Blog

Just a note to let you know that some of our prices will be going up with the new shipment in 2010....Paddles and some accessories. We are trying to hold the skis at last years prices. So while I have inventory of 2009 stock, now is a good time to [...]

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The word from the Bush is that team USA is sitting in 10th position..almost 1 hour behind South Africa's A team. Now although this is quite a gap, the feeling from the team is that they are doing pretty good. According to my source, they have had a successful race, [...]

While Pat is part of Team USA in Africa..the other Team, team mom and son raced in Oceanside and won the short course in Double. Most fun I have had in a surfski race in 5 years. Thanks to everyone for your support. Hayden is hooked!

Ocean Paddlesports will be at the Oceanside race this Saturday. Stop by the truck and get some holiday items. Windbreakers..calf straps...paddles...mocke paddle bag...lincke gear. Everything except Mocke PFDs which are enroute to be here at the end of the month.

Tough day for the boys as their flight was delated almost 10 hours from Dubai to SA. Tomorrow they arrive in PE for the race briefing. Go Team USA.

Congratulations to Tim Jacobs Winner of the Dubai Shamaal by 5 seconds over Dawid Mocke. And yea to Philippe 28th, Patrick 32nd , Joe Glickman 54th and Noah 55th. Right on guys, too short of a race for you old guys and not enough wind for Noah and Pat. Now [...]

Two-thirds of team USA arrived at 8pm Dubai time..8am California time. Philippe has been there a few days. Flight was full and long. More info later from the Holiday Inn..Internet City, Dubai. Water 80 degrees, air 80 degrees, Fenn Elites ready for Pat, Philippe and Noah. […]

Rich, Eva and I did 1 hour steady with 30" sprints every 5'. Never put the paddle down. Santa Ana winds are a blowing.

A beatuiful sunny warm day today....Rich and Philippe went in the flat ocean. I stayed in the bay and did 6 x 1000 on the course. Eva was late, but happy to be out there on such a gorgeous day. We are so lucky to live here.

Most everyone is racing tomorrow, except us...Me, Pat and Ed did a loop with some 5' pieces and finally a little swell to ride. Good luck Rich, Philippe and Eva in La Jolla tomorrow.

Eva, Pat with a big rope, Micah, Ed and I did 1 x 5, 2 x 4, 3 x 3, 4 x 2 and 5 x1. boring flat ocean and bay, but a nice group again.

Pat Hemmens, Noah Hawk and Philippe Bocarra will represent the USA in Dubai and then in the team relay event at the Southern Shamaal. Pat’s surf ability..especially out and in the huge waves, Noah’s downwind skills and Phillipe’s flat water grinding makes for a very strong team. […]

Pat survived the weekend of barf. He is the only one not sick. Go Pat go. Also Congrats to Pat, Noah Hawk and Philippe Bocarra for Team USA to Dubai and Southern Shamaal. We will be watching you and cheering you on from here.

5 sets of 5,3,1. REst 1 between each, 3 between sets. Today we had Eva, De, Pat, Philippe, Ed and Micha. Good group.

Nice and steady today. Good group with Pat, Corry, Rich and Ed.

This was the right day to go double. Christina and I managed to hang with the group of Philippe, Rich, Rami, Cliff, Patrick and Jeff Smoke. We did pieces in the flat and walked over to the ocean as well. Lots of fun not to be scraping at the back.

Today with Eva and Ed..10 x 3' in sets with 1 off between. These are supposed to be hard. Had a fun wash riding session with Eva and Christina..each pulling 5' x 4 times each, no stopping.

We just got word from the California State Lifeguard Association that Hayden won an award for the most outstanding Junior Lifeguard for the State of California. Unknown to us, the junior llifeguard program that he is involved with(Cal State /Chris Egan) sbmitted his name and made a presentation along with [...]

We knew from the race organizer that the river was flowing well. Calculating in Kms we figured we had to average 17.6km to break Steve Wood's record from last year. Seemed daunting, but with a river flow of about 6 km/ave we knew we could hold 12km for a long time..having trained well together in double. The only questions were.... where is the fast water, would there be a headwind and could the singles work together drafting and riding each other to pass us in the end. Keith Benoist had told us to follow the buoys(red and green, spaced down the river) and keep to the fast side of the river in turns...high banks and the longer turns. Pat had not raced a river since 1987 and I had never been on one, so seemed logical that we would follow his advice. Turns out Patrick never comitted to the one side or the other(I complained a little back there, but I was nervous to change course too) and the buoys were so far apart and hard to see that it became a laugh between us to see who could spot one first. So we ran the mighty Mississippi right down the middle..keeping our speed just about 18km most of the way. Honestly I have to say that our effort for the distance was around 70% physical, but the true challenge in this challenge was maintaining metal focus, trying to find the currents and keeping the gps above the average to break the record. I sang a few verses of my son's Ipod songs in my head...Hannah Montana what else. Even spent some time with my eyes closed just feeling the rythmn of the double..haven't tried that on the ocean. Reading our GPS at the finish we went 67km, average speed 17.9km and max speed 20.5km. We came in well under the course record at 3:41.52,(record was 3:53 something) but without any real push from other doubles, we got lazy. So with some competition, even wake riding allowed by singles, I am guessing we could have gone 10 minutes faster. BUT......the river was fast and no head wind emerged, so we were thrilled to get the record and the win. Here's extending a huge thank you to everyone....Keith Benoist and Melissa for their hospitality and Dave Lloyd for his driving and sense of humor. This is truely a fun, well run, unique event and with the course record always up for grabs, this is one of the challenges y'all should put on your race calender. We heard it a few times...y'all come back ya hear..Yes sir, we are going back and 3 hours 30 minutes is the goal.