KIALOA Paddles helped carry the Olympic Torch

KIALOA Paddles was proud to help the Canadians paddle the boat that carried the Olympic Torch on it's passage across Canada. Dave made these custom paddles for False Creek Outrigger canoe club some years ago. Go Canada.

This was shot by our friend and European distributer, Jean Phillippe Wuilmart of sunshort.com

Pipes

Introducing KIALOA's new SUP the Pipes. Although designed for women we're finding that their men seem to digg it as well. Our friend Casso in Australia has some fun with his wife's new Pipes. He "borrows" it while she's at work. :)

www.australianpaddlesurfer.com.au

Friends of ASV

"A Tale About Bros Not Pros" I like that title. This is a new release DVD from KIALOA rider Ken Wilson of AwesomSurfVideos.com. Ken is a surfer from the Oregon Coast who recently won a record breaking 4 trophies from the Noll Longboard Classic.

Check out the DVD by getting a copy from the Oregon Surf Shop.

Cold Stroke Classic in Wilmington, NC

Meg and Dave Chun, founders and owners of KIALOA Paddles, are at the Cold Stroke Classic this weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina. Cold is definitely and apt title this year as they are currently experiencing freezing weather. The SUP races start at noon on Jan. 9 at Dockside Restaurant & Marina, 1308 Airlie Road and tonight there is a pre race dinner where Chuck Patterson is the key speaker. Paddlers will do a 3.5-mile recreational course or a seven-mile “elite” course. The race is put on by Coastal Urge and proceeds benefit the Cape Fear Surf­rider Foundation.

Stay tuned to KIALOA's blog, facebook and twitter to get results!

SUP in Bend Oregon

Bend Oregon is home to KIALOA Paddles and famous surfer Gerry Lopez so it is no wonder the SUPing has some great support here, even if we are more than 3 hours from the ocean.

Treasure Island Classic in Florida

Hi Everyone,

First I want to thank everyone for coming to the Treasure Island Classic. When I first started organizing this event we had three six man outrigger canoes, all from the same club, and a handful of single/tandem participants. This past weekend we had 16 teams of OC6s on Saturday and 48 paddlers racing on Sunday. That's a record!! I want to acknowledge Michael Sieber, Cortland Reilly and Jean Rass for steering three short course boats on Saturday, then coming in and paddling on their teams in the long course, plus they paddled single/tandem canoes on Sunday. Quite amazing, and thanks!!

Second I want to thank all my sponsors and helpers. Harry Black has supported this event from the beginning and has let us “take over” his hotel every year. This year he not only supplied the beer, but also the lunch on Sunday. He and his wife cooked and served all that food, and I can't thank them enough for their hard work. Sloppy Joe's catered the delicious food on Saturday.

Meg of Kialoa supports me every year, and congratulations to Mike Owens of the South Carolina Canoe Club for winning that beautiful paddle from Kialoa. I also want to thank Bill Edwards of MIC, Darry Jackson of Bill Jackson's and Mike Siebel of Canoe Country for their support and contributions every year. I wouldn't have all those cool raffle prizes without them.

I also would not be able to race or run this event without the people who volunteer to help me. Lewis and Erin, great job on the timing with 3 seperate starts on Saturday. Thanks to you two, and Pat, Jeannie and Glenda for helping with lunch and the awards. Beans, I needed your voice for the raffle. That was great!

In addition, I want to thank Angela, who I'm so happy to have met on the beach 4 weeks ago. She's and experienced paddler who paddled in California and recently moved here. She joined Kai aniani a few days later, and showed her Mahalo spirit by immediately volunteering to help me. She helped with timing on Sunday, which is always a sterssor for me, and was there helping to the end. My friend Glenda was also there for me this weekend, with lots of experience at doing this. Terri Bezuidenhout was in charge of photography, and we wouldn't have all these great pictures without her.

I've attached a few. To see more pictures please visit the Kai aniani website, which Terri also created at: http://www.clearwatercanoeclub.com/. Then there was Rob Mirlenbrink who had the beer there for us when we all came in!! That liquor run is most important!

I also want to congratulate my team mates for an awesome job. We had never paddled together as a team. Our steers person Mike Owens from South Carolina, Larry Frederick stroking from Gainesville, Doug and Belem who I had never met, but are from this area, and Carolyn, who I have paddled with, all did a great job. We missed John Kee and some of his team, due to a prior planned event. Anita, you did a great job getting a team together from Ft. Lauderdale, and thanks for the advanced registration mailed to me. You are quite organized. I appreciate everyone who came from out of State and to my New York friends who traveled the furthest.

Until next time....

Rea Sieber

Race Organizer,

Treasure Island Classic