Get Up, STAND UP
The QuikSilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge at Makaha welcomed a slew of seasoned surfing greats and showcased the newest wave of surf competition, all for a charitable cause. From glowing sunshine to gentle winds to crisp, clear winter swells, Mother Nature treated surf pros and fans alike to a spectacular Valentine’s Day
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he ordered a board and paddle for his friend’s 70-year-old father who wants to get into stand up.
“That’s the diversity of our sport,” he states. “Long-boarding used to be that diversity, and now stand up paddle actually opens up the doors a little more to people who want to do recreational paddling. It’s such an easy sport, as well as if you start getting more technical, it’s complicated.”
Naish elaborates: “It opens up new horizons. You can make any old wave really good fun. All those waves that you never ride normally, like outside reefs and stuff, you can have a great time on.”
And while big-wave SUP surfing is still relatively new, Naish envisions more events like the Ku Ikaika opening a window for growth.
“It’s in its infancy, but there’s so much cross-over from surfing and from technologies from other sports - manufacturing the boards, making them light and strong from wind surf production - that it evolved really quickly,” he says. He goes on to say he can see SUP branching off from traditional long-board competitions to ones involving shorter boards, more performance-oriented venues, long-distance events, cross-training fitness and flat-water paddling. The main reason for this crossover is due to the plethora of tweaks that can be made to the boards.
“What we’re doing, at least here in Makaha and especially in this event with big surf, is we’re not looking at the beach boy stand up boards as an extension of long-boarding; we’re looking at it as an extension of high-performance short-boarding,” says Dave Parmenter, a former pro surfer and respected board shaper.
Just looking at these boards, the differences are evident: Rockers for North Shore-type waves, outlines that can handle high speeds, bottoms that are flat for clean exhaust, and clustered fin set-ups to give it that little extra drive. The most minute design components are borrowed from all other forms of surfing to create a powerful ride.
Of course, this wouldn’t be SUP without the paddle. At first, big-wave surfers in Buffalo’s Big Board Event used the paddle as a prop. Parmenter recalls they would twirl it like a baton or play air guitar while catching monster swells. He says Keaulana was one of the first to recognize and use the paddle to support the rider’s weight, leading to an advantage.
“The leverage and the torque, extra thrust and a pivot point ... you can take a board that before was a big, bulky board and with a paddle, you can actually whip the thing around like a much shorter board,” Parmenter explains. “You get that pendulum going and the nose comes around just as fast as just any other board, and you can counteract it with the paddle again and bring it back.”
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Or as Van Bastolaer puts it: “First, we have a paddle. Then second, you can catch the wave way more easier. People are saying this is for the old people, but I don’t think so. It’s just a new sport, and I guess the women like it, too.”
Judging from the pure enjoyment oozing from beach-goers, there is little doubt the Ku Ikaika Challenge will fast become a regular event.
“This is the beginning of definitely a new era in surfing,” Desoto hints before readying himself for the next heat. “The hype is there, the enthusiasm is there. It’s incredible.”
“This is a start of something new; this could be a catalyst for other contests. For this to happen again next year, I can see it happening,” Perkins says before being interrupted by hoots and whistles for an unbelievable ride by McNamara.
With a sly grin, he continues, “There you go, you can hear the crowd cheering. This is just the start of what’s to come, pretty sure.”
For more information on the Ku Ikaika Challenge or stand up paddle surf, check out www.c4waterman.com
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