HAWAII'S TOP WATERMEN AND THEIR COMPANY "C4 WATERMAN"

Through their own highly respected pursuits, Hawaii's Brian Keaulana, Todd Bradley, and Mike Fox have brought together more than 100 years of ocean experience to create the C4 Waterman brand of wave-riding toolsand equipment. Sharing a passion for ocean sports, the drive to excel, and a desire to share the waterman's spirit, their state-of-the-artpaddles, stand-up boards and accessories are the modern evolution of the ocean-based lifestyle that Hawaii is famous for. These decorated innovators have opened a portal to the rest of the world.

C4 Waterman offers a diverse range of high-performance stand-up boards, ranging in length and design from 10'0", to 10'6", 11'6", and even a new high-performance racing board-- the Vortice XP. These boards are the product of technology and techniques that can be applied to every size and type of wave - or even to flat-water. C4's innovative inflatable stand-up board, the "Uli" , is made for travel and ideal for lakes andrivers, opening up the lifestyle and cross-training benefits to those who live inland.

Keaulana, a mentor to surfers worldwide, has teamed up with former prosurfer and respected shaper Dave Parmenter to create a progressive blend of rocker and curves for boards that maintain speed while staying 'loose'. The Beachboy style of surfing, which originated during the early days of riding the waves at Waikiki, has never had so many options or as much room to move as it does today, thanks to C4 Waterman.

When it comes to paddles, C4 Waterman's quiver of "Pohaku Paddles" includes wood, carbon, and hybrid wood/carbon models that cover the gamut from stand-up surfing, to canoe-paddling, to steering and big-wave models that allow you to "hook in" and manage the speed andmaneuverability on large days. There's also a travel-friendly 2-piece paddle that doesn't compromise function for form.

With the number of surfers and paddlers growing exponentially around the earth's coasts and shores, the 'fun'-damentals are being revisited. Advancements in materials and design, and the added benefits of time and experience have opened up a whole new door of possibility. Today, the rest of the world is catching on to an idea Hawaiians have long-understood: that you don't have to limit the way you have fun to one means of taking to the water.

Ironically, stand-up paddling and surfing was founded in laziness. The old Beachboys of Waikiki learned that they could better teach the tourists and take their photos if they could use their surfboards like a platform. By using a paddle they were able to move about more freely and easily, with minimal effort. What started as laziness soon became a tool for training, after they learned it actually improved their core strength and balance while at the same time being a lot of fun. These principles, core to every type of training, and to life, are the basis of C4 Waterman.

"Anybody can do this," says Keaulana. "It's not about being 'somebody', it's about being your best and creating your own best experience in life. Within every person there's a waterman. C4 is a concept based on a waterman's lifestyle and values. It represents the Core 4 disciplines of being a waterman: Balance, Endurance, Strength, Tradition (B.E.S.T.) The same skills we need for life."

While they've individually clocked up a stunning amount of water time, it is by embracing the history and accumulated knowledge of their forefathers that the C4 watermen have shortened the learning curve and lengthened the surfing lifespan for those who share their love of riding the ocean - be it on a stand-up board, or in an outrigger canoe.

"Our philosophy is based upon a respect for the ocean and the Hawaiian roots of these sports, along with the desire to extend the culture and camaraderie of true watermen," said Bradley. "It is our goal to develop a complete line of waterman equipment and accessories, utilizing our own expertise to offer a better product for those who wish to further explore the lifestyle."

 Todd Bradley

Like his partners, it's hard to believe Todd Bradley ever sleeps. He lives what he loves and wastes no time in doing so. Balancing family life with a highly successful career in brand-building, sales and marketing, he somehow still managed to reach elite levels in a slew of sports, particularly canoe paddling and surfing. His passion and energy are huge driving forces in the C4 mission of further exploring the waterman lifestyle.

Mike Fox

Fine-tuned instincts have seen Mike ride the wave of success both in the ocean and as an entrepreneur. A lifeguard at the unheard-of young age of just 15, Fox continued to redraw the lines as a canoe paddler, surfer, and businessman. With an award-winning company, Hawaii Modular Space, and athletic talent, Mike has always nurtured a passion for sharing the 'stoke' - whether it be through philanthropy or by sharing the waterman lifestyle with a new generation.

Brian Keaulana

 If you've heard of surfing, you've heard of Keaulana.

Son of legendary, pioneering Hawaiian waterman 'Buffalo' Keaulana, Brian's ocean roots run deep. In both work and play, his life is defined by the ocean. Professional stuntman, stunt coordinator, featured in films such as Riding Giants and Billabong Odyssey, his accomplishments all stem from a life in the ocean. Born and raised on the beach at Makaha, Brian has made major contributions to the surfing world both by way of his own sporting achievements, and through his ocean safety expertise that rewrote the safety and possibilities of enjoying the ocean, saving countless lives along the way. A master of tandem, canoe surfing, big-wave riding, and tow-in, his experience cannot be surpassed.

By Dave Parmenter, C4 Board Designer/Shaper and Team Rider

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.