SUP Round the Rock Race coming up

Pretty cool news coming from Lake Washington this week... the first annual Round the Rock Standup Paddleboard race, and we heard about it from our new buddy Bobby Arzadon at Kirkland's Perfect Wave Surf Shop. Don't get distracted at Bobby's site by the Bikini of the Month, especially by Francesca modeling the Bending Branches WaveHound SUP Paddle...

...in fact you should go directly to the Round the Rock web site, and sign up for the race! Two courses, all ages and experience levels welcome, and, according to race director Jeff Underwood, plenty good schwag for everyone.

And stepping up big, with a sponsorship, booth on race day, and demo paddling for anyone interested in a test ride, is Tahoe Board Works' Ernie Brassard, who plans to race the event, along with my partner in Happy Paddlin', Ethan Ebersold who will be working the booth that day.

The big event happens on Sunday, September 27, and the long course goes the full 12+ miles around Mercer Island The 2.5-mile, out-and-back short course is for folks who are just getting into this incredible way to enjoy the water.

Get out there!

Ross Lake trip coming

This classic shot of Colonial and Pyramid Peaks was taken by my daughter Jess on our visit to Ross Lake Resort in 2008.

Ruby Creek Worldwide Operations will take a break for a week starting 3am Sunday 7/19 when we return to the land, actually the lake, of our namesake. Ross Lake tributary Ruby Creek is a long deep canyon in the North Cascades, and my granddad loved to fish there. The family has returned there nearly every summer since he first visited in 1949, a year before the completion of Ross Dam.

Here's a sweet link to a page on the Resort's blog, showing a little of what we may find there this year.

Just saw this post from my friend Steve Weileman, with a cool video showing highlights of the trip he recently guided there. Here's another of Steve's posts with the full story of the trip.

Swift Paddles

L-R: All-carbon Sea Swift; Translucent Wind Swift; Flame Fabric Mid Swift

Swift's Feather-lock ferrule System: the button is protected from accidental engagement by a raised flange; feather angle locks solidly into place in 15-degree increments.

Swift Paddles are made in Burlington WA by the fine folks at Eddyline Kayaks. Here's the Ruby Creek demo stock, available now. These prices are 25% off retail for barely-used paddles:

215cm Sea Swift, all-carbon, $247
220cm Mid Swift, flame fabric inlay blades, $239
225cm Wind Swift, blue fiberglass blades, $224

To purchase, please contact:
Ruby Creek Boathouse LLC
attn: Bill Walker
paddlazz@comcast.net
206-940-6269

Aquabound & Bending Branches -- together at last

Every good outing has a great campfire story. Lacking any smoky ambience, Ethan memorably recreates Bill Murray and the Dalai Lama in the hotel parking lot. Wazzat got to do with paddles? You got me. Then again, you might think deep fried cheese curds are unrelated. Think again. Every fine stick from Bending Branches and Aqua-Bound comes straight to you from America's Dairyland, handcrafted in Osceola, Wisconsin.

A short trip to Wisconsin brought the Aqua-Bound family of paddles front and center for the Ruby Creek gear quiver. A year ago, Bending Branches purchased Aqua-Bound from founder Joe Matuska, and we're honored to be repping both brands now under the consolidated company banner. Two days of planning meetings culminated with seven miles of product testing on the gorgeous, mostly peaceful St Croix River dividing rural Wisconsin on the East and Minnesota on the West. Just an hour from the Twin Cities, this place is a world away from the rat race.

From BB's Whisper, at $60 an amazing light weight and durable paddle for the price, to Aqua-Bound's mainstream Ray series, to Branches' all-carbon Spirit set for transfer to the Aqua-Bound brand for 2010, to the SWEET kayak and canoe models in wood, these combined great names in paddling have it covered. In a factory tour, we met the crew who take such pride in their work that they can get your order off to your dealer in two days, over 90% of the time.

More amazing is the return rate of less than 1%. These guys make solid, safe paddles that are built to last. Ethan and I are proud and grateful to be a part of the family.


Ed and Jerry styled in a canoe, checking the sweet feel of the BB bent shaft paddles, while East Coast rep Tim Knight cruised the river with an all-carbon Spirit paddle, weighing in at 25 oz. in T-700 carbon, the tough, aircraft-grade fabric you'll see in Aqua-Bound shafts beginning next year.

Parting Shot -- The St Croix River gets a little Northwest love from Renton, WA's Cascade Canoe & Kayak.

Demo gear sale links

Here's a summary of links to the Ruby Creek demo gear sale pages:

Eddyline Kayaks

Bending Branches Paddles

Swift Paddles

Stohlquist pfds

Combine items and you'll get a screamin' deal.

There are a few pieces of Stohlquist outerwear remaining, so check with me if you have questions. List to be posted soon.

Contact:
Bill Walker
paddlazz@comcast.net
206-940-6269

Bending Branches Paddle Demo Stock

Back here at Ruby Creek after an amazing couple days in Osceola Wisconsin checking out the new vibe between Aqua-Bound and Bending Branches. Ethan and I are very privileged to have been awarded the Western territory for these two awesome brands. Pictures of the trip, including Ethan's Bill Murray impression in the parking lot, to follow.

Next year there will be some changes in models and in their division between the two brands, as BB/AB positions the brands for the best understanding of what they're all about.

Meanwhile Ruby Creek needs to move out some of the 2009 Bending Branches demo stock so we can take in some of the new models.

Here's what's in the house, with links to details from the BB web site. Please contact me directly at paddlazz@comcast.net if you'd like to pick up one of these sweet deals. All the paddles are in great shape with just a season of light usage.

The following prices are all 30% off MSRP.

See also the blog pages showing Eddyline Kayaks and Stohlquist pfds.

Kayak Paddles

Sunrise AS, 230, $56.00

Sunrise Glass, 230, $70.00

Sunrise Glass, 220, $70.00

Glide Glass/sm shaft, 220, $87.50

Glide Glass, 220, $87.50

Slice Glass/sm shaft, 220, $87.50

Slice Glass, 230, $87.50

Slice Plus, 215-30, $ 87.50

Glide Carbon Plus, 215-30, $140.00

Glide Carbon 230, $126.00

Breeze /sm shaft, Evening, 220, $178.50

Breeze /sm shaft, Twilite, 220, $178.50

Spirit, Evening, 220, $248.50

Wood Impression, Day, 220, $98.00

Wood Tailwind, Evening, 220, $126.00

Wood Sandpiper, Evening, 220, $126.00

Wood Sunshadow Crankshaft, Day, 220, $139.30

Canoe paddles

Twig Kids' paddle 36, $24.50

Traveler 51, $42.00

Arrow Straight 58, $52.50

Arrow Straight 56, $52.50

Explorer Plus Str 58, $66.50

Espresso Straight 58, $77.00

Sunshadow Straight 54, $77.00

Expedition Plus Str 56, $91.00

BB Special 14 Bent 50, $56.00

Espresso 14 Bent 52, $84.00

Sunshadow 14 Bent 50, $84.00

Sunburst 14 Bent 52, $126.00

SUP Brothers!

So we just couldn't wait to get those SUP boards on the water, and sons Joe and Steve and I headed for Lake Washington on Monday to brave the seasonally chilly June choppy wind and spitting rain. First time for them, second time for me on a SUP and the conditions kept us from really pushing the envelope. Consensus, get a feel for this on flat water. Then move to chop, swell, current, and learn to race these boards. Keep working, it's going to be fun. Here's a few pics, and the link to Picasa where there's another 40+ out there... and note that the smartest thing I did was to use up the camera battery shooting the big fellas, before I got out there to paddle. Old age and trickery...


Step one, Steve checks out the sea state and performs risk assessment...

Step two, get on board...

Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' about...

Hey, remounting is a crucial skill in these conditions.

Brother, how you like it so far?

Maybe if I run over you...

Ready to race?

OK all together now...

Look y'all, I'm doin' it!

All good things must end.