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SUPAH Race Clinic Features Todd Bradley |
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Come to the park by Hui Nalu in Hawaii Kai by the boat ramp on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 7:30 am for a S.U.P.A.H. race clinic featuring Todd Bradley. SUPAH stand for Stand Up Paddle Association of Hawaii and offers free clinics to those interested in distance paddling. See http://www.suphawaii.org/ for more information.
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SUP in the New York Times |
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C4 has teamed up with traditional Polynesian tattoo artist Keone Nunes to create two new long sleeve rashguards and now they come in Women's size and colors.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 March 2010 )
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John Zapotocky - A Living Legend |
“ZAPPED!”
John Zapotocky Shares His
Hawaiian Ocean “Religion”
What have YOU been doing for 70
Years? Ninety-one year-old John Zapotocky has been riding the waves and
paddling a board longer than most of us have been alive. As he makes his way
out on his paddleboard again today, it’s a friendly reminder that this “new
sport” of standup paddling (SUP) isn’t new after all. John Zapotocky, Duke
Kahanamoku and a handful of the old Waikiki Beachboys discovered how “cool” it
was before most of us were even born.
Five seconds with John
"Zapped" Zapotocky and you know the guy hasn't wasted a second of
life despite being blessed with plenty of it. Sharing the waves with Kahanamoku
was a moment in time and an opportunity not lost on John. He recognized surfing
royalty when he saw it and immediately knew that the meaning of life was to be
found on the water.
"Well I was out there
surfing one day and I’d just come in and I’m looking out there and I see this
gentleman come on in on a wave with a paddle. I said, ‘my god, that’s something I should be doing!’ So I asked some
people and they said, well that’s Duke Kahanamoku. I said, who’s he? You know,
I’m here from Pennsylvania I’d never heard of him. They said, well he’s a world
famous swimmer and a surfer, an Olympic star. So I went and talked to Duke and
he said, well, get your shovel paddle and do it! I did that and I’ve been doing
it ever since. I’ve been surfing out here now for 65-some years and probably 55
years I’ve been using a paddle. And it changed my whole life. I’ve been
standing up ever since."
After making a quick change
into his surf gear, John is ready to paddle, dressed all in white from head to
toe like a sainted surfing apparition. I get the impression he's dressing for
the next position. But if Heaven's close, John's not quite ready to trade his
Hawaiian paradise for the clouds just yet. He's still robust in his movements
although his bandy legs lend towards an obvious faith in his walker.
He makes his way down towards
the shore to “talk story” with a growing group of believers.
John knows the value of time
and maintains a steady clip. He bee-lines for the shade of the tent on the
beach and whips out a plastic blue album from beneath the folding seat of his
walker.
“It took many years before
standup paddling came into play,” says John of SUP. “Right now it’s like a
snowball. It’s the finest exercise move.
“It’s revolutionizing a way of
life. You can take this paddle, you can exercise with it,” he continues, as he
transitions into a demonstration. “You can twist, you can turn… You don’t need
any barbells.
“It’s a source of exercise that
people have not recognized how valuable it is. I think it’s just wonderful. I
think it’s going to be all over the world. It’s going to be everywhere in the
world – hotels, lagoons, any place there’s water, there’s room for standup
paddling. And I suggest you boys try it.”
There's something very cool
about hanging with a 91-year-old who is still stoked on surfing. To see faded
eyes sparkle with life as they reflect upon a life spent in the ocean.
In a matter of moments he flips
us all through the highlight pages of his life: His arrival to Hawaii in 1940
with his beautiful wife; soaking up the sun beside an outrigger canoe on the
spacious shores of Waikiki; standup paddle surfing before anyone saw the future
in it. He briefly touches upon various intermittent details like manning the
guns during the Pearl Harbor attack, all the while rifling through the
clear-covered pages with stumpy fingers he lost to machinery during his days at
the Dole pineapple cannery.
The memories are a blast, but
they don't cloud his diamond-sharp vision of what he’s here to do, and no
sooner has he hit the last photo page than he's rubber-banded the album closed,
locked it in the walker, and he's ready for action.
Today he has called upon friend
Todd Bradley, of C4 Waterman, to get him back on the water. Seeing the two of
them together, their total glee over standup paddling is contagious. They're a
couple of kindred souls who are excited by its simplicity and the guarantee it
offers of keeping you close to the source through the ages and stages of life.
There's no room for SUP detractors
today. To those who have gathered to give this re-birthed sport a try, John is
as good as the second coming, generating waves of inspiration and admiration –
and not just among the “boys”, as many women and kids have turned out, too.
"I used to be 5'8"
and-a-half," I’ve had 6 major surgeries, 3 knee replacements, I fractured
my femur bone 10 years ago and they had to put a half-inch titanium rod there.
I keep saying the doctors could have made me taller, instead they made me shorter!”
More than 30,000 sunrises and
many operations now make his $2, four-foot long wooden canoe paddle a better
fit than ever. He’s been buying them for half a century from the same canoe
company in Mississippi.
“They didn’t know I used it for
surfing. They’re made to sit down but I was using them standing up, so I kept
breaking them.”
With that, he’s had enough with
the talk and it’s time to get moving. He wades out into the shallows, sits
himself down and makes a few digs with his ash-wood paddle to get him to deeper
water, pushing past a much younger crowd that is also down here today to give
SUP a try. With a few strokes he gains momentum and makes the move from prone
to standing. It’s not as easy as it used to be, but he still makes it look
frustratingly simple to the rookie on his right who splashes down.
He looks good, and you can tell
it feels good to be free again. He heads further out a ways, then makes the
turn and cruises back towards shore. He looks like he’s walking on water.
From out there he probably
can’t hear the applause that’s emanating from the shoreline. He’s lost in his
thoughts and soaking up the glide, enjoying his momentary escape from land.
As John touches back down on
the sand there’s a twinkle in his eye. He dries off, mingles a short while longer
then says he’s got an appointment to meet with his next round of vitamins and a
midday nap.
Then, like an aged rockstar who knows he's still got it, John slips
behind the tinted veil of his black chauffeur-driven vehicle, but not before
looking around the door, pointing a finger and saying: "You've been
Zapped!"
John Zapotocky: One of the first men standup paddling, one of the last men
in the Honolulu phone book. Look him up next time you’re in town. He’d be
excited to share his stoke with you.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 March 2010 )
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The 2010 QUIKSILVER KU
IKAIKA CHALLENGE
Presented by C4 Waterman
Holding Period Ends But No Competition
Makaha, HI (March 1, 2010) -- A
record winter of surf on the North Shore of Oahu failed to deliver to
the West Side within the allotted one-and-a-half month holding period,
resulting in a "no go" for this year's Quiksilver Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman, at Makaha.
Despite
record patience and an extension to the holding period, Mother Nature
cast the final dice and came up short. Makaha delivered only eight- to
10-foot of swell today and organizers elected to wait another year.
Click pick for photo gallery
The waves were smaller in the morning, but they got a bit bigger during the day. Thanks to Dana Edmunds for the Photo Gallery above and Aldo Tassara for the video clip below!
The 2010 QUIKSILVER KU
IKAIKA CHALLENGE
Presented by C4 Waterman
Holding Period Begins Jan 15th; Invitees Announced
(Makaha, HI) - January 15, 2010 --- A record-setting winter of gigantic surf
continues in Hawaii, and Quiksilver is proud to announce the third annual
Quiksilver Ku Ikaika Challenge, presented by C4 Waterman. This event is an
invitational big-wave stand up paddle (SUP) surfing competition that will run
on one day between January 15 and February 28, 2010, when wave face heights
exceed 15 feet at Makaha Point, on the west shore of Oahu. "Ku Ikaika", a Hawaiian phrase
that means stand strong, was derived in reference to the sport of
stand up paddle surfing and to upholding a healthy and positive approach to
wave riding.
In a similar vein to the recent Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau
that ran on
December 8, 2009, the Quiksilver Ku Ikaika Challenge is a one-day
big-wave
invitational that features 30 of the sport's leading experts. The
inaugural event was staged on Valentine's Day in 2008, and was won
by well-known Hawaiian waterman Aaron Napoleon.
Above: Aaron Napoleon en-route to victory in the inaugural event in 2008.
Photo by Sarah Towner.
The 2010 list of invitees features a mix of legendary and rising SUP
proponents
that includes defending champion Napoleon, Jamie Mitchell (Australia),
Raimana Van Bastolaer (Tahiti), Ibon Amatriain (Euskadi), Robby
Naish (Hawaii), and Gerry Lopez (Hawaii).
The Ku Ikaika Challenge will offer a total prize purse of $10,000, with $3,000
going to the winner. The main
event will consist of 30 invited surfers plus six trialists. (Invitees listed
below.)
The concept for the event was developed by C4 Waterman co-founder Brian
Keaulana, who wanted to showcase SUP surfing at the historic venue of Makaha --
home of the very first international surfing event in 1963 -- while also giving
back to the local community. It was embraced as a natural fit for Quiksilver, 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 an incredible global 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.
For more information on the event and to see photos from last year's
competition, go to
About Quiksilver
Quiksilver is committed to providing tools for uncovering, expressing and
expanding your personal style. Our aim is to foster the sense of individual
expression and excitement - the stoke that is the essence of boardriding*.
We're also here to spread the word because the only thing better than
finding stoke is sharing it.
* Boardriding is about timing and style. It's youthful, active, casual, and
free flowing. There is no wrong way to ride a board. The goal is simply
to learn, progress, improve, and give it your own interpretation.
About C4 Waterman:
Through its founders, 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:
Aaron Napoleon (HAW)
Antoine Delpero (FRA)
Alex Salazar (BRZ)
Didier Tin Hing (TAH)
Archie Kalepa (HAW)
Bonga Perkins (HAW)
Brian Keaulana (HAW)
Chuck Patterson (USA)
Craig Davidson (HAW)
Dave Kalama (HAW)
Dave Parmenter (HAW)
Duane DeSoto (HAW)
Gerry Lopez (HAW)
Greg Carson (PR)
Greg Pavao (HAW)
Ikaika Kalama (HAW)
Ibon Amatriain (EUS)
James Watson (AUS)
Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
Kamu Auwae (HAW)
Kekoa Auwae (HAW)
Keone Keaulana (HAW)
Leleo Kinimaka (HAW)
Mel Puu (HAW)
Noland Martin (HAW)
Raimana Van Bastolaer (TAH)
Robby Naish (HAW)
Rusty Keaulana (HAW)
Titius Kinimaka (HAW)
Todd Bradley (HAW)
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 March 2010 )
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Bruce Raymond Joins C4 Waterman Board of Directors |
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BRUCE RAYMOND JOINS C4 WATERMAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 HONOLULU - (February 18, 2010) - C4 Waterman today announced that it has appointed Bruce Raymond to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.
Raymond
brings a stellar career of more than 25 years in the surf industry to
the table. His service includes 20 years as CEO of Quiksilver Garments
and manager of Quiksilver Trade Marks, Copyright, & Licensing
worldwide, as well as the International Promotional Fund; a position
from which he retired in 2000.
Raymond was also a former Top
16-ranked pro surfer who helped establish the early International
Professional Surfing (IPS) organization. He first joined Quiksilver as
a sponsored athlete in 1975, before taking up the position of
Promotions and Advertising manager at Quiksilver from 1978 to 1980.
"C4
Waterman is a fantastic company and I'm stoked to join the team," said
Raymond. "The values of the founders are inspirational and I share
their excitement about our future."
C4 Waterman is a
Hawaii-based, privately owned company with international reach. It is
dedicated to creating high-performance, quality products for the inland
and coastal waterman lifestyle that includes surfing, standup paddle
surfing, and canoe paddling. The company prides itself on perpetuating
the Core Four (C4) principles of Balance, Endurance, Strength and
Tradition, both in the water and in life. The C4 Waterman line of hard
goods and soft goods is sold internationally.
"Who wouldn't want
to have Bruce Raymond on their team," said C4 Waterman co-founder Brian
Keaulana. "It is an honor on so many levels.
"At C4 we are
promoting a set of core values more than we are promoting a sport or a
product. Bruce has subscribed to these same values for most of his
life, so this is a natural partnership."
C4 Waterman launched in
January 2007. Its directors include Keaulana, Todd Bradley, and Dave
Parmenter. While C4 is a relative newcomer to the surf industry, its
founders collectively possess more than 150 years of waterman
experience, including international representation in surfing, standup
paddle surfing, outrigger canoe paddling, tandem surfing, and big-wave
riding.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 February 2010 )
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Todd's Distance Paddling Tips Part 1, 2 and 3 |
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Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 February 2010 )
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Hi C4,
Just thought I'd let you know I surfed my new 10' Sub Vector this weekend and I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!
It's
the best board I've ever used. It's fast, loose, stable, and very
forgiving. I caught so many waves. I'm super stoked! I use a 2+1 fin
setup with Future Vector sidebites and a 7.5" Futures cutaway center.
Aloha,
// Gary
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Explore.org Takes Archie Kalepa Down River |
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HawaiianLifeguard & Big Wave Surfer Archie Kalepa Makes Ride of His Life
187Miles on Standup Paddleboard Through the Grand Canyon, Colorado River.
(HONOLULU – October 19, 2009) Hawaiian veteran lifeguard and big-wave rider Archie Kalepa is no stranger to life-changing experiences. There have been many during his 46 years of life spent in and around the ocean. He never imagined that the fresh waters of inland America would deliver the most astounding experience of all: connecting his native Hawaiian experience to that of the American Indians, and incidentally setting a world record of being the first to standup paddle (SUP) 187 miles through the Grand Canyon.
Kalepa, from Lahaina, Maui, was invited last month to join leaders of American Indian tribes on a 17-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, hosted by explore. The decision was a "no brainer"; it would be a perfect opportunity to check one more "must do" off his life's list and give river SUP a try. By journey's end, Kalepa exited the Colorado River with a greater appreciation of water - not just how he rides it, but its core meaning and critical importance in the lives of both native Hawaiians and American Indians.
"There was a whole spiritual sense about that river, it's alive," says Kalepa. "There's so much life in the water itself and I don't mean what's under the water, I mean the water. The water is alive."
explore brought Archie together with non-profit leaders from the Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, Lakota and Anishinaabe tribes on the journey.
"(explore) put us in an environment that we could relate to: the land and the water, which brought out the best in all of us.
"The way the American Indians think and how we Hawaiians think is so alike. So many of our spiritual beliefs are similar, so we felt like family, like cousins. We really connected. The knowledge they have of their culture goes way back, even further back than what I know of mine. I learned so much more about water than I would ever learn if I was just in Hawaii.
"When you're put in that situation, the westernization gets stripped away and you're back in tune with Mother Nature and your surroundings. It allows you to become more clear on your beliefs; more focused on the issue at hand, which for all of us was water. It's a big issue, but when you look at it in that environment, it's a simple one."
From Kalepa's family experiences with their taro patch in Kahana Valley, to water access issues that the native Americans face daily, they found a common bond that spans hundreds of generations. Both cultures have maintained their histories orally. Water - from the ocean or the mountains - is at the heart of many of those stories.
"In the beginning I planned to throw my board on the raft and pull it out from time to time. After that first day of paddling, and our first night around the campfire exchanging stories, I was committed to standing up the whole way. I wanted to get to the end and dedicate my standup paddle as a symbol to the native people, to show that it just takes one person to stand up and take a stance to start to make a difference."
Along the way, Kalepa encountered rough-water rapids he describes as "five-dimensional, not three-dimensional like a wave".
"I've surfed some really big waves in my life and I put that final rapid - 'The Lava', a class 10 rapid, right up there with them, including my 70-foot wave at Pe'ahi.”
The journey sparked a new focus in Kalepa who was moved by the stories of the Indians and their willingness to share them.
"It gets to where people don't want to open up anymore, where they feel they have been stripped away. But the further we went, the more the walls of the canyon rose, the more the walls around the stories came down. The contributions offered by each person were tremendous. There were times sitting around the fire talking where it got really emotional. Working our way through the Grand Canyon, all those miles and rough water, and coming out at the end of it together and safe, it was unbelievable. It was the ride of my life. It made me a better waterman. It made me a better person.
"I truly want to extend my gratitude and aloha to all the folks at explore and all the people who participated in the journey, C4 Waterman for the equipment, as well as the river guides and Arizona river rafters.”
explore is a multimedia organization that documents leaders around the world who have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes. Both educational and inspirational, explore creates a portal into the soul of humanity by championing the selfless acts of others. explore features a wide range of topics including animal rights, health and human services, poverty, the environment, education and spirituality.
Never stop learning™. Come explore.
More photos by Aaron Huey and Explore.org
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 February 2010 )
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