Sport Today

>Wow, that is pretty good.  I mean, it says right there on on the web
>site that they are going 17 miles per hour.  Most people can't
>accelerate to that speed in a closet, even with 2 feet.

> I predict that standup paddleboarding will become an Olympic
> sport...speed and distance...some of the world's best watersports
> athletes have embraced it...

> This was overheard in the chatter on the Swaylock's forum...

> "The other amazing thing is the cross channel open ocean racing that
> Bongo folks are doing in this format. The amazing part is that because
> these surf the open ocean swells so well the top finishers who basically
> are just amateurs in open ocean racing are finishing not too far behind
> olympic and world champion class paddleboarders like Jamie Mitchell. The
> buzz is so great that there's a professional racing circuit that'll soon
> be started by a very big international sports manufacturer to help
> promote this version of the sport which is obviously less of an
> intrusion in the lineup than the current version."

> Standup is taking off so fast that Swaylock's took a thread
> down...something they almost never do, because it gave out too much
> info...clearly displaying the superior wave-catching ability of standup
>   paddle surfboards...which threw kerosene on the raging fire of this
> new sport...there have been meetings by the top dawgs in the sport on
> Hawaii, to try and establidsh the rules of engagement...

> Can't wait to see the footage from Buffalo's 30th Annual Big Board
> Classic in a couple of weeks...
> http://www.lifesled.com/buf.htm

> "Board Stories Buffalo Big Board Surfing Classic

> Journey to the West side of Oahu with Board Stories for an authentic
> taste of aloha surfed up at the Buffalo Big Board Classic. Every year
> since 1977, family man, surfing pioneer and Hawaiian living legend,
> Buffalo Keaulana has been hosting this two-day event at beautiful
> Makaha, where the essence of ancientHawaii still resides purely.

> This is not just your run-of-the-mill surf contest. The variety of surf
> events is a true test of a waterman's skillsfrom canoe surfing to
> tandem surfing. The team surfing event is a spectator favorite,
> requiring surfersto perform fun, synchronized tricks like the dying
> cochroach, the Allen wrench, and the coffinpose. One of the most
> popular additions is the Beachboy Style division, where surfers standing
> onhuge, 12-foot-plus boards catch and negotiate waves using extended
> canoe paddles. The Buffalo BigBoard Classic continues to represent the
> spirit of what surfing is all about, honoring the values ofrespect,
> tradition, family and pure fun.Interviews With Brian and Buffalo
> Keaulana, Bonga Perkins, Duane Desoto, Bobby Friedman, Mel Pu'u, Ezra
> Rodrigues and Guy Pere

> Bonus Segments from SurfCo and Simple Green"

> http://freesurfmagazine.com/2006/shop2006.htm

> Here's some tandem wave action from that event on standup sized boards:

> 2:10 3.7mb Real Player

> Stream:
> http://surfingsports.com/vidstream/surf/tandem.ram

> Download:
> http://surfingsports.com/vidstream/surf/tandem.rm

> WARDOG
> http://surfingsports.com

> >Guys, not so fast. What does one of these things cost?

> >Picture this: Spring Break in S. Padre & Florida.  College and Highschool
> >kids all over the place.

> >Get a couple of Hot babes to demo and charge for rides. Demo and challenge
> >spectators.

> >Remember we're talking down time due to lack of wind anyway. Didn't see much
> >wind in any of the videos.

> >Hey we were all crazy enough to try a windsurfer once. This looks even
> >easier.