets to Maui to participate in the 18th Annual Naish Paddle Championship will be randomly awarded to attendees of the tour.

For more information or to register please email: info@naishsuptour.com.

On Chile’s central coast, the beach of Topocalma would be a serious contender to the title of the World’s best windsurf spot for wavesailing.

The problem is that it is located within a huge private ranch of almost 9000 hectares, which also includes 3 world class surfing point breaks, and the new ranch owner has strongly restricted the rules of access, generating a strong polemic in the local media.

To the sorrow of all local and foreign windsurfers and surfers, Topocalma has become a mythical spot, preserved intact in its own wilderness and loneliness where every single wave ridden has a very special meaning due to all the efforts it takes to get there.

In the middle of the local polemic for the new rules of access, Chile’s SUP pioneers, Arnaud Frennet and Marcelo Ortega, opened a new route that rewards even more the rides you’d get there: paddling straight from Punta de Lobos, South Americas most famous point break located 35 kilometers further south. 

Paddling through the Pacific off the coast of Chile can be a demanding challenge, with waters that rarely pass 13°C, strong winds and currents, nowhere to land and no mobile phone coverage. The straight route from Punta de Lobos to Topocalma takes you 6 kilometers off shore in an area that local fishermen fear and where they would never venture.

After 6 hours and half struggling against the sea conditions, Marcelo and Arnaud made it to the famous beach, euphoric to reach the target, but also to see their friend and photographer. Philip Muller had been given access exceptionally to pick them up. At the end they proved the same point the owner claims in the local press: the beach is accessible whenever you want…just not by car.

Feature credit: Arnaud Frennet

Photo credit: Philip Muller

The Interstyle Surf and Snowboard Trade Show in Yokohama, Japan brought out the Naish crew with the latest range of stand-up boards, surfboards and paddles.

Naish Team Riders Taka Kamaguchi and Yoshi Nagamatsu as well as Naish Product Manager Michi Schweiger were met with a load of snow upon their arrival.

Following the trade show, Naish arranged a demo day at Zhushi Beach allowing dealers and end-consumers to try the latest gear on the water.

Luckily, Zhusi Beach (one of Tokyo's most frequented weekend spots) surprised the Naish crew with spring like sunny conditions guaranteeing everyone some time to enjoy being out on the water.

The trade show was a success and the highly anticipated 2010 Naish range was met with loads of excitement!

Kai Lenny wins the first stop on the 2010 Stand-Up World Tour at the Sunset Beach Pro from February 6th to the 14th, 2010.

All 32 competitors faced extremely challenging conditions as Hawaii's amazing winter brought another pumping swell. After 4 exciting and competitive rounds, Kai Lenny was crowned champion!

The Sunset Beach Pro is the first of 4 events on the SUP World Tour. The next three stops on the tour are scheduled for France, Tahiti and Ocean Beach, California.

Photo Credits: Darrell Wong and Bob Bangerter

Angie finally got Paul to the wedding, but not in one piece.

He said he would only come if he could show up in board shorts and surf right up to the wedding.

Unfortunately, the plan did not work. He went tow surfing the day before and broke his leg in two places.

The best man picked Paul up from the hospital an hour before the wedding, pumped full of morphine, and took him to the wedding in a wheel chair.

Angie threatened to take the wedding to the hospital if he did not come to her.

He had his wedding night and is now back in the hospital getting a rod put down his tibia.

-Adam Quinn

Congratulations to Angie and Paul Jackson from everyone here at Naish!

Congratulations to the 3 Naish Teamriders who made the SUP finals of the Hyundai Pro Long Board Tour in New Zealand.

Lynden Kennings took 2nd Place with his progressive surfing style.  Armie Armstrong took 3rd place in his first ever event showing great potential.  Robert Hawkins came in 4th place with his powerful driving style.

Well done to the Naish Team for ripping on the water and being great ambassadors on the shore of Sandy Bay.

Big thanks to Hyundai and Surfing New Zealand for a world class event and we look forward to the next round!

Every Wednesday from February 10th to March 17th, 2010 you can join the SUP race from Woodbridge Lighthouse in Milnerton to Big Bay, Cape Town!

Place: Trailer leaves Big Bay at 17.15 load boards onto trailer before time or be  at Woodbridge Island 17.40 for registration if you are going direct and have organized own lift back to Woodbridge. If weather is not conducive to downwinder – then alternative course may be run.

Registration: Register on the Day with the Naish

Cost: R30 entry fee. Payable at Registration on the day.

Start time:          

17:50 Novice SUP’s
18.00 Pro SUP’s
18.15 Novice Surfski’s
18.20 Pro Surfski’s

Board rental: 5x 12’ Naish Glides are available to rent for the event @ R50 per race. These must be reserved with Peter Petersen (082 6587033) and will have to be collected prior to race.

Prizes: To be announced!

For more information go to: http://www.naishafrica.com

The Annual Port Phillip Cup Standup Paddle Boarding Event took place Tuesday, January 26th and attracted a slew of contestants.

SUPB St Kilda Port Phillip Cup SUP Race Results:

SEABREEZE SUP Relay

Winners SUP Vic Team (Matt Lumley, Dave Patterson, Jonathan Courcher, Kristi Page)

KAHUNA Sprint Race

Winner Matt Lumley


Men’s Winner - Cam Hosking

2nd Matt Lumley (Glide 12)

3rd Dave Hunt (Glide 12)

4th Danny Sheard (Glide 12)


Women’s Winner:
1st Sue Sheard (Glide 12)

2nd Rea Haare (Nalu 11'6")

3rd Kristi Page (Glide 12)

Relay Team:
1st Matt Lumley , Kristi Page, David Peterson, Jonathon Crowcher ( front)

For more information visit: http://supb.com.au/newsdetails.php?a=10

Check out the Hokua 9'3" board review done by Stand Up Paddling.it at:standuppaddling.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=432

Another great review on the Hokua board by Stand Up Surf:http://www.stand-up-surf.com

Kristiana Page from Ocean Grove Victoria, Australia is 14 years old and has been stand-up paddling since June 2008. 

At the 29th Annual Mambo Classic event in NSW, she came in 3rd in the Open Women's Surfing category.

The Australian Naish Team awarded her an 8'0" Hokua Board for being the best up and coming talent at the event and she rides it daily.

"The 8"0" is much lighter and simple for me to carry to the water. It is really stable but turns so much faster and easier. When the guys in the line up are hooting when you catch a wave, you know you are ripping. Girls rule," said Kristiana.

Kristiana will be competing in the Port Phillip Cup on January 26th in the relay race with Naish teamriders Matt Lumley and David John.

Naish South Africa's SUP culture recently joined with Hanli to aid her continued quest to discover new experiences on and below the water. The 8 times SA Freediving Record holder and Film Maker has caught the SUP bug and sees big things ahead for the sport.

Hanli also runs breathing classes for some of the world's top big wave chargers. Her current record sits at an amazing 5 minutes and 39 seconds.

Hanli spends a lot of time in and on the water including many encounters with some of the worlds most misunderstood creatures, sharks, and spends most of it creating positive awareness of ocean life. She plans on using her SUP to get out to reefs and islands. Keep your eyes out for some great stories from SA's very own mermaid!

"The last few days I have been walking on clouds...and water! Naish has given me a beautiful 9'0" stand-up paddle board. I plan to do all manner of acquatic adventures such as: catching waves, long river paddles, and expeditions out to sea visiting islands and sea friends. Strap a mask to your board and the ocean is your oyster!" said Hanli.

Naish is pleased to announce Gareth Grant has joined their Stand-up Paddle team for the upcoming 2010 European /UK season.

Since relocating to England in mid 2009, Gareth placed 3rd in the last British Stand Up competition at Watergate Bay, won “Rookie of the Competition” award, and made the final of the inaugural British SUP Championships held at Fistral Beach.

Gareth was born in the UK however, grew up on Sydney's Northern beaches and was an early adopter of stand-up paddling in Sydney. He has surfed extensively throughout Bali, Mentawis, Fiji, Timor and the Maldives.

The Naish 8”10 Hokua and 9”0 Nalu are Gareth’s boards of choice for 2010, with the 12”0 Glide use for distance paddling and training.

Now lives  - Guildford, United Kingdom.

Used to live – Collaroy, Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Australia

Interests; Stand Up paddle Boarding, snowboarding, surfing.

Family: Married with 2 daughters.

Likes :  Clean, off shore waves in warm water.

Dislikes:  Aggressive surfers.

Congratulations to Naish teamrider Frogier Steven who won the Te Ava Ava Nui December 2009 SUP contest in Tahiti.

The competition was intense with the best SUP riders participating in the event. Congratulations on the win Frogier.

Age: 26
Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica
Currently located: Kona, Hawaii
The Dream: To become one of the worlds elite female paddlers and take standup paddling to the next level

Exert from Jenny's Blog:

Happy New Year!

It’s been a great year so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of it! Very excited about my latest sponsor Naish. I’m looking forward to being a part of the team and riding their boards for all of my upcoming races and adventures.

I was just over on Maui for the day to help with the Stand Up for Womens Health and Fitness. What an awesome event. There were over 300 women who showed up and got their paddle on! Most were beginners and despite the pounding shore break, they grabbed their boards and headed out to sea. Way to go Ladies!

Speaking of adventures…this April, Morgan Hoesterey and I are taking on a rather big challenge… to paddle across all of the Hawaiian Island channels. We’ll start on the Big Island and end on Kauai. We’re doing it to help raise awareness for something we both enjoy and care about: the ocean. We’re hoping that throughout our journey we can make people more aware about the importance of keeping our ocean clean. It’s going to be a once in a lifetime adventure and I’m really looking forward to it.

Pura Vida,
Jenny

The 2010 Naish Windsurfing team and SUP team welcomes new teamrider Brian Talma a.k.a de Action Man.

Brian Talma is a legendary waterman from Barbados. It is an honor to have him on the Naish team.

Welcome Action Man!

Suzie Cooney, CPT and Maui's Private Fitness Specialist, trained Maui over the weekend to promote healthy lifestyle choices, self-confidence and breast cancer education for women through sport nutrition and self-awareness.

Over 300 participants attended the event at the Four Seasons Resort in Wailea on Maui resulting in a non-competitive success!

Naish was there as a sponsor and a supporter of the cause contributing boards and paddles for the ladies.

To watch a video from the event visit: standuppaddlingfitness.com

Don't miss the 2010 Australia Day, Port Phillip Cup & Social Paddle on Tuesday January 26th, 2010.

A $1,000 cash prize will be awarded to the first paddler to cross the finish line (maximum board length is 12'6").

Battle it out for the cash, or cruise the 3km course to win over $6,000 worth of prizes from sponsors including Naish.

Additionally, there will be knockout sprint races, 'Board and Pet' races, demo's and free clinics held throughout the day. Also, look forward to prizes for best dressed paddler in the theme of "Australia Day".

Bring the family down for an action packed morning of Aussie fun and paddling and stick around for the Kite Republic Kiteboarding Port Phillip Cup in the afternoon.

*$10 Entry Fee (supporting St. Kilda LSC and St. Kilda Earthcare)

For more information go to: www.supb.com.au

Sonni Hoenscheid was born in Sylt, Germany. In 1986 she moved to Fuertenventurea, Spain and began surfing and windsurfing.

Since, she has become a 10x German Surf Champion and 2x World SUP Champion (sprint and long distance).

Sonni was surfer of the year in 2008 and was featured on MTV's "Hot Spo(r)ts" as well as many other television appearances.

Sonni is a soul surfer that enjoys travelling and appreciates unspoiled nature. If she isn't surfing, she's probably windsurfing, swimming, jogging, doing yoga, and of course...stand up paddling!

Welcome on board Sonni!

Stephane Etienne and Nicole Boronat make an excellent team on and off the water.

Naish proudly welcomes this dynamic duo that have been successful pro competitors in surfing and windsurfing scoring top rankings during their PWA campaigns, World Cups, Indoor events and Trilogy competitions.

Stephane, pro surfer, windsurfer and global rider resides with his equally impressive other half in Fuerteventura on the Canary Islands. Nicole, started her pro career off the water as a professional Skateboarder at age 16 and at 24, she went pro in Windsurfing.

Besides conquering competitions, claiming titles and placing in world cups, Stephane and Nicole also embrace their passions of traveling, art and film.

Welcome to Naish Stephane and Nicole!

Naish is pleased to announce the addition of Oregon’s Karen Wrenn to our SUP team. Karen was introduced to SUP in 2007 in Maui, mainly paddling for fun and to incorporate into her fitness program.

Karen was the overall winner for the Naish Race Series last summer.  She also finished 9th overall for women in the Battle of the Paddle this year as well as 4th in women’s for the relay and elite race at the Battle.

Karen is currently training hard on her Glide 12’ for her debut race as a Naish rider at the 2ndAnnual Coldstroke Classic in North Carolina.

Karen's Race History:

• 2008 Gorge Games - 1st Place
• 2009 Rooster Rock Outrigger Race (SUP) - 1st Place
• 2009 Gorge Outrigger Races (SUP) - 1st Place
• 2009 Naish Hood River Race Series - 1st Place
• 2009 Tahoe Nalu, Lake Tahoe - 2nd Place
• 2009 Naish US Championships, San Diego - 1st Place
• 2009 Hennessey International Championships, San Francisco - 4th Place
• 2009 Battle of the Paddle - Elite Division - 9th Place
• 2009 Battle

Join Naish on their 2010 Beach Tour as they travel around North America showcasing the latest SUP boards and paddles.

Check out the demos and clinics and prepare to get addicted to the most convenient and fun sport of the decade.

Naish team riders will be on hand during the tour in locations containing both waves for stand-up paddle surfing instruction as well as on flatwater for beginners that want to get the hang of cruising around and gliding on top of the water.  Whatever your ability and goals, pros will be available to meet your needs during the race and wave clinics along the tour.

Contact matt@naishsails.com with specific questions or comments.

See you on the beach!

For more information on this event go to the facebook event page at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=214078083124&index=1

The results are in for the distance race at Coffs Harbour on December 12th. Weather presented a challenge providing head winds, side winds or no winds at all!

SUPers started into a head wind hoping for the wind to turn East and come from behind on the way back to no avail.

Paul Jackson came in 2nd in the Mens Unlimited Open on a Naish Glide17'0". 

Woogie Marsh took 2nd in the 14’ Mens Open and 4th Overall on a Naish 14' Glide.

And in the 14’ Womens Open 1st, 2nd and 3rd place were all won on Naish 14' Glides!

1st:  Jasleigh Geary
2nd:  Alison Fullager
3rd:  Angela Van Hoof

http://www.vimeo.com/8167850

At 17 years old, Kai makes the news surfing Pe'ahi on Maui's North shore with Dave Kalama during a massive winter swell.

http://www.kitv.com/video/21904520/index.html

Naish dominate the 29th annual Mambo Wave Festival at Merimbula NSW
Australia.

The mambo Wave festival is one of the longest running wind and wave events in the world.

The format is simple, 4 days of windsurfing, Kitesurfing, SUP, Surfing and partying.

There are no heats. You do not know who the judges are, and you are being judged from the time you arrive till the time you collapse.

You ride what you want, when you want.

On the water the Naish team dominated:

Kitesurfing
1st Ian Alldredge (Naish)

Junior Kitesurfing
2nd Ewan Jasper (Naish)

SUP Wave
1st Matt Lumley (Naish)
2nd Paul Jackson (Naish)

SUP Team Race
1st Team Naish Queensland

Overall King Mambo
John Messenger (Naish)

Matt Lumley - 1st Place SUP Wave

JB - Mambo King!

Naish had a full range of demo equipment available and there was a constant
que for the stand up boards.

John Messenger (Overall King Mambo)

Matt Lumley (1st Place SUP Wave)

Ian Alldredge (1st Place Kitesurfing)

Paul Jackson (2nd Place SUP Wave)

Way to go Naish Team Riders!

SUP Culture's Peter Petersen, wins the Driftwoods SUP Challenge, part of the Lagoon Life Festival in Langebaan, on the Cape's picturesque West Coast. The race was held in hot, windless conditions, which were perfect for those trying their first ever SUP 7km paddle!

After starting the race from Main Beach, Peter (12' Glide) got off to a bad start and took his time in catching up to Tyrone Rawlins (Naish 11'6") and then managed to stick to Tyrone before passing him with 50m to go to the finish.  Naish International rider and Kite-speed World Record holding Sjoukje Bredenkamp took the women's honours ahead of Monika and Victoria. 

Saturday's course included a rounding of  Schaapen Island and negotiating the ominously calm waters of Shark Bay back at the southern-end of Langebaan-Lagoon, the race finally finished in front of Driftwoods, host and sponsor for the race.  Along with SUP's the Men's Health Surf Ski series were chasing a 12km & 7km course and over 100 paddlers were on the water.

On Sunday, Naish boards were available for family fun and the kids took full advantage of the boards. 

Well done to all participants and first-timers!

Results
DRIFTWOODS LAGOON DASH 7KM‐ SUP RESULTS ‐ 2009
1 Peter Petersen (Naish Glide 12')
Male 01:00:05
2 Tyrone Rawlins (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Male 01:00:10
3 Jacobus Van der Merwe (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Male 01:10:00
4 Hennie Bredenkamp (Naish Nalu 11'4)
Male 01:10:29
5 Rob Munro (Naish Glide 12')
Male 01:11:02
6 Peter Le Riche (Naish Nalu 10'6)
Male 01:13:15
7 Charles Visser (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Male 01:21:37
8 Luke McGillewie (Coreban 11'6)
Male - Junior (No official time)
9 Sjoukje Bredenkamp (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Female 01:30:40
10 Jacques Alblas (Naish Nalu 10'6)
Male 01:31:00
11 Monika Wohlgemuth (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Female 01:32:12
12 Victoria Jackson (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Female 01:37:07
13 Jo Munro (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Female 01:58:48
14 Terri Kidson (Naish Nalu 11'6)
Female DNF

Naish SUP sponsored rider Claire Blacklock retained her BSUPA Women’s Overall Title at the 2009 BSUPA series finals held at Watergate Bay, Cornwall over the weekend of the 17 & 18th of October.

It was an excellent weekend with fantastic weather and surf, that produced some of the best conditions seen during the 2009 competition season.

Full of excitement Claire commented, "I'm was so chuffed to have regained my titles in surf and distance, especially on the Naish boards. It was a little tougher this year and I think I need to spend the winter training hard to get ready for 2010! More women entered in 2009, so I'm hoping there will be more again next year. SUP is a great all around sport. The last two events of the year saw far more people enter… so role on 2010!"

Congratulations to Marc Degraef from France, the winner of our online Paddle Contest.

Marc will be receiving the Naish Carbon Race Blade Paddle.

Thank you to all who participated, and congratulations Marc!

The 2009 signing party at Naish Maui Pro Center on Saturday the 17th of October was a hit. Robby Naish, Dave Kalama and Kai Lenny met the fans as the Pro Center displayed the 2010 ranges. The signing and the demo was a success and fans were excited to see many of the Naish team riders show up for the event.

We are stoked to announce our newest Aussie team rider Matt Lumley!

Twenty-eight year old Lumley from Torquay, Australia has been riding for a mere 2.5 years and is already dominating the sport. His home break is Bells Beach at Torquay Point and his favorite board is the 9’0 Nalu.

Recent accomplishments include 4th place at Noosa Surfing Festival, 1st at the Victorian Titles, 1st at Mambo 2008, 1st at the Cruise to the Cerbus Race 2009, and 2nd at the Australian Titles. 

Keep your eye on Lumley as he continues to add to these already impressive stats!

Naish France presented the 2010 range at the Grand Pavois with success receiving tons of positive feedback.

They hosted training and demonstrations every morning in the “gliss” village and every afternoon in the Marina, on the Boat Tradeshow side.

Kids to Elders filled a line that never seemed to end; excited to try out SUP and test out the new gear.

Charming French windsurfing champion, Marion Raïsi, gave lessons in the afternoon in the Marina amongst the boats.

At the end of the days exhibitors and journalists were eager to experience SUP as well.

The event was a success and Naish was happy to introduce the new and exciting sport of SUP at the famous Grand Pavois boat show.

Ludo Dolou won 1st Place on a Naish Glide 14’ at the Presqu’le paddle race in North Britanny, France. 

Sixty paddlers, including 15 stand up paddlers, from all over France journeyed to the magnificent Camaret Beach in the city of Morgat.

The event featured two races for three classes of watersports.  Participants battled during a short and long race on paddle boards, stand-up paddle boards and one-man canoes. 

The long distance race stretched 28 km taking competitors 3.5 to 4.5 hours to finish!

Dulou dominated this race on his Naish Glide 14’ (AST version), even finishing in front of the first paddle boards.

Four competitors were on the Naish Glide 14’ with three placing 1st, 4th and 6th.

Naish France awarded three SUP paddles during the event.  Congratulations to all of the winners and we will see you again next year!

The inaugural Lagoon Life Festival will take place in Langebaan, South Africa on the 24th and 25th of October. 

The Festival began in 2003 when the first paddling race was organized on Langebaan Lagoon and has evolved over the last six years thanks in part to sponsor, Driftwoods Restaurant. Last year saw the addition of a Sunday paddling race and now, the 2009 event has transformed into a major outdoor sporting festival.

Among the new activities this year are Stand-Up-Paddling, Kitsesurfing, Sailing, Trail Running and Mountain Biking. The unique Lagoon and weather conditions at this time of the year contribute to a consistently successful event.

There is something for everyone, with watersports leading the way as well as land-based for those who prefer to keep their feet dry. The paddling, SUP, running and Mtb events all offer an option for children to take part in as well.

There is nothing like a beach filled with happy dogs and laughing owners. That's all that could be found on Sugar Beach in Kihei, HI on Saturday, October 10th at Naish's Paddle With a Pooch fundraising event for the East Maui Animal Refuge a.k.a. "Boo Boo Zoo".

Dogs, from pugs to labs were running around on the beach and playing in the tropical water of Maui in their yellow Naish dog shirts and their skull and bones participant engraved dog tags.

Bright and early, at 8am, owners already had their pups on their paddle boards practicing for the race.

It wasn't the first time for most of the pooches to try out paddle boarding. Actually, some dogs ended up staying on their boards better than their owners!

At 9am, 20 dogs and 20 owners lingered at the waters edge, patiently awaiting the start signal.

Ready? Set... GO!!!

"WHO LET THE DOGS OUT" blasted on the speakers. Spectators lined the beach witnessing the circus and laughing non-stop!

All participants competed against each other in the first race, the singles race. The top three finishers all earned their very own engraved dog bowls as their trohpies!

1st Place: SEAL and Michi Schweiger
2nd Place: BARLEY HOPS and Charles Fleck
3rd Place: MIKI and Robin Bolus

All winners received Naish gear and every participant went home with Naish apparel. The winners of the Relay Race were:

1st Place: BARLEY HOPS & FRISKY, Charles Fleck & Brandis Sarich
2nd Place: PUGAROO & MAKANI, Ed Begley & Keri Mehling
3rd Place: SUGAR & LALO, Bernd Roediger & Noa Herrara

Congratulations to all participants and thank you for helping to support the good cause.

Overall the event was a success and both humans and animals had a great time supporting our local animal refuge.

Michi and Seal in the lead!

Seal catches a wave!

1st Place Winner: Seal and Michi

Paddle With A Pooch 2009 Participants

Single Race Winners: Barley Hops & Charles, Seal & Michi, Miki & Robin

Relay Winners: Barley Hops & Frisky -Charles & Brandis, Makani & Pugaroo - Ed & Keri, Sugar & Lalo - Bernd & Noa

Start of the race!

Rounding the buoy!

Relay winners!

2nd Place Winner, Barley Hops and Charles!

Naish Maui Pro Center
Your one stop shop for all things wind, surf and kite.

Naish Maui Pro Center and Naish International would like to invite you to attend the official release party for their 2010 Stand-up paddle (SUP) board line.

Join us Saturday October 17th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at Naish Maui Pro Center, 111 Hana Highway, Kahului (next to Bounty Music) for a special viewing of our 2010 Stand-up Paddle board selection.

Special featured guests will be Hawaii's own elite watermen and Naish International Team members World Class Wind-surfer Robby Naish, legendary Waterman Dave Kalama and Kai Lenny to give 'tech- talk', 'question and answer' and autograph session. This is your chance to own a new 2010 Naish SUP and have it autographed!

This special event will also include free giveaway's and refreshments in addition to a store wide sale all day Saturday. Sale will include all kite, surf, windsurf ,SUP equipment, Roxy and Quiksilver clothing and accessories.

Naish is releasing one of the largest range of SUP's in the industry with it's 2010 line up. There are 21 boards in the line including 'downwind', 'racing' and 'wave' SUP's.

Don't miss out on this big event, this Saturday at Naish Maui Pro Center. See you there!

Watergate Bay, Cornwall October 17th & 18th

After a superb competition in Swansea, the BSUPA 2009 Series, moves on to its last and final stop of the year at Watergate Bay, Cornwall, England.

Hosted by the Extreme Academy, this years series finals brings the countries top paddleboarders head to head not only to win the final competition of the year, but also to battle it out for the overall BSUPA 2009 Series Title Crowns.

Naish team rider and current Women's BSUPA champion Claire Blackloc, heads to Watergate focused and in a strong position to retain her BSUPA title.

Naish team rider Jan Sleigh will be bringing a selection of Naish SUP's for demo by the general public.

It's been a very close competition all year, so don't miss out!

For more information contact Richard Marsh at masthighltd@me.com or www.bsupa.org.uk

The 2nd Annual Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle took place last weekend, Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California.

This surf festival brings hundreds of people together to celebrate the Hawaiian lifestyle and the surf culture of both Hawaii and California. Surf legends and celebrities come to partake in the weekend long extravaganza.

Hawaiian music, food, family entertainment and kids activities bring life and excitement to a weekend revolving around surf culture. Legendary shapers and manufacturer expos were set up along the beaches including a Naish booth featuring the latest boards for participants to test.

A grand prize of $25,000 went to the winner of the elite class. With 100 participants on the course, weaving in and out of the waves, around buoys, and along the beach the race leaders changed frequently keeping participants and spectators on their toes.

Among these 100 competitors, Naish rider Jerry Bess, from the Big Island, took 21st in the elite race as well as 6th in the 10 mile distance race in the unlimited class. Naish SUP product manager, Michi Schweiger finished 25th in the elite race and 2nd place in the 10 mile distance race in the 12’6” class.

Oahu lifeguard legend, Edmund Pestana took first overall in the open age battle in the 14’ class along with winning the 10 mile distance race in the 14’ class.

Among the legends and surf celebrities at the Battle of the Paddle was one of the most respected wave riders of all, Gerry Lopez, who won the 60+ class in the open paddle race and also took first in his age class in the long distance race on a Naish Glide 14’.

Winning the kids division on a Naish Glide 12’ was Tucker Ingalls from Santa Barbara. Nice job!

Team Naish (Jenny Kalmbach, Dave Kalama, Michi Schweiger, and Jerry Bess) took 6th place in the SUP relay. Congratulations to all participants and to another successful Battle of the Paddle. See you again next year!

For more information on the race and to view more photos please visit: http://www.rainbowsandals.com/battleofthepaddle.

With the success of the Naish Summer SUP Race, REAL has decided to host two more races this Fall on October 10th AND November 28th.

Registration begins at 9am and the race starts at 10am. Come down to the REAL Flagship Store in the Village of Waves, NC and join in on the fun. This is a free event and ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

Please email Carl Giordano at: carl@realwatersports.com to register or if you have any questions.

For more information go to: http://www.realwatersports.com/standup

The Isuzu kite, windsurf, and SUP Austrian Championships '09 powered by Samsung took place September 25th - 27th at Lake Neusiedl in Posredsdorf.

The Naish Stand Up Paddle Austrian Championships provided the “perfect entertainment” when the winds didn’t pick up over the weekend. 

Saturday featured a fun event on Naish 11’6” boards with 40 participants.  The following competitors placed in the top three in Sundays open class Austrian SUP Championships:

1. Roman Frühwald (Naish Glide 12’0”)
2. Marco Lang (Naish 11’6”)
3. Daniel Bikich (Naish 11’6”)

Fifty brands from Kiteboarding, Windsurfing and SUP showed up at the San Teodoro event in Sardinia. 

The island hosts a beautiful beach with wind you can count on most of the time.  However, on September 18th – 20th the wind decided to no show turning the water sport event mainly into a SUP event. 

Product testing was a hit and from morning until late afternoon boards were constantly out on the water.  Along with product displays, including the 2010 Naish range for Kiteboarding, Windsurfing and SUP, there were SUP competitions. 

Congratulations to Leonard Nika who won first place in both races against around 40 competitors on his Naish Glide 12’!

For more information go to: http://www.santeodoroevento.it/

The Long Distance Pro Amateur took place in Italy on Sunday, September 20th.  Twenty-three participants took part in the 12 km downwinder from Cesenatico to Bellaria that would constitute the longest paddleboard race in Italy yet! 

Congratulations to the top three placers:

1st Place: Sergio Volpini (Naish Board - finished in just over 2 hours)
2nd Place: Belloni Alberto (Naish Board)
3rd Place: Marco Margotti (Naish Board)

Prizes were awarded to the top three placers along with draw prizes for all participants provided by the sponsors of the event. 

Realtrip/Naish SUP Clinics: Holland Last weekend a Naish Windsurf and SUP competition was held in Makkum (Friesland).  Saturday, September 15th brought blue skies, no wind and gorgeous water for the participants! 

Teams of four had to finish the course as quickly as possible. Afterwards, Naish SUP Clinics were put on for all competitors.  

The workout was tiring but everyone was enthusiastic and standing in line to get back on stand-up paddleboards!

The “Freestyle.ch Zürich” from September 25th – 27th is the largest freestylesport-event in Europe.  The festivities include FMX, Skateboarding, Free Skiing and Snowboarding. 

There will be a SUP village on Saffa island brought to you by Naish, O’neill, and Nidecker.  Twenty SUP boards will be available to try for free from Naish and O’neill will be providing wetsuits for participants. 

Saturday and Sunday afternoon there will be SUP contests open to all with prizes for the winners!  Register on-site the day of the event.

View more: Freestyle.ch Guide (Page 9): http://www.flipr.ch

Join us on October 10, 2009 for the Paddle With a Pooch event on Maui, HI. Naish is presenting this fun SUP race with dogs on board, to help support and raise funds for the East Maui Animal Refuge a.k.a. the Boo Boo Zoo.

The East Maui Animal Refuge (EMAR) is a no-kill, all volunteer-run, non profit, rehabilitation sanctuary for injured and orphaned animals who would otherwise die.

EMAR is licensed by both the State and Federal Department of Fish and Wildlife to rehabilitate animals - including threatened and endangered species.

The event will take place on Sugar Beach, next to Sugar Beach Resort off of South Kihei Road in North Kihei from 8am to noon. Odwalla will be at the event handing out free Odwalla bars and smoothies. Dog tags go to each participant and awards will be given to the top three finishers. Come have a blast and support a good cause!

For more information on the Boo Boo Zoo and Paddle With a Pooch visit: http://booboozoo.org and http://www.facebook.com/event

More than 50 stand-up paddlers from across the US participated in the Naish Series Championship at Mission Bay in San Diego on Sunday.

Naish and local retailers from around the US held a series of races this summer of which the top three men and women qualified to participate in the championship at Bonita Cove.
Congratulations to Sundays winners who won a trip to Maui, HI to participate in the 5th Annual Naish Paddle Championships next June.

For more on the coverage of this race, photos and video visit:http://www.nbcsandiego.com

Haleiwa Joe’s Paddle Race that stretched 5 miles from Waimea to Haleiwa Harbor kicked off on Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 6th, 2009.  The 20th anniversary race began at 11am with approximately 150 competitors.  Naish team-riders Michi Schweiger and Bernd Roediger island hopped from Maui to join the Oahu crew.  Edmund Pastana and Schweiger made a splash taking first and second in the 14’ class just 17 second apart.  Their times would place them 4th and 6th amongst the unlimited class boards.  Twelve-year-old Bernd Roediger won first place in the 12’6” class against all ages.  Way to go!  Also, congratulations to Erin Napoleon and his son Riggs for winning the unlimited class and the Junior class! 

Join Dave Kalama at the 2009 ASR event where he will be representing Naish.  The event will take place in the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.  Find him at booth #912 on September 9th – 10th .  There will be samplings of the entire new range of Naish stand-up board and paddles.  Dave Kalama and the Naish crew will be available to answer any questions on SUP and the product line.  Please don’t feed Dave Kalama.

“The Battle of the Paddle” is fast approaching!  The race will be held October 3rd and 4th at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California.  Invited into the Elite class and representing Naish will be Dave Kalama, Jerry Bess and Michi Schweiger.  Naish shaper Harold Iggy will also be attending.  Look for the Naish booth displaying the new 2010 line of products! 

The event will include SUP races and relays for all levels, a Stand-up Paddle Manufacturers Expo, demos, lessons from the Pros, products available for purchase, music, food, entertainment and a $25,000 cash prize!  Join the Battle of the Paddle Luau on Saturday October 3rd where all proceeds benefit the Doheny State Beach Interprative Association.  See you there!

Tune into OC 16 for Hawaii Extreme Sports and Ocean Paddler TV.  They will take you on an adventure around the islands experiencing the hottest extreme sports including surfing, bodyboarding, skateboarding, skydiving and stand-up paddling.  Watch for the Naish promotion code in our advertisment, mention it at the Naish Maui Pro-Center or Naish Hawaii on Oahu, and receive 10% off your stand-up board purchase!

Duke's Oceanfest 2009

The annual Duke’s Oceanfest in Waikiki, HI took place last week in support of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.  The week of water events provided grants and scholarships for Hawaii’s Scholar Athletes. 

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku is known as “Hawaii's greatest athlete, the father of international surfing and its ambassador of Aloha.”  Duke, an original Waikiki Beach Boy won his first Gold Medal at the Olympics when he was 22 and continued to represent the USA in for the next 20 years. He won a place in Hawaii’s heart through his Aloha, compassion and remarkable achievements.

The Hawaiian Paddleboard Championship took place Saturday August 29th and challenged paddle boarders in a sprint from Hawaii Kai to Duke’s statue in Waikiki. 

Congratulations to Bernd Roediger who was too young to compete in this division but his remarkable time on his 12’ board placed him 2nd in the Male Stand-Up 12’6” division with a time of 1:31:52.

In the Male Stand-Up 14’6” division Jerry Bess (winner of the 14’ Class in the Maui Olukai Race) took 2nd on a Naish Glide with a time of 1:25:00.  Also on Naish Glides, Edmund Pestana (Oahu lifeguard legendary) took 5th place coming in at 1:26:54, and Michi Schweiger took 6th with a time of 1:27:41.

A few days earlier Cody Kerbox took 2nd in the Junior Stand-Up Surfing Event on a Naish Hokua 8’0” at Queens.

Nicely done gentlemen!

Come join us on Facebook by following the following link:

Naish International Facebook Page

During the week the weather forecast tells us the weekend will be hot again. I talked to a friend and we have an idea to explore the area by stand up paddleboard. This time we are not after the big lakes and the coast but somewhere close to where I live: Harderwijk, a small and nice historic city with a small harbor.

We asked a photographer to join us; the good thing about a new sport is that they say yes right away! Saturday morning we drive to a canal and jump on the boards, we start here and paddle...soon we are surrounded by beautiful nature and complete silence.

After a while we pass some houses. People are having breakfast in their gardens and yelling to us, “Is this a new sport?” We arrive at a big water lock where we get out and shoot some nice photos.

After a few minutes of driving we’re at a small harbor. We paddle a couple of kilometers and arrive almost at Harderwijk. There is only one obstacle, we are planning to cross a busy aqua duct (a water canal over a busy road). We wait till most of the boats are gone and off we go. It is a great experience to see the cars drive underneath you!

In the harbor it's really busy, boats are everywhere filled with enthusiastic people asking about what we're doing!

This is typical Holland, the big wooden boats with the famous windmill in the background.

We finish our trip! Another great experience that already has us thinking where the next trip will be...

-Guido

All images: Arnold van de Kamp

The SUP Day on Lake Silvaplana last Saturday was a resounding success. The weather played along very well although Swiss television had forecasted rain for the entire day. There were 45 people entering the race and all available test boards were out on the Lake by 10:15am. Everyone had a blast.  Congratulations to the top 4 placers in each division! Kids 1. Aline Kaehr, Rüschlikon 2. Jerome Baer, Schlieren 3. Leonie Klein, D-Freising 4. Quirin Meyer, D-Berg Women 1. Franziska Stauffacher, Wangs 2. Bina Nussbaum, S.Nazzaro 3. Moni Jucker, Baar 4. Nicole Bohlhalder, Zürich Men 1. Lucca Kaehr, Rüschlikon 2. Nick Nussbaum, S.Nazzaro 3. Philipp Rufer, Bern 4. Florian Wespi, Davos The race was held in a single-elimination format similar to freestyle windsurfing (4 people in one heat, best 2 advance). There were 3 divisions: Men, Women and Kids. The day was concluded with a dinner at the Surfcenter, a slide show with images of the day and the award ceremony. The after-party went late into the night in the bar Püf in Silvaplana. Stay tuned for next year, as this event will be even bigger!

Santa Barbara "The American Rivera" site of Paddleboard and SUP Race

Lake Silvaplana Stand Up Paddle Day

NAISH SUP and Paddle Board Race, Santa Barbara, California

TEAM NAISH WELCOMES PAUL JACKSON

ITALIAN NATIONAL SUP CONTEST by NAISH - Sunday August 2, 2009 - SURF EXPO, Santa Severa

NAISH 4TH ANNUAL PADDLE CHAMPIONSHIPS

JEVER SUP WORLDCUP, HAMBURG

BATTLE OF THE PADDLE, LAKE ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

Presented by the 2 Legends Boardstores, the Battle of the Paddle - the first ever stand-up paddle contest on Lake Zurich - will be held Saturday, July 18, in conjunction with the Beach Party Horgen. About 48 paddlers will compete in groups of 6, with the 3 fastest in each race advancing to the next round. No previous experience is necessary, and there will be six Naish SUP boards available for the triangle race. Registration is on-site at 12 o’clock, start will be at 12.30 sharp, and finals will take place at 7pm. There will also be free SUP Boards available to try out, so come on down to lake Zurich and experience this new sport for yourself.

NAISH 2009 SUP CHAMPIONSHIPS

Naish is pleased to introduce a weekly Recreational Race Series that will be held in 10 to 15 Cities across the US and Canada (stay tuned for more details!) between now and August 31st. The series will include both men’s and women’s classes, and boards will be restricted to 12’6” and under to provide a level playing field, and keep the event centered around the surf culture. The top 3 men and women from each city will be invited to compete with racers from across North America for the Championship race in San Diego, CA on September 13th, 2009. The races are designed to be fun for paddlers of all levels, with the goal of increasing the visibility of the sport. The general format is as follows: Series Length: 4 to 6 Weeks total duration, with 1 Race per week Course: Either course or downwind run Length: Races will typically last 30 to 45 Minutes Divisions: Men, Women Entry Fee: $20 Series, $5 Race A cumulative point scoring system will be used to determine the qualifiers for the Championship in San Diego, and winners in each division there will receive a 14’ Glide and a trip to Maui, Hawaii for the 5th Annual Naish Paddle Championships, a 9.54 mile race from Maliko Gulch to Kahului Harbor. We look forward to seeing you on the water! For further information please contact Nick Stuart at supchampionship@naishsails.com

Team Naish goes to Indo

Check out the Naish team scoring Stand-up Paddling, Windsurfing and Kiteboarding in Indonesia.

See it at www.naish.tv

Dave Kalama Signs with Naish

Naish International is pleased to announce the addition of legendary waterman Dave Kalama to both the Naish stand up board team and Naish product design group, where he will work alongside Harold Iggy, Rick and Robby Naish and product manager Michi Schweiger in our ongoing efforts to keep Naish at the forefront of SUP development.

Dave Kalama has been a fixture in Maui’s “heavy water” scene since it’s inception, and is famous for his spectacular surfing at Jaws, his background as a champion windsurfer, and his open-minded approach regarding pushing the limits of what is possible on the ocean that, together with together with fellow master waterman Laird Hamilton, has revived sport of stand up paddling.

Product Manager Michi Schweiger notes: Dave is a great asset. He brings the same “on the water” philosophy to the table that has been the central theme of Naish product design since Robby started the company - the whole philosophy of building rock solid equipment that helps people improve their riding instead of limiting it. Dave was a immediate fit, and we are stoked to have him on board.

With several new products already in the development pipeline, and lots more to come, there is no question that Dave will be a key player in the future of this new industry, and Naish is proud to have him on the team!

Naish supports Lake Tahoe crossing to benefit Foundation

Big-wave surfer and stand-up paddler Dave Kalama spends most of his time racing between the Hawaiian islands, but paddling the length of Lake Tahoe on Monday, August 11th was one of his "most enjoyable days on the water ever." Kalama was one of 27 world-class athletes who launched from Camp Richardson just after dawn, with the intention of paddling 21 miles to Kings Beach. Riding Naish Stand Up Paddleboards, the group that included Truckee ski racer Daron Rahlves, snowboarder Jeremy Jones, Julian Carr, Arne Backstrom, and X Games boardercross gold medalist Nate Holland landed together just 6 hours and 23 minutes later.

Born from a chance meeting between Kalama and Truckee residents James Woodruff and Rob Gaffney, the Lake Tahoe SUP crossing came together as a way to involve extreme athletes in a fun event to raise awareness about victims suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other war-related injuries. The event also raised money for the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation.

"We chose stand-up paddling for this event because these athletes are always up for trying something new, and the learning curve for stand-up paddling is really steep," said Rob Howard, founder of event sponsor Epic Way Sports. "But introducing what seems like an unbelievable journey becomes very symbolic of someone who is suffering from a brain-related injury. Something that seems really easy on the surface becomes much more difficult." Dave comments: "In a race, I'm always hammering so hard the whole time that it's hard to enjoy it. On Monday, the weather was great, the water was refreshing, the setting was so beautiful, and the group was so awesome. I just couldn't have asked for a better day."

Read more at the Tahoe Tribune Article and Slideshow at: Tahoe Daily Tribune And visit http://www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org/ Photos: L.Claxton, C.Leve, J.M.Kessel

Kai Lenny wins SUP Junior Division at the Duke Kahanamoku Ocean Fest

The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) presented the 7th Annual Duke’s Ocean Fest at Waikiki Beach from August 17-24, 2008. The week long festival honors the legacy of the Hawaii surf icon and raises funds for local scholarship and grant programs, and features a wide array of exciting water sports competitions.

Waikiki local Candice Appleby out-performed a field of world-class Stand-up Paddle surfers to win both the pro division and the women's category, and Naish team rider Kai Lenny from Maui won the Junior stand up division 19 and under. Congratulations from all of us at Naish!