• Where: Maunalua Bay, O’ahu
• When: May 25th, 2008
• What: 1st Annual Race For The Reef Paddling Fundraiser

The trade winds were light and the bumps hard to find, but after a long week of kona winds and vog, Sunday May 25th saw O`ahu paddlesports enthusiasts greeting the first returning puffs of the northeast tradewinds with open arms.

Arriving at Hawaii Kai, the organizers of the Race For The Reef Paddling Fundraiser found a mob of paddlers milling around the registration table, eager to get out there and fly ‘downhill’ on the ‘Hawaii Kai run.’ A staple for O’ahu paddlers, the 8-mile course draws a line directly downwind from Koko Head to Diamond Head; when the trades are howling it’s one long chain of ‘railroading’ bumps and chops.

Greg Pavao and Nolan Martin paddled Vortice XPs in the race.

Though the race was open to OC1s, OC2s, surf skis, and paddleboards, it was the stand-up paddleboard division that fielded the most entrants. SUPs of all descriptions lined up at water’s edge at the mouth of the Hawaii Kai Marina.

“This is a landmark day for the sport,” observed C4 Waterman’s Todd Bradley. “I mean, look at the stand-up boards here. Five years ago there was just a handful of us doing this, getting all sorts of funny looks from all the guys on regular paddleboards.”

Nolan Martin

A veteran of all types of paddlesports, Bradley has for five years dreamt of establishing a new regatta class of stand-up paddleboards, one in which a widely-accepted design class would be available everywhere to the serious paddler. Having fleets of standardized race board designs would, he reasoned, shift the competitive burden onto the training and technique of the paddler instead of the equipment.

That dream came true in the Race For The Reef. Numerous production models of two main classes of SUP race boards have emerged, the first being 12 to 14-footers with fixed fins; the second class being 16-foot-plus boards with controllable rudders.

Eight C4 Vortice XPs were in the race, but it was C4′s Todd Bradley, an old hand on the Hawaii Kai run, who prevailed. With a rock steady pace and an unerring eye for the magic ‘line, he fought off a spirited challenge by Aina Haina’s Dock Lock. Lock, one of the handful of original pioneers of stand-up paddleboard racing, paddled an 18-foot flatwater board with a controllable rudder. Though he was able to glide over the notorious ‘wallow zone’ off Black Point, it was evident by the time the two leaders reached the Diamond Head Lighthouse that Bradley’s experience in railroading the paltriest bumps would carry the day. He steamed across the finish line at Kaimana Beach with Lock astern, followed closely by Makaha’s Nolan Martin and Dave Parmenter (both, along with Todd Bradley, C4 Team Riders), both on C4 Vortice XP’s.

Todd Bradley

“This (race) is a good example of the two classes of SUP race boards,” said Bradley as he cooled off in the shallows and watched the rest of the paddlers make their way ashore. “From the very beginning we chose designs that let us surf in the middle of the ocean——once you get on a giant displacement hull with a rudder you lose that ‘surfy’ feeling, and it’s hard to make abrupt turns to follow the run of the bumps.”

With the first race of the season behind the transom, the stand-up paddleboard set is eagerly awaiting the QuiksilverEdition Molokai-to-O`ahu Challenge on July 27th. Bradley predicts a big turnout. “Five years ago there was only Archie (Kalepa) doing the Molokai solo. This year there will be dozens of teams, solo paddlers, and even a celebrity division,” he says as he watches Aaron Napoleon’s 11-year-old son, Riggs, scoot across the finish line on his mini-SUP. “This sport is growing bigger every day, and it’s here to stay.”

• Where: Pailolo Channel, Hawaii
• When: April 26, 2008
• What: Kai Wa’a/Smith Builders, LLC Maui to Molokai Challenge

Mid April marks the beginning of the paddle sports racing season in Hawaii. As the winter surf season ebbs to a close, it’s time for the C4 crew to join all the canoe, surf ski and paddleboard enthusiasts in gearing up for a summer full of training, races, and plain ole holoholo larks.

After spending the past four paddle seasons shaping and designing open ocean stand-up race boards with Brian Keaulana, Todd Bradley, Archie Kalepa, and Karel Tresnak, I was keen to get the new C4 Vortice XP out in some ripping trade wind bumps and point that baby downhill.

So I was stoked when my Molokai Channel partner, Archie Kalepa, rang up to invite me to paddle with him in a race across the Pailolo Channel to Kaunakakai on Molokai. Arch is more or less the godfather of stand-up paddleboard racing, being the first guy, back in 2004, to take on the 32-nautical-mile Kaiwi Channel standing up.

Now that dozens of Vortice racers are springing from of Karel’s molds, this will be the first year Archie and I can train on identical boards; we are both keenly anticipating this year’s Molokai crossing, knowing that if the trades are smoking’ we have a design that gobbles up bumps like M&Ms.

On Maui, race day dawned in a voggy calm. The forecast insisted trades were on the way, but as we motored to the start point at D.T. Fleming Beach in the Kalepa Kai, Archie’s tricked-out Radon, it was soon apparent that the bulk of the stand-up contingent had been spooked away by the glassy, unruffled ocean. Well, maybe the 5-foot north swell had something to do with it, too…

But by the time the start horn blared the wind was visibly increasing, and already bursts of popcorn were sprouting out to sea. A nightmarish vision of a 6-hour death march over sticky calm water abated; we could begin to relish the thought of 4 hours of constant ‘scoots’ and runs.

Heading due west from Fleming Beach, the first leg served up an hour’s battle with a more northerly wind component. Luckily the prevailing torque of the bumps continually squeezed us up to windward, thus allowing us to hold our westerly line toward the finish line at Kaunakakai Harbor, 23 nautical miles distant.

By mid channel the wind veered more easterly, seemingly funneled and refracted around the islands of Lanai and Molokai. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to settle into a pace miles out to sea, with the wind squarely abaft and no other contestants harrying your tail. By hour two Archie and I had settled into a regimen of trading 20-minute turns on the Vortice XP. Watching Archie from the Kalepa Kai, I was gratified to note that he was able to constantly keep the nose pointed downhill. That is what you want to see; in contrast, paddleboards that tend to go pitch-up usually wallow on the crest of a bump and often stall out before you can push it over and start scooting downhill.

By Kamalo Point the wind was churning up perfect surfing bumps—-tight, steep, and close together. The run of the chops settled into a ‘basket-weave’ pattern, the kind that overlap and let you hop right-to-left- and left-to-right from wavelet to wavelet in long railroading runs. At this point we were stoked to be routinely stitching together 5 waves per run.

Nearing the finish line at Kaunakakai Harbor, the wind died somewhat, but the chops still kept pushing us along. We hove alongside open class solo paddleboard hellman Keoni Watson, the lone paddleboard entrant, as he slurped his last bottle of protein sludge on the way to a splendid 4:10 race time.

Archie steamed past the finish buoy at the tip of the wharf to secure for us a time of 4:07, which we figured pointed to an average paddling speed of about 6 or 7 mph. An hour later the only other relay team, Tiare Friedman and Mele McPherson, scooted in on their new Vortice XP with a very respectable time of 5:06. Minutes later, solo stand-up paddlers Mike Madsoon (on an F-16) and Jack Gillen (on a Ku Nalu) came ashore with times of 5:11 and 5:18, respectively.

At 23 nautical miles, the Maui to Molokai race was an ideal warm-up for the Molokai Challenge on July 27th—–you could call it a Metric Molokai. It’s long enough to find out what you’re made of, yet short enough that it doesn’t lay you out for days afterward. ….And as any stand-up paddleboarder knows, having the wind on your back and the bumps puckering everywhere like grenade craters is manna from Heaven.

-Dave Parmenter, 29 April 2008

Some of the Ku Ikaika Challenge competitors.

The idea behind the “Stand Strong” Ku Ikaika Stand-Up Surfing Challenge was wise in many ways. We raised the awareness of stand-up paddle surfing around the globe. The West Side Junior Lifeguard Program received a $4,000 check to continue their important work. And, a bit more selfishly, the invited contestants got to stand-up surf Makaha Point all day with only a handful of guys in the water!

The judge’s vantage of Makaha Point.

It all started with “The Call.”

On February 12, the 24 invitees and 16 trialists showed up on Makaha Beach at daybreak; the waves had been forecast to reach the 20-foot face minimum for the event. However, at sunrise that day it was small – false alarm.

But two days later The Call was, “We’re on!”

The morning of Valentine’s Day, contestants paddled into position. The judges, on the balcony of a fifth floor condo in the hotel overlooking the break, sounded the horn. Makaha was firing; the Point was peeling, with epic, racing walls leading into the infamous Bowl.

Perkins approaching the Makaha Bowl.

Early heats saw some great surfing. The swell was steady after climbing through the morning, with 25-foot face sets coming through regularly all afternoon.

Aaron Napoleon didn’t make it out of this tube, but he got a big score for trying.

And conditions were perfect all day.

California charger Patterson borrowed a C4 board in the morning, and ripped his way to the semi-finals in the afternoon. Here he is, going deep on a big one.

Surprises abounded in competition, including the elimination of local favorites Brian Keaulana and Bonga Perkins in the Quarter Finals. And trialists Aaron Napoleon and Kamu Auwae surfed all the way to the Finals.

Aaron, on a big one.

It was an exciting, all Hawaiian final.

The four finalists. From left to right, Ikaika Kalama, Keoni Keaulana, Kamu Auwae, and Aaron Napoleon.

In the end, Aaron Napoleon won. Napoleon took the day off from his job to compete in the Ku Ikaika. Talk about a wise call!

See more photos and video at KuIkaikaChallenge.com and C4waterman.com

COMPLETE RESULTS

FINAL
1st – Aaron Napoleon, 41, Pearl City, Oahu, Hawaii
(White) – won $4,000 that will be awarded in his name to the West Side Junior Lifeguard Foundation.
Points: 16.83 (two of three judges awarded 10s) total – 10, 6.83

2nd – Keoni Keaulana, 24, Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii
(Black,) – won $350 like everybody else in the main event.
Points: 14.0 total – 7.83, 6.17

3rd – Ikaika Kalama, 28, Waialua, Oahu, Hawaii
(Green) – won $350
Points: 13.5 total – 7.17, 6.33

4th – Kamu Auwae, 28, Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii
(Red) – won $350
Points: 8.9 total – 2.33, 6.57

SEMI FINALS: 1st & 2nd advance, 3rd place =5th overall, 4th place =7th overall
H1: Kamu Auwae (Black, HI), Keone Keaulana (Green, HI), Brian Keaulana (Red, HI), Bonga Perkins (White, HI)
H2: Ikaika Kalama (Green, HI), Aaron Napoleon (White, HI), Chuck Patterson (Red, CA), Kealii Mamala (Black, HI)

QUARTER FINALS: 1st & 2nd advance, 3rd place =9th overall, 4th place =13th overall.
H1; Brian Keaulana (Black, HI), Kamu Auwae (Red, HI), Raimana Van Bastolaer (Green, TAH), Nolan Keaulana (White, HI)
H2: Keone Keaulana (Red, HI), Bonga Perkins (Green, HI), Duane DeSoto (White, HI), Keone Downing (Black, HI)
H3: Chuck Patterson (Black, CA), Kealii Mamala (White, HI), Rusty Keaulana (Red, HI), Garrett McNamara (Green, HI)
H4: Ikaika Kalama (White, HI), Aaron Napoleon (Green, HI), Dave Parmenter (Black, HI), Sam Pai (Red, HI)

MAIN ROUND
H1: Kamu Auwae (White, HI), Keone Keaulana (Green, HI), Craig Davidson (Black, HI), Kamaki Worthington (Red, HI)
H2: Brian Keaulana (Red, HI), Jamie Mitchell (Green, AUS), Keone Downing (Black, HI), Scott Bass (White, CA)
H3: Bonga Perkins (Red, HI), Raimana Van Bastolaer (Green, TAH), Ekolu Kalama (White, HI), Archie Kalepa (Black, HI)
H4: Duane Desoto (Black, HI), Nolan Keaulana (Green, HI), Buzzy Kerbox (Red, HI), Kainoa McGee (White, HI)
H5: Rusty Keaulana (Black, HI), Sam Pai (White, HI), Noah Johnson (Green, HI), Arsene Harehoe (Red, TAH)
H6: Chuck Patterson (Green, CA), Dave Parmenter (Red, HI), Blane Chambers (Black, HI), Chris Mauro (White, CA)
H7: Aaron Napoleon (Green, HI), Garrett McNamara (White, HI), Robby Naish (Black, HI), Mel Puu (Red, HI)
H8: Ikaika Kalama (Red, HI), Kealii Mamala (White, HI), Liam Wilmott (Green, AUS), Todd Bradley (Black, HI)

Trials
H1: Kamu Auwae (Black, HI), Scott Bass (Green, CA), Liam Wilmott (Red, AUS), Kyle Mochizuki (White, CA)
H2: Ekolu Kalama (Red, HI), Kainoa McGee (Green, HI), Blane Chambers (White, HI), Nalu Froiseth (Black, HI)
H3: Sam Pai (Red, HI), Chris Mauro (Green, CA), Chuck Patterson (White, CA), Bunky Bakutis (Black, HI)
H4: Garrett McNamara (White, HI), Kealii Mamala (Green, HI), Aaron Napoleon (Red, HI), Tiare Lawrence (Black, HI)�

Stand up paddle surfing, SUP for short, is an old sport that former Waikiki Beach Boy Bobby Ah Choy kept alive. He used to shoot photographs of surfers in Waikiki while riding his stand-up paddle board. The above picture taken by Bobby is of SUP surfer John Zapotocky and has been published many times.

More recently, Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama picked up the sport and Brian Keaulana shortly after. These big wave surfers took the sport to another level- in both surfing, and open ocean arenas.

Meanwhile, since I was addicted to SUP and was already building one-man outrigger canoe paddles, I started making SUP paddles. The fast-growing demand for SUP paddles led to the formation of C4 Waterman… a partnership of Brian Keaulana, Mike Fox and myself. C4′s goal is the promote the sport of stand up paddling and the share the core values of true watermen: balance, endurance, strength, and Tradition.

HONOLULU – (February 14, 2008) – Today’s inaugural QuikSilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull, was a hugely successful celebration of the waterman heritage, epic surf and aloha that have been Hawaii’s gifts to the world for centuries. Staged in waves that ranged throughout the day from six to 15 feet (wave face heights of 12-30 feet), the world’s first big-wave stand up paddle surfing event was more about gathering together to honor a tradition than it was about winning. The first place winner’s check of $4,000, ultimately claimed by revered Hawaiian waterman Aaron Napoleon (Pearl City, Oahu, 41), was presented on his behalf to the West Side Junior Lifeguard Foundation. Every surfer in the main event received an equal prize check of $350.

Napoleon surfed through a total of five rounds to win the all-Hawaiian final, charging hard through every round and posting one of the event’s two perfect 10-point rides for a huge barrel. Second place today was 24-year-old Keoni Keaulana (Waianae), who was the top-performing member of the highly represented and respected Keaulana family of Makaha. Third place went to big-wave specialist Ikaika Kalama (Waialua, Oahu), and fourth was Kamu Auwae (Waianae).

Of the field of 32 surfers, 24 were from the Hawaiian Islands, four were from California: Scott Bass, Kyle Mochizuki, Chris Mauro and Chuck Patterson; two were from Tahiti: Raimana Van Bastolaer and Arsene Harehoe; and two were from Australia: Jamie Mitchell and Liam Wilmott. There was also one woman in the event: Maui’s Tiare Lawrence.

The top-performing non-Hawaii surfer was fifth-placed Chuck Patterson, 38, (San Clemente, CA), who lost in the semi-finals to Napoleon and Kalama. Patterson posted the other perfect 10-point ride of the contest in round one of the main event. Like Napoleon, he surfed all the way from the trials.

As the oldest competitor in the final at 41, Napoleon had a well of ocean knowledge to draw from today, both from his own lifetime of experience and as the product of one of Hawaii’s best known ocean-going families. A top-performer over the years in every salt-water sport on offer, Napoleon attributed his success to good genes and just wanting to have fun.

“If you could have been out there and seen how the water and the waves looked from where I was, it was so beautiful, man, I was in heaven,” said Napoleon. “How you goin’ beat one guy (sic) that’s having fun?

“It wasn’t super big, but it was fun.

“My first heat in the trials I kinda really bonked. I told myself that if I get another chance I’m going for it.”

On his perfect 10-scoring, 12-foot wave: “I set it up, pulled in there, had some travel time. I could see the jet-skis in the channel and even though I didn’t make it out, when I came up it seemed like the crowd was in awe. To get the respect, I’m on cloud nine.”

Chuck Patterson followed an identical path to Napoleon through the event, unfortunately falling one heat short of the glory, but not an ounce short on respect earned. Like Napoleon, he only made it out of the trials by virtue of being one of the highest placed thirds (technically only first and second in each heat were advancing, but a couple of vacancies in the seeded main round allowed a couple of top thirds a second shot).

Where Napoleon capitalized on the biggest, most critical waves and a high, racing line, Patterson opted for large open-faced waves and a top-to-bottom sequence of power carves that totally utilized the paddle.

Like Napoleon, Patterson is also an exponent of multiple sports – kite-surfing, big-wave tow-in surfing, snowboarding and skiing. Stand up paddle surfing is his latest passion.

“I’m addicted!” said Patterson, who runs a construction company and cross-trains young athletes when not pursing his own sporting goals. “This new sport is so exciting. It’s as much fun as anything I’ve ever done and it’s the most humbling. It has its glorified moments that leaving you feeling amazing, but then you can turn straight around and fall on a small little bump on the water. It’s a humanizing experience – you’ve just got to get back on your feet and start over. You’re always learning and it’s never boring.”

The vibe on the beach said it all today: no commercial hyp, just an intimate crowd of mostly surf-stoked aunties, uncles and families. There couldn’t have been a better venue on the planet than Makaha Beach – for natural beauty or waves. Located near the end of the road on the West Side of Oahu, Makaha has long been a paradise for surfers, playing host to the first world championships of surfing more than 50 years ago. Not much has changed around here in that time, and those things that did have now come full circle, like the old beachboy style of stand up paddle surfing that proved without a doubt today that it’s back to stay this time.

Ku Ikaika: “Stand Strong”. The name for this event came from the name of the non-profit foundation established last year by supporting sponsor of this event, C4 Waterman. The Ku Ikaika Foundation was established to shine a light on the youth that it encourages to stand strong and make strong, positive choices in life.

Hi-res digital images will be available to registered media affiliates. Please contact Jodi Wilmott: (808) 258-8533.

THE EVENT:
A benefit for the Junior Lifeguard Foundation on the West Side.

DATE:
January 15 to February 29, 2008.
To be held on the day when wave face heights reach 20 feet.

VENUE:
Makaha Point, West Side Oahu, Hawaii.

FORMAT:
32-man format featuring the world’s top stand-up paddle surfers (24 invitees and 8 trialists from a 16-man trials division to be held on the same day).

PRIZE MONEY:
$4,000 donation to the West Side’s Junior Lifeguard Foundation will carry the event winner’s name. Surfers will share equally in $11,200 prize money ($350 each).

About QuiksilverEdition:
QuiksilverEdition’s commitment to stand-up paddle surfing is multi-layered involving event sponsorship, athlete development and design & innovation. Some of the planned events include SUP clinics in Florida and the Great lakes, open event fundraisers in Laguna Beach and Long Island, NY and The QuiksilverEdition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race. QuiksilverEdition has assembled some of the top stand-up paddle surfers in the world including Bonga Perkins & Jamie Mitchell.

QuikSilverEdition, a division of Quiksilver Inc, is inspired by the waterman lifestyle. Whether surfing, paddling, canoeing or just spending quality time with family or friends talking story, QuikSilverEdition is a great looking, comfortable and stylish compliment to the best moment of our lives. QuikSilverEdition is a premium sportswear brand built for the man who is looking for a more refined alternative to today’s youth-driven surf companies. It is an authentic brand that embodies the rich heritage of Quiksilver’s legendary wave and mountain culture.

About C4 Waterman:
Founded by Hawaii’s Brian Keaulana, Todd Bradley, and Mike Fox, C4 Waterman brings together over 100 years of ocean experience to create the C4 Waterman brand of wave-riding tools and equipment. Sharing a passion for ocean sports, the drive to excel and a desire to share the waterman’s spirit, C4 Waterman’s state-of-the-art paddles, stand-up boards, paddleboards and accessories are the modern evolution of the ocean-based lifestyle that originated in Hawaii.

HONOLULU – (January 14, 2008) – The official holding period of the QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman and Red Bull, will get underway tomorrow, January 15, and will run through February 29, 2008. The QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge is the world’s first big-wave stand up paddle (SUP) surfing event and will be held at Makaha Point, on Oahu’s West Side.

The QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge will be held on one day when wave face heights reach 20 feet.

Above: Brian Keaulana, Makaha – photo: Allen Mozo

In the spirit of community, as opposed to competition, the event will be a benefit for the West Side’s Junior Lifeguard Foundation (JLF), with $4,000 of the $15,200 prize purse being donated to the JLF on behalf of the event winner. The remaining $11,200 will be equally split among the 32 surfers in the main event with each rider to receive $350. The main event will consist of 24 invited surfers plus eight surfers who advance from a 16-man trials.

The concept for this year’s event was developed by C4 Waterman co-founder Brian Keaulana, who wanted to showcase SUP surfing at the historic venue of Makaha while also giving back to the local community. It was embraced as a natural fit for QuiksilverEdition, a brand built upon adventure, commitment, endurance and style – key components of SUP surfing and the waterman’s lifestyle.

Stand up paddle surfing first surfaced on the shores of Waikiki back in the 1940s and ’50s. The original Waikiki Beachboys blended their favorite sports of outrigger canoe paddling and surfing, utilizing a canoe paddle to both paddle and surf while standing. It was an adaptation made for convenience as it afforded the Beachboys a better view of the Waikiki surf lineup where they assisted tourists in learning to surf and took their photos while doing so.

The sport has enjoyed a rebirth in recent years and has been given a high-energy, modern-day spin: big-wave riding. Utilizing a paddle that is today specifically designed for SUP, surfers maintain an upright position while paddling out to the lineup, paddling into the waves, and then surfing them to shore. The paddle is not only a tool for navigating the lineup, but is also critically employed throughout the surfer’s maneuvers on the wave.

“Stand up paddle surfing has brought the biggest injection of energy to the surf industry in at least 15 years,” says Glen Moncata, Vice President of Quiksilver for Hawaii and the Pacific Basin.

“It’s not just surfing with a paddle. It’s about embracing the sport’s origins and that authentic spirit of adventure that has long drawn man to the ocean, and that’s what makes it a great fit for QuiksilverEdition.”

“Makaha is where it all began,” says Brian Keaulana, of C4 Waterman. “From the Makaha International that opened surfing to the world 50 years ago, to the first ever stand up competition – here at my father’s (Buffalo Keaulana) contest four years ago. This is where all ocean activities exist, so it’s full circle back to Makaha.”

About QuiksilverEdition:
QuiksilverEdition’s commitment to stand-up paddle surfing is multi-layered involving event sponsorship, athlete development and design & innovation. Some of the planned events include SUP clinics in Florida and the Great lakes, open event fundraisers in Laguna Beach and Long Island, NY and The QuiksilverEdition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race. QuiksilverEdition has assembled some of the top stand-up paddle surfers in the world including Bonga Perkins & Jamie Mitchell.

QuikSilverEdition, a division of Quiksilver Inc, is inspired by the waterman lifestyle. Whether surfing, paddling, canoeing or just spending quality time with family or friends talking story, QuikSilverEdition is a great looking, comfortable and stylish compliment to the best moment of our lives. QuikSilverEdition is a premium sportswear brand built for the man who is looking for a more refined alternative to today’s youth-driven surf companies. It is an authentic brand that embodies the rich heritage of Quiksilver’s legendary wave and mountain culture.

About C4 Waterman:
Founded by Hawaii’s Brian Keaulana, Todd Bradley, and Mike Fox, C4 Waterman brings together over 100 years of ocean experience to create the C4 Waterman brand of wave-riding tools and equipment. Sharing a passion for ocean sports, the drive to excel and a desire to share the waterman’s spirit, C4 Waterman’s state-of-the-art paddles, stand-up boards, paddleboards and accessories are the modern evolution of the ocean-based lifestyle that originated in Hawaii.

INVITEES:
Archie Kalepa
Bonga Perkins
Brian Keaulana
Bruce “Cito” DeSoto
Craig Davidson
Dave Kalama
Dave Parmenter
Duane DeSoto
Ikaika Kalama
Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Sterling
Kamaki Worthington
Kelly Slater
Lance Hookano
Leleo Kinimaka
Luke Egan
Mel Puu
Raimana Van Bastolaer
Rob Machado
Robby Naish
Rusty Keaulana
Titus Kinimaka
Tom Carroll
Vetea “Poto” David

16 TRIALISTS:
Buzzy Kerbox
Chris Mauro
Chuck Patterson
Derek Doerner
Ekolu Kalama
Garrett McNamara
Kainoa McGee
Kalani Vierra
Keone Downing
Keone Keaulana
Kyle Mocaizuki
Noah Johnson
Nolan Keaulana
Tiare Lawrence
Todd Bradley
Tony Moniz

On a recent boat trip to a secluded corner of the Maldives world renowned watermen Brian Keaulana and Todd Bradley teamed up with Tropicsurf’s Ross Phillips to experiment with the latest developments in ocean technology. Their goal was to brainstorm future plans for a series of waterman courses in Australia in 2008.

The Waterman Experience Weeks will be the very first of their kind open to the public and will commence early next year in Noosa, with the Maldives and Hawaii on the itinerary for late 2008. Designed for the regular surfer, the courses will focus on developing waterman skills and increasing overall ocean confidence so participants will not just be able to ride a wave, but really understand it. The program will be action packed with stand up paddle, tow-in, jet ski rescue, hydrofoil, underwater relaxation techniques, ocean swimming in challenging conditions and more.

With a Diploma of Teaching in Physical Education, a Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Education and twenty years experience as a surf educator Ross Phillips has earned himself a solid reputation in the industry. Coupled with Brian Keaulana who was once described by surf journalist Dave Parmenter as “without a doubt the greatest all-around waterman alive”, they make a formidable team.

On their recent Maldives trip they road tested a variety of equipment from the latest hydrofoil fins to stand up paddleboards ranging from 9’6 to 11’0. Body surfing, breath holding, jet ski driving training, towing and rescue techniques were also a major focus. “Professional water safety is an important service that Tropicsurf offers to our guests. So it’s been awesome to have Brian here with us fine-tuning our risk management processes. He’s undoubtedly the best in the business and his wealth of real life experience has proven invaluable in polishing our systems and training our guides” Ross Phillips, Tropicsurf CEO.

Brian Keaulana and Todd Bradley from C4 Waterman (www.c4waterman.com) were in the Maldives to film a stand up paddle instructional video but they got a lot more than they bargained for with solid 6 to 8 foot surf and not another single surfer for the entire trip. Brain Keaulana said, “This was probably the best surfing trip I have ever taken in my whole life. And I’ve been everywhere. It was not just the surf; it was the whole ambience, the culture the customer service. We’ve been treated way beyond what I’d expected like we were part of the family.”

This is what Tropicsurf does best and this service will be a major focus of the Waterman Experience Weeks. And for those with outstanding talent and enthusiasm the courses will also be part of a Tropicsurf recruiting drive – with Ross and his team keen to add coaches who will become part of this exciting new venture with the opportunity to travel the world.

Established in 2002 Tropicsurf provides guided luxury surfing holidays for all abilities. Tropicsurf pioneered surf travel in the outer atolls of the Maldives, with Ross the first to surf many of its breaks and constantly discovering new and remote locations.

For more information on Tropicsurf, and other surf tours they offer, check out their website at http://tropicsurf.net.

Welcome to the exciting and fast-growing new sport of Stand-Up Paddle Surfing.

A lot has happened in this emerging sport over the past year, and whether you are interested in high-performance surfing, racing across the Molokai Channel, or just cruising along the coast or your local lake, you’ll probably want to learn as much as you can about all the different types of SUP paddle craft available on the market.

As the designer and shaper of the C4 Waterman Stand-Up Paddle surfboard line, I’d like to brief you on some of the features of the boards we offer.

One of the most common questions I am asked is, “What makes the C4 boards different from the all other SUP boards out there?”

Well, first and foremost, it would have to be the people behind the boards. Between Brian Keaulana, Todd Bradley, Mike Fox and myself, we bring over 160 years experience in surfing, canoe paddling, paddleboard racing, sailing, sea-kayaking and water safety disciplines to our SUP surfboard designs. Sure, there’s been a lot of arguing about rocker and templates and fin arrays, but in the end it sure has helped the design evolution zip along.

Over the past decade I’ve been fortunate to have worked closely with one of the surfing world’s preeminent watermen, Makaha’s Brian Keaulana. Makaha, on Oahu’s leeward coast, is the big board capital of the surfing universe, and the surfers there really demand a lot from their tandem boards and tankers. Brian was the originator of the modern high-performance SUP short board, and innovated most of the surfing techniques you see spreading around the globe right now.

Along with Brian, I’ve also spent a lot of time with Todd Bradley learning about canoe and racing hull design. A veteran outrigger canoe racer, Todd has crossed the Molokai Channel more times than I’ve had hot lunches. Five years ago, when we began designing our first SUP paddleboards, he envisioned a whole new class of racing——-a regatta-style division consisting of super-light, very fast paddle craft that would skate ‘downhill’ like flying fish. It wasn’t long before we were hip-deep in EPS and hotwires and carbon fiber, experimenting with all sorts of hull designs. Sure, there were a few duds in the mix, but with Todd behind us (well, out in front of us, actually——–he smokes the rest of us in the races) it wasn’t long before we came up with a 14-footer that really started shaving some minutes off our Hawaii Kai runs.

The chief feature I’ve tried to infuse into all the C4 Waterman boards is something pilots call ‘control harmony’——–when a maneuver feels seamless and crisp in a perfectly coordinated response of ailerons, elevators and rudder. Like aircraft, surfboards move and turn on three axes, and both pilots and surfers love it when their craft answers the helm sweetly.

Without the proper and carefully balanced combination of rocker, outline, vee, and flats and edges, a Stand-Up surfboard is little more than an unwieldy tub. And the added leverage and torque provided by the paddle brings a whole new set of considerations.

The fleet of C4 Waterman SUP surf and paddle boards are designed, shaped, and ridden by a bunch of guys who paddle and surf them every day. Over the past 5 years we’ve paddled thousands of miles on our SUP surf craft———in the surf, across the open ocean, on lakes and down rivers. We’ve tested and refined our boards in Hawaii, Australia, the Maldives, Europe, Japan, Tahiti, and all across the continental United States.

So let’s check out what we’ve come up with and see which boards best suit your needs and local conditions.

9’0″ C4 Bat-Wing Swallow Tail

• Wing-Bat Tail
• 26.75″ wide
• 3.5″ thick
• Fin array: 2 X 1
• Rider guidelines: Beginner, 75 to 125 pounds; intermediate up to 150 lbs; advanced up to 190 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

DESIGN NOTES: While this smaller and more manageable SUP was designed for lighter surfers like kids and girls, it features contemporary shortboard components that make it a front-line preference of the C4 surf team when they want a board for high performance surfing and/or competition. Under the command of advanced riders this thin, light, progressive-rocker ‘ SUP’ shortboard refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer.

9’6″ C4 Swallow

• Swallow-Fish Tail
• 27.0″ wide
• 3.75″ thick
• Fin array: 2 X 1
• Rider guidelines: Beginner, 75 to 135 lbs; intermediate up to 170 lbs; advanced up to 200 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage

DESIGN NOTES: This state-of-the-art ‘short’ SUP fuses a neutral rocker to a Fish-like template. The crisp edges and fuller rails keeps the C4 ‘Swish’ lubricated at high speeds, allowing immediate response in hard turns——–yet this board is buoyant and stable enough for most intermediate and advanced surfers to paddle around comfortably for hours.

10’0″ C4 BK Pro

• Wing-Swallow Tail
• Width: 27.0″
• Thickness: 3.85″
• Fin Array: 5-fin cluster. Adaptable to any fin combination, i.e. single, twin, tri, quad, or 2 X 1.
• Rider guidelines: Beginner, 75 to 145 lbs; intermediate up to 185 lbs; advanced up to 215 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

DESIGN NOTES: The Brian Kealuana Model is the end result of a design evolution that commenced with the very first SUP ‘short board’ back in 2003. This board combines a constant-curve Hawaii rocker which is calibrated to accelerate at nose and tail in sync with the pulled-in outline. The thickness distribution tapers toward the tail to allow harder turns at higher speeds, and the wing-swallow reduces tail area under the back foot, and grants greater adhesion and torque in carving turns. If you are keen on progressive, full-tilt SUP surfing and really want to push the edge of the performance envelope, this is the board for you.

10’0″ C4

• Rounded Diamond Tail
• Width: 28.25″
• Thickness: 4.0″
• Fin Array: 2 X 1
• Rider guidelines: Beginner, 75 to 165lbs; intermediate up to 200 lbs; advanced up to 220 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

DESIGN NOTES: Probably the most versatile of all the C4 designs. The performance available from this stock 10-footer belies it’s bulk: At first glance it might resemble a garden-variety ‘long board’ shape, but the rails, rocker, deck line, and flat bottom are all stripped from the short board design tree. The C4 10’0″ paddles a foot longer but surfs a foot shorter. And while these nimble but stable boards are the workhorses of our demo fleet, don’t be surprised to see them in the finals of SUP competitions.

10’6″ C4

• Rounded Diamond Tail
• Width: 28.5″
• Thickness: 4.0″
• Fin Array: 2 X 1
• Rider guidelines: Beginner, 75 to 180 lbs; intermediate up to 220 lbs; advanced up to 250 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

DESIGN NOTES: The 10’6″ incorporates the same design components as the 10-footer——–progressive rocker, balanced outline, and flat deck and bottom——-to deliver the same friskiness to a longer and wider plan-shape. The extra length and width accommodates cruising and flat-water paddlers, while its hot rod components satisfy even the most advanced SUP surfer. Our most popular SUP board.

11’6″ C4 “Standem” Model

• Rounded Diamond Tail
• Width: 29.0″
• Thickness: 4.85″
• Fin Array: 2 X 1
• Rider guidelines: Beginner up to 250 lbs; intermediate and advanced up to 300+ lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

DESIGN NOTES: This model is the culmination of over a decade spent refining Brian Keaulana’s tandem surfboards. Brian asks for a lot from his tandem boards————-he snap turns his big boards and charges Point surf and does ‘helicopters’ on them——–he just won’t settle for a chunk of sidewalk that allows him to merely pose straight-off in the whitewater. The 11’6″ “Standem” model is the Cadillac of our fleet. Possessing the same design features that propel the 10’0″ and the 10’6″, this board provides the SUP surfer with stability and glide unmatched by much larger SUP boards on the market. Something of a cross-over design, this board also doubles as a tandem surfboard, rescue board, or even a super light and playful tanker for the Big Bruddah.

12’0″ C4 ‘Holoholo’

• Round Pintail
• Width: 28″
• Thickness: 4.75″
• Fin array: single fin box
• Rider guidelines: Beginner up to 185 lbs; intermediate and advanced up to 250 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

DESIGN NOTES: In Hawaii, “holoholo” means to head off for a walk, a ride or a sail strictly for pleasure. The C4 “Holoholo” was intended for just this purpose. This coastal cruiser or flat water Stand-Up paddleboard was designed to enable the paddler to head off and gaze at whatever catches his or her fancy. Pristine kelp beds, warm meandering rivers, tranquil smooth lakes——–whatever, just go ahead and effortlessly scoot along and ‘smell the roses.’

With its streamlined shape and steep rails, the ‘Holoholo’ has the
planing efficiency of a racing paddleboard, while the additional
thickness and slight double-barrel bottom concaves provide stability
without having to resort to an overly wide plan shape——which often
prevents a proper vertical-shaft paddle stroke. Although intended as a
‘cruiser,’ the ‘Holoholo’ nonetheless is up to a romp in the surf for
those intermediate or advanced SUP surfers who crave the ultra-glide
thrills of the ancient Hawaiian ‘ olo‘ boards.

14’0″ C4 XP ‘Vortice’ Elite-Class Racer (Karel Tresnak)

• Round Pintail
• Width: 26.25″
• Fin array: Single box fin; rudder-type fins available for both standard and kelp conditions.
• Rider guidelines: Designed for advanced SUP paddleboard racing, distance or short-course sprint. Can support expert paddlers up to 200 lbs.
• Construction: This elite racer is constructed in a two-part mold designed and built by Karel Tresnak. Hollow structure is composed of carbon fiberglass, Kevlar and epoxy resin, and ribbed by three longitudinal ultra-light foam spars.

DESIGN NOTES: The XP “Vortice” is a molded version of the fastest SUP paddleboard we could come up with in 4 years of races in Hawaii, and is intended to be the foundation of a ‘stock’ class in the increasing number of races held in the Islands. This ultralight composite racer sports twin concaves running throughout the bottom, which increases both hull speed and stability; up top, the scooped out deck lowers the paddler’s center of gravity while boosting the mechanical advantage of a shorter paddle shaft. The bottom rocker was honed in the gale-torn Molokai Channel, the gold standard of every paddlesport race on Earth. If you’re into racing and want to ‘railroad’ open-ocean swells one after another like you scarf M & Ms, then book a test flight on the XP “Vortice.”

14’0″ C4 ‘Vortice” (Boardworks)

• Round Pintail
• Width: 27.25″
• Fin array: Single box fin; with rudder-type fins available for both standard and kelp conditions.
• Rider guidelines: Beginner up to 180 lbs; intermediate and advanced up to 250 lbs.
• Construction: Epoxy lamination with a 1-lb EPS core sheathed with 1/8″ Divinycell high-density foam, compression and heat molded to form a monocoque-style fuselage.

“When we were kids growing up, we didn’t care what we rode, we just wanted to be in the water,” says Todd Bradley, who grew up playing on the shores of 1960s Waikiki. As a small kid, he mimicked the beach boys who rode around on their big planks using canoe paddles, not realizing that one day he’d have a hand in the modern revival of what has become a wildly popular adrenaline sport. As a grom-grown-up, Bradley still has that innate desire to play in the sea. He and other pioneering watermen respond to an instinctive urge to push their boundaries, and they constantly invent tools to go bigger, faster, deeper, longer and stronger. Last year, Bradley teamed up with Brian Keaulana, Dave Parmenter and Mike Fox to produce stand-up boards and paddles, forming a company called C4 Waterman, one of the sport’s modern pioneers. A few years ago when the first stand-up boards hit the water, there were lots of photos of guys cruising around in flat bays, like a Sunday walk in the park.

Today, however, stand-up paddlers are racing across the Moloka‘i Channel, and guys are stand-up paddling into outer reefs once reserved for tow-in only. From crocodile-inhabited rivers in Australia to massive barrels in Tahiti, enthusiasts of the hybrid sport are going where they’ve never been before.

“The world gets so locked into ‘I’m going to practice my surfing and I’m going to surf great,’ when surfing is the easiest thing to do. Surviving is the hardest,” says former Makaha lifeguard and stuntman Brian Keaulana. After all, it’s not only your physical equipment, but your mental equipment, knowledge and attitude, that matters.

“I was brought up in a waterman’s world where my father is like the ultimate waterman, really. He’ll go out and he’ll dive and he’ll feed [everyone on] the beach. He’ll give without expecting to receive anything back—no payment, no reward, just the fullness of someone’s belly, the smile on a kid’s face,” Keaulana says, talking about his dad, Makaha’s legendary Buffalo Keaulana. “And then he’ll paddle out and surf one to two-feet waves and he’ll bodysurf a six-foot wave, and that’s the thing: No one piece of equipment makes us who we are.” When Bradley gave Keaulana a hat with the company logo on it, Keaulana said he took a marker and blacked out “Waterman.” “Todd said, ‘What did you do that for?’” Brian remembers. “I told him, ‘Well, because to me, it’s [about] the hidden waterman in each person.’” In other words, a true waterman doesn’t wear his skills on his boardshorts. He demonstrates by example.

C4 represents the four core values of a waterman—balance, endurance, strength, and
tradition. “You don’t have to paint it or write it,” Keaulana explains. “The thing about the ocean—you can have the most certifications in the world, but the ocean can’t read that piece of paper. It doesn’t understand that plastic card. The ocean demands the utmost respect from every individual.”

C4 represents the four core values of a waterman—balance, endurance, strength, and tradition. “You don’t have to paint it or write it,” Keaulana explains. “The thing about the ocean—you can have the most certifications in the world, but the ocean can’t read that piece of paper. It doesn’t understand that plastic card. The ocean demands the utmost respect from every individual.”

The paddle doesn’t just help get surfers into the waves. It’s indispensable for driving the big board and pulling off maneuvers. “On a board that size, you could never get it on a rail and hold it long enough to crank a super-hard turn, but with the paddle, you can,” Bradley says. Putting the equipment to extreme tests, Keaulana validates the designs, claiming that he’s getting in quicker, tighter and deeper on his stand-up board than on his paddling gun. Indeed, standing up offers surfers advantages over lay-down surfers—you can see the sets coming, you can sit further out, and you can take off earlier—but with those opportunities comes the potential to abuse them.

Keaulana and Bradley emphasize that surfers need to be responsible and respectful in the water. “The guys who have been involved in this sport from the beginning—people like Laird [Hamilton] and me and Dave Kalama and Todd and Titus [Kinimaka] and the few individuals who kind of started it off—we try and educate people that no matter what kind of equipment you’re on, have respect. Because if you’re one idiot, you can be one idiot on a stand-up board, you can be one idiot on a shortboard, you can be one idiot bodysurfing—the bottom line is you’re still one idiot,” Keaulana points out. “It’s not the equipment. The equipment doesn’t have a brain.”

It’s been a few years since the Tahitians presented Keaulana with his first stand-up paddle, modeled after a blade that Tahitian surfer Poto copied from Laird Hamilton, who had begun beta-testing long paddles on his tandem board. Keaulana started paddling the lagoons in Tahiti and realized what a tremendous workout it is.

“For all the different things I’m involved in, because I’m limited in my time whether it’s work or family or whatever, this [gives me] opportunity to jump in the water and work at the level I want and just pound,” says the tireless waterman, who says he tries to put in at least half an hour a day. “I can expend all my energy and feel like Isurfed all day.”

The exercise factor gives stand-up paddling mass appeal as a fun and rigorous training tool, especially for people who live far from the ocean but can still take it into lakes and rivers. Beyond the workout, though, stand-up paddling provides access to the wonder of the ocean to which watermen will eternally be drawn.

Now, each year he goes to Tahiti, Keaulana brings his stand-up equipment. He paddles along the barrier reef and rides the little waves created when the water folds over the shelf. “I see black-tip shark and ulua and the color of the coral, the sun penetrating—it’s amazing and enjoyable,” he describes. And then with the same equipment, he’ll turnaround and drop into heaving Teahupo‘o.

“Stand-up paddling, it’s a tradition for us. All we’re doing is practicing what our culture has already given us, because it is people we looked up to like Duke Kahanamoku who did that in the past. It’s not one new sport, really. It’s nothing we reinvented,” Keaulana says. “We practice the same lifestyle as our forefathers. We just get better equipment nowadays.”
__________________________________
More info:
C4 Waterman (www.c4waterman.com) paddles from $224.9910′ ($1,469.99), 10’6″
($1,549.99), 11’6″ ($1,649.99), inflatable ULI($1,349.99)

HONOLULU – (Friday, October 12, 2007) – C4 Waterman, the leaders in the stand-up paddle surfing market, have teamed up with Premiere Productions to produce Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Hawaiian Style, Volume 1: Basics to Intermediate.

This comprehensive how-to DVD for those looking to enjoy the rebirth of SUP “stoke” is now available in select surf stores and on-line at www.c4waterman.com, at the suggested retail price of $24.99.

Click here to view a preview of the DVD.

Filmed on-location in Hawaii and the Maldives, this entertaining instructional DVD provides background to the sport and takes the viewer all the way from beginning techniques to more advanced tips for the intermediate stand-up paddle surfer. It will soon be followed by an intermediate-to-advanced guide.

Some of Hawaii’s world-class watermen, including C4 Waterman’s Brian Keaulana, take you step-by-step from first-time basics to wave-riding, secret techniques, Pro Tips and a ton of insane action and stunning scenery in-between. Bonus chapters include additional action, contests and loads more, featuring high profile riders along with recreational enthusiasts – male and female, young and old.

Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Hawaiian Style is the definitive how-to video for this emerging sport. Whether you’re looking to reinvent your fitness workout, step up your flat-water training, or prepare for a season of surf, you’ll get there faster with the information presented in this DVD.

Right in time for the holidays, Stand Up Paddle Surfing, Hawaiian Style is a perfect stocking-stuffer for any water enthusiast. Look for Volume 2 around Christmas time.

For More Information or to obtain a copy:
Please visit c4waterman.com

Stand Up Paddle News

C4 Watermen go Troppo over the ultimate waterman destination

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 October, 2007 : – - On a recent boat trip to a secluded corner of the Maldives world-renowned watermen Brian Keaulana and Todd Bradley teamed up with Tropicsurf ‘s Ross Phillips to experiment with the latest developments in ocean technology. Their goal was to brainstorm future plans for a series of waterman courses in Australia in 2008.

The Waterman Experience Weeks will be the very first of their kind open to the public and will commence early next year in Noosa, with the Maldives and Hawaii on the itinerary for late 2008. Designed for the regular surfer, the courses will focus on developing waterman skills and increasing overall ocean confidence so participants will not just be able to ride a wave, but really understand it.

The program will be action packed with stand up paddle, tow-in, jet ski rescue, hydrofoil, underwater relaxation techniques, ocean swimming in challenging conditions and more.

With a Diploma of Teaching in Physical Education, a Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Education and twenty years experience as a surf educator Ross Phillips has earned himself a solid reputation in the industry. Coupled with Brian Keaulana who was once described by surf journalist Dave Parmenter as ”without a doubt the greatest all-around waterman alive”, they make a formidable team.

PWC assist : photo Allen Mozo

On their recent Maldives trip they road tested a variety of equipment from the latest hydrofoil fins to stand up paddleboards ranging from 9’6 to 11’0. Body surfing, breath holding, jet ski driving training, towing and rescue techniques were also a major focus.

“Professional water safety is an important service that Tropicsurf offers to our guests. So it’s been awesome to have Brian here with us fine-tuning our risk management processes. He’s undoubtedly the best in the business and his wealth of real life experience has proven invaluable in polishing our systems and training our guides” Ross Phillips, Tropicsurf CEO.

Brian Keaulana and Todd Bradley from C4 Waterman were in the Maldives to film a stand up paddle instructional video but they got a lot more than they bargained for with solid 6 to 8 foot surf and not another single surfer for the entire trip. Brain Keaulana said, “This was probably the best surfing trip I have ever taken in my whole life. And I’ve been everywhere.

It was not just the surf; it was the whole ambience, the culture the customer service. We’ve been treated way beyond what I’d expected like we were part of the family.”

This is what Tropicsurf does best and this service will be a major focus of the Waterman Experience Weeks. And for those with outstanding talent and enthusiasm the courses will also be part of a Tropicsurf recruiting drive – with Ross and his team keen to add coaches who will become part of this exciting new venture with the opportunity to travel the world.

Established in 2002 Tropicsurf provides guided luxury surfing holidays for all abilities. Tropicsurf pioneered surf travel in the outer atolls of the Maldives, with Ross the first to surf many of its breaks and constantly discovering new and remote locations.

www.tropicsurf.net
www.c4waterman.com