Utah Windriders Association

Digital version out last night, guess it hits the newstands today. (do they still have newstands?)

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7000 ... .html?pg=1

Tom Smart is such a great guy, if you've ever sailed with him, you end up laughing on the beach, that to me is Utah sailing. His book on Elizabeth Smart is amazing, a must read.

Tom is the kind of guy....My kids told me this story: I was out of town, they took a small car to DC to sail. I think I left a trailer of gear at Jim's house for them. They met Tom at IB, I think they were having trouble ferrying the gear they wanted via the sedan....Tom says "oh take my 40k Audi bitchin' car and get the stuff".....!!!! Thats trust, the lads simply said "jeeze, what a cool car!"...no clue of the risk, liability..

Excellent article, fabulous photos!

John-
Last year I remember you posting that Jim S. and yourself "couldn't wrap your heads around the whole SUP thing." Are you now a believer?

dude we need to talk. I'm in so deep its scary...Jim dabbles, Sarah gives me grief, but being part of www.standupjournal.com means I'm six months ahead of the sup industry mainstream. The advertisers are shaping the industry, its like being in Obama's re election campaign. (not a great example). Clay Feeter is a wildman, and when you're brother is giving you free boards and I'm losing weight, making friends in the industry....

Ok I guess its time I post a pic of....Betty... www.lpc-sup.com yeah the name is Betty! If Linda can top me with "Pearl" for her Carve,....

http://picasaweb.google.com/hypersailor/Betty#

Betty has a Shrek colored twin sup model Mr. Toads Wild Ride....I can explain Jason!

I fought my brother in Santa Barbara for two years, "too boring" then I caught a wave, oh mama, Then I caught Pitas Point offshores, 4', Turkey week, I was hyperventilating for 4 solid hours, it was Hanalei all over again...

Yes John, sounds like you have a problem. I know what you mean about the whole hyperventilating thing. Spent a whole week SUPing lower Kanaha in glassy over-head waves. It was unreal. The flat water paddling here is pretty fun, but the whitewater SUPing is a blast. Let me know if you go on some crazy SUP surf trip to some exotic(or not so exotic) destination. I'm filling up my piggy bank now. SUP race at Jordanelle tomorrow morning. I'm sure Betty will treat you well. Here are a couple shots from the Weber River.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pho ... =638707485
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pho ... =638707485

Jason you're too funny...for the entire Net world to read ..."yeah John you have a problem! Nice! Pull that up on Google 10 years from now!

Whitewater scares me to death, rocks, MOVING water is not ocean water. I can take a 8' wave on the head, while my back is on dry reef, but rivers...on no...

Racing sup is unique too, I don't race. As a surf dog "turns is turns", whether its Snowbird or DC, or Bountiful Lake. If I'm paddling with headphones on, listening to KRCL, Napster or NPR, I'm relaxed, doing my thing, real simple. The sup demographic is (sales pitch coming here) yoga/Pilates/stretching crowd.

now the tri athete crowd, personal trainer crowd is on board. Kayak shops are on board, converting their butt surfers when it applies, still selling fine canoes.

You weight lift and swim alone, yeah its more fun with a buddy, thats what sup is...

kiters in the Gorge are all over sup when the wind dies, I was shocked! Cookies on me!

Weber looks tough to do. Have you done the Jordan? Ran the trail tonight and thought it might be nice. Just don't want to end up like that couple a few weeks back that got stuck under water, don't know where that happened. Any recommendations on where to launch and get out for an afternoon cruise? Thought I'd put in at 123rd and go to around 90th.
Mike L.

Hey Mike, I don't do rivers, rocks scare me. The Jordan might be a cruise, just make a plan, be safe. One Hawaiian did 187 miles of the Grand Canyon.

Guys 'do' the Weber, but when you have to have a helmet, impact protection, you could wreck your fin and board....nah...

There is a Meetup sup group in SLC that was doing the Weber and river rats all over the nation are definitely going for it.

Think of river running as back in the day of windsurfing, double loops, back loops at Hookipa. The sport is just getting its yah yahs out, someone has to be the First, they get the credit. Inflatable boards with no fin seem to work.

Or just take your trade show booth! they did this the day before the OR demo day, http://paddle-board.net/boardworks-surf ... r-sup-run/ at 2:54 you start seeing The Mat...its huge, and doesn't have fins!

P.S. I met Jason Morton yesterday, saw his 21' motorhome of a racing sup at Jordanelle, and I thought I had problems. He could sell it later for a wind turbine wing.

Mike-
Inflatable boards work great. I prefer the Rapidfire by ImagineEco surfboards. Plastic, wide, thick, with a rubber fin. Super stable for rivers and whitewater. The whitewater SUP group was paddling the Jordan River this spring. I rode my bike and checked it out and was quickly turned off by the sewer treatment plant pumping treated water back into the river. The Provo River is great for introductory river SUPing. The Weber is now too low to paddle safely. Will probably head down south and do some paddling down there this fall.

I ended up grabbing that Sevylor inflatable from Costco just to try out the sport. I already have a 20ft boat that doesn't fit in the garage, so don't need a board that big. While looking I found a decent deal on a used hard board (Velzy 12ft race board $400)from Geartrade if anyone else in interested:http://www.geartrade.com/browse/125/1028/1032/item/146745
SUP has been a nice light wind alternative. The provo river probably will be my next try, just thought my wife could run the Jordan river trail while I paddled. Where did the SUP group put in and where was the sewage? Definitely want to stay away from the turds. Maybe next year try the Weber.
This might be "gay" (not that there is anything wrong with that) for the hard core kite crowd, but saw this about the new f-one SUP kite.
http://f-onekites.us/portal/2010/08/02/back-to-the-source/
Mike L.

Mike-
Not really sure where they put in on the Jordan River. The 12 ft. Velzy board is a prone paddleboard. You lie down or kneel on it and paddle. Too narrow to stand on. Nice board though, and a great deal. Your Sevylor will do fine for rivers. Utahpaddlesurfing.com has a meetup page where you can find out where and when people are going paddling!!