Naish 2012 Alana 9.5 and matching carbon paddle

I have the pleasure to add to my quiver of Naish boards the two new 2012, gorgeous,  high performance boards designed to grab the attention of those who appreciate fine quality, great lines and wow, shaka throwing graphics. This one featured here (left) is called the Alana. It’s designed for women as it’s easy to carry too. Dimensions: 9’5″ x 31″ x 4″ 3/4   The construction is a sandwich wood composite.

This three fin or tri fin board compliments the already extensive line of 36 boards manufactured by Naish International, based here on Maui. If you want stability, effortless wave riding this board rocks it.  The pad is very comfortable and the kick-tail pad is handy when you’re carving deep on larger waves.

Second in the line up of the Alana series is the way cool, single fin, 10’10″ by 32″ wide super stable great all around board for strapping on snorkel gear, dry bag and can also impressively handle the waves. I couldn’t believe how well this board tracked and allowed me to paddle 13 times or more on each side. This board is perfect for first timers, those seeking a smooth elegant ride. Check out Robby Naish in the video below as he explains all the features!

I think Naish has done a fine job bringing these boards to the forefront of the stand up paddling world that gives women what they want. Ease of use, fun wave riding or cruising and exploring with friends and family. The Alana Series is beauty and versatility.

If visiting Maui, you can rent these and try them out from the Naish Maui Pro Center located in central Maui on Hana Highway. Call them at 808-871-1500. Or go to their website here:

 Thanks for stopping by and if you’d like to post your comments, questions, please feel free! We’d love to hear from you.

Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui
Naish Team SUP Rider  I also ride the 14′ Glide, 9’0 Hokua & 9’0 Mana.

Also, check out my SUP Fitness Articles written for Naish. Keep in tip top SUP paddling shape: http://www.naishsurfing.com/2012/lifestyle/sup-fitness.html

Follow @SuzieTrainsMaui     For more info on SUP training, events, clinics, people, friends and of course more Naish stuff, go to my other website:

Stand Up Paddling Fitness

Suzi Tucker in training!

I want you to take a good look at the next competitor at the 4th Annual OluKai Ho’olaule’a this next year in May racing down Maliko Gulch. My client, former sponsored skateboarder, amazing long board surfer, Suzi Tucker is up for the challenge and I’m thrilled to be in her corner as her coach and trainer. Not only is she riding the board I won my division on last year, but man oh man is she strong and laser focused on and off the water.

Our first paddling experience on her race board was impressive. We did a double session on her first

Tweet

Suzi Tucker enjoying Maui

day out with me, after I quickly discovered how much talent and strength this gal had. Nothing could knock her off her board, side swell, chop and strong head winds. I looked back and there she was right on my butt.

Suzi is new to Maui and has embraced our incredible lifestyle and is a natural beauty. She is one of these athletes I have to hold back and look her in the eyes to make sure she’s okay, as she smiles through some tough workouts.

Her footwork is amazing and sheer determination I wish I could bottle.  We are hard at work in the studio as she prepares for Maliko. We train her legs, do lots of loaded balance work, upper body and cardio.  I tell all my clients, your first 15 minutes out of that gulch can either suck your energy or you can leave people in the dust. Your choice. Cardio, cardio and focus.  She’ll be fine!

To get an idea of the Magic of Maliko and what Suzi and many have to look forward to the next year May, read my article for Makai Ocean Lifestyle on last  year’s race.

Also, for those of you new to SUP downwind racing, especially those who want to attempt Maliko here on Maui, check out this article so you know before you go – safety first: Know Before You Go  Down Maliko

We have some training to do out there on Maliko, but she’s a quick study and I know I’ve got my own new competitor to keep an eye on! I’m real proud of her progress, dedication and healthy lifestyle. She gets lots of sleeps, eats no sugar and leads a simple life.

Please drop a line and say hello to Suzi. Leave a comment to help prepare her for the big day when she’s at the start with me at the OluKai Ho’olaule’a. Cheer her on with me here and let’s get her ready.

Keep up the great work Suzi and your laser focus. See you training Friday! Let’s do it!

Follow @SuzieTrainsMaui

Suzie Cooney, CPT 
Naish Team SUP Rider

If you or someone you know needs a pro in their corner, Suzie Cooney is available for private training and coaching. You can contact here at this website: http://bit.ly/mf3vEF

Sign up for your FREE Suzie Trains Maui Email Newsletter

]]> http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/2011/12/keep-an-eye-on-this-new-sup-paddler-suzi-tucker-trained-and-coached-by-suzie-cooney-of-suzie-trains-maui/feed/ 0 http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/2011/11/balanced-sup-training-to-help-prevent-injury-part-one-by-suzie-cooney-for-naish/ http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/2011/11/balanced-sup-training-to-help-prevent-injury-part-one-by-suzie-cooney-for-naish/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:19:36 +0000 Suzie http://www.standuppaddlingfitness.com/?p=2832 Tweet

( Article written by Suzie Cooney, CPT for Naish International ) Direct link, click here.

Stand up paddling is no doubt taking the world by storm, and while you don’t need to be in the greatest shape to paddle, you’ll soon discover the benefits. As you begin to improve your technique, experiment with new gear and maybe decide to enter a race or wave competition, it’s a good idea to learn how to train in a balanced way to prevent injury so that you can enjoy paddling even more and stay on the water.

As the sport continues to evolve, and as a trainer who specializes in educating people how to paddle stronger and better improve their performance, I’d like to share with you first an overview of some of the known complaints and injuries that I’m seeing and helping people manage. I’ll also share with you many training strategies designed to help you better approach your SUP training in a balanced manor as a way to avoid injuries.

This article is part one of a two-part series that will illustrate a more in-depth review of the anatomy and how your muscles function while you paddle and how injuries might occur. Part two will be the actual exercises and training approach I recommend to help recover from some of these injuries and/or avoid them.

I’ve also gathered some helpful insight from one of our Naish Team Riders, Karen Wrenn, on how she trains to help her better perform. In addition, I’ll be highlighting another paddler, Kevin Vangritis from North Carolina and new racing competitor and long distance paddler, with his personal story and struggle with a unique injury and how he’s managed to come back on the water.

Common SUP Injuries

Overuse injuries and strains from SUP are common and include mostly the muscles of the shoulder and/or rotator cuff muscles, the knee joint, foot and ankle and low back. It’s good to have a knowledge base of the anatomy and function of each group so you can better adapt your SUP training to avoid these injuries. There may be more to mention, but in my practice and I too have experienced things such as a nagging bicep tendonitis issue in my right arm and on occasion after long distances over 20 miles, my traps (trapezius) have cramped a bit and my feet have fallen asleep.

photos by Simone Reddingius

Injuries that are more common where there are waves are fin lacerations to the extremities and face, paddle handles giving bloody noses (mine), and leash wrap-arounds I call them, that can cause sprains to fingers and other body parts from wrapping around you after a heavy wave wipe out. Also, as these boards are much heavier than surfboards for example, if you get hit in the head you could suffer a good blow or even a concussion. In addition, some super heavy hold downs at some of the bigger breaks can wreck havoc on your back and lower extremities.

Shoulder and Rotator Cuff Injuries:

Stand up paddling works a lot of muscles and is well known for being a great core workout. It also requires a lot of work from the stabilizers of the shoulder girdle. The paddle stroke is a combination of medial rotation and abduction (of the top hand). The deeper rotator cuff muscles included are the supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus and the teres minor. This requires the work of the subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, pec. minor, pec. major, and teres major along with deltoid and supraspinatus to lift the arm up. The bottom hand is mostly stabilizing to transfer the rotation of the trunk to the paddle the muscles used to stabilize are mainly latissimus dorsi rhomboids, triceps, and middle fibers of the traps.

One client complaint was that of a burning sensation radiating from his elbow up to his shoulder and down to his hand, and another, with numbness radiating down from his shoulder through his pinky finger.  These can be common nerve entrapment injuries with chronic tension and overuse of certain muscle groups.

Rhomboid & Trapeziums Strains:

The rhomboid muscles interact with and help support the shoulder blade. Your trapezius (also referred to as your “traps”) are the connective muscles from the neck to the head of the humerus or top of the shoulder, and are responsible for stabilizing your neck and shoulder while you paddle. These muscles require a great deal of endurance. This is also where we tend to hold our stress and the area that can fatigue and cramp up on long distance races. I often hear of muscle fatigue and recently of a tear of the rhomboid as described by Kevin Vangritis. Read more of his experience and how he recovered:

Kevin Vangritis is a friend of mine from North Carolina and is just getting into SUP racing. Over the summer, Kevin was training for a big 50+mile-long distance SUP crossing in Chicago (with Windy City Waterman and Matt Lennert). Prior to the race, he was helping a friend with an exercise and felt a pop near his right scapulae or shoulder blade. At the time, he thought that to simply take an anti-inflammatory and ice should do the trick.

I should note that Kevin is in amazing shape and has a very consistent, well planned and executed training and paddling routine, so this was a bit of a surprise. Kevin is also well versed in the field of sports orthopedics as he assists surgeons and medical teams and knows the anatomy which is also helpful when recovering from an injury.

He writes, “Over the next couple of days, I began to develop a large knot in my trap as well as radicular pain down my right arm into my hand, which was my major concern. This is a classic sign of a herniated cervical disc. The knot began to limit mobility in my neck. Our endurance paddle of crossing Lake Michigan was fast approaching, and I had to come up with a plan to get better. I completely stopped training both on the water and in the gym and continued using anti-inflammatories as well as heat. I showed up for the crossing on August 21st. We had very unfavorable conditions that day for the 50 plus mile paddle with 8-12 foot chop and 30 mph plus winds on Lake Michigan. We decided to go for it anyway without the support of our chase boats and Coast Guard. For four hours straight, we paddled hard against the wind and waves. We decided to call it a day due to safety concerns and knowing that the conditions were just too dangerous to continue without our support team in place.

After the paddle, there were a few large knots on my back that now involved my rhomboid on the right side. Upon returning home, I consulted a physician who diagnosed me with a torn trapezious and rhomboid. Apparently, this is a fairly common injury in this sport. He felt my best course of action would be seeing a sports medicine physical therapist. I spent the next six weeks in PT, attending two sessions each week. Each session, my regimen included a deep tissue massage, electric stimulation, heat therapy as well as cervical traction. I was given simple upper body exercises and stretching to do at home that kept my injured muscles isolated.  Each visit, we added a few new exercises to my routine.

I am 10 weeks out at this time and have just one small knot that still has not released itself and the radicular pain is 95% better. In the next week, I plan to try acupuncture therapy to try and release the one small knot. Since my injury, I paddled for the first time two weeks ago doing 2-3 mile paddles at a moderate pace. Although my weights are still a bit lighter than I normally use, I am slowly getting back to a more normal exercise routine. It is really important to listen to your body. I feel if I had not tried to push myself on Lake Michigan, my recovery would probably have been 3-6 weeks instead of the 10 plus weeks I have endured. Before the injury, I was enjoying a very successful year of racing and am now focused on and looking forward to being ready by spring to begin competing once again.”

Kevin will be on Maui this month and I’ll be checking him out in my training studio and on the water. We’ll be fine tuning him and making sure his training is in check and balanced. Thanks Kevin. Hang in there and keep up the good work!

Bicep Tendonitis:

Simply stated, this is where inflammation or tenderness occurs at the head or top of the bicep tendon due to weakness and overuse. I suffer from this sometimes after a downwind race or while I’m in intense training. This long, chord-like tendon connects the upper end of the biceps muscle to the bones in the shoulder. This muscle is responsible for extending your outward as you reach for the nose of your board with your paddle.

Since I’m right-handed, this is obviously my stronger paddling arm and tends to take most of the load. I often feel tingling, burning and soreness. Usually it is a result of weakness of the rotator cuff muscles. Icing helps me as well as good old rest.

I’ll discuss in more detail how to strengthen this area and the supportive muscles in the next article.

Knees:

The knees young and old can often take a beating, but SUP is probably quite mild on them compared to other high-impact sports like running, dirt biking or soccer. Sometimes old injuries from some of these pounding sports can show up when paddling. But for most, stand up paddling is incredibly gentle and great for the knees.

We all have our own unique paddling styles and types of conditions to manage that can also lead to imbalances of the joint and ligaments that stabilize the knee. For example, if faced with choppy, windy conditions where you are paddling long and hard from one side of your board, pressing down on the board rail in a funny angle can lend to knee irritation. This is especially taxing to the knee compartment if the tendons and supportive muscles and ligaments are weak and not trained properly.

The knee is the largest joint of the body and is compromised of many muscles, ligaments and tendons that help absorb twisting and shocks, and help brace the body for any abnormal consequences. Tears of the medial, lateral, anterior or posterior ligaments are common knee injuries. In wave paddling, I’ve seen a knee dislocate. This is rare, but happened when I saw a guy paddle into a big wave and all of a sudden his leg simply buckled. Later, I learned that his knee gave way completely due to an unstable knee cap (patella). It literally slid out of its natural groove.

Some folks have mentioned that the outer part of the knee, where the iliotibial band joins, can be sore and painful. Again we find that some of these larger muscles – that are used to taking a lot of the load as you unload the stroke and exit the blade at your feet – can be overstretched and are over active. This then can lead to extreme tightness and underactive inner thigh and adductor muscles.

Also, after multiple Maliko runs, I’ve discovered a twinge of inner knee discomfort on my back carving leg after being in a deep, surf stance position on big drops. Managing a 14ft board is very different, with a lot more property from the center of the board all the way back to the fin vs. a short board, requiring one to really utilize more force production on the knee of the carving leg.

Back:

The back is a really important component to stand up paddling for it also helps stabilize the core and is part of the core. It also helps release and control power and of course keeps you upright for all levels of paddling. Refer to my article: More on the Core for SUP here.

Here, we’ll talk about mainly the lower back since we’ve covered quite a bit on the upper part of the body. Having personally suffered extreme back injuries, SUP has actually really helped me!

The function of the lower back allows for flexibility forward and backward and doesn’t easily tolerate too much twisting.

Most people who paddle may experience low back discomfort usually caused by improper paddle length, poor paddling technique or from other muscle imbalances such as tight hamstrings and hip flexors and weak abdominal muscles, or a combination of all the above.

The spine itself or vertebral column contains the spinal cord and other nerves, along with sponge like discs that can be damaged or pinched in pretty severe wipeouts. Sometimes, no matter how well you train or how strong your core and low back are, things can just happen.

Now that you have a good understanding of the anatomy and how it functions while you paddle, you can learn to safely train to keep your body strong. Accidents, muscle strains, riderless boards torpedoing towards you in the lineup can certainly happen, therefore it’s important to know how to recognize something that may not be right or may even be really, really wrong.

Seeking qualified help is very important. I have an excellent medical team that I trust and go to when I myself or my clients or readers write in with questions. I also keep a well-stocked first aid kit in my truck at all times in case I need to wrap a strain or sprain, or at least help stabilize someone if needed.

Stand up paddling is easy and is typically easy on your body. Being very aware of your body, the muscles that you use when you paddle and being mindful of some possible injuries will simply make you a better paddler. Your body has a lot of moving parts, so in the next article I’m going to show all the cool exercises you can do for each muscle group I mentioned here, to help you potentially avoid injury, keep your body balanced and strong and keep all those part together and intact.

Also, don’t forget we’ll be posting Karen Wrenn’s training strategy too!

SUP wipe out photos by Simone Reddingius

Medical photos courtesy of webmd.com

Suzie Cooney, CPT Naish Team SUP Rider and Owner of Suzie Trains Maui

Follow Suzie on Facebook: SuzieTrainsMaui

Check out all of the new 2012 Naish SUP Boards!  Suzie rides the Hokua, Mana, Nalu & Glide for Maliko Runs.

Disclaimer

All the information presented in the SUP Fitness section of naishsurfing.com is for educational and resource purposes only. It is there to help you make informed decisions about your fitness training. It is not a substitute for, or an addition to, any advice given to you by your physician. Suzie Cooney, CPT, and Naish International strongly recommend that you consult your doctor and get medical approval before beginning any fitness and/or exercise program. You are solely responsible for the way information in SUP Fitness is perceived and utilized and you do so at your own risk. In no way will Suzie Cooney, Naish International or anyone associated with Naish International be held responsible for any injuries or problems that may occur due to the use of this website or the advice contained within.

Suzie Cooney Radio Show Segment: September 20, 2011 Maui Breakfast Club. Every Tuesday @ 7:38am  Health & Fitness Segment Tweet

Why Stand Up Paddling is So Healthy Radio Segment with Suzie Cooney
LISTEN HERE

Now, thousands of people are discovering that you can as I wrote in my article “Shred to Shed” and blasted on the airways just as recent as this past August.

It’s really true. SUP or stand up paddling is a known way to get healthy fast. People are rehabbing after hip or knee

Kevin V. is in amazing shape and now races nation wide!

surgeries faster, meeting new friends and new soul mates and all of this makes you healthy. Going to the gym is still great, and don’t forget, eating the right foods is paramount to eating for energy while your paddling, but wow, look what’s happening to your spouse, your friends and movie stars! Hop aboard and get healthy with SUP.

Stand up paddling is a part of all my clients’ cross-training requirements and believe me, their bodies have transformed and so has their lives, cardio health and I’ve seen waistlines shrink. Don’t think about, watch it from the beach, get on that board and paddle. You too will soon discover the joys and amazing benefits of SUP.

Another article you may enjoy talks about how SUP is helping people cope with depression. It’s a mind and body experience gliding across the water. Read my article here titled: SUP For Your Mind’s Health: Aqua Therapy For Depression.

You are one paddle stroke closer to health. Write us and let us know how SUP has changed your maybe unhealthy life, into a way of life!

Aloha and see you on the water!

Suzie Cooney,  CPT  of Suzie Trains Maui

Suzie Cooney is a sponsored Team SUP Rider for Naish International and is supported by OluKai Premium Footwear & Kaenon Polarized Eye-wear. She is also a Team Rider for Indo Board,  certified personal trainer, radio host for the Maui Breakfast Club, Model, True Collection Athlete and hosts FREE SUP Events on the island of Maui and within other communities.

To learn more about Suzie and she can help you get healthy with SUP click here.

For Beginners to Advanced Paddlers
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui and Naish Team SUP Rider

Recommended Equipment: INDO Board Gigante Disc, INDO Board Pro Board or Ying & Yang (as pictured below), TRX Rip Trainer (I use the heavier chord in this training series). Select a sturdy object to secure your TRX cord to the ground. For this series, I attached it to a stake in the sand. The combination of INDO Board Gigante Disc with the Ying & Yang board, in addition to the TRX Rip Trainer requires unique training, just like stand up paddling.  This is a functional and dynamic workout to the highest degree. Since the core is what stabilizes us while paddling, we now have a power source delivered through the core and transferred directly to our stroke.  Like Dave, I need to drive home the idea that there’s more to the “core” than just abs. It’s absolutely everything, and I mean everything, excluding your arms and legs – but not to say that your arms and legs don’t help to stabilize you as you paddle. When I’m on the water or in the studio teaching people how to really engage their core, I take the time to break down their stroke as well. Then, when the light goes on and they have an “ah ha” moment, it’s cool. Connecting the dots from the top of your stroke, through your bottom shoulder, leading hip and finally passing through your core to the blade as you exit your feet, finally makes sense when you have more paddle power from the strength of your body. This comes from specific strength training for SUP and it’s what we’re going to do right now in these exercises. Progression Variables: Floor to sand, traditional paddling stance to surf stance, discs under INDO board, less air (easier)-more air (faster action) in discs, light – medium TRX chord to heavier gauge TRX chord, speed of stroke, reach distance, slower-faster paced, number of strokes per side, change stance position during set. Exercise 1: Power Strokes: Regular Stance, Feet on Ground

Progression 1: Regular Stance, Unstable Platform:  INDO Board Gigante Disc (inflated halfway), while standing on Ying & Yang Board. My reach here is a little further towards “the nose” and again, my core is fully engaged. Progression 2: Slightly Staggered Stance, Unstable Platform: (you can also practice this on the ground)  When you are on the water and the waves or wind chop gets bigger, or as you approach a turn, you may be shifting your weight and stance. Just like changing where you stand on your board to increase board speed or rail pressure, a slight change in your stance will affect your stroke power. Now try shifting your back foot ( I’m regular, so my right foot goes back ) slightly behind your front foot. This requires a bit more effort: Progression 3: Surf Stance:    Now you’re starting to get some nice glides, or you’re pumping faster to catch some waves, so let’s get into full surf stance and dig in! I love this. Again, visualization training (see my article here ) really works. Load your iPod, crank it up and start training. Visualize yourself being incredibly powerful and catching every glide, every wave and maybe passing a competitor or two. Also, try shifting more of your weight onto your front foot and try quick, short strokes, matching your breathing to each stroke. Click on the photo for a larger view. TweetI hope this series on paddling with power will take you many miles across the water. These tips will help you improve your endurance, increase your power, step into small and big waves and build your confidence as well as enhance your current level of fitness for SUP. Get out there and rip it up!  Check out my recent article on Maliko Gulch: Know Before you GoI’d like to give a special photo credit to Simone Reddingius: downwind paddler, amazing surfer, and Maui photographer who has recently been published in Stand Up Journal Magazine. See more of Simone’s work here: http://beachgirlmaui.blogspot.com/Aloha, Suzie To see all of her articles for Naish International and this one click here.  For more information and tips from Suzie Cooney go to: www.standuppaddlingfitness.com and follow Suzie Trains Maui on Facebook or @suzietrainsmaui on Twitter. Disclaimer All the information presented in the SUP Fitness section of naishsurfing.com is for educational and resource purposes only. It is there to help you make informed decisions about your fitness training. It is not a substitute for, or an addition to, any advice given to you by your physician. Suzie Cooney, CPT, and Naish International strongly recommend that you consult your doctor and get medical approval before beginning any fitness and/or exercise program. You are solely responsible for the way information in SUP Fitness is perceived and utilized and you do so at your own risk. In no way will Suzie Cooney, Naish International or anyone associated with Naish International be held responsible for any injuries or problems that may occur due to the use of this website or the advice contained within.

There was a sea of yellow Naish Glides ( that’s what I ride ) and others and wow, what a line of up fine athletes and new talent from around the globe!  This was a well-organized event thanks to Naish International, Maui Naish Pro Center, John Gangini and Blair Thorndike. The conditions were a bit questionable, but in grand Maliko style, after brother Joe gave the most beautiful Hawaiian ”Pule” the trades seemed to pick up just at the right time.

TweetFirst out the prone paddlers, then 12 footers, 14 and then unlimited like clock work. This was a staged start, with a 3 minute hold, and it worked quite well. Sitting at the start next to my buddy Karen Wrenn and to her right our newest team rider, Chuck Patterson and to my left my local gang, Julia Schweiger, Jeremy and Jill Riggs, Simone Reddingius and a few newbies as the boards were clattering and bumping before the horn.

Photographers, Erik Aeder, Darrell Wong, and Jimmie Hepp poised and ready to shoot. Looking around to see who would take “the” line was interesting. Normally we pinch up to the right hard and steady. This time it was madness to see who would get out in front first. I watched Chuck and others watching each other. The competition was fierce and you could feel the power ready to be unleashed!

Time to go! I hit the play button on my IShuffle, first song “My Wave” by Soundgarden. Perfect! I was getting pinched hard by a gal on blue 14ft, to my right. Sorry, but I’m way more competitive than I thought. I didnt’ mean to, whoever you are; to run over your paddle but it was time to go. Rick Sands, you gave me a run for my money. Congrats on your fine finish. Jill, you were with me quite a ways and it was just like practice coming into the harbor. Super fun for sure.

photo Jimmie Hepp 2011

Coming into the harbor was a breeze this time. Tiffany Ward in front, Jill then me. The finish was 100 yards further West than last year, thank goodness. This meant that if the winds were howling side shore it wouldnt’ be as brutal getting in.

Well, of course I couldn’t catch Jamie Mitchell, Dave Kalama, Scott Turdon, Kody Kerbox, Connor Baxter,  Ralf, Michi Schweigher or Jeremy Riggs; and Karen, Sonni and Allison were gone! I held my line and never looked up and thought, this is it, race day! How lucky am I to live Maui, paddle for Naish and paddle with my good friends in my own backyard. I gave it my best with a decent time and although the age group spread was HUGE( who’s in charge of that!?)30-45, I got a respectable 6th. 

Congrats to everyone and to all the new faces who are joining the racing experience.  I’ll be posting more highlights and updates soon.  Suzie Cooney!

Full Race Results:http://pseresults.com/events/364/results

Check out the full story and photos from Erik Aeder provided by:

Naish Ineternational:http://www.naishsurfing.com/2011/07/6th-annual-naish-paddle-championships-maui/

More photos from Jimmie Hepp:https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/Jimmiehepp

    Get race ready and hop on your INDO Board Gigante Disc. Your foot-work is a critical part of catching glides.  Best 
                land training ever.

Some of the fastest, elite paddlers converge for the 6th year in a row. The field of competitors is growing bigger and bigger and the finishes even more exciting! This race is fierce and serious. Get your water packs ready, gel, gu whatever your fueling weapon, for this backyard Naish event will light Maliko on fire!

For more information and to register: http://www.mauipaddleboard.com/

Get race ready and see my SUP FITNESS Tips exclusively for Naish.

Increase your SUP performance. Catch bigger glides, dig in that rail and improve your footwork to keep ahead of that guy or gal on your tail. Your paddling will improve quickly from land to water. Training your brain, training your legs and step on your board and watch what happens. One INDO Board Gigante disc under your board with max inflation is a wild ride, and two less inflated; one under the nose and the tail helps beginners and intermediate paddlers sky rocket their stand up paddling action!

See you there!