NO!

NO! 😞

We prefer to think of ourselves more as an educators than a sales people. Our goal is to use our knowledge and expertise to help and guide customers in buying the correct gear for whatever their needs might be. Even though technically our job is to sell stuff, we would rather not sell something than sell the wrong thing to someone. We don't like pushy sales people, and we never want to be one.

However, over the last 40-some years we have sat in on many sales seminars.  One of the things they try to teach is that a sales person is never supposed to say NO or ask the customer a question that can be answered with no, the ultimate goal being to get the customer to say YES to making a purchase. 
The last year has been brutal. We have said NO to customers more times in the last 12 months than we have in 40-some years.
  With factories, suppliers, and shipping facilities across the globe and in the US still closed or operating at  limited capacity due to Covid-19, there have been huge delays and inventory shortages in every category of products we sell. Across the board, (no pun intended), we have been a boardshop without, or at least very few boards to sell. Products that we pre-ordered in the early fall of 2020 and that were scheduled to arrive in March of 2021, might be showing up sometime in late May or early June.

  While it was brutal have the shop closed for two months last year, it has been equally as painful having customers coming into the store to buy, fill in the blank, skateboards, SUPs, surfboards, longboards, snowboards and have to tell them NO, we didn't have any to sell. Even worse, when they ask when are we getting more boards,  we have had to say, "we don't know." Even our suppliers don't know when, and even sometimes what, is coming in from their factories.  It is been a crazy way to try to do business. 

YES!

 

Fortunately, it has not been all bad....... 

Yes, it  was great to allow customers in the shop again last June. 

Yes, we have been getting small shipments of SUP's and getting people on the water.

Yes, we have gotten a few of the cool new wings from Naish and Slingshot.(who is ready to fly?)

Yes, we have more boards on the way (sometime).

Yes, we actually have a good selection of longboards and skateboards.

Yes, we had a great turnout for the Tuesday Night Social (Distancing) SUP last summer and we will be resuming them again in a few weeks.

Yes, we have great customers helping us get through this challenging time.

Yes, we love our customers.

Yes, we are still stoked.

   

Stay well. Stay safe. Stay stoked

Wow! Where to even start? Can anyone even have imagined?
Who even heard the words "social distancing" before three months ago? Now they are words to live by...literally. Facemasks? We wore them snowboarding or for sun protection, not to the grocery store.
I don't think anyone expected 2020 to be like this. We sure didn't. After a lackluster local snow season, we were so ready to jump into spring with both feet, not lock our doors.
We wanted to windsurf, to foil, to surf, to SUP, to kite, to skate and to help our customers do it too.
 So many things put on hold, rescheduled, and cancelled. It is not just East of Maui. It is not just Annapolis. It is not just Maryland, It is not just the US. The whole freaking world is affected by this Covid Virus and is SHUT DOWN!

Fortunately, the State of Maryland has recognized  that exercise is beneficial to health, and staying well. At the time of writing this, Maryland has allowed for selected recreational activities, including Stand Up Paddling as legal forms of exercise.
No,  this this is not the time to get all rad and extreme. It is the time to use a little extra caution, keep your distance from others, get out there and get a little exercise, and stay safe.  Be grateful we are not completely confined to our homes like so many others around the world. 

Keeping it close to home, and safe on Back Creek  4/16/2020

Our doors are locked, by we are still here for all of your boardsport needs. We have been working on our website. We are checking voicemails, emails and social media contacts daily if not multiple times throughout the day. We are offering free local delivery on paddleboards and on any purchase over $100. We can ship items to you US Mail or UPS.

One of the sweet new SUPs in stock and waiting for you

When we get the go ahead to re-open, we will do so in the safest manner possible, for you, for us, and for our community. We expect there will be some changes. What won't change is our passion for what we do and our true appreciation for each and every one of our customers.  We thank you for your business in the past, now, and in the future.

We look forward to seeing you in the shop and on the water soon!

STAY WELL. STAY SAFE. STAY STOKED

410-573-9463
info@eastofmauiboardshop.com
www.eastofmauionline.com

   

         

Flying into the Future

Light wind Foiling.
photo: Slingshot Sports

It is scary stuff. It is fun when you are high. You crash really hard. One hit, and you want more!
NO......, I'm not talking about illegal drugs. I am talking about foiling. Specifically, Windsurf Foiling.
From America's Cup boats, to surfboards, to wakeboards, kiteboards, and windsurfers, foiling and foils are becoming more and more prevalent on many types of watercraft.
For those unfamiliar, foils are a wing or a set of wings attached under the boat or the board. Very much like an airplane wing, as the foil moves forward through the water, it generates lift, in turn flying the hull or board up out of the water.  Once up on foil, the drag goes away and both speed and apparent wind increase resulting in even more speed.

Slingshot Windsurf Foil

With the exception of light wind windsurfing which I discussed  my last article, "Back to the Future", windsurfing has always been about speed. In order to go fast you either A: need to live in a windy area, or B: use large, hard to handle sails, and specialized boards. While extremely exciting, holding on to the sail for dear life is hard and hard on the body. 
Foil windsurfing on the other hand is easy on the body. Once you learn to pump the foil up, you can use a much smaller sail in the same amount of wind, than on a conventional board and still find yourself flying across the water. The key word is flying. You are no longer slapping and pounding on the water and beating up your body. Also, once up on foil the drag goes away and the rig isn't trying to yank your arms out of their sockets, just a light grip on the boom is all you need. When you are up on foil, everything gets so smooth and quiet, it is the closest feeling I've ever had to snowboarding in powder.  It is an amazing sensation.
Can someone without windsurfing or sailing experience learn to Windsurf Foil? The jury is still out on this one, but I think the answer is yes. With a floaty enough board, the foil works like a keel helping to stabilize the board, which in turn makes it easy to stand on the board and pull the sail out of the water, a technique called uphauling. In non-foiling conditions, the foil, once again works like a keel, to help the board track well, making it possible to learn to sail back and forth before getting up on foil. Obviously some windsurfing or sailing experience is a bonus. Whether cruising on a Windsurfer LT or flying across the water on a foil, there has never been a better time to be a windsurfer. 
Who is ready to Fly into the Future
Warning! Just like the illegal stuff , foiling is extremely addictive. It may cause you to skip work, and make irrational decisions based on the wind forecast. You may experience withdrawal symptoms. Most of all it will put a smile on your face, and your friends will wonder what you have been up to.   

  
    

Back to the Future

Windsurfing! 

Windsurfing off of Annapolis City Dock 2019

This is from a Facebook post I recently did in the Old School Windsurfing Group :

"In 1985, the girl I was dating at the time, and I loaded up her VW GTI and headed to Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys from the Washington D.C area. We had our two Windsurfers and a brand new “state of the art” Tiga that a friend loaned me for the trip. We camped, we sailed, we ate, we drank, we loved, we had fun. 1985 was good time to be a windsurfer. It still is."

Rigging up in Bahia Honda Key 1985

Gybing in the Florida Keys '85 

When I first started Windsurfing in 1980 or 81 it was just another way to go sailing. It was difficult to get a Laser or Sunfish off the roof of the car by yourself, but it was easy to load and unload a windsurfing board. There was nothing high tech about windsurfing, it was  a simple way to get out on the water. Just you, a board, a sail, a little wind and you were good to go. Doing it with a couple friends, and you were having twice as much fun or maybe even a race. We would take trips to new places just to go windsurfing. Small lakes all around the country, and around the world were filled with people windsurfing. Then windsurfing got high tech, high performance, high wind and wave oriented. It was still fun, but it got expensive and it got time consuming. Peoples lives revolved around chasing wind and chasing waves, buying tons of gear. Towns like Hood River, places like Maui boomed with windsurfers. Unfortunately, as the performance envelope got pushed, the gear for learning and light wind sailing  just sort of disappeared.  As the gear went away, so did new people learning to windsurf. People dropped out of the sport.  A kitesurfing friend joked,  "Windsurfing Has Been Cancelled" 

For some of us, it wasn't really a funny joke.
Fortunately  in 2017 Cobra Manufacturing teamed up with designer Bruce Wylie and set out to create a board that  so simple it could be picked up off the beach and enjoyed by a first-time sailor as well as offering superb tactical fleet racing to a more advanced sailor. They ended up creating the board now known as the Windsurfer LT. They became available in the US in 2019. I bought one.  Even with a smallish soft sail, that can be rigged in minutes, the board is super fun to sail in the light to medium winds we get on the Chesapeake and in most real world places. If there is no wind at all it works great as a Stand Up Paddle Board. The new lighter weight construction makes it even easier to get on and off the car than the 80's version.  
I have had fun Windsurfing for 40 years. With the addition of the LT to my collection of boards,  I had more days windsurfing locally last year than I have in a long time, it was fun.
 WINDSURFING.....It's Back! Back to the Future.

2019 Windsurfer Lt Sailing 

We Love Snow!

We love snow. We love snowboarding 

You will love our Valentines Snow Sale!

Buy your Sweetheart some new gear!

All Women's Snow Clothing 30% Off

Women's Snowboards 20%-40% Off

Men's Jacket's and Pants 20% Off

Selected Helmets 20% Off

Sale ends Feb 14th

Happy New Year!

Thank you for 40 Years!

L-R   Mark Bandy (Annapolis), Mark Saunders (Annapolis),  Bob Singer (Dewey Beach)

2019 was our 40th Anniversary and we had a ton of fun looking back and celebrating.

 From our beginnings selling windsurfing boards out of Bob Singer's back yard, to the muti-boardsports shop we are today, it has been a crazy ride, and a whole lot of fun.

We  want to thank all of our friends, customers, and employees for the last 40 years. Without all of you, none of this would have possible.

However, we know we can't spend too much time looking back, and need to keep looking and moving forward. As we move into the New Year and  next decade, we  will continue to look for the newest and best products, while striving to offer the best customer service and knowledge possible. While the Annapolis and Dewey Beach stores are separate businesses, we will be working closely together to provide Maryland, D.C, N.Va, and Delaware with the best possible gear for all of your boardsports needs and adventures, with the knowledge and expertise to back it it up.    We will be constantly trying to improve on our line shopping experience. The one thing that won't change is our passion for the sports and products we sell, and a genuine appreciation for each and everyone of our customers. Mahalo.

Winter is here, it is a New Year, and it's time for new gear!

Whether you are chasing fresh pow or some tasty waves this winter, we have everything you need for your next boarding adventure. 

Snow*Standup*Surf*Wind*Skate*Style

Love Your Brain*

Love Your Brain*

We think helmets for snowboarding and skiing are a good idea. We also think that helmets don't replace common sense, they do not make you "bulletproof" and won't help in every type of impact, but we know many, many people who have benefited directly from the use of a helmet,whether it be minimizing the effects of a hard slam, or clipping a limb riding in the trees.

I started wearing a helmet in 1998, the same year Sonny Bono died from a head injury while skiing. I was accused of jumping on the Bono Bandwagon, but the truth be known, I had already decided to wear one before his accident.  I wouldn't get on a bike without a helmet, yet on the snow I was going just as fast if not faster on the snowboard, with just as many hard things to hit, so figured a snow helmet was a good idea. 
That first helmet was like wearing a bowling ball on my head. It weighed a ton, had no ventilation, and was uncomfortable as hell. As bad it was, I have never ridden without a helmet since, and can't ever imagine doing it.

2001
Riding in my bowling ball!

Fortunately, helmet technology has come a longways in 20 years.  The newest generation of helmets are lightweight. Most of them offer opening and closing vents for temperature control, and many have a Boa or similar system for dialing in the fit. Almost all helmets are goggle compatible and vise versa.
The majority of helmets use a EPS foam to absorb impact, but some are starting use a honeycomb material for even greater protection and durability. One of the newest innovations is MIPs, which is designed to protect your brain from rotational injuries in a fall.
One of  the most important aspects of a helmet is the fit. Your helmet must fit correctly. If  the helmet doesn't fit or is fitted incorrectly, there is a chance it will come off or reduce its effectiveness in a crash.   The best way to ensure fit is to try it on and have it adjusted by a professional.  The right sized helmet should fit snugly without the straps fastened. It should not move around on its own when you shake your head.   At East of Maui, our staff can help you pick a helmet that fits your head, your budget, and performance level.

Today's helmets protect your head,are light, comfortable, and stylish too. photo: SmithOptics

   

OK, now  for some bad news. Helmets are not ONE AND DONE!
When do you need to replace your helmet? All manufactures recommend replacing your helmet after any major impact. The EPS foam bubbles are designed to crunch down in an impact to cushion your head, meaning you need to replace your helmet after just one crash. Even if you have been lucky enough to be crash free, most manufactures recommend replacing your helmet every 3-5 years. Sweat, hair products, use, all break down EPS over time. The interior padding also breaks down, which will affect how the helmet fits.
We realize that wearing a helmet is a personal decision, but we think it is a good idea.
We have been helping our customers have more fun on boards since 1979. We can help you have more fun (and keep you safe) too! 
Aloha-
Mark Bandy


* Love Your Brain is an organization founded after Kevin Pearce suffered a  horrible accident training for the 2010 Oympics. One of Love Your Brain's missions is to improve the quality of life and recovery for  people that have suffered TBI.  Love Your Brain also endorses and recommend the use of helmets for snowsports. For more info: www.loveyourbrain.com .  Also be sure to check out Kevin's story and the movie Crash Reel.

In January 2011 snowboarder Danny Toumarkine clipped a tree doing some filming with his brother Conor and some friends. Conor is a friend of one of our former employees Graham. We followed Danny's story closely. There was a good chance Danny would not live, much less recover.  Conor documented both the accident, and the story in the movie "Moving Forward". You can still watch it it on YouTube :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZnALI7Lz1A 


Ride safe! See you on the snow !