DJ From Singapore descended upon the Columbia River Gorge where he met several members of the Ballard Elk’s Paddle Club from Seattle and followed them back to Seattle for the weekly Monday night SUP races on the Salish Sea. He is now a beloved member of the club and it is a pleasure to see his incredible dedication to the sport of SUP racing, taking a one-year sabbatical to refine his racing.

Why the Columbia Gorge? DJ’s coach back in Singapore saw something different in DJ when he was surfing waves–it helped refine his racing stroke, so he researched the best place in the world to downwind and found the Columbia River Gorge.

DJ talks about SUP racing, family and life in Singapore, and his love of the ocean and water sports.

We were welcomed to the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro by the sounds and sights of Colobus monkeys as we hobbled up a rocky path, shrouded in a dense forest of ferns, exotic flowers, and trees hundreds of years old. A purple flower with a large hole in the center almost looks human, and seems to be calling out to be noticed among all the beauty. Our path is interrupted from time to time by large highways of ants running their fortress path perpendicular across that path. Interlocking bodies create a wall on each side of the small highway as hundreds of others travel freely in one direction. We felt as if we were in the Garden of Eden and the enormity of everything ensured that we would find success in climbing the world’s highest freestanding mountain — Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We reached our first overnight camp spot and were greeted by our large team of guides, porters, and cooks. They were all engaged in song, happiness, and a very deep level of gratitude that they were able to help make our journey to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro a success. Indeed, the largess of our support team, beautiful and kind strong men, would be critical in the many days ahead as we battled nature, our own unpreparedness, fears, and most of all, extreme altitudes.

That first night, and next morning set the tone for the rest of our trip. As we sat together in the mess tent, one of our youngest members was bitten by a colony of ants and went into mild shock. So far from civilization, we realized the enormity of the situation and pooled our knowledge to help. Ultimately, our group leader, Robert, a strong and stern man resembling Bob Marley triaged, inventoried, and stabilized the young soul. This was real now–we put our trust into Robert and his guides Mohamed and Amnai, and the rest of the porters and support crew.

Morning came early and we were woken by a song played on our waiter’s radio. It was a bright and cheery song that would become an anthem for our trip. The chorus exalted for all to “Wake Up Everybody” “Don’t sleep” I instantly bonded with our waiter, “Supertall” , over this song and he and I would exchange “Everybody” with “Somebody”, “Nobody”, and other nonsense variations. This quickly spread throughout our group and would be blurted out, sang-out, and referred to constantly. The humanity, silliness, and connection this song and few words brought to everyone on the team surely helped to motivate us in the long trip ahead.

We were told early on through our research, that Mt. Kilimanjaro was an easy mountain to climb. Is that so we thought, the highest free standing mountain in the world. Many died on Kilimanjaro, until the Tanzanian government instituted a process of permits and guide services in the 1970’s. In “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” Ernest Hemingway wrote:

“Kilimanjaro is a snow‐covered mountain 19,340 feet high and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai ‘Ngaje Ngai,’ the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.”

Like the Leopard, what was I seeking in my summit of Kilimanjaro? Most notably, my good friend Chris Hardwick set-out to climb mountains around the world in 2023 and it would become the theme of his business coaching practice that year. He set up the trip and I immediately committed to join him and the team. I met Chris in Beijing, China in 1986 upon getting thrown out of Chinese police car–my second time in jail there for various offences to include black market money changing, illegally exploring off limits areas of the Great Wall of China, and standing on a man’s chair to get a better angle for a photograph inside of the Forbidden City. This apprehension was exceptional as hundreds of Chinese assisted in my arrest as I tried to fight off a man with my tripod. Since that time, Chris has been one of my greatest cheerleaders, and trusted friends. He is extremely successful, athletic, and is able to unlock the fears, misconceptions, and traumas that hold us back from reaching the goals and success we all deserve. Surely, climbing this mountain with Chris and the team would be one of the defining moments in my life.

Our team was was made up of accomplished business leaders, motivational speakers, and all exceptionally nice people. Chris only works with nice people! He’s a cocky, self proclaimed “shit-stirrer”, and is always testing the limits of EVERYTHING. At the end of the day, however, he has your back, ALWAYS. It was no surprise that everyone on our team brought other such gifts as these to our group. Shawn, the owner of a roofing company in Vancouver, Canada thrived on unexpected change, disruptions, and other obstacles. Upon meeting him at our hotel in Moshi, Tanzania, he was two days late due to a British Airways Strike, and the climbing gear he curriated over the last six months had been lost by the airline. He reached out with a handshake and a mile-long smile. I asked him how he could be so cheerful after such an ordeal. He said that his attitude was all that he had control of!

The two youngest people on our team were Noah and Mitch, lovely brothers who blended well with the team despite our difference in age, and yet were kind and traditional in many ways and brought wisdom and new ideas to the group. Their Dad, Dan, brought a myriad of perspectives, opinions, and color to our group through his many careers as a MMA Fighter, Motivational Speaker, and Wellness coach. Mauricio, owns his own sales lead generation service in Vancouver, Canada and was constantly sniffing for wifi signals on the mountain to keep in touch with his business. We were a great team and played on our strengths and weaknesses.

Half-way through our second day of climbing, sudden tragedy struck me while climbing above 10,000 feet. As a photographer, it was almost a sin not to carry my full complement of 35mm camera, gear, and lenses. At the start of the climb, I felt like a million bucks and made the sacrifice to carry the extra twelve pounds of gear, along with the mandatory fleece, rain gear, snacks, and 3 quarts of water! Almost double the recommended weight. Nature and altitude won and I immediately suffered from extreme exhaustion. Our team marveled at my resolve to finish the day of climbing while I inched along in a stupor. This exhaustion would follow me from that moment until the summit days later. I started the trip at an extreme deficit and we were only at 10,000 feet. 9,340 feet to go! I couldn’t imagine making it to the top in my condition and with so many days to go, with so much elevation to achieve, and with the diagnostics at the hands of our guides, like the oximeter that measured our heart rate and oxygen saturation–they had a responsibility to keep me and the rest of our team and support staff safe and the oximeter did not lie. It was senseless to self-report to the team and our guides. When asked how I felt on a scale of 1 to 10 I always responded with a ten. “I feel great” All during this time, we stuck together as a team and it was not lost on our group the enormity of my continued perseverance in almost impossible circumstances and health. Failure to reach the summit was not an option for me–too much was sacrificed, too much was planned, I committed to this and could not go back.

Several days and nights followed as we progressed along the various zones of Mt. Kilimanjaro: Bushland / Cultivated Zone 2,600′ to 6,000′; The Rainforest Zone: 6,000 to 9,200 feet; The Heath/Moorland Zone: 9,200 to 13,200′; The Alpine Zone: 13,200 to 16,500′; and finally the Arctic Zone at 16,500 feet and above. A guide or porter could most likely know the altitude by what was growing and where. It was surprising what we would encounter and where–Kilimanjaro Five Toed Skinks, skunk-like Colobus Monkeys, or the White-necked Raven that thrived at the highest altitudes and provided much needed motivation and encouragement to our group. We felt like aliens as we were dwarfed by Giant Groundsel, a prehistoric plant that evolved over a million years ago in areas above 14,000 feet and adapted to survive in sub-zero temperatures. The Barancco Wall was like a stairway to heaven that zig-zagged up 843 feet and provided several areas where one could fall from, especially at Kissing Rock where you need to flatten your body against the rock to avoid falling off of a steep cliff. Many kiss the wall in this section. 

While the flora and fauna of Kilimanjaro provided a special motivation and distraction, I had to dig deep inside to combat the pain I was feeling deep inside my body, and to extract every cubic inch of oxygen into my bloodstream. The headache I was feeling was real, and ibuprofen helped. The Acetazolamide (Diamox) pills I ingested daily made my blood acidic and expelled salt and water buildup in the body which helped with altitude sickness. There was, however, one pain that I was unable to deal with, and the symptoms worried my guides—a strange traveling pain around  the center of my body and lungs.  A pain I had never felt before.  I was able to remove this pain through visualization, good thoughts, and sheer determination to not acknowledge the pain. Pain is so subjective, except for the person dealing with it, but there was something to this that helped me get beyond this very real and debilitating irritation. I was able to replicate the removal of this pain again and again and this victory set me up for one of many success I would need for the grueling days ahead. 

Summit day finally came and our team was rewarded with both anticipation and relief. This was a goal of sorts, a new starting line, and the knowledge that in about six hours, we would be at the highest point in Africa, and on top of the highest free standing mountain in the world. What we did not know was that this final ascent would be relentless in both altitude and unending vertical climb. With each step we took, we invested more and more energy that we could barely afford and muster-up. We questioned ourselves with each step as we grew weaker and weaker. In addition to our to our own intimate physical inventories, we received so many debilitating cues, like the string of moving headlamps that reached for thousands of feet into the sky in the pure darkness.  It was impossible, and preposterous that these lights continued to meet the star-filled sky above until they disappeared into the night. 

We spent months preparing for this climb.  We made many sacrifices with both family, friends, and work. Months of discussions, meetings, and travel plans.  And the cost of the trip.  But now we were faced with a new challenge—the continued struggle to the top. Were we even capable of reaching the top? Quit now, or continue another thousand feet only to be defeated by our own willpower, or by our guides watching our every move and facial expression? Beyond our own sheer mental energy, did we eat enough? The high altitude has robbed us of our appetite over the last couple of days. The pure math alone tells us it’s very difficult to fill the calories needed for such a pursuit as this night presents. Do we continue the struggle for what seems indefinite, or give up now?

For several days our group has enjoyed the company of other climbing groups we met along the way and at each overnight camp.  A Dutch lady stands out and serves as a “wake up” nurse at a hospital. Hers is the first face a patient sees as they reenter the world after anesthesia. She is quite fit, energetic and her laughter fills the air day after day and night after night around the camp.  She is adored by our group and staff. On summit night and in the grey light of headlamps, I spot her unexpectedly seated on a rock surrounded by guides and staff. She is ashen-colored and demoralized. She does not recognize me as I slowly trudge by. Thanks to her guide she later makes the summit.  Further along I see an injured porter, a rare sight, and all manner of people with distorted and exhausted faces.  Many are able to hide the pain, but later admit it was the hardest thing they’ve ever done.

Finally, I reach Shira peak and my guide tells me I have reached the top of Kilimanjaro. This is not the peak, and luckily my team pleads to our guide Robert to bring me to Uhuru Peak where I will place Tibetan Prayer Flags on the marker there in honor of my brother Ron. The flag once flew at Mt. Everest Base Camp and will now find a home on the roof of Africa! Robert quickly agrees and we are off to the very top.  He risks his reputation and my safety for this extended journey—we are only allowed to be on the peak for 20 minutes.  The longer you are at this altitude nearing 20,000 feet, the more opportunity for problems. We travel past what looks like high mountain deserts and towering walls of glaciers. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is lost on me in my exhaustion.  We still have a steep and long decent ahead of us.

About half-way back to Shira peak, Robert stops me and asks that I take a seat on a rock.  He says that I am turning blue and that he would like to administer oxygen from the small green tank strapped to his pack. A young and energetic guide, a teenager,  who specially joined us for summit night takes especially good care of me as we prepare to return to basecamp. Sandwiched side by side between them, I put my arm around each one’s shoulder and we begin a glassading descent down a steep scree of fine volcanic rock punctuated by large rocks and boulders. Robert yells out to other climbers making the journey back down to move out of the way. I would never accept such a rescue, but I felt I owed it to Robert and his team after the risks he took getting me to the very roof of Africa. As we neared basecamp, we took an aggressive detour into a canyon that exposed a hidden network of trails and villages that was the inner workings of the camps that made summit night possible. Our camp slowly came into view as my dear, dear porter and guide friends all ran over to assist. I insisted that I was ok, but was overcome with emotion and let go of any and all pride and bathed in the comfort, caring, and compassion of my Chagga and Sukuma brothers who cared and loved me and our team over the last seven days.

We woke the next morning at 6am to prepare for our continued descent down the mountain back to Moshi, Tanzania. By this time our team is functioning at a high level and we are transformed, actually believing that we are a special forces gorilla unit. We are changed forever and have a deep love of our porter, guides, cook, and waiter and for the people of Tanzania. This was the hardest day of my life, and I am relieved to hear that this is true of our entire team of accomplished friends. Back at our hotel we learn of a two-time Olympic Athlete who failed to reach the summit due to altitude sickness. Several fine men and women in the prime of their lives find solace in our stories of challenge to reach the summit, as do we upon hearing theirs. We all share a special bond climbing this mountain and will cherish this accomplishment forever.

Bruce Barry, Live at the Ballard Elk’s Club in Seattle! This is the definitive guide to health that will propel you into the extraordinary health, lifestyle, and fitness of one our best athletes in the SUP racing community. Following just a few of the tips presented here by Uncle Bruce will ensure notable benefits in welfare, and pave the way for further gains. Most importantly, the information presented here will ensure a longer life, and the health and fitness required to enjoy it.

Carl Delica started stand up paddle racing after a serious accident which left him unable to walk for two months. He saw SUP as an accessible sport even though he had trouble bending his knee. Carl was also hooked with the calmness of the water and how hard competitive sup is. “I’m thankful for SUP as it came into my life when I couldn’t do much else.”

Skyler Palmer is an accomplished sailor, technical rescue fireman with Tacoma Fire Department, and race director for the Ballard Elks Paddle Club in Seattle. Skyler talks about safety on the water, and life in general, and the delicate balance of risk and adventure in the sport of stand up paddle racing and the importance of being prepared.

Tenar Hall is a collector of safety–what she knows, and practices on the water has been picked up over the years, and implemented on each trip on the open water. When Tenar was separated from her Surf Ski off the cost of Orcas Island, not only did what she pick up over the years save her life, but indeed the collective group of people responsible were there with her in the frigid waters of the Salish Sea, saving her life.

Tenar also talks about the Seattle SUP Community, Sail Sand Point, and how she got into Surf Skiing.

Jeremiah Bonsmith is a true brother and friend of the +206, and one of the original racers from the club’s beginning almost a decade ago. Jeremiah has been there for many over the years, and reciprocated through his own vulnerability. Jeremiah is an Engineer at Boeing, an epic Father and Husband, and friend to many on an off the water.

Jeremiah talks about SUP Racing, Fatherhood, and the Pandemic which has changed everything now and in the future.

Lindsey Virdeh was forever changed by the Pandemic and found love and acceptance in the sport of stand up paddle boarding. She is a Mother, Wife, and Instructor in Clean Energy Technology at Shoreline Community College in Washington State.

Paddling provided Lindsey both the calming solitude she needed during the pandemic and allowed her to spend time with her friends during the quarantine. She also learned to love herself for exactly who she was–a person with her own interests, passions, and friendships separate from her identity as a wife and mother.

Harry Oesterreicher is a man who gives back–giving his kidney to a dear friend, founding member of the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Foundation, and volunteer at Washington Water Trails, and the Ballard Elks Paddle Club.  Harry discusses how important friendship is across a variety of groups and clubs, Stand Up Paddle Racing, and what it’s like to give a kidney to a dear friend.

Levi Goltz came into stand up paddle racing from a lifetime of sports as a gymnast, ultra marathon runner, and Soccer player. Levi talks about his entry into SUP racing, early family life, and a behind the scenes look at the world of computer programming.

Nick Papa has a heart of gold and everything about him spells success on and off the race course. He is a gentleman and well-spoken, but his brute force and focus brought him to the front of the Seattle SUP racing scene.  Nick talks about the other racers in the Seattle area that mentored him early on and what he has learned in a short time.  In addition Nick talks about his interesting life to include selling craft beer in China!

Fiona Wylde is a product of Hood River and the Columbia Gorge–friends and family, the Jet Team, and the rugged and unforgiving Columbia River all have shaped and tempered her into the competitive and kind person she is today.  Fiona talks about those early years and the people, places, and events that forged who she is and how she is paying it forward to others in the sport.

Fiona is one of the top female stand up paddle racers in the world, and diabetic!  In this episode of Stand Up Paddle The World Radio, Fiona also explains her strategies of controlling her diabetes on and off the race course and the technology that makes it happen.

Book Synopsis:
Surfer and Seattle E.R. doctor Lorna Jacobs is pulled into a dangerous journey to find her estranged mother, who is dying from a mysterious illness. Lorna finally finds her, deep in Mexico, but Alex is more concerned with rekindling their mutual love of surfing than preparing for her last days. The secret big wave she plans to share with Lorna could bond them forever, or destroy them.

Amy Waeschle is an author, professional editor, and wilderness medicine instructor for the Wilderness Medicine Institute. She lives in Poulsbo, Washington, and is the author of Going Over the Falls, and Chasing Waves, A Surfer’s Tale of Obsessive Wandering. Her stories have appeared in publications such as The Seattle Times, The Bellingham Herald, Surfer, Sierra, and Surf Life for Women.

Terence Quong is a beloved athlete and friend in the Sand Point Outrigger Club in Seattle and the one everyone wants to pass.  Endurance is one of “Q’s” strongest suits and helped him in an epic nine channel Hawaiian Island Crossing, as well as an incredible military and civilian career in aviation.  Q talks about early life, family, Outrigger Canoe, and the O’hana that make it all happen.  Terence shares the story of his journey with Cancer and offers valuable information to others. 

Tanvi Jagadish is India’s first Stand Up Paddle Racer and a darling of her country as a pioneer of female surfing and SUP racing.  She was always told that girls don’t surf, but with the help of family and her local “Surfing Ashram”, Tanvi found Nirvana in the sport and in Mother Ocean.  Tanvi talks about early family life in India, and her daily rituals in preparing for SUP races and gives thanks to all those who have helped including SUP Racer and North Carolina native April Zilg.

Melanie Seiler Hames is the Executive Director at Active Southern West Virginia and a treasure to the people of the New River Gorge and surrounding area.  Melanie brings Stand Up Paddle Boarding, and more importantly, good health to the people of West Virginia by having them take an active part in sports and recreation that is right in their back yard.  Ms. Seiler, is also a very important leader who is improving the overall health quotient of West Virginia–a state heavily dependent on disappearing Coal Mining jobs, yet at the same time, one of the most beautiful places on earth ripe with economic opportunity in recreation.Hames

Ian talks about “First Waves”, Whitewater SUP, and the “Iron City”–Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! 

The family that plays together, stays together, and such is the case with Doc and Gloria Doolittle. They have raced together, sailed together, and now Stand Up Paddle together. Pull up a chair and stay awhile as they talk about SUP, racing, and raising millions of dollars for Children’s Hospital in Seattle. They emphasize the importance of stand up paddle boarding as a family sport and why it is especially suited for couples and in building new and important relationships. Doc is also a Cancer survivor and talks about how a positive attitude and bring you around to the other side.  

TJ Gulizia is stoked on whitewater SUP, and wants to set you up. Join us at “Big Winds” in Hood River, Oregon where we sit down with TJ as he opens up about this incredible sport and how to get started. Gear, rivers, safety, it’s all here. 

Round the Rock 2016 tested the mettle of the heartiest stand up paddle racer-brining almost all competitors to their knees towards the end of the race.  Winds up to 40 miles per hour and chest high waves demoralized the pack who came in shell-shocked and ashen colored.  Once across the finish line, however, all knew they had raced their hardest race, and learned something about themselves they never knew before.

We also talk with Dan Eberhardt, the co-founder of “Round the Rock” who has been stoking the Pacific Northwest with this epic 13 mile race that is one of the oldest in the country and raises tens of thousands of dollars for Cancer research.

We end the story with some incredible live audio clips of shell-shocked racers coming across the finish line. 

Shane Perrin is a pioneer in long distance endurance SUP racing and holds the record for most still water miles paddled in 24 hours: 95.6 miles. Some of his other pioneer endurance races include: La Ruta Maya, The Texas Water Safari, and the MR340.

We talk with Shane, live in Ireland where he is on vacation with his family, about Endurance SUP Racing, and why he does them. He also talks about a new SUP racing category he has invented: “SUP 6” Like OC-6 Outrigger Canoe, SUP 6 will sport 6 races on a single stand up paddle board and could be a serious future category in all SUP races.

Shane also shares a very personal story of his alcohol abuse and how it changed his life and the life of other around the world when he choose his family over alcohol. 

What is the state of Windsurfing and Kiteboarding in the Columbia River Gorge and how do you get into these sports? What’s it like to harness the wind with a sail on a windsurfer, or loft softly into the air on a kite board? In this special edition of Stand Up Paddle the World Radio, we talk with three ladies who discuss their passions for these sports and the changing demographics and physical characteristics of each. We talk with Laura Mills in detail about kiteboarding near the shores of the Columbia River during a party held in Stevenson, Washington. Come along with us as we learn about some of the other water sports out there in God’s Country–The Columbia River Gorge!

Laura MillsJeannie JusterMarcy LeeDarrell KirkStand Up Paddle The World RadioSUPWindsurfingKiteboardingColumbia GorgeColumbia River 

Charles Webb is a disabled surfer and stand up paddle racer. But such a label does not accurately describe this incredible man. He only dwells on what he can do, not what he can’t. Join us for an inspirational discussion on the magic of the human spirit and Charles’ journey to SUP racing and Surfing. Charles also talks about accessibility of beaches to the disabled SUP and Surfing community. 

Larry Allison got his start making surfboard fins at the age of thirteen. He is known round the world for his Stand Up Paddle Board Racing Fins and is a true master using decades of knowledge in a science that has a hard time relying on computerized design or other scientific tools. Larry’s first hand experience early on in windsurfing allowed him to hone his art early on and many in the stand up paddle racing community continue to benefit from his experience and constant pursuits to hone his designs using tried and tested materials.

“Lit by nothing but a torch, he and a couple of friends had to lay
totally flat on their boards to fit through some of the tiny sections
along the way.”

The Crystal City Sand Mine in Missouri, was decommissioned long ago. Now, it stands as a tourist attraction, offering guided tours through the underground tunnels and even kayak tours on the huge underground lake. Deeper into the tunnels however, things get narrow, and that’s where stand up paddler Darrell Kirk had the perfect craft for the job.
Yep, he took his stand up paddleboard for a paddle through the incredibly narrow passages of a sand mine. 400ft underground, in total darkness. Lit by nothing but a torch, he and a couple of friends had to lay totally flat on their boards to fit through some of the tiny sections along the way. Below them, crystal clear water from an un
derground spring, above them, the solid walls of mostly silica,
where back in the 60’s, some of the worlds finest glass was sourced. It’s a claustrophobics nightmare, but if you’re cool in tight places, an adventure of a lifetime!

Now before you go diving into an underground mine with your SUP, remember this is dangerous stuff! People go missing, drown, get trapped or simply lost in mines. All the time. It looks like this adventure was accompanied by a guide, so do some research to find someone with some local knowledge before you go. The freediving community are huge fans of underground waterways, so perhaps start there to find your next amazing stand up paddling experience.

Check out the footage from the front of Darrell’s board, as he stand up paddles through a sand mine, 400ft below the surface of the USA.

An unforgettable Standup Paddle adventure along Antelope and Egg Islands on the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Michele Black is no stranger to competitive sports, but she has something important to say about Stand Up Paddle Racing–It’s like no other sport and exactly why Women, and anyone for that matter, should give it a try. Michele also talks about how SUP racing has opened up an incredible world of opportunities for community and friendship for her and others in the SUP community. Thank you for listening

Show Notes:

Darrell Kirk: Hey, everybody! This is Darrell Kirk with Stand Up Paddle the World Radio and my guest today is good friend, Michele Black. Michele’s going to talk about the sport of stand up paddle board racing and in particular why it’s so different from other competitive sports. This is a big, “and,” and why you really need to get out there. I mean it’s just so inclusive and Michelle’s going to go ahead and talk about that today.
I met Michelle out on the race line in Seattle about three years ago. Ever since, she has been such a big advocate of getting people out on the water, in racing, and especially for women out on the water and water in racing. She’s been a really good advocate for the last three years, both on and off the water. Really getting women out there and racing, but … Hey Michele! What’s up, man? So good to have you on!

Michele Black: Yeah, thanks for having me.

Darrell Kirk: You have, so many times, told me that the sport of stand up paddle board racing is so different from every other sport that you’ve tried. Tell me more about that!

Michele Black: Yeah, well I raced road and track mostly. I dabbled in cyclocross, never really raced it but I raced road and track for cycling. There’s great communities, they’re great people but it’s a different type of environment. You … One, if you’re not part of a organized team, you can’t just show up as a new bike racer and just be very included and welcomed. It doesn’t have that same feel to it.
You need to be on a team, train with those people and that becomes your cohesive group and then the rest of the racers are … You know sometimes you can intermingle with other teams but it’s very segregated. It’s also very segregated in the sense that you have your categories of Cat 1-2’s which are the elite racers and then you have the 3’s, then the 4’s, and the 5’s who are your beginner racers. You get separated based on just logistics because you have to … You can only run so many races simultaneously and it has to be safe. You don’t get to really intermingle with the upper category or your elite racers in bike racing in my experience. I mean, at some levels you do but as a brand new racer you really don’t. It takes a long time to get folded into that mix.

What I noticed, as soon as I came out and started paddle board racing, is that we race all together-men, women, and all levels. That is an amazing thing because you now get mixed up with everybody. Not that you’re going to be at their level for competition, but you get to meet them. What I noticed is that the elite racers, just like the new racers, are completely welcoming.

The other thing I noticed which was one of the most impressive parts of the races that we were doing is at the end of the race the elite racers, they finish and they stay on the water. They stay there, they sit down, they chit-chat, and we wait for every last paddler to come in. We cheer the last person in. That is a very unique to the sport of paddle boarding. I don’t know of any other sport where your elite racers, after they win their race or don’t win their race, will still sit and chit-chat with everybody, hang out on the water and be supportive of every single person who comes across the line.

Darrell Kirk: Let me jump in, to the tune of maybe an hour later, you know, for some of these paddlers-

Michele Black: Yeah, for some of them, it’s … There’s a huge disparity between abilities but that’s what so great about it is that it doesn’t matter if you’re brand new, can barely get yourself around, you’re on this … On a surf-shape whatever it may be … Everyone waits. Every one hangs out and they want you to finish and feel successful and just celebrate the fact that you came out and you’re sharing the water with us.
I mean, that’s pretty special. I think it’s a very unique thing that this stand-up paddle board community has.

Darrell Kirk: You know you’re totally right! Something I’ve always thought about too is, yeah, don’t laugh. Not that they would, but separate from everything of what you just said is like that paddler next to you might be a whole lot faster!

Michele Black: Well yeah! It’s an emerging sport still. That’s what’s so exciting about being involved in the Seattle community. In the race scene is that it’s still emerging. We’re still building things. We’re still developing a cohesive group of people who, now, train together and race together. It’s starting to build year after year. I think that community is just getting stronger.
There are people who are going to start out and be on really old equipment or have no skills set yet and they’re not going be very fast but they may be coming from another competitive sport. Once they figure out the techniques and things like that, they may just take off. That’s what’s exciting-is watching people come up and come through and to see the changes and how well people have progressed.

Darrell Kirk: That’s great, what you just said. I got a different take on that where you kind of jogged my memory. Some people who are doing triathlons, ultra-marathons, they might get out here and be that guy or woman that comes across the line 30 minutes late that we’re waiting for. They’re the top of their sport and here again, it’s democratic racing either way. Whether you have never raced before or you’re an incredible athlete in another sport, when we get out here who knows what’s going to happen!
Michele Black: Yeah, it’s definitely a different skill set for people. I’m trying to very much encourage women, especially, but encourage people who do other sports to come and try it. Especially, if they like the competition, but even if they don’t like the competition and that’s the other part of what I really am advocating for is that … Just come out and be part of the community. You don’t necessarily have to be wanting to win races. You don’t necessarily ever have … You don’t need to really be competitive, but come and be part of the community.

Being part of the community and being at the races … They’re very inexpensive to go to. You’re paying $5 or $8 just to show up. It’s a good work out regardless if you’re competitive or not. You’re getting out there. You have a course to do. You have other people out there with you and you can enjoy people’s company and learn and be part of something.

The more people we get involved … It’s just the inertia of the whole thing. We’re going to end up building a bigger and better community. It doesn’t mean that everyone has to race at some level. That’s what I love about it-is people can come out and enjoy it for what it is for them.

Darrell Kirk: That’s great information. I want to elaborate that on a little bit later in the interview. I know one thing when we’re out there and you and I have talked about this. It’s amazing when we’re out on the line, the way our best athletes share race tactics and even moments before the race, the whistle sounds, we’re getting a tip that may really change up the game but I wanted to … Again, you know I don’t mean to badmouth any other sports but I just want to praise this and emphasize that more the way … What this community offers to athletes for we’re sharing all this information.

Michele Black: Oh yeah! I think that that is one of the greatest parts is that you sit there and you’re on the water with people from all different levels but you have the elite racers who don’t have any kind of air about them that they are better than you even though they are! They don’t have to come across that way and they’re so willing to share their information and support you. That’s what so great, is this whole community seems to be into just supporting each other as water men, water women and racers and trying to help people just enjoy being out on the water together. Yeah, it’s great to be out and be racing and next to an elite athlete, some of the best athletes in the Northwest.
They’re chit-chatting with you and sharing information and saying, “Hey! I noticed you’re doing this with your paddle stroke. You know, if you would just lean a little bit different or tilt your paddle, get your paddle straight or … That may help you. Or you maybe need to step forward on your board or…” These little tips and stuff, that they’re actually paying attention and they’re willing to share that information with you.
It keeps … I love to share and help teach people too. I mean that’s one thing worth with women and getting women out here because I really want to encourage women. It’s a great sport for women to get into. What I’ve noticed is if I run into a guy, I actually … A good friend, paddler, both of ours who didn’t race, didn’t know anything about the racing community. I ran into him out here and he was just paddling in with his music blasting and he pulls into shore and gets down on his board and does a head-stand. I’m like, “Well who is this guy?”

So he comes up and I’m like, “Hey! That was pretty impressive!” And he’s just like, “Oh! Do you paddle out here too?” Because it seemed like he didn’t know that there was really anyone else even out here paddling around. I’m like, “Yeah! There’s a bunch of us that paddle. We race here on Monday nights. We race at Urban Surf on Wednesday nights. You should come-you should come to one of the races.” He did come to one of the races and now he is … He comes to all of the races now. It’s like … He had no idea that the race community even was there and now he’s an integral part of this community.

That’s the kind of thing is just encouraging anyone to come out and get on the water. If I see somebody who’s out paddling, I will always introduce myself and say, “Hey, you know, we do races if you’re interested. Even if you don’t feel like you’re competitive, show up! Just show up and enjoy being around a bunch of other paddlers. Meet some new people. Meet other people who you know you could be out on the water with recreationally or training or whatever level they want to be at.”

Darrell Kirk: Okay, well hey! Let’s … I want to talk more about that, what you’re … I think we’re kind of getting into that right now. Let’s talk about this. I know you’ve been a big advocate-you and Sarah Sandstrom have been big advocates for last 3-4 years of this. That’s getting women on the water and racing because racing has been so integral to us developing this incredible community. We really had to have the racing. Fortunately, we’ve had Urban Surf in Seattle and Rob Casey out here, holding these races every year, every week and it’s been so integral to our community. Tell me why are women intimidated about sports and why is it so important for them to get into stand-up paddle racing?

Michele Black: The one thing is it’s a very low-impact sport. It’s something that you can do without having a ton of equipment. You need a paddle, a board, a leash, and a PFD. That’s all you need. I mean it really is! It’s very accessible, I know carrying a board may be difficult for some people but the fact is is that you can get out. You’re floating around.
You can’t get hurt like getting into bike racing without any experience. It’s dangerous! It’s dangerous to go out there without really good bike-handling skills because you’re mixed up with a bunch of people. If you mishandle your bike, you can crash and if you crash you can break things. You can break other people. You can break bikes. So you really need to have a skill set that are already sort of in place before you start racing.

I would say that’s not true with stand-up paddle boarding. Anybody can come out. A total novice can come out and still get out there and push themselves to the level that they can push themselves. That may just be getting the paddle in the water and getting the board to go halfway around the course but we’re going to be here and support them if they do that. It’s a very … It’s a very gentle sport to get into and to decide if you want to be competitive and it’s something you can gradually build up to to be competitive.
The one thing I notice with women is … When I’ll approach a woman and say, “Hey, you should try racing!” And they’ll say, “Oh I’m just not … I’m not fast enough,” or “I’m not good enough.” I think that that’s sort of the thing is it they if they come out and they try it, they’ll realize that they may be faster than they think. Even if they aren’t faster than they think as long they’re having fun and they’re getting a good work out, it doesn’t matter. No one cares if you’re the fastest when you come out here. I mean that’s the thing is so nice about this sport. We’re all going to hang out because we all love being on the water. We’re all going to hang out and wait for you to finish.
We do have people who come in and … We have one racer that she’s oh…67?

Darrell Kirk: Oh Vicky?

Michele Black: Yeah! The thing is is Vicky comes out and Vicky has a huge smile on her face. She is not going to win a bunch of races, but she comes out and she gives it her all. She enjoys it and she has fun! That is what matters! She’s getting a good work out in. She’s doing something that’s a healthy lifestyle. That’s what this is about.

It’s about making yourself-bettering yourself! You can better yourself by being out on the water, hanging out with friends and getting a good work out and then … Why not try it?

Darrell Kirk: Okay, well let me jump in here because you just kind of raised the last question I really want to ask you. That is, basically about racing and the … This is really where we we’ve struck gold here with me, you and our community. We’ve seen it over the last three years.
We have built this incredible community, really, because of racing but it’s opened up all of these, as you said one day, tentacles to us. I mean now we’re in a cooking group together. It sounds like we’re going to be hosting cooking parties. I mean it’s incredible!
Talk about this community that has been built. I mean these incredible friendships that we have and now they’re not just on the water and off the water. Now we’re off the water, building this incredible community. Talk about that.

Michele Black: I think you have to have some central thing that brings you all together. Racing, clearly, is the thing that everyone shows up at the same time because that’s when the race is. That’s where the beginning or the central portion of this comes from.

What’s nice is you get on the water, you race, and then we hang out and you start to get to know people. That’s the neat thing about paddle board racing is because we stay on the water together, we get to know each other. Sitting, relaxing, you’ve finished a race, you’re waiting for people to come in so you get to chit-chat and get to know people. It seems like the more that this has happened over the last couple years it’s like, “Hey! Well, why don’t we go get a beer?” Or “Why don’t we go do this?” And it’s starting to build and we’re at the point, now, where it’s … We’re building our training together.

There’s such a great group of people here that all want to race, that we all want to be on the water. We’re starting to organize and do training together or just … It seems like more and more, you show up at 8 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday or a Sunday. You’re guaranteed to have one or two other people that you know out on the water also training or just getting a good work out in. That’s how this started building. It has continued to evolve where we’re now doing things off the water completely, to just hang out because these are such great people.

This sport has really … It draws in people that are really genuine and like-minded, health-oriented people. That’s part of the community that’s being fostered here. I think that’s part of it is we like each other as friends and stuff because we have very similar values. We all enjoy something that you know I… I … The water is such an important part of us as a human being because we’re made up of what 97% water? I can’t remember how much. It’s not quite 97% but we’re made up of mostly water. I think it’s something that’s a natural place for you to want to be.

Anyone who’s just floated around on water, I think, does have some sort of sense of calm. When you make that your sport, also, you hang out with these people on the water and enjoying this wonderful place that we live in in the Pacific Northwest, I honestly can’t think of a better place in the world to hang out on the water. It is just absolutely beautiful here!
That’s the thing is we’re sharing all of this commonality and it is really building an amazing community of people.

Darrell Kirk: Great! You nailed it, Michele! This sport really does draw some incredible people. We all have a pretty epic story to tell about what brought us to SUP. That might be a positive or something or sad time in our lives, but the important thing is its all brought us here. Maybe it’s because of the water, but the community has just been so amazing!

Michele Black: Yeah! I think the one thing is I’ve never been … I’ve never had a sport where I’m training and at the same time that I’m training I’m also having the ability to completely decompress from my day. After work in the summer, I can come out here and paddle till 9 o’clock at night. I can get a really good, hard work out in but at the same time I’m completely taken out of the city. I’m on the water, it’s beautiful and I’m able to just enjoy nature right in the middle of Seattle. I think that’s the thing too is our community is built by people who really enjoy being outdoors.

What’s great about us is we … You wouldn’t think that in the middle of the Winter you’d want to be out in the water, in the Puget Sound but you dress appropriately and it is unbelievably gorgeous out here. To train for a sport and to race in stand-up paddle-boarding and to have the training portion of it be like a treat and something that I look forward to is really special.

Darrell Kirk: Thanks so much, Michele! That was just awesome! I’m just really proud and happy to put this podcast out with your information, your message to people. I think you’re going to get them out there and as you’ve said, once you get out there you’re going to just have such a positive racing experience that you’ll keep it going. Thanks so much, Michele!
Can we have you on again in the future?

Michele Black: Sure, yeah! Hopefully, it’ll be me and a bunch of other women who are racing together.

Darrell Kirk: Oh good! Good answer! Good answer!
Well, hey man, that is Michele Black. Very good friend of mine and a real advocate for getting out on the water and racing, and especially getting women out there and just seeing how positive this sport is.
Anyways, that’s Darrell. This is Darrell Kirk with Stand Up Paddle the World Radio. Thank you so much for listening and if you would, we’d love what we do here so if you would go on iTunes and give us a five star review, and drop us a line, let us know what we can do to make the radio show better. Thanks so much!
Stay up and stay on that board!

I love these lights and can’t believe they have been improved upon tremendously over the last year.  They are just under six bucks here in Seattle at http://www.UrbanSurf.com

Nebo Lumore Clip Light Assorted

These lights are very waterproof, shockproof, and bright as hell. The white globe puts off an incredible soft white light. I can’t believe they 100% revamped these light this year with a very cool looking aircraft aluminum look and a very soft glow in the dark globe that makes the light even more shockproof. I gave away my two lights last year–one during Seafare to a boater who’s electrical system went out and she had to get back to her marina. Another to a fellow stand up paddler to get back to a launch spot in the dark. Coast Guard requires one white light on a SUP in the dark. This is the light. Also comes with a bullet proof clip to hook to PFD or other locations. All for the cost of a double tall latte!

These are great and reliable lights, however, due to the importance of being seen at night on the water, be sure to carry a backup light, preferably one Nebo Lumore light and one Cyalume SnapLight.

If you can’t make it to Urban Surf, please purchase them through our Amazon.com link below which helps support the Dan Devereaux Memorial Trust.

Nighttime SUP adventures are an incredible aspect of our sport.  Here’s a night tour my good friend and collegue Rob Casey leads in Seattle taking advantage of “Bioluminescence” in the Puget Sound.

http://salmonbaypaddle.blogspot.com/2014/09/2-bioluminescence-tours-last-week.html

Here’s a link to the Nebo Lumore light and Cyalume Snap Light:

Nebo Lumore Clip Light Assorted

Cyalume SnapLight Industrial Grade Light Sticks, Green, 6″ Long, 12 Hour Duration (Pack of 10)

A big thanks to everyone at Urban Surf in Seattle for making his first wetsuit fitting and stoke a huge success!

Be sure to check them out at:  www.dryrobeusa.com 

a

hands went into an involuntary Hawaiian hand gesture during the last few miles of the race!

Was a real honor to be part of team “Monster and Sea” this year and I am so proud of all the great men and women on our team who I also call my friends.  Monster and Sea is a great organization and clothing brand that was brought about by a life changing event that can be epitomized in a quote from its founder:

Having a beer after our weekly races with friends and teammates of “Monster and Sea”

“Monster and Sea was inspired by a morning on the water when there wasn’t much left. Mentally drained from all that cancer brough
t into my family. Honestly – didn’t know what to do.”
All of us in the SUP community seem to have found this sport, or have used it as a savior in time for many of life’s crisis.  For me it was the death of my dear bro
ther Ron Kirk who died in a rock climbing accident.
Surely, life would have been a lot different, and
to this day still, had I not SUP, SUP racing, and the SUP community who are some of the best men and women in the world.

Looking forward to other long distance SUP races with this great competitive team of athletes and friends and the good work they are all doing daily!

I was interviewed by the Miami New Times on Monday and it really got me thinking about Andres Pombo, and this whole leash and PFD business.

Full story is here:

On Friday, August 22, Andres Pombo was in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon with three friends competing in a paddelboarding competition. They were on a practice run, standup paddling in gusty downwind conditions. Three miles short of the finish line, the group stopped for photos amid the swells. That’s when the Miami resident peeled away to explore the Washington side of the river.
It was the last time he was seen alive. Now paddleboarders are calling for a new focus on safety in their burgeoning sport as they mourn the death of a talented young boarder. A silent paddle will be held in his honor on Virginia Key this weekend.

“To see someone as strong and capable as Andres go down, it scared me a lot,” Darrel Kirk, a Seattle-based paddleboarder, tells New Times. “I have a 7-year-old boy. I have to take these precautions, but you don’t understand until something like this happens.”

Pombo was a sponsored, accomplished paddleboarder who was married and lived in Miami. The day he disappeared, heavy winds were whipping up serious swells along the course, but Pombo wasn’t tied to his board. In the hours after fellow racers scrambled to find him, they recovered his board, hydration pack, and GoPro camera. Video from the GoPro shows the 29-year-old falling off his board, swimming after it, and then disappearing. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office and friends began the search on foot and by boat and plane.

Six days later, Pombo’s body was found downriver. Now his friends and colleagues are trying to raise awareness about safety in the sport.

According to Kirk, most people do not wear leashes or flotation when they paddleboard. He says Pombo’s death is a turning point for the sport.

“It’s really shaken our community, and not one of us can go out without thinking about him. It could’ve happened to any of us. But this tragedy has opened a huge dialogue, people are speaking out, and it’s changed our community,” he says.

Following Pombo’s death, Warren Curie and Dave Kallama — two of the biggest names in standup paddleboarding — penned an open letter calling for better awareness and proposing a “Leashes Save Lives” campaign:

We believe that we, as a collective industry, must take a vehement stand in the education and encouragement of the use of leashes on all types of SUPs, on all types of water, and in all conditions.
With the exponential growth of SUP, there are a great deal of boards being sold with very little safety education accompanying the sale. Like seat belts in cars, leashes save lives on SUPs. If it is far enough to paddle, it is far enough to wear a leash.
In the days that followed Pombo’s disappearance, friends and family started a GoFundMe page to help with travel expenses. In ten days, $18,000 was raised. Excess funds will go toward water safety outreach and education in Pombo’s honor. This Saturday afternoon, friends and family will hold a memorial and silent paddle in Pombo’s honor on Virginia Key.

“Only God knows how my heart trembles sending this post. I hope most of you can come to share this moment together, as the big family that we are. Millions of THANKS again for all your love and support,” Pombo’s widow, Luz Jimenez, wrote on Facebook.