Chesapeake Challenge Course Map

East of Maui/Eastport YC

Chesapeake Stand Up Challenge Course

(Course Subject to change based on weather conditions)

Short Course 3.5 +/- miles.  Long Course 6.5 +/- miles

CHESAPEAKE STAND UP CHALLENGE

East of Maui/Eastport YC

Chesapeake Stand Up Challenge

Annapolis,Md

Saturday, July, 13, 2013 

Pre-Registration $40 

 Online registration  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6792377183

Same Day Registration $50 

 

 This an open water race set in Annapolis Harbor and the mouth of the Severn River. There will be two course options: The 6.5 mile Challenge for more experienced paddlers and a 3-3.5 mile Challenge suitable for more novice paddlers. Both courses can be subject to wind, chop, and boat traffic.

This is a MASRA (Mid-Atlantic SUP Racing Association) Points Event

 
Registration Pick-Up and Same Day Registration 7:30-8:45

8:45 Pre-Race Meeting

9:30 Long course Start. 9:35 Short course Start

 Food, drinks, awards, and live music following the race.

SUP mini-lessons and board demos 12:30-3

Definition of Participant skill level by Race

a) Short Course: (3.5miles) Participant: A person that does not race on a regular basis or is just beginning to race in the sport and is also not interested in competing at a high level of competition.

b) Long Course (6+/- miles) Participant: A person that paddles or races frequently and is interested in competing at a higher level with better paddlers. This person can also manage and adapt to various water conditions like waves, current and more difficult conditions on the open bay.

The race director has the right to change or amend the course, (and even cancel the event) the day of the race given the weather and conditions. 

PRIZES will be awarded in the following classes for  for both courses.  

SUP 14 Ft CLASS: Men's Only

Length - 14’ ft maximum

Board Weight - No Weight Restriction.

Board Design - No minimum dimensions.

 SUP 12’6” CLASS:Men and Women

Length - 12’6” ft maximum

Board Weight - No Weight Restriction.

Board Design - No minimum dimensions.

 SUP Surfboard CLASS:Men and Women

Length - 12’2” ft maximum

Board Weight - No Weight Restriction.

Board Design – Board must be a surfboard style in shape with the minimum dimensions,

Nose 17” wide(12” back from nose), 14” tail (12” up from the tail)

                                                                                                                                    

Competitor Rules and Safety : 

PFD’S are Mandatory.   Leashes are not required, but strongly recommended.

The safety of all participants and competitions is the number one priority of the race director. Participants shall attend all competitor meetings and race postings to keep themselves informed with the typical conditions for the race and also the day of conditions to be expected . 

a) A competitor must be standing while paddling once a race has started until crossing over the finish line. A competitor is allowed to sit, lay or kneel to rest without making forward progress. If a competitor takes more than five strokes while sitting, laying or kneeling once a race has started the competitor may be disqualified (DNF). The exception with this would be for safety reasons where a competitor needs to avoid or may be put into a potentially dangerous situation that would put them or others at risk of injury and or property damage .

PARKING:  There will be a drop off at Eastport YC, and parking will be available along the neighborhood  side streets. Give yourself plenty of time to unload, park your vehicle, and check in/ register! 

 Eastport YC is located at 317 First St  Annapolis, MD 21403.

Blue Man Group

The new 2013 NSP Element Series

The other day, I had team rider for for another one of our SUP brands,  refer to the new NSP Element stand up paddle boards as the Blue Man Group.  If you look at the new Blue NSP Elements lined up on the wall, they do kinda of resemble the Blue Man Group.

Blue Man Group-  (Getty Photos)

Strong Family Resemblance!

The more I thought about, the more I think this guy really nailed it!  I don't know how many of you have seen the Blue Man Group, but it is really fun show. Ditto for the NSP!
The NSP Element 11' is our go to board for anyone between 125 lbs and  almost 200 lbs and looking for a less expensive board. The board is 31" wide making it plenty stable for 1st time paddlers, yet it doesn't have the same aircraft carrier feel that a wider board would have. The  flat rocker line gives the board good glide in flatwater, and at the same time it works well for surfing small waves. I have spent a lot of time paddling the 11, and while not as high performance as some of the other boards I get to paddle, this board is just pure fun.  Isn't having fun what SUP is all about?  The 10'6 size works well for paddlers in 100 to 125 pound range, and the 10'2" (while a little wide for my personal taste) is a good board for people looking for a little more stability, doing  exercises on the board, or yoga.  The 10'2 is is also a great teaching platform, and fun to surf with.  Once again the key word here is FUN!  




 At first, the Blue Man Group show appears to be simple, three guys, painted blue, running around on stage. However, if you are paying attention it is a fairly complex production. Once again, ditto for the NSP.

A lot more going on than  three  Blue Men on the Stage!( photo- Blu-Ray)

 

On the outside the NSP looks fairly simple.  Matt blue bottom and deck, gloss blue rails*, basic 3/4 deck pad and handle. (* the NSP Elements also come in white, which isn't nearly as much fun as Blue.. But hey,  if you are into basic white, that is cool too).    It is what is under the blue paint job that makes the NSP Element stand out from the competition.  NSP starts out with fused eps core. In the rare event you damage the outer fiberglass skin, the foam core will not absorb water.  Even many of the higher end boards can not claim this.  NSP won't disclose their actual "layup schedule" but I have done repairs on many other brands of similar priced boards, and they  don't come close to the quality of the NSP layup.  Who wants to  worrying about dinging thier board, or having to fix it all the time? With the NSP Element, you don't have to.

 The Blue Man show is quality show that has been around a long time. Flashier shows come and go, but the Blue Man Group  has stood the test of time.  Recently, It seems like the SUP Industry has become the flavor of the week.  This week this board is the greatest, and next week that board is the greatest.  At East of Maui we have tried to remain consistent with the brands we represent in our store. Unlike BIG BOX  and chain stores, we choose the bands and the models we want to sell.  It is not dictated to us by some big corporate boss.  Every brand we sell has earned it place in our store, and with a couple others brands, NSP has been one of our mainstays for over 7 years.

If you are on a budget, want a fun board that works, and  will last you a long time, you need not look any further than  the NSP element "Blue Man Group".  With the money you save, you can even buy tickets to see a Blue Man show!

Having Fun

CatSUP

Memorial Day Fun!
I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do since November when we brought our little hurricane rescue kitten SANDY back from Hatteras.

I'm not sure Sandy was amused.

CatSup

WIPE OUT!

I'm pretty sure this is Sandy giving me the finger!

Paddle Like You Stole It!

JIMMY LEWIS CRUISE CONTROL 11'

Review

OK, I didn't exactly steal it, but I did borrow my girlfriend's  Jimmy Lewis Cruise Control for a quick paddle before sunset last night.


The Jimmy Lewis 11' was the very first board that I ever paddled. Like they say, you never forget your first love.This is the board that turned me on to the sport of  stand up.  It was one of the first boards that we stocked at East of Maui, many years ago, when we started selling  stand up paddle boards  Since that very first paddle, I've paddled many different boards,  but hands down, the Cruise Control is still one of the best all around boards on the market.   So.....let's go for a little paddle.

Jimmy Lewis Cruise Control 11' x 30"x 4-1/2"

  

It had been windy all afternoon, and as I left the mouth of Back Creek in Annapolis I found myself paddling out in a pretty serious  chop.  JL specs the board at 170 liters of volume, and at my 195 lbs, I tend to prefer a little more floatation, but the board still had plenty of stability, and I didn't fall in the cool waters of the Chesapeake.

Chop

I immediately  violated one of my 1st safety rules of paddling and took off heading downwind. (I always recommend heading upwind 1st and then downwind toward home 2nd.)  It was  blowing 10-12 knots and I made it to downtown Annapolis in almost no time at all.  I even managed to catch a few waves on the way into town.   I took a few sunset shots photos, said hi to Capt. Jen sailing by on her beautiful schooner Woodwind, and then  turned around to paddle home.  UPWIND!

Capt. Jen & Woodwind

Annapolis Skyline

  The Jimmy Lewis boards are one of the best constructed boards out there.  Light and stiff is better. Paddling upwind and into the waves, the board jumped at each paddle stroke, and either rode over or  punched through every wave with ease. It was super fun to paddle, and for me paddling is all about having  fun. The board has parallel rails and tracks extremely well.  Its' flat bottom gives the board great glide.  At the same time, the rails are nicely rounded and the board still is maneuverable.  The couple times Sarah has let me use her board in the surf, I found it easy to catch waves and loose feeling, especially for a board that tracks so well in flat water.
Why does this board do everything so well? 
  Jimmy Lewis  has been shaping  boards over 40 years.  He knows what he is doing.  There is a difference between shaping and designing.  Jimmy still shapes his boards by feel and by hand.  Computers don't surf! 

Jimmy Lewis Construction (photo Jimmy Lewis)

 We sell a lot of different boards at East of Maui. Every board we sell has earned its place in our shop. We realize that not everyone can afford a $1649 board. We believe that every board we offer is the best in its price range.   However, there is a reason good boards cost more.  They are simply better. Period! Anyone that tells you a cheaper board is just as good as a more expensive board is lying. Better boards perform better and last longer.  Sarah uses her board several days a week in the summer, and her  4 year old board  still looks great.

Looking great under a full moon.

  If you weigh between 125 and 185 lbs and looking for one of the best all around stand up boards you can buy,  you need to look no further than the Jimmy Lewis Cruise Control 11'

Still don't believe me? East of Maui has a JL Cruise Control 11' in our Premium Demo Program.  Rent it and check it out yourself.  Maybe I will steal Sarah's board and join you for a paddle!

Aloha, MB  

Back to the Beach!

Surf, sand, and stoke!

Let's go surfin' now. Everybody's learning how. Come on and safari with me. Early in the morning we'll be startin' out. Some honeys will be coming along.We're loading up our Woody.....

Naish Nalu 11'6"

Knee to waist high!

 
Well, my GMC truck isn't  exactly a  woodie,  I'm not sure driving to Assateague counts as a safari, and my honey couldn't take off work, but on Monday I loaded up the boards and headed to the beach.
 IT WAS GOOD!

 I parked at the North lot of the Assateague National Seashore.  Other than a single fisherman, there was no one else around.  I could see some school kids down at he south end, but I pretty much had the place to myself.  The waves were knee to waist high, with a very strong offshore wind.
 The water temp was around 51 and I opted for my Patagonia R3, 3mm booties, and a little Patagonia beanie. No gloves. 
I grabbed the 11'6" Naish Nalu, double and triple checked my leash and headed out.  I literally had to drag my paddle to slow down on  the way out in order to time my way through the waves because of the strong wind.  I got out past the break and checked my leash again.  There was no way I was going to be able to catch my board and keep it from blowing to England if we got separated. 
I'm not a very good surfer, but I got so many waves and rides I lost count.  Nothing  rad, no cut backs, but just a ton of long, down the line rides almost to the beach. So much fun.  So good to be in the ocean again. I was out for a little over 2 hours.  I was completely toasty in my suit, but the clouds rolled in an my hands got  cool, but not unbearable.  The wind changed direction a little bit, and it started getting choppy, so I paddled in a called it a day.  I climbed out of my wetsuit and climbed in to my beach chair.
 

Surfin' the beach chair

It won't be long before the beach is packed with sunburned tourist, and I will have to take turns and share the waves with other surfers.  I read somewhere, the best surfer is the one having the most fun. Well, I was the only one out there, I was definitely having the most fun, so maybe for just that one day................


 
Aloha-MB

Tuesday Night Stand Up!

 Tuesday Group Paddle

Join East of Maui every Tuesday night at 6pm (weather permitting)* for a summer of sunset paddling fun. We will meet at Horn Point Park at the end of Chesapeake Ave, in the Eastport section of  Annapolis.  The group paddle is suitable for recreational paddlers, but all participants should have some paddling experience, and should be able to paddle for an hour to an hour and a 1/2. The group paddle is free if you have your own board .   A limited number of boards may be chartered for $20 for the group paddle. The group paddle IS NOT A LESSON.

*Call East of Maui for more information and last minute weather updates.     

410-573-9463

Free Intro to Stand Up Paddling

East of Maui is partnering with Eastport Yacht Club to present sunset paddleboarding mini-lessons at the club on Tuesday evenings, May 14 and 28, June 11 and 25, July 9 and 23, August 6 and 20,  from 5 - 8 p.m. East of Maui will supply  the paddleboards and offer free mini-lessons and basic  instruction.  Lessons are on a first come first served basis. 
Lessons are free, and open to all ages 12 and up. Participants (including EYC members and non-members alike) are welcome to bring their own boards and take advantage of EYC's hospitality at the bar and for our popular Tuesday Burger Night. Bring a bathing suit, water shoes or sandals, and a change of clothes. You might get wet and you will definitely have fun.