SUP and surf board manufacturer, Blue Planet recently released a comprehensive factory tour showing the manufacturing process of their SUP boards from end-to-end.

I find it amazing that the stickers are all hand-cut with scissors and applied to the board after a good soaking in in water just like model airplane kits you built as a kid. For some reason I always pictured this step as being done with giant robotic arms.

Oh look, another rock star is out on a SUP during his family vacation in Hawaii. Wait, what’s with those toes?

It seems that the Aerosmith frontman, Steven Tyler, suffers from Morton's neuroma which the U.S. National Library of Medicine describes as, “an injury to the nerve between the toes, which causes thickening and pain. It commonly affects the nerve that travels between the third and fourth toes.”

World renowned reporting journal, Celebrity Fix has all the details:

It seems he has had the problem since the 1970’s of wearing poor footwear and rockin’ it out on stage to much.

Steven has previously talked publicly about getting surgery to try fix the damage done by his hyperactive dancing on stage.

"The doctors told me the pain in my feet could be corrected but it would require a few surgeries over time," he told People magazine.

"The 'foot repair' pain was intense, greater than I'd anticipated. The months of rehabilitative care and painful strain of physical therapy were traumatic.

"I really needed a safe environment to recuperate where I could shut off my phone and get back on my feet."

Sorry about that. I know you can’t ever unsee those toes.

Photo credit: celebrities.ninemsn.com.au

Charlie Head was paddling along the shoreline in the UK on his SUP board when he noticed a stranded dog out on some rocks far from shore. The tide was coming in fast and there was an estimated 10 minutes before the rocks (and the puppy) would have been completely underwater.

Charlie just happened to be in the right spot at the right time when he was paddling by as part of a 600 mile SUP expedition from Cornwall to London.

Mr Head, from the Isle of Wight said: 'I was gobsmacked. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

'He was just sat there wondering what the hell to do. He was absolutely terrified.

'In about ten minutes the rock would have been covered with water. I managed to paddle out to him and then get him on my board.'

You can read the full story here.

Kokatat announces that Charlie “C-Mac” MacArthur has joined its group of elite paddlesports ambassadors. MacArthur, founder of the Aspen Kayak and SUP Academy, pioneered stand up paddleboarding (SUP) on rivers and spearheads the Whitewater SUP Championships. MacArthur will exclusively wear Kokatat PFD’s and technical apparel and promote the brand at various events.

“It’s amazing what Charlie can do on a SUP in raging rapids,” said Lisa Kincaid, Kokatat Promotional Marketing Manager. “SUP is one of the fastest growing segments in the paddlesports market, and Charlie’s easy going demeanor paired with his SUP skills makes him an ideal ambassador for us as we look to increase our visibility in the sport.”

Watersports has always been a part of MacArthur’s life. He grew up surfing in Hawaii and Southern California before moving to Colorado in 1978 where he became one of the regions best known whitewater kayakers. In 2003 MacArthur tried SUP for the first time while vacationing in Fiji. The sport quickly took hold and within the next year MacArthur was paddleboarding on rivers and making numerous SUP first descents.

“I’ve been in paddlesports for a long time and have always had the upmost respect and appreciation for Kokatat as a company and for the quality of its gear,” said MacArthur. “I’m excited to help with their SUP specific gear and spread the Kokatat word.”

Along with running one of the top SUP and kayak schools in the country, MacArthur is credited with co-designing the world’s first whitewater specific standup paddleboard, the CMAC ATB made by the foremost SUP manufacturer C-4 Waterman.

Since the sport’s inception, standup paddleboarders have relied on Kokatat gear to keep them dry, comfortable and safe on the water. Kokatat’s low profile Orbit Tour PFD and GORE-TEX® Lightweight Paddling Suit have been adopted by numerous SUP paddlers as their go to pieces as they both provide freedom of motion for optimal paddle strokes and superior breathability for the aerobic nature of the sport.

MacArthur will be wearing and providing feedback on various Kokatat products including the new NeoCore shorts and tops. NeoCore, with its paddler specific designs and lightweight fabric, is great for SUP paddlers who often fend off splash, but do not need a heavy insulation. NeoCore is a wet insulation layer in a lightweight 0.5mm neoprene fabric with a plush polyester inner lining that is comfortable against the skin while retaining little water. Additionally, its permanent Durable Water Resistant (DWR) coating on the outer surface helps NeoCore regulate body temperature by reducing the effect of evaporative heat loss.

MacArthur joins Kokatat’s distinguished group of paddlesport athletes and ambassadors that includes such luminaries in the sport as Dane and Eric Jackson, Jon Bowermaster, Jesse Coombs, Anna Levesque, and Bryan Smith among others. For the full roster of Kokatat athletes visithttp://www.kokatat.com/team.

About Kokatat Watersports Wear: 
Celebrating over 40 years of innovation, Kokatat is an independently operated, US manufacturer of technical apparel and accessories for water sports. Handcrafted in Arcata, California, Kokatat employees are focused on building the finest functional product for people who work and play on water. Our gear is designed for paddlers, by paddlers, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience on the water all year long and in all weather conditions. Into the water with Kokatat! Please visit www.kokatat.com and follow Kokatat on Facebook and Twitter “@kokatat”.

As you may or may not know, Transport Canada puts stand-up paddleboards (SUP) in the same classification as canoes and kayaks so they are technically required to carry the same gear which includes PFD’s, heaving line, etc. You can see the full list here.

Of course, being safe is a good thing but much of the required gear just isn’t practical in SUP and could even be potentially dangerous in surf (eg. PFD’s).

With that in mind, a grassroots movement started last year to get Transport Canada and in particular, Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC) to recognize the use of board leashes in place of a PFD.

In response, Transport Canada recently released a statement clarifying their policy on required safety gear and it seems to be a good compromise. Transport Canada decided to follow the lead of the US Coast Guard and said that as long as you are paddling within the surf zone, you are not required to carry all the gear which also includes a PFD. That being said, they did go on to say that if you are using your SUP for navigation (group crossing or solo outing) then the regular rules are in place.

The thing to keep in mind with the change is that if you decide to paddle around the headland back to the parking lot then you are no longer surfing and thus in line for a ticket if caught without all the required safety gear. Stories of this type of enforcement have been trickling out of popular surf breaks in California over the last year.

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On the surface the clarification from Transport Canada seems to be a good compromise as it solves the real concern about putting paddlers surfing in danger due to a PFD (They could be in greater danger as a PFD doesn’t allow them to duck dive under an incoming wave when swimming).

I know that the compromise won’t make some people in the SUP community totally happy, but here is the problem from Transport Canada’s perspective as I see it. They have a hard enough time trying to convince everybody just to bring a PFD (let alone wear it) when in a boat that it really confuses the message to say it’s ok for one type of vessel but not the other. As far as I know all recreational, human powered vessels are required to carry a PFD except in a competitive match.

As far as the other requirements that SUPs are also required to carry (heaving line, etc.) a simple thing would be to reclassify SUPs and put them into the same category as sail or kite boards. In that classification, as long as you are wearing your lifejacket, you only need to carry a whistle.

I heard through the grape vine that Transport Canada is look into making the change and hopefully that will happen soon.

Thoughts, comments? Post them below.

Top Photo Credit: SUP Devin (1/13/09) / Steve Corey / CC BY-NC 2.0

Bottom Photo Credit: Russ Garing, SUP Standup Paddle Boarder. Surfing at Morro Rock in Big Winter Waves, Morro Bay, CA 11 Dec 2009. / Mike Baird / CC BY 2.0

I wanted to let Paddle Canada sea kayak and SUP instructors know that the deadline for the training bursary is fast approaching and you only have until the end of March, 2012 to get your application in.

From the Paddle Canada website:

For several years now Paddle Canada has been awarding bursaries to instructors looking to further the sea kayaking and SUP programs in Canada. The intention is to help defray certification or travel costs for instructors coming from or organizing courses in underfunded areas throughout Canada.

There isn't a huge pilce of cash to give away but $300 for sea kayak instructors and $500 for SUP instructors will go a little way towards covering your transportation costs.

If you are interested, take a look at the links below for the fine print and application details.

SUP Bursary
Sea Kayak Bursary

Werner Paddles just announced their new SUP racing paddle line called the Grand Prix which will come with three blade shapes in both straight and bent shaft (12 degree bend) designs.

The straight shaft weighs in at an unbelievable 15.5 ounces and of course that light weight comes at a price. The MSRP is $389 for the straight shaft while the bent is going to be approximately $465.

Look for it at your local paddling shop mid-March.

More info: wernerpaddles.com

Looks like somebody decided to steal a $1,200 SUP board by renting it from Half Moon Bay Kayak Company in California then calling the Coast Guard with a fake water rescue as a red herring.

The rescue effort included a helicopter, several watercraft and a large Coast Guard cutter that was stationed in the Bay Area.

Suspicions about the supposed victim, who gave false information to a rental company, have led some to believe the man was never lost at sea, but rather stole the $1,200 paddleboard.

"It was calm, it was sunny - people don't just disappear on a day like that," said Chris Manchester, an employee at HMB Kayak. "We're pretty darn sure that he actually stole it."

More info: hmbreview.com

Photo credit: Stand-up Paddle (SUP) Surfer at Pillar Rock (just north of Morro Rock) / Mike Baird / CC BY 2.0

Here is the official trailer for the upcoming SUP film, That First Glide which explains the long history of Stand UP Paddling. Looks like a good film which should be out on DVD and limited theatrical release any time now.

More info: That First Glide [Via: Atlantic Paddle Surfing]

This has been a big month for large expeditions going on around in North America. Here is a quick update of three that have come across my radar.

CanoeacrossCanada

Dave Turgeon and his son Matheson are half-way through canoeing across Canada to raise money for the Sick Kids Foundation here in Toronto. According to the update on the Paddle Canada blog they started in Vancouver, BC back in April and have just crossed the border from Manitoba into northern Ontario.

Lake Superior Circumnavigation
Two women from Marquette, Michigan are aiming to be the first women to circumnavigate Lake Superior. What makes this expedition interesting is that Lindsay Bean and Jess Laxo, who are also ACA instructors, are paddling a 17-foot canoe. In this day and age most people would have chosen a sea kayak as their mode of travel around the largest of the great lakes so it’s refreshing to see the trip tackled in a canoe again.

According to the Daily Press newspaper, the ladies are planning on doing 16 miles a day with the rough plan to be home again by September 1^st but I think somebody might need to check their math again. The total trip is 1,400 miles so my trusty calculator says they will need almost 90 days to complete it (not counting wind days) so that would put them home at least at the end of September. Update: Kenneth corrected me today and said they actually started their trip on June 12 so a 2 1/2 month trip around the lake actually makes sense.

The Ultimate Crossing
Bart de Zwart is pretty proud of his recently completed journey. Last Sunday night he completed a 5-day, 300 mile stand-up paddle journey from Hawaii's Big Island to Kauai.

The Chicago Tribune reported:

[blockquote]Strapped to his 14-foot (4.3-meter) longboard were enough freeze-dried meals and water in watertight containers for seven days. He slept on inflatable water mattresses glued together to form what resembled a kiddie pool, he explained: "At night, I blew it up and strapped it on the board." The choppy waters and windy conditions would occasionally flip the board over, startling him awake in the water.[/blockquote]

Here is a capture of his route as reported by his Spot:

Throughout the trip he lost 12-pounds and estimated he paddled 215,000 strokes.

Five Great Lakes, 5 Days

Finally, let’s go back to the Great Lakes again as my friend Mike let me know about this crazy adventure that took place right at the end of June.

Henry Dorfman from Cincinnati just became the first person to cross all five Great Lakes in five days. Yes, all five in five.

He started in Munising, Michigan crossing Lake Superior followed by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Once that was done he crossed into Canada knocking Lake Ontario off the list. After a quick drive to Cleveland he paddled north to finish off his last major crossing on Lake Erie.

Lakewood Patch has the info:

[blockquote]When Patch caught up with Dorfman on Friday, the aquatic adventurer said it’d been a pretty smooth and exciting ride, but that the long kayaking stretches and 2,000-mile road trip to get from lake to lake was catching up to him.

“It’s pretty rigorous,” he said. “You burn off a lot of gasoline, a lot of energy and a lot of soda. You’re either driving, paddling or drinking diet coke pretty much nonstop for five days.[/blockquote]

It’s too bad that the news article didn’t provide more details into the logistics of the trip. For example, it doesn’t mention if he had one vehicle or different groups meeting him. Depending on his crossing route the paddle across the lake could have been quicker then the van ride around.

Congrats to Henry on the completion of a fantastic feat of endurance and will. I can appreciate the hard work. I want to give up after just crossing a small bay!

CanoeacrossCanada photo credit: Dave Turgeon
Henry Dorfman photo credit: John Deike