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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 13 May 2013 14:39 |
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Elite Stand Up Paddle Competition Brings Friends and Family Together From Around the Globe for a Weekend of Giveback and Celebration
May 13, 2013, Maui, HI –This past weekend, OluKai celebrated extended family and Hawaiian culture at its 5th annual Ho’olaule’a on May 11-12 in Maui, Hawaii. Event participants and festivalgoers gathered Saturday and Sunday for what has become one of the most celebrated festival and elite standup paddle competitions (SUP) in the world. With the largest gathering in its history, the event featured canoe sailing, surfing, ancient Hawaiian games, luau, hula, and a history making live music concert.
~Ho’olaule’a finish line~
Competing for equal gender prize money of $15,000, SUP and OC1/OC2 (outrigger canoe 1 man/outrigger canoe 2 man) racers traveled from 10 countries and throughout the U.S. to compete in the Maliko Downwind run, one of the largest SUP races in the world which spans 8 miles of infamous open ocean. The top 3 winners in men’s SUP included Connor Baxter taking 1st place and Dave Kalama and Kai Lenny taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. Taking 1st place in women’s SUP was Andrea Moller, followed by Talia Gangini in 2nd and Devin Blish in 3rd. In men’s OC1/OC2, Kai Bartlett finished 1st, Manny Kulukulualani 2nd, and the team of Dave Kalama and Junya McGurn finished 3rd. The top 3 in the women’s OC1/OC2 race were Lauren Spalding in 1st, Andrea Moller in 2nd and Dane Ward in 3rd. For more information and full results of the SUP race, go to http://live.pseresults.com/e/27#/. For more information on the OC1/OC2 races, go to http://live.pseresults.com/e/28#/.
In celebration of the competition and its giveback partners, OluKai presented a musical history-making concert Saturday night featuring six of Hawaii’s top musical recording artists on one stage, for a Hawaiian Kanakapili style back yard jam; a style of Hawaiian music produced in an impromptu jam session. Paula Fuga, Kimie Miner, Justin Young, Ekolu Kalama and Hawaii’s hottest female recording artist and longtime OluKai brand partner, Anuhea, along with Billboard’s #1 Reggae artist, Mishka, played several of their original hits as well as special selections, traditional and modern, in various configurations with each other.
"Each year we are inspired by the Ho'olaule'a and how it brings together such incredible people for two days of celebrating Hawaiian culture,” says OluKai Director of Marketing, Kerry Konrady. "From elite paddlers and competitors, world class musicians, volunteers from around the community, our retail partners, to locals and visitors looking to share Aloha, the event has become truly one of the world's elite paddling and cultural festivals. We thank everyone who has supported the effort."
Consistent with its commitment to always giving back through its Ohana Giveback program, OluKai made monetary donations in excess of $20,000 to the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, Maui Cultural Lands, Lae Ula o Kai Canoe Club, Uhane O Waa Kaulua, Paia Youth and Cultural Center and Zenshin Daiko. And continuing with its hands-on approach to giving back, OluKai employees who qualified for travel to Ho’olaule’a by contributing a minimum of 20 hours of local service leading up to the event, wrapped up the weekend at the Maui Cultural Lands Giveback Day. Local volunteers and OluKai staff traveled to Honokowai Valley, a cultural heritage preservation site to contribute efforts towards reforestation and archeological stabilization projects.
~Musical recording artists at the Kanikapila~
Through this one-of-a-kind festival, OluKai connects major influential leaders of the industry; this year OluKai hosted special guests from major and specialty retailers including REI, Zappos, and Sport Chalet; professional paddlers driving the sport of SUP; cultural icons like Archie Kalepa; six renowned musicians; OluKai staff, and over 2,000 passionate locals and festivalgoers.
About OluKai
OluKai is an ultra-luxury lifestyle brand that believes everyone, no matter where they are, can live Aloha. OluKai is one way to unlock its spirit in all of us. It is an inspired brand that whole heartedly believes in creating an emotional connection with the consumer and communicates from an “inside-out perspective.” The company is committed to building a unique and better class of products that blend ocean heritage with modern performance while leaving the smallest footprint possible on the planet. Through its Fit by Nature™, Crafted by Hand™ design principle, OluKai builds every pair of footwear with signature anatomically contoured footbeds to deliver the perfect balance of instant comfort and lasting support. Each pair features beautiful, quality materials and handcrafted details inspired by island culture. In every facet of its business, the brand is committed to respecting the people and the environments it touches. Inspired by the strong tradition of giving an offering or tribute in Polynesian culture, OluKai established the ‘Ohana Giveback Program to support the efforts of those who continue to give back to preserve local cultures and traditions. For more information visit www.olukai.com.
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 30 April 2013 20:44 |
This year at the 2013 Carolina Cup, Standup Paddle Magazine presented the Most Inspirational Paddler Award. Race director John Beausang and the amazing Bailey Rosen presented the award to 13 year old Anna Blackburn. Anna has been paddling just six months and placed 2nd in girls under 17, in the "6 Mile Open" or "Money Island" race at this year's Carolina Cup! She beat her course record by 10 minutes! Best of all, she has started a wonderful friendship with Milla Navarro who finished one minute in front of Anna.
Milla is from Miami, FL and made the trip with her family to Wrightsville Beach, NC for the 3rd Annual Carolina Cup. The SUP community is full of positive and supportive people like the the Navarros. The Navarro family and Blackburn family are now SUP family!! Milla, Anna and Bailey Rosen hung out together before and after the races. Barry Blackman stateed, "It was so rewarding to see this as a parent. Milla and Anna really look up to Bailey, and this is definitely ok with me!"
From Left to Right: Anna Blackburn, Milla Navarro, Bailey Rosen
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 30 April 2013 20:30 |
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Thanks to a brand new product, paddlers and other watersport enthusiasts will now have the opportunity to experience their favorite sports in a whole new light. NOCQUA Adventure Gear launched at this year’s Carolina Cup stand up paddleboard (SUP) competition in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. April 25-28. The multi-purpose LED lighting system by I-Lumenate attaches to a stand up paddleboard, kayak or canoe and allows paddlers to explore the excitement of being on the water at night.
Paddlers were invited to attend a night paddle on Friday evening on the sound side of the Blockade Runner Beach Resort to test the RECON system, which includes two waterproof LED lighting tracks, an adjustable harness, a 12V lithium ion rechargeable battery pack and battery charger. The durable underwater lights produce more than 2,000 lumens of light and are easily attachable and removable, utilizing two adjustable straps.
The RECON system can be ordered online at a price of $399.99. For more information about the revolutionary NOCQUA Adventure Gear product line and technology, visit the product’s website. |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 01 February 2013 17:32 |
You spoke, we listened! The new Vertical Oar site is finally here!
At VerticalOar.com, you’ll see significant changes that include website design improvements, a larger map and photos, and mobile friendly versions for both handheld and tablet devices. Now you’ll be able to interact with us from anywhere, find great SUP businesses on the fly, or submit your favorite SUP spots right from your board! We appreciate all of your positive feedback and support, and we'll continue to work hard to make Vertical Oar the best SUP location resource in the world. To show our appreciation, we are giving away free VO decals and shirts to those of you add spots during the entire month of February. Learn more at www.verticaloar.com As always, thanks for helping us put SUP on the map.
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 30 January 2013 18:12 |
Reno, Nevada, USA - The newly formed OPEN AIR dynamics™, whose portfolio of brands include Tahoe SUP and Odyssey SUP has announced the appointment of Mark Horton as CEO. Horton joins forces with Nate Brouwer, founder of Tahoe SUP and Odyssey SUP founder Mike Okoniewski in organizing the new company with the mission of expanding the product offering and making standup paddling accessible to more people.
Horton brings with him a deep understanding of the market, developed from seven years as Operations and Finance Manager for Global Surf Industries, growing it into the world’s premier surfboard and SUP company featuring 10 plus brands. “I met Nate about a year ago and was immediately impressed with his vision and ability as a designer to take his ideas for products, all the way to the end result,” said Horton. “It’s exciting to have this opportunity at OPEN AIR dynamics™ to grow the back end and assist in delivering these cutting edge products to the market.”
With Horton at the reigns, Brouwer feels that he can now focus his energy on products that continue to inspire the direction of the SUP industry. “Mark is really the final piece to the puzzle for OPEN AIR dynamics™”, said Brouwer. “I feel that with his financial expertise and organizational skill, we can take everything to the next level and I am able to do what I do best, apply my creativity to new products and materials.”
Tahoe SUP is leading the revolution of Stand Up Paddle Board touring on lakes, rivers and oceans. The quality and innovation of their boards and products is connecting people with the world around them and opening the doors of adventure. Each Tahoe SUP model features displacement hull technology, developed from research with the Tahoe SUP Race and Explore Project Team. The stability of the boards combined with the displacement hull and added volume for carrying cargo, provides the opportunity to explore and go on tour. Tahoe SUP supports a healthy and clean environment and is committed to providing the best customer experience on and off the water.
To see the complete line of Tahoe SUP products including boards, paddles and accessories, visit www.tahoesup.com Odyssey SUP is an “all water” brand of stand up paddle boards designed to offer a lighter weight, more durable, price point board to beginner, intermediate and fitness paddlers. Odyssey SUP offers 3 styles, Tour, Surf and Softy. Tour and Surf boards feature the innovative proprietary composite
construction we call RINOtech™. The Tour model features displacement hull technology for an efficient glide on lakes, rivers and flat ocean. The Surf model features performance elements for maneuvering on a wave but functions great for family type recreation on flatwater. Softy has a surf style shape but features a soft top and rails with innovative attachment points for accessories. All Odyssey SUP boards include an adjustable paddle. To see the complete line of Odyssey products including boards, paddles and accessories, visit www.odysseysup.com
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