Morgan sent the link last night of a segment in the skills series she was putting together with SUP the magazine that seemed worthy of repost here. It’s titled, ‘How to Surf a Race Board,’ and covers the basics of how to use the surf to your advantage come race day.
Disclaimer: BE CAREFUL. Your BARK was designed and constructed to get you to the finish line fastest, not to be smashed into the sand while you learn to surf.
From the first lady of paddling. Get your order in early!
Kanesa Duncan recently put in the order for her 2012 race board and her attention to detail was pretty impressive. She compared and contrasted the conditions where her past boards had really shined and what she was hoping to get in the next one. So goes the evolution of BARK boards….
The board underneath you is the result of the attention to detail and the R&D of the entire BARK team. Joe’s collaboration with the very best in the sport, like Kanesa Duncan, keeps each board model constantly progressing and getting closer and closer to that ‘magic’ board. Check out the R&D pics below and, if you’re planning to race a new board in 2012, do it soon before everyone starts scrambling.
Kanesa already has her order in.
She’ll probably get to the finish line before you too……
Get out and paddle!
Leave it to Joe to come up with something crazier than the last and sure enough, he did. Rumors of a feat unimagined to date started swirling in late fall…. A journey so crazy that all who heard of it assumed it would pass…. BUT IT NEVER DID!
Joe put together a group to do one of the most amazing endurance athletic tests he could conceive. Friday AM paddle to Catalina, Sat AM run the Catalina Marathon, bus back to the isthmus Sat PM after the run, Sun AM paddle back to the mainland. Any of those on their own are impressive, but all 3 in consecutive days is nuts.
They did it. Then Charlie cooked some of his famous chicken. WOW……
Please add some comments to point out who did what and some Facebook links for additional photos!
The unofficial official start to paddle season is just weeks away everyone. That’s right, Cold Hands is Sunday March 4 with registration starting at 7AM. Hope your boards don’t have too much dust on them, you got some surf this winter and you’re ready to start this crazy cycle one more time! Here’s the word direct from Ocean of Hope team leader and all around tough guy, Aimee:
Hope all of you can make it to the official kick-off of the paddleboard racing season! Easy 4 mile course. And yeah, sometimes, it’s not even cold!
COLD HANDS PADDLE
Sunday, March, 4, 2012
Cabrillo Beach, San Pedro, CA
7:00am: registration opens
8:30am Pre-race meeting/Race Starts
Awards Ceremony and Joe Bark SUP Raffle to Follow
Live Music following the race (weather permitting)
Race Entry: free to enter all ages. All participants MUST sign waiver
NO Pre-Registration Available (sign up on race day)
*T-shirts: famously awesome t-shirts will be available for sale
**Food: Some limited quantities of pre and post race
snacks and nutrition will be provided, please plan on bringing your own food if you wish…
This is a fundraising event for The Ocean of Hope. Please support our raffle and t-shirt sales and feel free to donate at registration. All donations are tax deductible and help to fund second opinion grants for sarcoma cancer patients through the Sarcoma Alliance.
See you there!
If you’re looking for a last minute gift for that SUP minded person on your list, give Joe or Charlie a call on one of these and they can give you all the specifics on size, price, etc!
Weather’s been great, hope you’ve all been getting out there to enjoy it!
BARK team rider ‘Captain’ Morgan Hoesterey took a little road trip with her friend Gillian Gibree a couple weeks back. She passed along some photos from the trip.
Pretty sure she has this whole ‘the good life’ thing DIALED IN.
Keep it up Morgan!
Obligatory quiver on car shot.
Talking to the man.
Denholm sighting!
Gemma Bark has her own blog on the Surftech site:
Looking forward to seeing what’s happening up north! Good luck Gem!
We’re going to try every so often to profile some of the BARK team here on the blog. First off, is East Coast SUP team member Kim James.
Kim is from Virginia Beach and currently lives in Wilmington, NC, started paddling at a race 2009 with a board and paddle borrowed from Jeoffrey and Catherine of Coastal Urge in Wilmington and has been hooked ever since… So here goes:
How many miles per week in season/out of season?
KJ: My season is year round with our access to flat water here in Wilmington/Wrightsville, so I try to get in 21-28 miles per week. In the winter I just bundle up. If I can’t paddle for some reason, I try to get in 4-6 mile runs a few times per week. Out of season, I’ll hit the gym and play tennis as well.
What has been your scariest experience paddling?
KJ: It was at the Onslow Challenge in June of 2011. It’s an 11 mile downwind race and the waves kept coming at a side angle making it impossible to paddle on the right side of the board. At one point I fell off and couldn’t get the board flipped over due to the wind and waves. I kept treading water and trying to get the board flipped over until finally a safety boat came over and gave me a hand. Conditions worsened throughout the race making the finish challenging as well.
What are your goals in SUP?
KJ: My paddling goals are to become more comfortable with with sup surfing, to enter as many different style races I can, and to continue travelling and sharing this amazing sport with everyone who is curious and would like to try. I also love meeting new sup friends and learning from them as well.
Why did you choose team BARK?
KJ: I choose BARK boards for many reasons. When I first tried the Expedition, I felt very comfortable on the board. I felt stable and I loved the option to either have it in flatwater or take it in the ocean. When I got a Competitor, I loved that I still had the stability but I could go fast and be competitive as well. As I have gotten to share the boards on demo evenings or just teaching friends, everyone loves the boards and feels the same way I do. They just have such an appeal to everyone and the BARK team is amazing! I love the personal touch in that you can just call Joe himself or anyone there and ask a question or talk about paddling when you see them at events too. There is so much heart and soul behind Bark and that is why I have made it my board of choice.
Flat water or downwind?
KJ: At this time I prefer glassy conditions but as I do more downwinders I am becoming more comfortable and I am liking the ride!
There you go. Now you know Kim James enough to go up and say hello next time you see her out banking miles this fall/winter/spring. Thanks for your time Kim and keep up the stoke on the East coast!
The winners of this past weekend’s Island to Island Waterman’s relay are these 3 guys…… The race was 32 miles and the winning time, according to Jackson, was ‘I think 5 hours 30.’
BARK team members George Loren, George Plsek and Jackson English pose for the pre race photo somewhere near Santa Barbara Island. Check out these conditions!
WELL DONE GUYS! Enjoy the off season….
Couple nice ones at the shop. At least there are today….. Go grab one!
Tan board is 20.25″ wide. Blue board is just under 20″ wide.
One more thing…… The tan one just happens to have been underneath a certain Hawaiian guy that won a certain 32 mile race a month ago. Pretty sure it goes OK!
Uncategorized | JoelP April 13, 2012 | 
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