All For a Good Cause

All the dedicated, hardcore SUPers braved the stormy weather to race in today's first Annual Adler Paddler Fundraiser in Long Beach.  I'm proud to say that I was one of the SUPers that supported the cause.  It was one thing to show up at the event in the cold and rain and another to actual brave the challenging conditions to do the race.

Here's everyone after the race, squeezing in under the canopies like sardines
as we listen for the winning ticket numbers for the many raffle prizes.
Billy Kho was lucky to snag the Ron House board and quicksilver wetsuit!
Go buy a lottery ticket Billy!

It was a beach start.  I have to say that during the line-up while I was having difficulties holding my board still because of the wind, I thought to myself, "What the f*@k am I thinking?"  Good thing I didn't have too much time to contemplate that question because the starting horn blew and before I knew it I was in the water.  The start wasn't too bad with the winds blowing from behind us but it did start to rain.  The rain was the least of my worries.  The water was so choppy, I just didn't want to fall into the cold water especially because I wore my usual attire- bikini, shirt and light jacket (I was freezing!)  After a few minutes, I got into the groove with my new Boga raceboard.  I was feeling confident and passing people one by one.  We hit the first bridge, which by the way, you needed to duck under because it was a low bridge, and I was feeling good.  We hit the second low bridge and I still had my target female elite racer in sight so I knew I was doing okay.  But as soon as we made the first turn the wind hit you smack dab on the face and it was like you hit a wall.  The winds were howling at 25-30mph!  I couldn't allow my board to yaw too much, otherwise, I ended up working harder and slower to get back on line.  I originally was happy to see that the last bridge was tall enough for me to remain standing.  Here's the trick though---  it was like a wind tunnel that held me back enough that it felt like I wasn't moving at all, even when I was paddling with all my strength.  (What an easy way to bring someone's confidence down.) So, it was about a mile upwind which I thought would be the toughest part.  I was wrong.  I made the next turn and had to paddle entirely on the right side because now we were getting a left swell.  I was okay with that until my raceboard starting cruising toward the docked boats, no matter how hard I was pushing on the right side! (Ugh, perhaps a longer fin will do me good next time.)  I lost a lot of time here trying to get back on track, with about four racers that cruised by as I took the long route.

All-in-all, it was a good race.  After all has been said and done, it was a challenging yet fun race and I look forward to supporting the cause again next year.

Stand-Up Paddling on Tap

I'm really not a beer drinker but it's always refreshing to throw a couple down after a race hanging out with the boys.  A couple of months ago I was fortunate to be invited to an exclusive event promoting Kona Brewing Company's newest beer, Koko Brown.  There was an interesting mix of people at the event, from beer connoisseurs to SUPers.  You're probably wondering why SUPers were invited to this tasting event.  Well, check out the label.  The label features a stand-up paddler in Maunalua Bay in Oahu, a popular SUP spot in the shadows of Koko Head and Koko Crater.

Koko Brown Ale is a rich mahogany ale brewed with toasted coconut for a nutty aroma and flavor.  It is available in limited release at restaurants and retail establishments in Hawaii and the West Coast, now through May 1 before being re-launched with wider distribution in January 2012.  Make sure you try it because not only does it taste good but the Kona Brewing Company sponsors a number of SUP competitions including the Molokai 2 Oahu, Battle of the Paddle and Maui Jim Surf Monkey.

Feast at the Firehouse

This has nothing to do with SUP what-so-ever but I just had to send a BIG shout out to Captain Mike and his crew at Chula Vista Station #6 for a fabulous dinner!  I was fortunate to be invited to attend a dinner and tour of the firehouse.  We were able to put on the fireman's gear, ride the fire truck and eat an awesome dinner cooked by the Captain himself.

Captain Mike started our meal with bruchetta appetizers and garlic peppered shrimp.  The meal consisted of a tasty chorizo meatloaf, lightly toasted vegetables and delicious seafood soup.  To finish off the meal, dessert consisted of a yummy creme brulee, topped with blueberries and strawberries with a side of chocolate, peanut butter cookie.  I definitely was not expecting an extraordinary meal like his one!

Captain Mike warming up the brown sugar atop the cream brulee.

A Delicious Dessert... a way to a woman's heart!

Thanks Captain Mike for a fabulous night!

DeJa Vu Wipeout- Take 2

The surf was pretty "fugly" today but stubborn me still paddled out because I was just in the mood to surf.  The thing of it is that I should have learned my lesson this winter when I was pitched over and over again in the infamous Coronado closeouts.  I have a tough time surfing this shorebreak, especially when it's low tide like it was today.  It's takes the experience of reading these waves and getting on the shoulder so that you don't get thrown over the peak of these closeouts.

So here's a play by play on what I thought would be a primo ride today.  These were my thoughts to myselft:

"Yeah, check out that set."
"Looks like a good one."
"Start paddling."
"Okay, looks like my timing is okay.  Keep paddling."
As the wave begins to form, "Paddle hard."
I'm looking at the wall of the wave and literally say, "Yeah!" aloud in my excitement.
I was feeling confident, "This ride is going to be sweet!"
My nose started diving, "No, no, don't dive.  Step back."
I stepped way back on the board.  The nose wasn't budging.
Then it feels like something in the wave has a hold of your fin, the wave pitches to a point and...
There I go, head over heels into the water, board follows suit.  
"Damn, that sucked."
As I turn to go back, another wave is about to land on my head.
I go under but not deep enough so I get pulled with the current.
"Damn, that really sucked!"
Take 3.

The positive outcome from this was I jumped back on my board and paddled back to try to catch more waves.  I didn't realize until afterwards that I didn't let it phase me like it would have in the past.  Also, I'm learning that sometimes the day just isn't right for surfing and you can't force trying to catch waves.  I should have figured that out before I jumped in the water and saw that there was only one surfer out there.

Oh well, you LIVE and LEARN.  That's what I'm all about.

Meet My Piglet... the Boga Bullet

Just kickin' it with my buddy...

Hope To See You This Saturday!

Don't miss the Mickey Munoz Mongoose Cup this Saturday, March 12 at Baby Beach in Dana Point.  There will be a fun paddle open to everyone and a "luck of the draw" relay race for those wanting to team up with one of the top racers.  There will also be some SUP clinics to help you improve your skills.  

Most importantly, my racing sponsors, BOGA Boards, will be in attendance.  Make sure you stop by the booth to check out the boards and say "hello".  

Reason for My Week-Long Hiatus

When I found out that I had to attend a work conference in Monterey I saw it as an opportunity to check out the Central California coastal areas.  Of course, I had to take a few extra days off in order to really survey the sites.  I'm fairly new at blogging so I didn't even think about taking my computer.  Otherwise, you would have had a day-by-day recall of all the sweet places we saw on our way up from Ventura, to Santa Barbara, to Monterey and on to Santa Cruz, and everywhere in between.   

This break is called The Hook.
Check out the fun little waves just perfect for me!

The surf was pretty flat from Ventura to Santa Cruz.  We still were able to get a couple of small surf days, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The big surprise for me was Santa Barbara as a whole.  There is so much to see and do!  I especially loved riding my bike up and down the coast and through the town.  Bike lanes are accessible almost everywhere through SB.  I'm looking forward to taking my daughter to Santa Barbara.  I think it's the perfect spot for beginning SUPers.  There are a ton of protected ocean water paddling so it doesn't get real choppy and the surf is small and mushy (or at least it was while we were there).

This was taken on the beach at Carmel, which is a ritzy little community
not far from Monterey.