Creating the Hooligan 14'

A new project is in the works.... Tom Swetish has created a new 14' for me this season.  It was cut-out two weeks ago and yesterday we started glassing.  (And when I say we, I mean Tom doing most of it with me doing grunt labor.)

Race Fins

I've been using race fins made by Larry Allison for over two years now, and I really don't need to try anything else.  They do everything I need a race fin to do; track well, reduce drag and shed weeds.  

My first Allison fin was the Eric Terrien Bat Wing.  I was amazed at how well it made the board track and how many more strokes per side it allowed me.  It made the stock fin look like total junk.

Then, last year I discovered the Gladiator fin, made by Larry with design ideas from fellow SUP racer Casey Gotcher out of Austin Texas.  He runs a great SUP site called SUP Gladiator.  http://www.supgladiator.com/

Casey and Larry just came out with the new Hybrid Gladiator fin that is a slightly smaller version of the original.  I used it for the first time in a race last week and won the race on my 14' Bark Dominator.

There are some very different designs attributes between the different models, and Larry can explain the advantages to each... he talks like a hydrodynamic/physics engineering doctorate student, but all you really need to know is that any of these fins are probably better than what you use now.

If you live in Washington, you can buy any of these fins at Perfect Wave Surf Shop in Kirkland, or order the Gladiators directly from Casey.

 Above: the Hybrid Gladiator.  A great fin for a 12'6" or 14' board in low wind/current that will do buoy turns easier than the standard Gladiator or Bat Wing.  Keep in mind though, that this fin will work very well in windy conditions too,  but has slightly smaller surface area than the other fins.  The Hybrid will also work well in downwind situations, and be loose enough to turn from bump to bump.  

 Above: This shows the Bat Wing laying on top of the original Gladiator.  The Bat Wing works great on 12'6 and 14' boards, but I really like it on my 19' Unlimited.

 Above: This shows the Hybrid on top of the original.

 Above Left: Original (Elite) Gladiator. Use it on long distance paddles when you aren't having to do a lot of tight turns.  It will keep you going arrow straight.

Above Right: Hybrid Gladiator.  The points on the trailing edge of all these fins gives water a definitive point to release.  Otherwise water has to "look" for a release point, causing resistance and drag.

 The race fin quiver... The red/white/blue fin is the Thresher that excels downwind and on flat race courses with lots of turns.

World Paddle Association 2011 Rankings

Here are some highlights form this years WPA points races.  Some great local guys doing very well in the Pacific Northwest Series as well as the National Rankings:

Pacific Northwest Series
12'6" Class  1st Greg Gilbert, 3rd Rod Parmenter

14' Class 1st Cyril Burguiere, 2nd Matt Spencer, 3rd Beau Whitehead

Unlimited Class 1st Thomas Shahanian, 2nd Beau Whitehead

National Points Series
Unlimited Class 7th Beau Whitehead

For complete rankings, click here:

http://worldpaddleassociation.com/2011-rankings/
          

2011 Deception Pass Dash Write-Up

This years SUP winner, Norm Hann, wrote up a great review of the race...

http://mountainsurfadventures.blogspot.com/2011/12/deception-pass-dash.html?spref=fb


Photos of the Dash by Rob Casey...

http://robcasey.photoshelter.com/gallery/2011-Deception-Pass-Dash/G0000K5QlwARnivM

OnIt Pro

Check this stuff out if you haven't already folks... Blue Goo and Xtreme Cream.  The Blue Goo will get you board cleaner than it has ever been and the Xtreme Cream will leave a super slippery coating that will make your board faster... believe me.

A lot of people ask me if I think it works, and I do.  My boards feel faster under my feet with better glide between strokes.  For me, not prepping my board the night before a race with Xtreme Cream is like not hydrating.  As a racer don't you want to know you have done everything possible to be as fast as you can be?  Even if it only makes you 10 seconds faster over the race course?  I have won races by as little as 3 seconds and lost them by the same.  So yeah, it's worth it.

http://www.onitpro.com/

New NW SUP Blog

Mike Darbyshire of Deep Cove Paddle Shop in B.C. has a new blog... check it out...

http://deepcovesup.blogspot.com/

And check out his video of SUP surfing the famous standing wave at Skookumchuck...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WL2Mq3P9OZ4#!

2010 Deception Pass Dash

Is it the last race of the 2010 season or is it the first race of the 2011 season?  Hmmm, either way, its a kick-ass race in a beautiful venue.  All paddle craft allowed as you race to beat the outgoing tidal flow... whirl pools, eddy lines and kelp beds help make this course challenging.

http://rubycreekboathouse.com/races/deception-pass-dash/