Happy Ke Nalu Day–and a Really Cool Announcement
Jan 12th, 2008 by billb
The surf looks really good today, but I wouldn’t know firsthand. I’m spending the first day since we got here out of the water. Doesn’t feel good, but there’s a lot of work to do to prep for the showcase. We spent time today checking on a bunch of logistical bits. I need to do some tests on in-the-water board switches vs. paddling back to the beach. I’m also working on the video rigs. I’m building a jib/steadicam rig to shoot video from the Hobie Adventure Island Trimarans. It’s going to look like something Homer Simpson cobbled together, but Homer and I have a lot in common.
I have a big announcement: Standup Journal – the first Sup print magazine – has joined with us at online magazine Kenalu.com to host the 2008 Maui Sup Board and Paddle Showcase. Standup Journal is a high quality, photo-driven journal–exactly the kind of magazine all of us have been hoping for to drive awareness of Sup surfing.
It’s really exciting to have these guys on board. This is part of a loose partnership between Ke Nalu and Standup Journal to help the Sup community build the stoke, as if it isn’t pretty hot already. Clay Feeter and Steve Sjuggerud from Standup Journal are in Florida for Surf Expo, and they tell me that nearly every booth had a standup board in it. Sup was the main topic of conversation everywhere.
Everyone they spoke with is convinced that Sup will be big everywhere, because you can do it anywhere. Even more than windsurfing was during it’s boom. You still need a special place where strong winds combine with big water to windsurf, but you can Sup in a millpond and still have a good day. It’s a good thing too, otherwise big growth might be more of a two-edged sword. I saw a bumper sticker today that said “Surfing sucks, don’t bother trying it.”One of the articles I’m working on for the launch of Ke Nalu is called “Twelve Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Do Sup.” While it’s tongue in cheek, everyone who does Sup now understands the sentiment. But with industry analysts (who ARE these guys?) looking for Sup growth in places like Red Oak Iowa, we don’t have to worry so much. Besides, it’s nice to see a few friendly faces in the lineup, and as we’ve already seen, growth in Sup means a lot of new and better toys.
While I’m babbling, how about some suggestions for a different name than SUP. I’ve already decided to ignore the standard style for acronyms and spell it Sup. If you don’t do that then any article starts looking like a ransom note in short order. I can live with Sup, but its kind of lame and reminds me how powerful names can be. No one fishes for Chum Salmon, though they are almost as fun as King Salmon on a fly rod (well…, sort of), and taste just fine. Call them Tiger Salmon (they have stripes) and there would be people flying into Bethel, Alaska from all over the world to chase them.
Very cool…I just subscribed Wednesday. Are they coming out for the test?
I don’t think the publisher will be here, they’ll probably just have a photographer. I’ve offered to share our photos, but I suspect they want something a lot more pro. We can get away with “good” online, but they need great.
I knew you subscribed–they thought you were me and thanked me for subscribing. Now they’re going to start calling me Bob, like everyone else does.
I think you’re right about this sport needing a more attractive name. As surfers we have categorized our styles based on our equipment. We essentially have short boards and long boards. How about we call these Ultra Boards? The sport would then be called Ultra Boarding. Kind of like hair gel, there’s regular, extra, super and ultra. I never knew which was stronger, super or ultra. It doesn’t matter anymore as there isn’t enough hair on my head to matter.
My wife suggests that because of ancient times when only the chief would paddle and ride standing up, the name retain this kingly quality by incorporating King, Crown or Chief in the name. I can’t come up with anything that pops.
I do think we should stay away from controversial terms like water boarding.
I think we already have a name for the sport. Around here, we tend to just say “paddle surf”.
When typing I still use SUP because its faster, but in conversations its always “paddle surf”.
I too think SUP sounds like one more acronym that must stand for some ridiculous, boring, or needless program created by a committee of government bureaucrats trying to hide the true meaning of their screw the taxpayer program. Okay, so that may be a bit over stated, but certainly we can give this energizing sport more life than a three letter acronym.
So what do we call it in our own lives? When I am leaving the house and headed for flat-water on the bay, I say: “By Honey, I am going to go paddle.” If I am headed for the beach with the SUP, I say: “I am going to go paddle-surf.” If I am trying to describe the sport to someone who has never heard of it, I call it: “standup paddle boarding” and then have to explain that I stand on a long wide surf board and paddle it with a long canoe paddle. They look at me a bit strange until I explain the benefits of standing up and not laying prone in the water; and that it is a natural extension of other paddle sports like canoeing and kayaking. So, I think the operative words are of course standup and paddle.
Personally, I like all the attempts that give credit to Hawaiian culture. The problem is that I can’t remember the longer phrases like Ku Ku Hoe which Infiniti has trademarked, and I think I have seen something worse like Ku Ku Hoe Ke Nalu out there. I can remember a short phrase like Ku Nalu or Ke Nalu but those both belong to someone as well. Is there a short Hawaiian word or phrase for standup or one for paddle that could be kept universal?
the problem with a name like “Paddle Surfing” is that it’s not a clear identifier. It works in the context but not alone. Everyone paddle surfs (they just use their hands to do it) and paddle boards already exist, as surfboards designed only to paddle. That’s why people added standup to the name. And presto, for clear writing you’re back to Standup Paddle Surfing aka SUP.
Windsurfing suffered a long identity crisis, rescued only by lawsuits and protected names. People used to call it Sail Boarding but that was a trademark. I still tend to call it sailboarding.
The other cool thing we can do with these board is stick a sail on them and get into big waves. Right now it’s called Longboard Wavesailing or SUP Wavesailing. Yikes.
Does snowboarding descirbe that sport? Skis are boards on your feet ridden on snow.
People already know “surfing” means prone surfing. No surfer ever says he is going paddle surfing, so paddle surfing is not associated with prone surfing.
It doesn’t take long for terms to catch on and become the offical name associated with that activity. Usually the name that sticks, is the one we end up with.
We all called windsurfing, windsurfing, even though technically we all knew it was a board brand. Eventually the the name stuck, regardless of lawsuits.
Many tried to PUSH sailboard on us, but you can’t fight it, if the people call it something else.
People tried to push kiteboarding on us because people can do it on flat water. Marketers wanted a name that would allow the sport to grow on lakes. It failed, the sport is known as kitesurfing.
[IMG]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/zachfroley/Paddle/CIMG1347.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/zachfroley/Paddle/CIMG1350.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/zachfroley/Paddle/CIMG1346.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/zachfroley/Paddle/CIMG1357.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/zachfroley/Paddle/CIMG1349.jpg[/IMG]
well, i was trying to html some pic’s of some great new stand-up paddles, but i guess it didn’t work right. Anyways you can see them on e-bay for $199.00. They have a carbon fiber face and wood laminate w/ carbon wrapped shaft. Check em’ out!
Yeah, that doesn’t work in Wordpress, and it gets grabbed as spam. Nice looking paddles though. We’re doing a paddle showcase in Ke Nalu (www.kenalu.com) in the next issue. If you get representative sample to me by March 10 I can include them. You have to pay shipping here (maui) and back when we return the paddles, and we’re not responsible for any damage under any circumstances, though we try to take care of your stuff.
You can put photos in the comments, but bbcode doesn’t work, I haven’t set up the easy way to do it, but you can do it in the form:
img src=”http://www.url.jpg”/> with a leading bracket before img to make it work.
as in: