normhann

Gabby and Laird Hamilton Reflect on the BP Disaster

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:22:32 GMT

SUP FM Podcast: Into the Great Bear: Adventures on Canada's Wild Coast

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 21:39:08 GMT

Just before Christmas I had a chance to sit down with Simon Hutchinson from SUPFM Podcast to chat about paddleboarding and the Great Bear Rainforest. I hope enjoy the episode and you can subscribe to this podcast in the links below. Thanks, Norm

What happens when you trade a safe and secure teaching career, for a life on the wild side.

We sit down with Norm Hann , Canadian expedition paddler, guide, and educator — known for his work in the Great Bear Rainforest and for pioneering multi-day SUP expeditions on Canada's wild coast.

Norm shares his remarkable transformation from a classroom teacher in Ontario to a wilderness guide and advocate for the Great Bear Rainforest. From being adopted into the Raven Clan in Hartley Bay to shaping the early days of stand-up paddleboarding, Norm's story is about courage, connection, and following your calling.

In this episode, Norm shares:

How leaving a secure career opened the door to purpose and adventure
What makes the Great Bear Rainforest one of the planet's most magical places
How his adoption into the Raven Clan shaped his identity and outlook
The origins of his pioneering SUP expeditions on Canada's west coast

Watch the movie Stand for free here

** Pardon the audio gremlins in the first ten minutes of the episode! **

Connect with Norm Hann:

Website – https://www.normhann.com

Join Norm in the Maldives or on other expeditions here

Instagram – @normhann

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See you on the water!

May in the Maldives: Paddle Surfing Magic

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 14:49:18 GMT

Why May in the Maldives is one of our favourite times of the yea r and why a boat charter is the only way to go.

It's shoulder season, and the conditions for SUP can be dreamy. With fewer crowds, we often get breaks to ourselves. July and August are peak season in the Maldives, with European holidays and the southern hemisphere winter having the biggest impact.

Of course, a small disclaimer — it's a weather-dependent business, so I can't make guarantees at any time of year. But we've been running trips in May for almost 10 years now, and they have consistently been some of our best!

Stats might show slightly bigger swells in August, but believe me, the waves in May are real and can get big enough for the most enthusiastic. However, that's not what we're chasing. We're hoping for head-high to overhead waves, and that's generally what we get. Sometimes it's smaller, sometimes bigger — but that's true any time of year, including August.

SUP surfing in the Maldives is quite unique compared to other destinations. First of all, the number of suitable SUP waves on a Maldives boat trip is second to none. You'll be welcomed where we surf, not chased out of the water — and you'll have a local Maldivian surf guide (our manager and guide Big Naan is the very best) to support you. In the Maldives, every resort and charter boat is required to have a local surf guide. They set the standard for how surf destinations should be managed: welcoming, polite, respectful, and accepting of everyone. Whether you're on a shortboard, SUP, kneeboard, boogie board or tyre tube — there's no prejudice, and that goes a long way on a SUP trip.

The Maldives is a long, slim country. You can cruise east–west in a day or two, but north–south stretches some 2,000 km and would take many days. At the heart is Malé, the capital. To the north, an hour or two by boat, is North Malé Atoll, home to the highest concentration of surfers, resorts and boats. This area is the swell magnet of the Maldives and has some very famous world-class waves — Pasta Point, Cokes, Sultans, Jailbreaks and Lohi's to name a few. To the south, again only a couple of hours from Malé, is South Malé Atoll. The waves here aren't as heavy or hollow as those up north, but they offer slightly fewer crowds and some really fun breaks — Kandooma, Quarters, Foxy's, Riptides.

North and South Malé are where most operators focus, since they're quick, easy and cheap to reach from the capital, with lots of resort options. For charter boats, shorter distances mean less fuel and lower prices.

We very rarely surf in North Malé. It's crowded, the waves can be intense, and the surf culture is more prominent here — though still well managed. There are fun waves to be had, but we generally avoid it, preferring to grab a surf in South Malé on the way south or on the way back to harbour.

The next atoll down is Vaavu, which strangely has no surf breaks — maybe the locals are keeping them to themselves! From there we're into the Central Atolls: Meemu on the east, Faafu and Dhaalu on the west. South of these are what we call the Southern Central Atolls — Thaa and Laamu.

This is where we spend most of our time. With fewer crowds and fewer resorts, boat trips here are more expensive due to the distances and limited resupply options — but that also means fewer boats. The wave choice in this region, especially with the flexibility of a charter boat like ours, is second to none on the planet.

The Maldives sits in the middle of the Indian Ocean, exposed to swells wrapping from a broad arc between southwest (SW) and southeast (SE).

Main source (May–September): Long-period SW swells from the Southern Ocean (southwest of Madagascar and below Africa). These are the dominant "engine room" swells that deliver the consistent head-high to overhead waves the Maldives is famous for.
Secondary source: SE trade-wind swells also reach the Maldives during the Southwest Monsoon. They're shorter-period and less powerful, but they still add size and consistency — especially for South Malé and Central Atoll

We'd love to have you on board with us in the Maldives this May. It's one of our favourite times of year to be out there chasing waves, soaking up the atmosphere, and enjoying everything a boat charter has to offer. If you've been thinking about joining, now's the time — we can't wait to share the line-up with you.

Any questions at all, please reach out — we'd love to hear from you.

What I Pack for my Paddling Trips to Belize

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 19:23:45 GMT

Post paddle happy hour sunset on the reef at Glovers Atoll

BELIZE. Just the word conjures up visions of aquamarine blue waters, reef fringed atolls with palm tree covered islands, and lush tropical rainforest. Belize is a special country where I have been guiding multiday standup paddleboarding expeditions in partnership with Island Expeditions since 2015.

Southwest Caye and Glovers Atoll

Belize, an english speaking Central American country nestled between Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the south, is a culturally diverse region with a mix of Mayan, Garifuna, and Creole people. Belize is known for its incredible natural ecosystems and diversity. The 165 mile Belize Barrier Reef System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. It enfolds seven marine protected areas and three coral atolls under its umbrella. Hundreds of tiny cayes and miles of beaches and hidden coves offer world-class standup paddleboarding, snorkelling and fishing.

Our Coral Islands trips , at the end of January and beginning of February have been really popular and usually sell out each year. Upon arrival guests spend their first night at Bocawina Rainforest Lodge located in Mayflower National Park and the following morning we take a boat ride beyond the barrier reef and out to Glover's Atoll, one of three atolls in Belize. Glovers is one of my favorite destinations where we explore the atoll by paddleboard, experience world class snorkeling and fish in Belizean style with a hand line. After three night at the Southwest Caye base camp we boat shuttle back 16 miles across the Carribean Sea to the meso american barrier reef and spend our last couple of nights at Tobacco Caye, the fishermen's island. We continue to paddle the barrier reef but also have opportunities to look for Manatee's in the calm mangrove ranges that line the inside of the reef.

Wilderness Tents at Southwest Caye Basecamp.

For our trips this year I flew down with my new Sea Gods West Coast inflatable paddleboard . In 2024, owners Mandy and Ryan, reached out to me to help them design a performance touring inflatable and after many prototypes we finally created the new "West Coast Expedition." Sea Gods is known for their beautiful boards featuring the stunning artwork of well known artists. The West Coast Expedition is no different and I am very proud that it showcases my friend and well known Canadian artist Roy Vickers incredible west coast scene.

Sea Gods x Norm Hann Expeditions "West Coast Expedition" Touring Board

One of the real benefits to owning an inflatable paddleboard is the ability to travel with it. Sea Gods have designed a really solid wheelie ISUP bag with padded shoulder and hip straps, heavy duty wheels, dense canvas construction, with ample handles and pockets. What I like best about the bag is that it is oversized. Aside from not having to struggle to get your board in, I can pack a bunch of gear for my trip including:

3 piece Blackfish Andaman Travel paddle
Sea Gods Manual Pump
Sea Gods Coil Leash
Mustang Survival Khimera PFD
Freediving fins, mask and snorkel.
Drybag
Towel
Waterbottle

Gear for Belize packed in the travel bag.

Paddling the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef.

Looking for Manatees in the protected waters of the mangrove ranges.

The West Coast performed beautifully in the tropical waters of Belize. We designed this board to be fast, stable and efficient with V nose and reinforced with special Aramid fiber panels that increase rigidity and stiffness. Clients loved paddling the West Coast Expedition as for the board was a standout in flatwater, on downwind runs and provided the stability needed as they looked for sharks, rays and the hundreds of different reef fish.

I am already looking forward to getting back to Belize in 2026 for our next trips and I will for sure be bringing down my Sea Gods West Coast Expedition board again.

Reach out if you have any questions about our new West Coast Expedition touring board. If you are looking to purchase please use my affiliate code which will save you 10% on the West Coast Expedition or any other board or accessory on the Sea Gods website including paddles and leashes.

The impressive and over sized ISUP travel bag.

Guides Book Recommendations for 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 20:59:18 GMT

I love reading books, mostly non fiction, and I enjoy reaching out to guides, past clients, friends and family about their favourite in 2024 so I can pass along those recommendations to you for 2025. If you have read an amazing book this past year and would like to share please leave a review at the bottom of the page and leave your choice there. Happy New Year and happy reading.

The Darkest White . Eric Blehm – This was my favourite from this past year and it inspired me to get back on my snowboard again. The book provides a great history of sport of snowboarding and follows snowboarding legend Craig Kelly and the story behind his death in an avalanche in the Selkirk Mountains while working towards becoming the first ACMG Certified snowboard guide. – Norm

The Anxious Generation . Jonathon Haidt – How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. – Bruce Kirkby. Bruce is an author himself and if you are looking for a great family adventure book check out his book Blue Sky Kingdom .

Life in Two Worlds . Ted Nolan – A Coach's Journey from the Reserve to the NHL and Back. – Jen Segger

North of Nowhere. Marie Wilson – A profound and incomparable firsthand account of the historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada from one of the commissioners who led it. – Heather Martin

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America. Matt Kracht – A completely irreverent and hilarious compilation of North American bird species that provides great campsite entertainment and is likely to insult those who take their birding a bit too seriously. (Neil and I were pretty much crying in laughter when we reviewed this book for the first time at the bookshop in Tofino) – Neil Gilson

Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike . Charlotte Gray – A great story about the Gold Rush told through the lives of six very different people, including a young Jack London. "Brilliantly interweaving their experiences, Gold Diggers presents a fascinating panorama of a subarctic town where minors, saloon keepers, dance hall girls, preachers, and law makers were thrown together at one extraordinary moment in history." The story telling is vivid of the rawness of the Yukon River and settlements. What impresses too is the great challenges they all went through in just getting there and getting their supplies there. Having camped on similar river banks , it gives you another unique perspective of the area and those that came before and the indigenous that made way for the prospectors and opportunists. – Chris Smith

Kings of the Yukon . Adam Weymouth – A River Journey in Search of the Chinook. Since I have guided on the Nisutlin and Yukon Rivers I loved this story about the history and challenges of the wild salmon from headwaters to the Beaufort Sea and those people that live along the rivers and depend on the salmons livelihood. – Tina Currie.

Swell. Liz Clarke – If you're looking for something light to read Swell by Liz Clark is a book worth picking up. Not a new book but one full of inspiration and determination of a young woman's path to sailing across the Pacific solo on route to learning more about independence, the environment and all the hardships that accompany the search for a perfect wave. – Andrew Woodford

Great Bear Wild

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 15:27:33 GMT

This past September I was excited to be back in the Great Bear Rainforest and in Gitga'at Territory guiding a family off the spectacular Pacific Yellowfin , a World War Two era coastal freighter owned and operated by Captain Collin Griffinson. Collin first hired me to guide off the boat years ago when he brought his new charter business up to the North Coast. There are few places in the world that I would rather be in the fall than looking for wildlife in the Great Bear Rainforest. At this time of the year wild pacific salmon enter the river and supercharge the coastal ecosystem as they return to their natal rivers to spawn. Over 200 hundred different inhabitants of the temperate rain forest depend on the return of these salmon for their survival. Grizzly, Black and Spirit Bears all head to the rivers in September to hunt for salmon, eating as much as they can to fatten up before hibernation. Coastal Wolves, Wolverines and Mountain Lions are some of the big predators that can be found lurking around salmon streams, sometimes side by side with the bears. In one of the rivers on Princess Royal Island I once saw a wolf on one end of a log and a black bear on the other end of a log, pretty much side by side, both looking into the river for salmon before my presense scared the wolf upriver.

This was also my twenty fifth year as a wildlife, fishing and paddleboarding guide in the Great Bear. After quitting my teaching job in northern Ontario I moved west to get my outdoor guiding certifications and found myself hired by King Pacific Lodge as their new wilderness guide with responsibilities including sea kayaking, bear viewing, whale watching, fishing and hiking. Fast forward 25 years later and after countless hours and trips guiding clients from around the world it felt like I was back home.

Humpbacks Everywhere

Our trip departed from the coastal community of Kitimaat and took us south towards Hartley Bay, the community I was adopted into by Eva Hill back in 2006. It was great to catch up with friends and family. The following morning we connected with my friend and Spirit Bear viewing Gitga'at Guide Marven Robinson. I always love spending time guiding with Marven, he and I have shared a lot of time together over the years looking for bears. He knows these spirit bears in his territory better than anyone and is always gracious with his time and his sharing of stories. Wildlife viewing is unpredictable and it's a big challenge to try to produce a spirit bear day after day. Although the river was full of pink salmon and conditions looked about perfect, we spent most of the day waiting for a bear to come out without luck. Even when I don't see a bear the peace, serenity and connection you feel sitting by a salmon stream in the fall is a gift in itself.

Our journey took us further south on Princess Royal Island where we spent time watching Humpback Whales. The return of whales to this part of the world has been nothing short of incredible. Our friends at Cetacea Lab have documented well over 500 individuals that call this area home for the season., identified by taking pictures of their individualistic tail flukes. Once hunted to the brink of extinction these majestic and gentle giants have returned in great numbers to their traditional feeding grounds here in the north pacific. They tend to love the steep walled fiords found on this part of our coastline which help them communicate and corral food. We spent a morning watching close to fifteen of them in close proximity lunge feeding on huge schools of copepods (plankton) that were on the surface. We could see humpbacks breaching, rolling and tail fluking everywhere. After a visit to sea lion rock and the whale research station, Cetacea Lab, Captain Colin re positioned the Yellowfin back over the east side of the island and deep into the larger mainland rivers of British Columbia home to the mighty Grizzly Bear.

Humpback Whale on a dive

Humpback Whale lunge feeding on Copepods

Stellar Sea Lions

Land of the Great Bear

We spent a night anchored in one of the most beautiful inlets at the base of a majestic waterfall that cascades from the snowfields high above us. The following morning we took a small zodiac and followed the high tide up the river. Bald Eagles were everywhere, scavenging on dead salmon and it didn't take long to spot a Mother Grizzly bear and her cub walking the river's edge in search of salmon.

"To see a mother grizzly ambling and loafing with her cubs across the broad, hospitable bosom of a flower-spangled mountain meadow is to see life in true wilderness at it's best" – Andy Russell, Grizzly Country.

This particular inlet, in Kitasoo territory has some of the highest concentrations of grizzly bears found anywhere on the coast. And by the end of the morning and as the tide began to drop we had viewed six different bears all feeding on salmon along the rivers edge. One large bear we watched neck deep in the river picking dead salmon off the bottom with his dexterous claws, consuming while floating lazily in the pool. We all loved the show and felt fortunate to be watching these large apex predators feeding in their natural environments. I could watch these bears all day, they are fascinating and have so much to teach us.

Heading into the spectacular Khutz River Valley

King of the Rainforest

Big male grizzly feeding on salmon

Spirit Bear Country

On our final full day on the boat we motored north back into Gitga'at territory to see if we could find a Spirit Bear. Marven was having a busy day on the bear viewing stands but said if we could wait and come in later in the afternoon we could spend a few hours with him hoping to catch a sighting of the elusive white bear. I thought the timing would be perfect as the large groups who were on the stands all day would be making their way out of the river as we were heading in. We finally got the call to come in and after walking along the elevated trail above the salmon stream and connecting with Marven and his guides we settled down to wait. The river was full of salmon but the forest was quiet. I look to the birds of the rainforest to help me figure out the movement of large predators. It wasn't long before the bird activity ramped up. A Great Blue heron floated silently up the river before landing to fish, a pair of Ravens cawed and cajoled as they headed downstream, a Belted Kingfisher deftly caught a small trout in one of the small, clear pools and the noisy Stellar's Jay pranced from tree branch to rivers edge. The was an energy building and something seemed different.

River full with Pink Salmon

Ghosts of the Rainforest

My guess was that a Spirit Bear was nearby but then across the river a wolf pack started to howl. I called Marven right away as he was further down river, he could hear them as well. Sometimes when wolves are in a river system they will scare Black Bears and even Grizzly Bears away but I have also observed a wolf and a bear standing on a log together while looking for salmon in the river. Wolf packs will also kill bears if they deem them a threat to their young or their territory. So I wasn't sure what to expect in the next hour or so but shortly after the howling a black bear made its way down river and directly across from where we were sitting, fishing for pink salmon. Then we got a report from one of our guides about a black bear down at the ocean starting to make its way upriver. Then a second black bear sauntered down river and just as that bear was fishing his way out of sight the ghosts appeared. Six coastal rainforest wolves appeared on the other side of the river and just up from where we were sitting. The alpha stared directly at us. We couldn't believe it, they crossed the river to our side, fifty yards above us. Then the wolves that had just crossed started howling and back came the howling reply of the rest of the pack that were still on the other side of the river. Judging by the howls there were a lot of wolves in the full pack including pups and I estimated at least a dozen. It seemed like the pack that had just crossed the river was trying to communicate to the rest of the pack to come over. A lone wolf appeared on the other side of the river twenty yards away, had a quick look at the salmon going by and then saw us and bolted back into the forest. Just as we were recovering from that experience the black bear that was most likely the one our guide saw at the ocean was now making its way up river, yet just down from where we were. When the bear was almost across from us it stopped dead in its tracks, lifted its head and scrambled into the forest. It had caught scent of the nearby wolves and disappeared. The howling back and forth between the pack started again, the wolves were so close yet we could not see them. And then from our side of the river four of the original members including the alpha came back into the river. The alpha kept his eye on us as another one scrambled to grab a salmon in the river. Not only had we heard and witnessed a wolf pack in the river, we were able to watch a wolf fish and catch a salmon. With a salmon in his mouth the four of them bounded up river before disappearing around the corner to most likely meet up with the rest of the pack who never crossed over to our side. We all looked at each other in disbelief before heading out of the river and back down to the ocean. Under a setting sun we headed back to the Yellowfin for diner. No doubt the river came alive after the large groups of bear viewers left. Our group was small and quiet and even though the wolves were well aware of us they were at least comfortable enough for some of them to come into the river to fish.

Black bear working his way up river before catching scent of the wolf pack

Two Coastal Wolves enter the river for the first time, one is the Alpha. Can you find the other one?

Alpha wolf coming back to the river from our side before three others appeared

A big thanks to Marven Robinson for facilitating this experience for us. I have spent countless hours with Marven over my past 25 years bearviewing in this river and I have never heard or seen a wolf but our timing after the other groups left and just before sundown brought the whole river alive and provided an spectacular experience.

Pacific Yellowfin

A Mind to Explore

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 21:49:20 GMT

Explore your Coastline. Those words are central to every experience we offer through Norm Hann Expeditions. But Is there really anything left to explore in an age where everywhere, and everything about everywhere, is virtually at our fingertips? When everything has been mapped, charted, photographed, measured, peopled and documented already, what does it really mean to explore?

Exploring the Broughton Archipelago PC: Neil Gilson

Well, as it turns out the meaning of "exploration" includes key personal context. According to Oxford Languages, to explore is to travel in or through an unfamiliar country or area in order to learn about or familiarize oneself with it. Now, learning and familiarization are most certainly worthy goals. But I suggest that we can go a bit deeper and say that to explore is to seek out and immerse ourselves into places that are unknown to us, so that we might enhance our personal awareness, perspective, and connection to the world around us.

Of course we use charts, maps, guidebooks, social media, even tales and stories to ignite our imagination and stoke our desire to experience new places; to pour over and dream of and plan new adventures. But when we finally set out with a mind to explore, we are seeking the unknown. We diminish our focus on a particular destination. We loosen our grip on our predetermined plans and achievements, goals and targets. To explore, we turn our focus from ourselves, from our objectives, from our next picture or post… to do what exactly?

Well the 'what' is to simply immerse yourself in something new and to let it take you where it will. To immerse requires creativity to both imagine and recognize opportunities for exploration that arise along the way. To fully immerse requires us to cultivate our curiosity, to slow down, observe and absorb. To let yourself be drawn in by shorelines, side channels, islets and coves. To crawl along. Get in close. To immerse fully also requires us to pause and find yourself within the landscape, the scenery, the bigger perspective. Either way, the magic of exploration is found in the pauses and stillness where we can feel our connection to the world around us.

The Path of Exploration PC: Neil Gilson

Most of the places I have guided in, I have been to multiple times. And yet after some four decades of guiding I can say that I have never run exactly the same trip twice. A big part of that is being aware and willing to work with what you are given out there. Winds, sea state, poor weather, or other restrictions and limitations can lay waste to your most hopeful trip plans. But that doesn't usually mean that you can't still explore. In fact, the last two trips I spent 5 out of 10 paddling days exploring routes, island chains, coves and coastlines that I'd never been to before. Part of those because of poor weather, and partly due to stellar weather!

Adverse conditions may give you opportunity to explore a sheltered coastline that you always passed by before. Simply paddling the opposite direction around an island or down a coastline reveals new perspective, new scenery and new opportunities for exploration. The same place each time you go may reveal different seasons, different wildlife, different light. Stellar conditions might mean that you can finally reach that special campsite, or paddle that route that twists and winds between the outer islands. There is always something different each time. Immersion into an explorer mind set simply requires acceptance, awareness, and openness to opportunity.

So… is there anything left to explore? I'm glad to say that there sure is! Because having a mind to explore, and the act of exploration is deeply personal. Let your explorations take you where they will and let them enhance your awareness, perspective, and connection to the world in ways you can't predict.

Don't just paddle your coastline… explore it!

See you out there, Neil

PS: If you are interested in exploring your coastline with us check out our experiences page and sign up for a trip.

Home for the night. PC: Norm Hann

Call of the Broughtons

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 04:52:16 GMT

When Norm called me back in the spring of 2022 to see if I would help guide a trip in the Broughton Archipelago that summer, I didn't take too long to ponder the decision. It's not that I hadn't been there before. As a sea kayak guide, I'd shepherded clients up and down, back and forth across Johnston Strait in search of Orca encounters. We'd played in the tidal rapids of Blackney Passage and explored the sheltered waters of Indian Channel with its intriguing mess of islands, rocky islets, channels, and coves at the south end of the Archipelago.

But for this trip, we would launch our boards in the far north, in the intimate and sheltered waters of the Burdwood Group, and work our way south. It was a chance to revisit the past and explore new territory in what I already knew was one of the most alluring seascapes on the West Coast. It felt a little bit like getting back to my guiding roots. So yeah, I was all in.

Well, short story, that trip was all I thought it might be and more. So good in fact, I returned later in the summer for another trip, touring out of Paddler's Inn with Jacquie. And I returned yet again the next spring for back-to-back trips with Norm. It's hard to separate all those trips in my mind. The time is not so much a blur of detail, as much as it is a blend of memories, feelings, and perceptions. So what I hope to offer you here is not so much a trip report, but rather a compilation of experiences cutting across all of these excursions.

Our trips into the Broughton Archipelago begin and end with a water taxi. Departing from historic Telegraph Cove we hopscotch across the exposed waters of Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound, weaving s-turns through the narrow rock-lined channels of the Plumbers, before carving a long, slow arc that takes us into the entrance to Knight Inlet. En route we have slipped past bobbing sea otters and slowed to view breaching humpback whales. We get a sense of where we are – a group of remote islands perched on the edge of Queen Charlotte Strait pinned between Vancouver Island and the mighty Coast Range of coastal BC. We unload boards and gear onto the beach. The boat motors off into the distance. The silence grows and grows. And all of a sudden we are just there. It feels like the middle of nowhere.

Paddling through the Broughtons is a bit like navigating a labyrinth. The islands are an intricate maze of over 200 islands, rocky cliffs and headlands, criss-crossing channels, secretive coves, and hidden beaches. Finding your way is complex and the land, water, and sky shift constantly in appearance, shape, and color, never the same twice. Efficient wayfinding here requires not just merely your attention, but your immersion, in the patterns and nuances of the sky, land, wind, waves, and tidal currents. But we don't travel through the islands simply to get from one place to another. It's not only about finding our way. We are trying to connect to the place we are in and to find ourselves within it. It takes some time but when we do, rather than feeling like an outsider moving through a foreign land, it feels like the landscape is unfolding around you. And that's a cool feeling.

The Broughtons are not as wild as it might first seem. This is Kwakwaka' wakw First Nations territory and as we become aware we begin to see signs of the past – clam walls, shell beaches, middens, and village sights all around us. It brings a sense of timelessness, and a bit of mystique. What must it have been like? Human history runs deep here. Perhaps no less interesting are the legend, exploits, and tales of Billy Proctor who was born here, and of many others who came to call the Broughtons home. It is a wild landscape to us as visitors. To many others, it is a working landscape. And it is home.

The wildlife. I could start listing the species but it's the experiences that we remember and that speak to us years and decades later. Black bears rummaging for food along still, rocky beaches, tossing boulders aside like paperweights. Sitting on the rocky outcrops of Flower Island while a lone humpback whale slowly feeds just offshore. Eagles perched in bare-topped trees welcoming us to camp after a long day paddling. A pod of Orca that rises out of the fog and passes right through our little flotilla. Two gigantic male sea lions battling for supremacy of their rocks and tumbling down the cliffs and into the water. A lone deer silhouetted against the early morning fog in the outer islets. You never know what you will see. But you will remember it.

And then there is us. The little group, the community that you share all this with. Those who host and support you getting out here. Those you paddle and camp with. Sharing the challenge, the effort, and the discoveries with your team. Camp cooking, stories, laughter and camaraderie. Sharing the rhythm of this place, the ebb and flow of the tides, sunrise and sunset, moon and stars. Your group becomes a little family.

On our last morning, we wait to hear the thrum of our shuttle boat across the water. The boat glides in silently, we load up, idle away from the beach and off we go. Now the landscape is more familiar and you check off the places you recognize as we make our way back. We slow as a black bear makes its way swimming across the mile-wide channel in front of us. As we cross Blackfish Sound a Humpback whale breaches for us in a farewell salute.

For us, that's why we guide, why we keep coming back to places like this. To try and share a bit of all this magic with you. So I'm glad I said yes to coming back to the Broughton Archipelago again and again. These are lifetime memories. I bet you will be glad you came to experience this place too!

Neil

If you would like to join one of our Broughton Archipelago Trips this year check out the details on the website or send an email to explore@normhann.com

Advance Your Stoke: Why You Should Take an Advanced SUP Skills Course.

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:19:20 GMT

A solid set of Advanced SUP Flatwater Skills is virtually certain to enhance your enjoyment and satisfaction with being out on the water on your board. And those skills are not hard to learn. More skills = more fun = more stoke. So what's been holding you back?

There is a certain misunderstanding, or even mystique, about so-called 'advanced' flatwater SUP skills. It seems that many entry-level or recreational paddlers may feel that advanced skills are beyond their needs, beyond their current abilities, or that advanced skills are just for racing or for elite performance paddlers.

Part of the misunderstanding I believe has to do with the misnomer that these are advanced 'flatwater' skills. And as such there is nothing really there for the aspiring SUP surfer, or river SUPer, or downwind paddler, or even foiler. But if this is your thinking then you are really missing out on a great opportunity to advance your skills, and your Stoke! Having coached canoe, kayak and stand up paddlers for a few decades now I can confidently tell you this – advanced paddling skills are not just for elite performers – they are for everyone!

Although common throughout the paddling world I actually quite dislike the use of 'advanced flatwater' skills. And I'd like to encourage you to start thinking about them more as core or essential or fundamental skills that every dedicated paddler should know. So how does learning and honing these 'core' skills contribute to your enjoyment and satisfaction, to your stoke for SUP? Well here's a few ways…

Control of your board – understanding how to use your paddle and footwork to turn and maneuver your board at will, without sacrificing your hard-won forward speed and momentum, is an essential skill for controlling your board in wind, waves, surf, river or ocean currents, avoiding obstacles, and travelling through tight quarters.
Faster more efficient travel – you don't have to race everywhere you go, but learning to paddle efficiently, and in a straight line, means that you get to where you want to be more quickly and with more energy, so that you have more time and energy to spend when you get there. Basically you can go further, faster, for longer and have more fun.
Deal with less than perfect conditions – the ability to assess and adapt to less than ideal paddling conditions including those put up by wind, waves, strong currents, ocean swell and surf requires a variety of technique from managing board trim to adjusting paddle strokes, to paddle bracing and opens up a new world of paddling possibilities for you beyond the confines of quiet, sheltered waters.

Here is how I figure it. No matter what your SUP dreams, aspirations or goals are, if you are keen enough to own your own board then be keen enough to learn how to fully use it! Whether you dream of touring, surfing , river running or just exploring your local coastline , a set of advanced paddle skills will enhance your safety, level of competence and confidence on the water. And that in turn is going to mean more potential for adventure, discovery and exploration. And that means greater rewards, satisfaction and enjoyment from your SUP excursions. More fun. Advanced Stoke!

Paddle On

Coach Neil

So, still wondering if should you take an Advanced SUP Skills course? Join our Advanced Touring Skills course this season.

Holiday Reading: Guide Book Recommendations for 2023

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:14:58 GMT

At the end of each year I enjoy sending out our book recommendations and as the holidays approach it is really nice to take some time for yourself and to curl up in front of the fire place with a good book. I have reached out to some of our guides, friends and family of Norm Hann Expeditions to share their top book selections of 2023 for your enjoyment. Support your local books stores if you are looking at grabbing one of these for your holiday reading or as a Christmas gift for those who love to get books as a present.

"My favourite book of the year was The Wager by David Grann. From the very first page, you are captivated by a story of deception, shipwreck, starvation and life on the open seas in 1700s. This book rivals Shackleton's Endurance for one of the greatest survival shipwreck stories ever told. A must read! – Brandon Oolsthorn, Bow Valley Sup & Surf

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage – Alfred Lansing. "Funny you should mention this Brandon as Erick Peterson, Crossfit Conditioning, also recommended this book this year. Maybe one of the greatest stories of survival, perseverance and leadership ever written. I read this book 25 years ago and it still has a special place on my bookshelf." – Norm

The Connected Coast – "I love the drawings, practical tips and coastal stories. A really great reference book for guiding on the coast." Tina Currie

Fire Weather – John Valliant. "Every Canadian should read this book." Anne Hann

The Island of Sea Women – Lisa See "It has quickly become one of my favourite books. Very well researched and captivating, I highly recommend it. And of course it's ocean themed :)" -Laura Mercy

Possessing Meares Island – Barry Gough " This book launched me down the rabbit hole about the early explorers of the Pacific and North America. This book was enlightening – a sound, objective, and thoughtful historical accounting of the people, nations and events that have shaped the nature of the Pacific Northwest and Clayoquot Sound in particular." – Coach Neil

Open – Andre Agassi – Bruce Kirkby. "A great recommendation by Bruce, I loved this book as well. I know Bruce also read The Wager and Fire Weather on our paddling trips this summer which he really enjoyed. And if you haven't read Bruce's books yet, Blue Sky Kingdom , then I highly recommend it as well."

Outsider: An Old Man, a Mountain and the Search for a Hidden Past – Jen Segger "Gifted to Norm and I by Tracy Kelly after our Nisutlin River trip, we both enjoyed the story of Dag, an endurance runner, extreme skier and hermit living in a old bus in the Okanagan Valley and his challenging life story and personal philosophies."

Never Turn Back – The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar – Norm "I found this book at Blue Toque Sports in Courtenay, it's a tough one to find. But what an amazing story about Walt who started his paddling career quite late in life and went on to shock the outdoor world by doing the first solo ascent of Turnback Canyon on the Alesk River, in Northern BC/Yukon."

All In: The Atlantic Standup Paddle Crossing: The Atlantic Standup Paddle Crossing – 93 Days Alone at Sea – Chris Bertish

What are your favourite books of the 2023?

Please Leave a Reply below! Thanks and happy reading over the holidays and into 2024!

Just one Wave: My love of Surfing

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 20:32:54 GMT

For a long time now, I have had this love of water and waves. I remember being in grade four and drawing surfers in Hawaii, even though I grew up in a Northern Ontario mining town, 4500 km from the nearest ocean. In high school and university I would search out magazine shops to see if I could find the latest editions of Surfing and Surfer. I had no idea where this love of surfing came from until a few years ago when my dad sent me an old picture from the mid to late 70's. I was standing on the shores of Lake Huron with a small, white Styrofoam surfboard under my arm. When I asked my dad about the details he told me that he had bought the board for me from Canadian Tire. After the picture was taken my little brother and I went out and managed to catch a couple of waves on our belly before I snapped the board in half. But that one wave was all that I needed for my love of surfing to take hold.

Where it all started, Sauble Beach, Lake Huron, Cica 1977? Thanks Mom and Dad.

It wasn't until a few decades later when I quit my teaching job and moved west to the mountains and oceans of British Columbia to pursue my path to becoming an outdoor guide in 1999, when I had my first chance to try surfing. That fall I made the pilgrimage to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island where I took a lesson from the only surf school there at the time, Surf Sister. I caught my first wave, bought the 9′ softtop surfboard right from Jenny's fleet and immediately headed back out to catch a few more waves. I would continue to pursue this passion for surfing up until 2008.

Blame Laird

Big wave surfer, Laird Hamilton provided the inspiration for me to get into standup paddleboarding. It was his 2008 film, All Aboard the Crazy Train, where I first saw him with a paddle in hand, surfing thick, double overhead waves in Hawaii. I was mesmerised. What a beautiful combination of two sports that I loved, paddling and surfing, I knew I had to try it and had a pretty strong feeling that there was going to be something special about it. I raced down to Second Wave surf shop in North Vancouver where I convinced the owner to sell me the only sup rental board he had, an 11'6″ Southpoint Kalama Timpone which I immediately took to Deep Cove for my first ever stand up paddle. You never forget the first time you stand up on a board, it was such a cool experience. But my goal with the board was not flatwater paddling, my goal was surfing, just like Laird, so back to Vancouver Island I went. My first wave on that board was caught in the coastal logging town of Port Renfrew and I can still remember being out by myself, the salty smell of the emerald sea, and catching waves with the mist hanging off the Pacific Northwest rainforest. Ahh… true freedom.

Dave Kalama with his signature standup paddleboard and the first board I ever bought and surfed in 2008, a Southpoint Kalama Timpone 11'6″ x 28.7/8″ x 4.5″

Paddle Surf Retreats Built for You

As much as I love exploring our coastline on multiday expeditions my passion for standup started with my love for surfing and continues to this day. I still love getting to Tofino any chance I get. I think my most cherished times are getting to Long Beach, solo, for dawn patrol just as the sun is starting to crest over the peninsula. I also love to share my passion for which is why I have created surf experiences that I think you would really enjoy and that reflects my love of the ocean, coaching and sharing waves in spectacular locations. I hope you get a chance to join us in the surf for some of these experiences in the new year. Have a look at what I have planned for 2024 and beyond.

Tofino Surf Camp

Our Tofino Surf weekend has been our longest running course and has grown into a five day retreat based at Rancho Tofino where I coach with local, Catherine Bruhwiler. Catherine is not only an incredible surfer but she is a great technical coach and ambassador of her coastal hometown. With great food and fun waves, we always have an amazing time in the fall. This is the perfect experience for beginner paddle surfers and those with flatwater paddling experience. Cath and I coach throughout the week and help you build the right foundation of ocean safety and paddle surfing technique so you can catch your first wave.

Brittany Cosmab enjoying the post surf stoke at our fall camp in Tofino. PC: Alex Taalman

Nootka Island

I was also work with Catherine's brother Raph. I have know Raph for a long time but we connected on our conservation film, Stand. Raph is man that can do it all on the coast, a big wave charger and was Canada's first pro surfer. Raph has been running remote coastal surf trips on Nootka Island for a number of years and knows the area's surf breaks intimately. My goal in this partnership was to provide the quintessential west coast Canadian paddle surf experience. Nootka Island is raw, rugged and spectacular with the opportunities for remote, uncrowded surf breaks. This is a great trip for you if you have some paddle surf experience already and you are looking for a unique experience. Also if you have a group we can secure a custom date with Raph.

Raph(second from right), Chef Alex(far left) and our Nootka Island crew.

STAND film Trailer – a surf and SUP documentary about a threatened coast from Dendrite Studios on Vimeo .

Portugal

New for spring 2024 we are headed to Portugal to surf with Tiago Silva at Mauka Lodge. Portugal is a wave magnet and offers all levels of beach break surf and we can't wait to experience the culture on this European surf experience.

Tiago Silva of Mauka Lodge in Portugal enjoying a fun one.

Maldives with Moon Tours

In 2025 I have a dream trip lined up to the Maldives with Moon Tours. Moon Tours has been a favourite retreat for the team from Sunova as they also carry a full range of Sunova boards. As much as I love paddle surfing in Canada with 5/4 wetsuits I can't wait to be surfing warm, uncrowded waves as we explore the various reef breaks from our 62′ luxury support boat.

Uncrowded waves, remote reef breaks, and crystal clear waters is what you can look forward to on our Maldives Surf Trip

Send me an email or leave a comment if you have any questions about our surf retreats, or surf specific equipment. If you have a group you would like to surf with, then I can help create a custom trip for you based on your goals and locations. You only need one wave…..

See you in the surf,

Norm

Waiting for some waves on our Tofino Surf Retreat PC: Alex Taalaman

What Course is Right for You?

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 19:41:47 GMT

From Your First Paddle Strokes to Exploring the Open Coast.

One of the beautiful things about stand up paddling is that most anyone can stand up on a board and 'make it go'. The gear is light, portable, and relatively inexpensive. It's easy to get out on the water if even just for a half hour wind-down after work, to perhaps watch the sunset from the water on an autumn evening, or to dangle your feet off the side in the cool water on a sunny summer's day.

But while Stand Up Paddling is perhaps the most accessible paddle sport of all, another beautiful thing about SUP is its versatility. A single board can take you from puttering around on your local waterway to exploring some of the most scenic and challenging spots in the world! From calm placid lakes and coves, to open ocean swells, whitewater rivers, remote islands, surf beaches, and multi-day wilderness expeditions, your SUP board can take you wherever you dream of going.

So… how do you get there?

The journey is not that hard and we have worked it out for you! Whatever your objectives are, we have a learning path to help you develop the skills, knowledge, and experience that you require to head out onto the water as a safe, competent, and confident coastal explorer. Let's have a look…

If you have never had any formal SUP instruction our two hour Intro to Stoke program is the place to start. Even if you have been paddling for a while, we solidify your base with essential knowledge about ocean safety and awareness, work on developing your core paddling skills and begin to build your on water experience.

If your SUP adventure goals involve open water touring, paddle surfing, or river running our two-day Advanced Coastal Skills program is a fundamental step towards honing your existing skills and expanding your expertise beyond those suited for quiet and sheltered waters. Although we often refer to these as 'flatwater' skills, a powerful and efficient forward stroke, the use of stroke combinations, various foot stances, pivot turns, and bracing are all essential skills for progressing into the more turbulent or moving waters of the open coast, surf zone, tidal currents, and rivers. If you want to become a competent SUP paddler in any of these environments don't skip this course.

For many of us, the thought of exploring your coastline conjures dreams of overnight expeditions, riding the swells of the open ocean, or plying the waters of our rivers and tidal rapids. Our 3 day Coastal Touring Skills course introduces you to the ins and outs of planning and managing your own full day tour trips and paddling more open coastal waters. And building on that, our 5 day Vargas Island Expedition Training focuses on overnight SUP expedition planning, leadership and group management on the spectacular west coast of Vancouver Island. Our weekend River Skills courses teach you essential safety and decision-making skills for paddling and navigating river currents and tidal rapids. And the 5 day all inclusive Tofino Paddle Surf Camp is for those people who are new to paddle surfing and want to learn how to catch waves.

Although not mandatory to join us on an expedition, the Coastal Touring Skills course and the Vargas Island Expedition training is a great progression into an expedition like the Broughton Archipelago Expedition where you will be carrying all of your own gear and will be cooking all of your own meals as we travel through this incredible island ecosystem.

Whatever paddling journey you have in mind, being physically strong and ready for your adventures is an important consideration. Our CoastalFIT program features endurance training, mobility practice, and video feedback coaching integrated with a supportive online community of coaches and paddlers that, like you, are working on making their adventure dreams a reality.

With the right skills, knowledge and experience under your belt stand up paddling can take you to all kinds of amazing places! Work from the bottom up, build your experience methodically and explore your coastline as a safe, competent and confident paddler!

Coach Neil

Brougton Islands, Flatwater foundation

Our Guides Top Books for 2022

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 19:46:43 GMT

As the holidays approach it is really nice to curl up in front of the fire place with a good book. I have reached out to some of our guides, friends and family of Norm Hann Expeditions to share their top book selections of 2022 for your enjoyment. Support your local books stores if you are looking at grabbing one of these for your holiday reading or as a Christmas gift for those who love to get books as a present.

Spirits of the Coast. Severn Cullis Suzuki

"This book provides me inspiration with "Science, Art & History" to connect me back to nature ( meditative state ), that reminds me of my purpose & passion for the generations ahead!" – Tina Currie, NHX Guide & Coastal Stoke Leader.

The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body . Ross Edgely

"We don't control external events only ourselves and our responses, by learning to accept the uncontrollable and control the controllable creates a more resilient athlete." – Heather Martin, NHX Client

Making a Chaputs: The Teachings and Responsibilities of a Canoe Maker. Joe Martin and Alan Hoover

Sarah Stoski, Tofino Paddle Surf/Norm Hann Expedition Touring Guide.

Heart of the Raincoast. Alexandra Morton and Billy Proctor

"Part history, part biography, part story telling, Heart of the Raincoast is the story of Billy Proctor, the lifestyle and characters that surrounded him, and his connection and passion for the west coast that was, and still is before his time." – Neil Gilson, NHX Guide.

In Search of Captain Zero. Alan Weisbecker

"I have been travelling in and around Costa Rica last winter and will be again this winter. This book inspires me to adventure and surf in little known spots only locals know." – Brandon Olsthoorn, Bow Valley SUP Owner & Guide.

The Energy Bus, 10 Rules to Fuel your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy. Jon Gordon

"Provides a powerful plan for overcoming common life and work obstacles and bringing out the best in yourself and your team." – Shannon Hann, sister, 3o Minute Hit Franchise.

Breath, The New Science of a Lost Art – James Nestor

"This is a fascinating read that explores the science and ancient wisdom of breathing properly, and how it ties in with our health and well-being." Amber Turnau, NHX Client

The Book of Hope, A Survival Guide for Trying Times. Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams

"This one was a phenomenal read. Very inspiring and uplifting. And easy to read." – Natalie Gilson, Tortuga Creative Studio

Kings of the Yukon, A River Journey in Search of the Chinook. Adam Weymouth

"I read this book during the Nisutlin River Expedition in the Yukon and loved it." – Laura Mercy, NHX Client

I always love getting book recommendations so send me an email and share your favourite book you read in 2022!

Arguing with Zombies, Economic, Politics and a Fight for a Better Future. Paul Krugman

"A no-holds-barred assessment of the American rights political decline into fact-free economic and human rights policy. A reasonably easy read for such a serious subject." – My Uncle John.

Tips on Winter Paddling

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 18:28:52 GMT

NHE Guide and Coastal Stoke Leader Tina Currie sits down with the Squamish Chief to share some tips on paddling in the winter. Have a read and let us know if you have any questions about what to wear or what to bring with you.

Adding Attachment Points to your Inflatable Touring Board

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 23:03:29 GMT

Big thanks to my paddling partner Bruce Kirkby who has added a number of D rings to his Starboard Touring Inflatables and thought this article would be useful if you are looking to add rear or additional attachment point to your boards.

From Bruce:

" I've added attachments to 4 boards now, and have learned a fair bit in the process. Good news is even in rough conditions, not a single one has ever failed. Here are a few pics and details.

I use 1″ NRS d-rings ( https://www.nrs.com/star-ik-1-d-ring-pvc-patch/pr87 ) attached with Stabond adhesive ( https://www.nrs.com/stabond-adhesive/pkjz ) Stabond is a 2-part contact cement, and it is crucial–the strongest PVC adhesive on the market I believe. I've seen lots of other glues marketed as 'strong' rip off when tightening bungees on the beach.

One other alternative, if you really want to avoid the glue, are these sticky patches from NSI ( https://www.northshoreinc.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=344&idcategory=0 ) They should have an option for inflatable (vs hardboard). The NSI attachments seem strong, but would be second choice IMO to gluing down a d-ring. I also worry about the rope attachment (vs metal on d-ring) being abraded and weakening over time as bungee is pulled back and forth through it. But this is a quick and easy way to add lash down points, especially good I think on a hardboard.

You'll need to clean any deck pad from the area you are gluing…and taking a knife and sand paper to a perfectly good inflatable board can be intimidating at first. Don't stress! It's not hard. To begin I position the d-rings where I want them, then trace the outline of the each patch onto traction pad using a sharpie. After that, I use a sharp knife to carefully scrib edge, being certain I'm not cutting into the board itself (this is actually easier than it sounds as the traction pad is essentially foam, while the board is hard rubber, so you can cut through the foam pretty easily without nicking the board). Next, I try to peel as much pad off as I can by hand, using the knife to pry underneath as I go. I scrap away any big bits left behind with the knife, then sand what remains until I'm confident I'm down to PVC rubber. It will never be 100% clean – just do the best you can. Then pick a warm but not baking hot day to apply the stabond + rings. It works best around 70 F and medium humidity (if you want to geek out!) There are detailed application instructions that come with Stabond."

The Expedition Five: Planning a Multi Day SUP Trip

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:19:28 GMT

Dream Big

There is nothing like sitting around a campfire chatting about the next big paddling trip you would like to do. Or maybe it's pouring over charts and maps of your province, state or country with coffee in hand writing out your bucket list. Whether it's oceans, rivers or lakes, at the end of the day it's great to set a paddling goal. I read once that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. Writing your goals down not only forces you to get clear on what, exactly, it is that you want to accomplish, but doing so can motivate you to complete the tasks necessary for your success. Tasks can range from planning out that menu, to the hours required to organize and pack your paddling & camping gear. And keep in mind that when you're paddling into a stiff headwind or you are being devoured by mosquitoes while setting up your tent in Northern Ontario is it always good to have that overarching goal moving you forward.

After years of looking at topo maps of the area, Bruce Kirkby and I finally paddle the ancient grease trail in Tsimshian Territory. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Share Your Experience

No I am not talking about Instagram and although I do love solo paddling time I also enjoy sharing my wilderness experience with a good partner. Finding someone can be a challenge as you search for those expedition partners who share your values, fitness level, expectations and experience. In decision making models we call it the human factor and they need to be someone you can trust and that you enjoy spending time with in the outdoors. Good partners not only support and motivate one another on the long days but they can keep you accountable, share decision making responsibility, and most importantly provide a valuable safety net on the more dynamic trips. At the end of a long paddling day it sure does feel good to share some stories, a nip of scotch and a few laughs with those partners around the campfire.

My trusted paddling partner Bruce Kirkby and I waiting out the tide at Seymour Narrows.

Travel Light, Travel Fast, Travel Far

One thing I am really conscious of when it comes to my gear list is making sure I am traveling light. Unlike sea kayaking where you can bring much more into the field with you and the gear is put into covered, weather efficient hatches, it is important to get your kit as stream lined as possible to conserve the energy while moving towards your goal. I am not one of those guys who saws his toothbrush in half to save weight but with all of the incredible gear on the market it is easy to go light and small, especially with sleeping bags, pads, tents and cooking gear. Using good light, carbon fiber paddle with a smaller blade size like the Blackfish Salish 500 really helps in moving heavier, fully loaded touring boards and makes a big difference on how your body feels at the end of the day. Experience will hone your paddling kit, leaving behind the extras and bringing only what's needed.

Rounding Brooks Peninsula with Bruce Kirby. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Level Up

My number one recommendation when people ask me about getting into touring and multi day expeditions is to take a good flatwater skills course. Developing a strong and technical forward stroke will really make the difference covering larger distances on your paddleboard or punching into a headwind. If you already have some basic skills then taking an advanced skills or touring course can really fast track your skill set and experience. Search out those great instructors and coaches in your area and see if you can line up a lesson. Another recommendation is once you have the skill set you should get out for some consistent and focused paddle training at least three times per week where you can build up your strength and endurance. Training paddles should include fully loaded boards to simulate those long days on expedition.

Expedition Guide Tina Currie getting some training reps in and working on solid forward stroke technique out on Howe Sound. PC: Jennifer Brown

Plan & Reflect

Ever since I started guiding over twenty years ago I have been using Rite in the Rain journals. I have all of my trips and training courses recorded. You can use these journals to plan out your trip, recording important information about weather, daily route plans, tides and currents. But you can also use the journals to record wildlife encounters and things not to forget or to bring along next time. I usually like to sit down by the fire at the end of the day to record my thoughts, special points of interest and moments of gratitude from the days events. Rereading your journals can take you right back to the sights, sounds and emotions felt at the moment.

A great time to reflect and journal. Lowrey Bay, Vancouver Island, after Bruce Kirkby and I paddled around Cape Scott. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Packing for Multi Day Paddling Trips with Mustang Survival

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 16:54:37 GMT

When it comes to knowing how to pack for a SUP trip—no matter how many days you're heading out for—Norm Hann and Bruce Kirkby are the go-to pros to learn how to prep and pack for any standup paddling trip.

They met in 2012 and have been heading out for adventures and expeditions together, and with groups, ever since. Why the passion for standup paddling expeditions? Paddling trips are an incredible way to experience the coast and shorelines, exposing you to beaches and corners of marine environments that can't be accessed by boats or roads. Taking the time to learn how to plan and pack for longer SUP adventures opens up a whole world of new ways to enjoy the water – something both Norm and Bruce have experienced themselves, and loved sharing with their expedition guests.

Whether you're going out on a day trip, testing the waters of an overnight and taking on your first multi-day, get ready to get out there with confidence and courage – and some well-packed gear.

What to pack for a SUP trip

The foundational strategy for packing for a SUP trip is similar to packing for a backpacking trip, with a special focus on clothes (you'll learn why).

Both Norm and Bruce coach their expedition clients to work to pack as little as possible, considering weight, without forgetting key essentials for their safety, comfort, and nourishment.

Here's what they make sure they bring, and have guests pack too:

Paddling Gear: Touring board, fin, adjustable paddle , PFD with whistle , tow line, throw bag, spare paddle and a spare fin.

Safety Gear : First aid kit, Charts/Tides, VHF Marine weather radio (ocean) or Satellite Phone (rivers/lakes) and or Satellite Communicator like a Delorme In Reach or Spot.

Camp Setup: 2-3 person tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, compressible pillow, headlamp, stove and fuel, food and small essentials for cooking and eating (bowl, spork, insulated mug, small pot, knife, etc.) based on your meal plan.

Clothing : For a good clothing system think about keeping one complete set of dry camp clothes (socks, pants, shirt, midlayer, outerlayer, something to keep your head warm, camp shoes), one complete set of paddling clothes (weather + seasonally thoughtful clothes for sun protection, immersion and warmth, that make it easy to paddle and won't weigh you down if you go in).

Food: oatmeal, coffee, tea, dehydrated meals, and lightweight snacks that are nutrient and energy dense, fresh water AND a backup plan for H2O. Big fan of fresh food? Read on…there's a method to the dehydrated food 'madness' in the section below.

How to choose your SUP touring gear

When choosing gear for SUP touring or trips, it's easy to go down the rabbit hole of 'most lightweight everything'. And, making thoughtful choices about the gear you're bringing means considering weight AND usability, functionality, warmth – and more. Here are some products Norm and Bruce always pack, and brands they love and trust.

Instead of wetsuits, on cooler spring/fall days on when on expedition they're a big fan of stretch neoprene pants and tops; their favorite gear to paddle in are the Vaikobi V Cold Pants and Long Sleeve Base Layer top offering lots of mobility, breathability and some protection in the event of a swim. They also pair the waterproof Mustang Survival Callan short over top the pants.
Saving weight on the camp stove makes sense – and the MSR WhisperLight Stove does the trick.
Packing a North Water Sealink Tow Line is nice in case you need to tow your partner or a board.
Emergency tape can get you out of a bind when you need it most. VSSL carries an incredible emergency tape that's held holes in a hardboard for an entire trip. You can find it in their Fix It supply pack . NOTE: gentle reminder – inflatable boards are hard to fix in the field – one of the downfalls of an inflatable on an extended trip.
There's not enough attention paid to the paddle – even through it's what is in your hands all day long. Norm and Bruce use adjustable Blackfish Paddles ; they're lightweight, durable with a smaller blade face – which becomes important as you start moving a fully loaded touring board in a headwind. Pro tip: make sure your spare paddle is the same quality.
Gloves can be a help for your hands if they're getting beaten up by long days on the water. Gloves are also great for reducing exposure to UV rays on the backs of your hands – especially ones with integrated SPF protection.
Speaking of sun protection, cover all the bases you can. Sun stroke/sun burn while on a trip can be a real bummer. Hats by Shelta are trusted by guides and experienced paddlers, or you can use a mesh trucker hat with a buff. Norm and Bruce also love wearing the Mustang Survival Hooded Adelphi.
When picking a PFD consider safety, core warmth, and one that's comfortable. Consider if the PFD you're choosing has attachment points for things like radios or pocket knives, and if there are any pockets to keep essentials (like snacks, for example) easily accessible. The Khimera's a great option; lightweight with added buoyancy available if you need it, all packed into a slim profile that doesn't get in your way.

And when it comes to food?

Bruce—known for both his epic food bags and his experience in serving exceptional meals in the wilderness while raft and sea kayak guiding—has dialed down the extravagance in service of food as fuel…saving space and weight in the process.

Plan your meal strategy by considering:

The kind of trip you're planning. If you're doing a long haul with long days, simple meals that require little energy will serve you well. Dehydrated meals make the end of the day easy and are lightweight to boot.
How many people you're travelling with. More boards = more places to split the weight if you choose to pack some fresh foods.
Consider energy dense foods and snacks that are lightweight; cheese, sausage, energy bars, nuts, dried fruit give you the fats and sugars you need to keep going day by day.
Some treats you love: because it's not all business all the time and it sure is a nice reward after a really long day! Licorice, chocolate and other sweets help Norm and Bruce—and their guests—push through the final stages of a trip.
Your water plan. It's a good idea to bring fresh water if you're on an ocean trip. Here are a few options: 1. Carrying a 10L MSR Dromedary Bag 2. Having Pristine or Aquatabs for water 3. Boiling water from streams. 4. Being aware of access to water sources on your trip plan.

How to pack for SUP adventures

A common mistake made by many early SUP expeditioners? Keeping all their goods in one big bag. From being able to access certain pieces of gear with ease to thoughtfully distributing weight on your board, Norm and Bruce opt for a multi-system, modular approach to packing as see in the above gear layout photo.

When they say 'systems' they mean independent bags that house gear dedicated to specific parts of your day. What this approach does is keep all their gear related to certain activities organized in one place, and limits entry into certain bags other than once a day.

They plan their systems like this:

Camp + Sleeping System: tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, pillow, camp clothes – pack it in the morning and you don't have to touch it until the night.

Cooking System: your stove, cooking utensils

Food System: your food for main meals

Personal Gear/Day Bag : paddling layers, a couple snacks, sunscreen, safety equipment that's not attached to your PFD, foul weather gear, bandana, hat, beanie, etc. Also: ensure at least one team member keeps their stove and some coffee or tea with their personal gear. You never know when you'll want a warm drink or a little mid-paddle pick me up.

They love the Greenwater 35L bags for this approach to packing; totally waterproof with easy to grab and carry handles they can easily navigate and group systems into with smaller dry bags – if need be.

With two 35L bags and a day bag, you can host 2, 3, 10 or 14 days worth of gear on your board. And don't forget: distribute weight and gear between your fellow expeditioners.

Once you've got your bags dialed, you'll start packing your board.

Keep the weight close to your feet; as close as possible, where possible. Your tie down points and system may not be as close to your feet as they could get; consider adding more tie down points or moving the ones on your board. And, don't forget your board's handle; it can act as a tiedown point if it's the kind you can run a bungee through.
Keep the center of gravity as low as you can. Stacking bags high throws off your center of gravity and stability.
Focus the majority of the weight in front of you/at the front of the board. It's generally where the widest part of your board is, offering greater stability and support for larger loads.
Tie down your gear properly. Your board should be able to roll over and roll back without your bags falling off. Take all the strapping off, place bags, then tie down the bags once they're set. You can use bungees (like Norm) or 4mm rope with a trucker hitch (like Bruce).
Test your system! Start by adding small loads and learn how it feels to paddle with different weight on board. Consider how your bags are organized to distribute weight front to back and side to side. Let this process be a fun test run where you learn what works best for you and your board. It's all trial and error – and a great learning experience for the longer trips in your future!

Top tips from the SUP expedition pros

Beyond packing with confidence, take these top tips from the pros with you when you go to the water for a safe, successful trip every time:

Stick with the buddy system. If there's something the pros won't compromise on, it's safety. And, safety starts with going out on an adventure with the company of a buddy. Not only can they be a valuable asset if the worst case scenario develops, they're a strategic partner in sharing the load that makes touring trips enjoyable, fun, and unforgettable.
Your clothing plan MATTERS . Keep your dry clothes dry, and your wet clothes wet. Don't let your dry clothes get wet. You'll thank them for this one.
Tie down points can make or break your expedition's effectiveness. It doesn't matter if you're paddling on a hard board or an inflatable one. Tie down points in the front and back are important for securing your gear and distributing weight safely and wisely.
Plan for the predictable and the unpredictable. Travelling with tide charts is one thing. Knowing what to do when weather patterns change at the drop of a dime, injuries unexpectedly occur, gear breaks or breaks down…those situations can't always be predicted. Take your time to consider plans and strategies for what to do when things change – and prepare yourself as best as you can to be ready for anything.
Time your day. Start early, get off the water early. Optimize the day by giving yourself lots of time to rest, recharge and replenish at your daily camp spot. Rest will set the rest of your trip up for success.

Both Norm and Bruce are always adventuring – and welcoming you along for the ride. Stay up to date with their expedition options that you can watch and join in on HERE

Expedition Report: Journey Down Johnston

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 01:04:24 GMT

This past July I got an excited call from my paddling partner, Bruce Kirkby, about joining me for the second of our two paddling trips to the Broughton Archipelago . "Hey wouldn't it be cool if we just paddled back to your new house in Royston." I knew this meant tackling the infamous Johnstone Strait, and trying to get down the east side of Vancouver Island in three and a half days, but it sounded like a fun, quick adventure and an opportunity to paddle and explore a new area of our coastline which I am always up for!

Journey Down Johnston: Telegraph Cove to Campbell River

Johnston's Challenge

I had my apprehensions about paddling south through Johnstone Strait. This is a massive, exposed body of water. Located in Kwakwaka'wakw traditional territory the strait is a 110km long channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island and runs almost directly west to east from Queen Charlotte Strait in the north to the Discovery Islands on the southern end. It is a major navigation channel on the west coast of North America and the weather, to put it mildly, can be challenging, seductive one moment and terrifying the next. In the summer, the prevailing wind in Johnstone Strait is a westerly, often gale-force, funnelled by the mountains. The result can be a classic wind against current situation, heaping up the seas and creating, powerful dynamic conditions that are not only a significant threat to paddleboarders but to sailors and pleasure boaters alike.

Telegraph Cove to Robson Bight Ecological Reserve 14.5k

After wrapping up our five day Broughton trip and saying goodbye to an amazing group of ladies in the early afternoon, Bruce and I pounded back some food and quickly repacked our gear. Conditions in Johnston Strait were pretty good as we departed the quaint little ocean village of Telegraph Cove as the ebb current pulled us out and sucked us southward. We were off to a late start in the day but wanted to get as much mileage in as we could before the sun set. With the responsibility of guiding behind me we fell quietly into expedition pace as we entered the top end of the strait.

We made good time putting 14 km behind us as we approached the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve. Robson Bight, on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island is known as the world's most likely place to see Killer Whales in the wild. The primary role of the reserve is to provide a sanctuary for killer whales, their activities, and to protect their habitat. With that there are no boats, sea kayaks or paddleboarders allowed in this area and hiking to the Tsitika River watershed and estuary is prohibited. Bruce and I had to stay clear of this area and with darkness approaching and a light rain we set up our tent at north end of the reserve at the Robson Bight Border Camp.

Robson Bight Ecological Reserve to Hickey Point- 50KM

Kirkby navigating the fog outside of Robson Bight on Day 2

As we unzipped our tent "pea soup" fog greeted us this morning. Usually the fog would not pose much of a problem as we could just follow the shoreline south but since we had to totally avoid the reserve, I set a GPS co-ordinate on my watch that we would follow until we were clear of the area. The ebbing current out of Johnstone Strait slowed our pace to 4.5km/hr which was hard to tell as there were no reference points as everything was white. Keeping an ear out for boats and the blows of whales, we paddled in the fog for close to three hours before the veil was lifted revealing the rugged topography and rainforest covered slopes of Vancouver Island. I had to admit I was disappointed not being able to see Robson Bight and the unlogged Tsitika Estuary. Upon hitting our gps co-ordinate and clearing the reserve we changed our course back to the shoreline. I kept hoping that we would run into a pod of killer whales, the one potential sighting ended up being a group of kayakers off in the distance headed north. The weather began to improve as Bruce and I wrapped up a big day and found our second night campsite at Hickey Point. With camp set up camp, we dried our gear and with the sun on our face, we made a late afternoon coffee, Starbucks Via to be exact. Afternoon coffee is a small pleasure both Bruce and I enjoy and look forward to after a long grind. A Humpback Whale feeding right off our beach provided the afternoon show. I just love the feeling you get after a full day on the water, physically wrung out, leaving a feeling of peaceful calm. We fell asleep to the sound of lapping waves on our gravel beach.

Kirkby cooling off.

Killer Whale in Kwakwaka'wakw Territory PC: Bruce Kirkby

Drying out at Hickey Point Campsite

Hickey Point to Cinque Islands – 60km

Humpback breaching just offshore of our campsite. PC: Bruce Kirkby

The infamous Johnstone Strait westerlies arrived while we slept and were our wakeup call as the winds buffeted our tent walls. We had a big day ahead of us so we downed a quick breakfast while watching two humpbacks rolling in the kelp beds just offshore. The sea state was challenging as strong shoreline currents combined with stiff westerlies that piled up swell creating unpredictable rebound effects. An hour of focused paddling brought us into the calm waters of Kelsey Bay where we stopped to see if we could find a seaside coffee shop. No luck, but we did chat with a friendly local, an old fisherman, who gave us some valuable information and points of interest about our route ahead. We rebounded and pushed south across the mouth of the Salmon River. We glided over crystal clear green waters with vast colourful beds of sea urchins and sea stars that quickly passed below our boards as strong tidal currents ferried us through Boat Passage. The highlight of day was an exhilarating tidal run that had us moving at a blistering pace of 12km/hr. We enjoyed the challenge and route finding as we looked for that "magic" line of efficiency, doing our best to hook into the ocean's natural escalator. Similar to running a big river we used our river skills, draws, braces and edging to avoid whirlpools, boils, and back eddies. Having this skill set really aids in efficient coastal travel and allows you to take advantage of favourable conditions. 24km's in two hours brought us to a major coastal transition zone, Chattam Point. Here the Vancouver Island shoreline abruptly changes course from south east to due south, this elbow can easily be seen on any map of the island. This was the highlight area of the whole trip for me, a stunning ecosystems and more like a portal that left the cooler, wetter and more rugged climate of the north island and presented a doorway into the warmer, calmer waters of Discovery Passage. Another hour of uneventful paddling had us landing on the picturesque Cinque Islands, a small chain of islands off the southwest shoreline of Sonora Island and characterized by Douglas Fir and Arbutus trees. Another long day was in the books and under a spectacular coastal sunset we devoured our freeze dried dinner and hit the sleeping bag early with thoughts of Seymour Narrows, our final barrier to Campbell River, on our minds.

Channel marker at Chattam Point

Bruce getting some dinner ready at the Cinque Islands

Cinque Islands to Campbell River – 36km

Morning routine PC: Bruce Kirkby

Approaching Quadra Island PC: Bruce Kirkby

Up before the sunrise, we double checked John Kimantis's guide book over hot coffee and granola. Thank goodness for John's guidedbooks , invaluable if you want to do any paddling on our coastline or if you are interested in planning a trip. His books and maps are filled with super valuable information, campsites, points of interest and detailed First Nations history for most of the coast. It feels in a way that John is with us on most of our coastal adventures and we can usually hear him whispering about the challenges and hazards our paddling route may provide. One of the most challenging hazards on the coast and the final crux of our journey was Seymour Narrows, a 5 km long section of the Discovery Passage between Quadra and Vancouver Island and known for its terrifying tidal currents. The area has claimed 114 lives and even Captain George Vancouver in 1791 described it as "one of the vilest stretches of water in the world." Ripple Rock, an underwater mountain in the middle of the pass accounted for most of these deaths until April 5th, 1958 when the top of this underwater mountain was loaded with dynamite. The explosion that occurred, in hopes of clearing this obstacle, was the largest non nuclear detonation in the world. John's sage advice was to hug the Quadra Island side of the narrows where you avoid most of the strong currents and could use a couple of bays to maneuver yourself into better position. The recommendation worked perfectly as Bruce and I hugged tight to the shoreline, making our way against the flood current while marvelling at the flowing fronds of Bull Kelp and revelling in the jam packed walls of intertidal life. We picked our way right to the light that marked the easterly entrance to the narrows where we pulled ashore, had lunch and waited for the tide to switch. From there it was easy sailing as we used the ebb current to push us all the way into Campbell River where we completed our journey down the Johnston, wrapping up 160km of travel in three and a half days. We gave gratitude to the weather and another safe journey. Thanks to Amber Turneau, my truck was waiting for us steps from where we landed. We loaded up the truck while quickly adjusting to the instant immersion of cars, people and business's after days of remote paddling. With our physical, spiritual and emotional batteries charged, coffees in hand, we headed home.

Lunch Time – Waiting out the tide at Seymour Narrows

Another successful expedition in the books, arrival at Campbell River.

If you are interested in a touring skills course to get you ready for your own expeditions or if you are ready to join us in the Broughton Archipelago then send an email and we can schedule a call. Reach out if you have any questions about our trip, gear or sections of our journey.

See you on the water, Norm

Sunova Search Review

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 21:26:37 GMT

Sunova Search 14' x 30" Review

Details

Board: Sunova Search

Dimensions: 14′ x 30″ x 4 11/16″

Volume: 218L

Construction: Trevor's board is built in the Balsa XXX construction and the new boards are built in the beautiful Paulownia TR3

Trevor's Review

This spring I was able to get my hands on the Sunova Search 14. I am a bigger guy a 6ft and 240lbs, with decent balance skills. Through the summer I have been able to paddle this board in a multitude of conditions. I have raced, downwinded, and and run flat water on it. I have even enjoyed doing small circuits on it in 40km, gusting winds. The one discipline that I haven't gotten to try yet is surfing. One of the biggest problems I have encountered with SUP is finding a board that I am immediately comfortable on. That may have to do with my size in relation to the boards I am paddling. I have a Sunova Allwater 27" which I needed to ride a couple of times in rougher conditions to become comfortable on and get used to the drop deck design. However on the Sunova Search, I felt locked in and secure in all conditions immediately. Pivot turns which take me awhile to get confident with on a board I performed efficiently. In rough water from day one I not only felt comfortable but confident.

On flat water the board tracked surprisingly straight for a planing hull board. I was highly impressed by its glide as well.

Downwinding was a dream on this board. It catches the waves easily, and wants you to be riding them. With the surf style design of the board, the cross chop didn't push the nose around at all and just washed across the board, with no real effect. Consistently on runs I was falling in a lot less on this board than on similar boards. My performance and speed improved greatly as there is truth to the fastest board is the one you can stay on.

Although I have only been able to paddle on local lakes here in Alberta, I have been able to paddle flat water and rough wind effected water as well. Like me this board really enjoys these conditions. When the winds were over 20km I would paddle upwind, proving its efficiency with a head wind. Once tired, I would turn around and ride the waves back and reenergize. I was able to do this in 20-40km winds and the board was outstanding. Going upwind it had very little wave slapping, and when it did occur, it had small amounts of vibrations, most likely to the dampening effects of the Paulownia wood construction. When turning crossway to the wind, it performed admirably as I was able to weight and unweight the rails which is an advantage of a surf style board. But the ride back, is what made me do multiple circuits.

On the lakes here, we get a lot of boat traffic and the waves produced from this has renewed the simple fun that attracted me to this sport. I was able to catch small rides on ankle high wakes. Although I have yet to surf this board, with what I have experienced so far, I'm really looking forward to trying it out.

Being a planing board, it's limitation is when you race, however with it's tracking and glide it does surprisingly well. You won't win many races on it, but you will get to hang out with great people.

I am greatly impressed with the Sunova Search 14' x 30". It is an outstanding all around board, that has performed excellent in all the conditions that I have been able to expose it to thus far. And if you live in a lake environment and want to catch whatever wave you can get on. This is the board to check out.

Trevor Petersen

Trevor back from a Downwind Run with his Sunova Search

Note

A big thanks to our longtime paddling friend Trevor for this great review. We are really excited that you are having so much fun on this board and on so many different conditions. It seems like you are connecting to the original enjoyment we all found with the all around planning hull boards when we were first introduced to this sport.

If you are looking at ordering a Sunova Search, or any other Sunova Board, send an email to explore@normhann.com and we will get you set up!

For more details on this board check it out here .

Brooks Peninsula Trip Report

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 15:19:11 GMT

At the end of August Bruce Kirkby and I had set our sites on paddling around the Brooks Peninsula on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Brooks Peninsula, also known as Mquq?in and part of the Quatsino and Kyuquot/Cheklesaht First Nations Territory is considered a unique geologic feature. As a result, the geology of the peninsula is different from that of the rest of Vancouver Island and many rare plant communities exist. It was thought that much of the Brooks has escaped the last Ice Age approximately 12,000 years ago. This remote wilderness area includes an extensive, wild ocean coastline, long sheltered inlets, rugged mountains, pristine estuaries with high waterfowl and fishery values and high biodiversity values associated with old-growth forests. Rounding Brooks is considered a formidable challenge to paddlers.

Bruce and I started in the river in San Josef Bay, at the exact location where we had finished our Cape Scott Expedition the summer before. We were motivated to link up more of the Vancouver Island coastline

I will let my paddling partner, the great story teller, Bruce Kirkby take you on our journey around the Brooks Peninsula.

Brooks Expedition—DAY ONE—San Josef Bay to Quatsino Sound (47 km)

Last summer, after rounding Cape Scott, Norm Hann and I finished our paddle on the sandy beaches of San Josef Bay. Ahead of us–and clearly visible, despite lying over 100km away–loomed the Brooks Peninsula.

Jutting 13 km into the open Pacific, the Brooks is the most westerly point on Vancouver Island, with a reputation amongst mariners for severe winds, currents, weather and swell. John Kimantis , long-time chronicaller of kayak routes in the Pacific Northwest, warns: "The Brooks Peninsula is prone to high winds that can develop quickly. Rounding the Brooks is among the most challenging portions of BC coastline."

For a year, the Brooks lingered in our imaginations.

Late this August, Norm and I returned to San Josef Bay, and after loading boards with almost 100 lbs of food, water and gear, we paddled the lazy, tidewater river towards the outer sand beaches. After punching through waist-high surf, we turned south, swept onwards by an ebbing tide and a building northwesterly wind, travelling far offshore, past the rocky shores and breaking waves of Cape Palmerston.

Six hours later, we slipped into the protected waters of Quatsino Sound—pleased, exhausted, yet keenly aware the greatest challenges still lay ahead…

Paddling the San Josef River. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Neil saying goodbye to Bruce and I. Thank you Neil for the shuttle and pick up!

Paddling Around Cape Palmerston PC: Bruce Kirkby

Quatsino Campsite Day 1

Brooks Expedition—DAY ONE (cont)

In the waters off Cape Palmerston, we came across two ocean sunfish , or mola mola. These extraordinary creatures, which we are still learning about today (they don't just eat jellyfish, and they can indeed swim rather than simply drift) often exceed 8 feet in length and have grown to over 1000kg (2200 lbs)

One of two Mola Mola we came across on the outside of Cape Palmerston and Top Knot Point.

DAY TWO – Brooks Expedition – Quatsino Sound to Heater Point (27km)

On the water early, we pushed across the mouth of Quatsino Sound, into darkening skies and building swell. By the time we reached the headland of Lawn Point, the seas were 3 metres, and confused. Echoes rumbled across the waters as dark waves heaved themselves skywards, then collapsed in explosions of spray along the rocky shores. A coast guard cutter appeared, then vanished over the horizon behind, leaving us wondering if they even saw us–a reminder of just how tiny we were amid the vast ocean.

Despite sticking close, Norm vanished frequently, lost behind lumps, reappearing below me in a trough, or balanced against the sky above. A wane sun kissed the waters for a fleeting moment, but the day grew steadily more blustery and damp. Alone with our thoughts, tossed by waves and wind, the situation never felt dire. But during those hours, my mind never wandered, not for a second. We had entered a state of hyper-awareness or constant-vigilance that I'm sure many mountaineers and outdoors enthusiasts can appreciate; an understanding that while the situation may be manageable, things could change quickly. Best pay attention.

Upon crossing the mouth of Klaskino Inlet, we took shelter in the lee Heater Point, landing in low surf. The landscape was wild and windswept. We'd passed through a portal—the waters of Lawn Point proving more than we'd bargained—and with that came an unspoken awareness: There was no going back now; the only way out was through.

Morning departure from Kains Beach, Quatsino Sound.

Full on focus coming around Lawn Point PC: Bruce Kirkby

Disappearing in the groundswell. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Bruce, safely around Lawn Point, headed to Heater Point.

Heater Point Campsite

DAY THREE—Brooks Expedition—Heater Point to Crabapple Islets (18km)

The ocean settled overnight…a bit. With warm sun and clearing skies we set off towards the Crabapple Islets–the final possible landing point, and strategic launch site for paddlers hoping to round the Brooks. The morning was glorious, but with confused swell and clapitis rebounding in every direction, the passage across Brooks Bay demanded constant attention.

By 10am we'd landed on a windswept beach, sheltered from the full brunt of the Pacific by the Crabapple Islets. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, eating and beachcombing. A pack of wolves had passed recently, the prints yet unaffected by rain and shifting sand. The landscape was indescribably primal ; massive trees and house-high salal (bush) blow into tortured shapes by constant wind and storm.

We planned to rise before the sun the next morning to catch an ebb tide around the Brooks. Our VHF radio announced two days of favorable NW winds. But on the third morning, the winds would back to gale force SE. If everything went according to plan, we could just slip around the Brooks and race down the coast to the safety of Kyuquot Sound before the first storm of fall turned the ocean untravelable. But the window was tight, and many challenges still lay ahead. We fell into a fitful sleep with the tent shaking in 25kn winds and the ocean around us a sea of whitecaps.

Morning light coming up over the Brooks as we head to Crabapple Islets. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Clouded Mt. Doom on the Brooks watching over Bruce.

Entering the beach at Crabapple Islet. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Camp at Crabapple Islets/Brooks Peninsula , one of the most beautiful, raw and rugged places I have been to on the coast.

An incredible end to our day on the north side of Brooks.

Land of the Coastal Wolf, a morning visit past our tent.

DAY FOUR—Brooks Expedition—Crabapple Islets to Acous Peninsula (42km)

Up in darkness, we brewed coffee and oatmeal, loading the boards as dawn broke. Conditions looked good, but still, a sense of gravity marked our launch-the route ahead was committing.

Mquq?in—as the Brooks Peninsula is known to Che:k'tles7et'h' people—means 'The Queen'. To the Koskimox, it is 'Where the Wind is Born.' Captain Cook described it as the 'Cape of Storms.' Perfectly rectangular, it juts far into the Pacific, dividing weather systems on Vancouver Island. Its 10 km wide headland is delineated by Cape Cook to the north and Clerke Point on the south.

The first two hours passed quickly. With low swell, we tucked inside offshore reefs, working ourselves steadily westwards. Sunlight sparkled off undulating waters, while the Brooks lingered in shadow.

Suddenly the dark cliffs of Cape Cook reared before us, skyline crowded with Sitka spruce. Three enormous dark waves rose, and passed beneath us. Beyond lay beds of bull kelp, the scale of which I have never witnessed before. Then Solander appeared, kissed by the morning sun. This craggy, pyramidal island–an internationally significant seabird sanctuary–lies 1.5 km off the tip of the Brooks, and looks like it belongs on a Star Wars set.

For a short time we stood silently, trying to drink the moment in, balanced at this rarely-glimpsed precipice of extraordinary beauty that we might never return to. Also, as we well knew, a place capable of sudden and unspeakable ferocity.

There was no time to linger. It was only 8-o-clock, but already winds were gusting to 25 knots. Without a backwards glance, we pointed our boards south, and focused on the task at hand. Two hours later, a building ebb and NW winds had carried us past the reefs of Clerke Point, into the relative safety of Checkleset Bay. We eventually stumbled ashore on the sand beaches of Jacobson Point, devoured a lunch of cheese and pepperoni, then carried on towards the tranquil islets of the Acous Peninsula…

Sunrise over Cape Cook, Brooks Peninsula.

Bruce, after a long journey to this point, making his way around Brooks with Solander Island in the distance.

Enjoying the moment rounding the Brooks.

A nice break on the calm waters at Clerke Point and entering into Checkleset Bay.

Lunch stop at Jacobson Beach, Brooks Peninsula.

Mortuary Pole on the Acous Peninsula.

Stellar Sea Lion skeleton at the Acous campsite. PC: Bruce Kirkby

FINAL DAYS – Brooks Expedition – Acous Peninsula to Spring Island

With the tension of the Brooks behind us, we enjoyed an easy day crossing the calm waters of Checklesat Bay, passing sea otters, porpoises and countless jellies. At the lonely Thomas Islets, Norm spotted a dead humpback on a secluded beach, and stopped to strap an enormous rib bone (80 lbs and shoulder high) on the back of his paddleboard–a gift for his son! With a SE storm bearing down on the coast, we took refuge at the camp of my old buddy Dave Pinel and West Coast Expeditions on Spring Island.

After warm showers, a stunning meal (cooked by the 2-star Michelin chef at Dave's camp), we helped the crew start their end-of-season pack up , then caught a boat ride to Fair Harbour, where the illustrious Neil Gilson, was waiting with one of his patented mixology treats, and a ride back to 'civilization.'

Paddling the Acous Island

The vertebrae of a Humpback Whale found on Thomas Island PC: Bruce Kirkby

Incredible Old Growth forest elder on Spring Island.

A big thanks to Dave Pinel and his staff at West Coast Expeditions, Spring Island.

For several summers, Norm Hann and I have tackled increasingly challenging paddleboard expeditions together–sure, because we love being out there, but also because of the joy and excitement that comes from expanding our understanding of what paddleboards are capable of in serious expeditions settings. (And what we are capable of too!) It has been hugely rewarding for both of us to see the comments and interest in our trips. Thank you from both of us, for taking time to come on this coastal journey with us amid the busyness of modern life. I plan on posting some packing tips and lists soon-but in the meantime, never hesitate to ask if you have questions.

What a finish in Fair Harbour! Thank you Neil! Cheers to a great adventure and safe passage! PC: Bruce Kirkby

Finally, a massive thanks to the incredible team who support our endeavours. We simply couldn't do it without you, Starboard SUP, Sunova SUP , Blackfish Paddles , Astral Footwear , MEC , Mustang Survival .

And a big thanks to Bruce Kirkby for his amazing storytelling and for being such a great partner out on the expedition. If you are interested in reading Bruce's books visit your local bookstore or order online. Check out his most recent book Blue Sky Kingdom, and previous books Dolphin's Tooth and Sand Dance. You can follow Bruce here.

Meet Your Norm Hann Expeditions Team

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:44:36 GMT

As we work our way into the summer of 2021, Norm Hann Expeditions continues to grow thanks to amazing guests like you. We've added more guides and instructors and I thought this would be a great time to introduce our team. My goal at Norm Hann Expeditions has always been to share our passion for paddling, teaching, and love for our coastline with you. Our team is focused on keeping you safe on the water and helping you to become a better paddler while providing the opportunity to build your own experiences and connections with wild and remote paddling destinations and cultures. Here's what we're offering right now:

Many of you are connecting with these guides and instructors in our various paddling programs in Squamish, on Vancouver Island and throughout our multi day expeditions in British Columbia. At NHX we also value a high level of service and we are committed to providing an incredible experience for you on the water.

Meet our Team!

Tina Currie

If you have ever had the chance to spend time with Tina on the water then you know the energy, excitement and passion she brings to you and to your experience. Tina is the heart and soul of our programming here in Squamish and approached me five years ago with the goal of getting more local people in Squamish and the Sea to Sky Corridor out on the ocean safely. We created the Coastal Stoke Program which includes our Intro To Stoke and our Coastal Stoke Pass. Tina is a full time guide and incredibly well trained showcasing her commitment to learning and her value of safety on the water. I am really fortunate to have Tina as part of our expedition team and if NHX had a "general manager" Tina would be it. She has also provided valuable mentoring and training to our up and coming guides and instructors. Tina has been invaluable in the building of our programs and support for our clients.

Tina leads or co-guides on these experiences:

Coastal Stoke Program – Intro to Stoke , Coastal Stoke Pass , Coastalfit
Howe Sound Tour & Coffee Run
Sunshine Coast SUP Camping Trip
SUP Pro & Coastal Expeditions Skills , Flat2Flow
Discovery Island Ocean Camp

Tina's training includes:

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater, Touring and River Instructor
Advanced Wilderness First Aid
Squamish Marine Search and Rescue Team
SRT 1 – Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Listen to Tina explain our local paddling programs here in Squamish.

Neil Gilson

I have known Neil since the start of this sport over a decade ago where we first connected as Paddle Canada Instructor Trainers. Neil has vast guiding and instructional experience and is a sage in our paddling community. He is one of Canada's top instructor trainers and has been leading backcountry paddling trips since high school with a 30 + year career as a whitewater canoe, rafting guide and ocean kayak guide. Owner of Bearfoot Performance Paddling I reached out to Neil and Raven Rescue Instructor Chad Guenter, when I was creating our SOAR River Camp in Canmore. I am working with Neil to build an industry leading guide course and his experience has been instrumental in the development of teaching models and technical instruction for our courses. Neil has recently moved to Comox on Vancouver Island and I am excited to have him as part of our Expedition Team. Neil is a master of efficiency on the water and you will love his calm and reassuring manner and is someone who embodies the teaching principle that less is more.

Neil Leads or co-guides these experiences

Neil's Training includes:

Paddle Canada Flatwater & River Instructor Trainer
Paddle Canada Touring Instructor
Advanced Wilderness First Aid
Level 3 guide with Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC
CRCA Senior Whitewater Canoe Instructor
SRT 1 – Swiftwater Rescue
ISA Certified Personal Trainer

Amy Bender

It was unfortunate this past winter when we lost a valuable member of the expedition team in Sarah Glenn. Not only was Sarah well trained and accomplished in the outdoor world but she had been my guiding partner in the Great Bear Rainforest and on our Discovery Island Ocean Camp over the last couple of years. She provided incredible food and was a joy to spend time with. Our guests loved her. This season she is working with Nimmo Bay Resort and although we are happy for her we will also miss her genuine, calm disposition, crafty smile and wit, and of course her amazing food. But as Sarah headed in another direction, heading in our direction was Amy Bender. Our first trip together was last month on our Discovery Island Ocean Camp and Amy crushed it. Food and the outdoors have been core to all of Amy's adventures. Amy grew up canoe tripping with her father on the lakes and rivers of Ontario and from him inherited her culinary creativity. After graduating as a Geography Major from Guelph's Environmental Sciences program, Amy explored around the world and finally settled in Squamish, BC for its world class climbing. She spent many years as a flat and white water canoe guide in Ontario, an Outdoor Educator in Australia, and a hiking guide throughout Canada. Through it all she kept creating new and delicious backcountry recipes. Her culinary career has developed in parallel and oftentimes intertwined itself. From over a campfire to lodge cooking, private event catering, and sous-chef-ing she has pursued her passion for cooking. She loves exploring the less travelled path, the remote wilderness areas, and those much cherished weekend destinations. She loves it even more if she can feed you along the way! We are really excited to have Amy as part of our team this year and we hope you get a chance to meet her on one of our experiences.

Experience Amy's food at on these trips:

Kevin Trotter

Kevin has been with our expedition team for a number of years and brings his passion for the water, his multi day solo sup experience and his high level of training and storytelling to all of the programs he leads. He has been a huge support to Tina and our Coastal Stoke Programs and there are always rave reviews from clients after his Into to Stoke lessons. Kevin is leading our Further & Faster Coastal Stoke program and has recently acquired his Paddle Canada Touring Instructor Certification. When working with clients, he draws on the experience from his career as a learning development manager, certified professional coach and trainer. With this experience Kevin helps provide incredible feedback for our programs and the building of instructor manuals and field resources for our guides.

Kevin leads or supports on these experiences:

Coastal Stoke Program – Intro to Stoke, Coastal Stoke Pass, CoastalFit
SUP Pro Skills & Coastal Expeditions Skills
Howe Sound Tour & Coffee Runs

Kevin's Training

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater & Touring Instructor
Advanced Wilderness First Aid
Certified Professional Coach & Trainer

Eduardo Baldioceda

Eduardo is from Costa Rica and brings that central american energy, enthusiasm and passion to all of the programs he leads with Norm Hann Expeditions. Eduardo is a top international adventure racer and owner of Chakra Lodge in Costa Rica. He is well experienced in the outdoor world and loves leading our groups out on Howe Sound. Everyone loves a day out on the water with Eduardo.

Eduardo leads or supports on these experiences:

Coastal Stoke Program: Intro to Stoke, Coastal Stoke Pass
Howe Sound Tour & Coffee Run
Flat2Flow River

Eduardo's Training

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater Instructor
Red Cross Wilderness and Remote First Aid
SRT 1 – Swiftwater Rescue Technician
Adventure Based Counselling Level 1 & 2

Guillaume St- Louis

Guillaume is a Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater and Touring Instructor and you will find Guillaume leading our Coastal Stoke Pass paddles.

Guillaume leads or supports on these experiences:

Coastal Stoke Program: Intro to Stoke, Coastal Stoke Pass & Coastal Fit

Guillaume's Training:

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater & Touring Instructor
Advanced Wilderness First Aid

Jody Radtke

Jody Radtke is an executive coach, licensed psychotherapist and experienced nature based facilitator. With a 30 year career as an Outward Bound Expedition leader and with over 1500 nights in the field we are excited to have Jody facilitating our Reflections on Water program and co-guiding with Tina on our Sunshine Coast Camping Trip. Jody has an incredible amount of experience and training, working with thousands of students and clients in the outdoor world.

Jody leads or supports on these experiences:

Jody's Training:

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater Instructor
Advanced Wilderness First Aid
Outward Bound Expedition Leader
Mental Health First Aid Instructor Trainer

Jennifer Brown

Jennifer has recently joined our team after receiving her Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater Certification and will be delivering our Intro to Stoke class and will soon be leading our Coastal Stoke Pass paddles. Jen brings years of coaching experience and her east coast personality to our local programs.

Jen Brown Leads or Supports these programs:

Coastal Stoke Program: Intro to Stoke & Coastal Stoke Pass

Jen's Training

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater Instructor
Wilderness First Aid
NCCP Level 3 Coach
Master's Degree in Coaching

Jen Kane

Jen has been instructing in our Coastal Stoke Program with Tina and has her Advanced Flatwater Instructor. She is spending a lot of time on the rivers these days and will be working towards her River 1 Instructor certification. In the winter season Jen's continues to hone her coaching craft as a snowboard instructor at Whistler Blackcomb.

Jen K. leads or supports on these experiences:

Coastal Stoke Program: Intro to Stoke & Coastal Stoke Pass

Jen K.'s Training

Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater Instructor
Wilderness First Aid

Norm Hann Expeditions is also grateful to partner with other amazing instructors and guides and if you are on any of our paddle surf weekends in Tofino then you will connect with Catherine Bruhwiler, Mike Darbyshire & Coach Jake, Raph Bruhwiler on our Nootka Surf Adventure, Chad Guenter on our SOAR River Programs and Reta Boychuk on our Flat2Flow Weekend.

If you're looking for adventure and don't know which is the best first, book a 15 minute call with me. We look forward to having you meet our guiding and instructional team on the water at Norm Hann Expeditions. You can head to our website to sign up for our Paddle Canada Courses and multi day experiences and follow us on Instagram.

Explore Magazine: Live the Adventure Podcast

Mon, 17 May 2021 17:32:15 GMT

I was excited recently to sit down with Explore Magazine Editor and host of the Live the Adventure Podcast, David Webb and my expedition partner Bruce Kirkby to discuss multi day expedition stand up paddleboard touring.

In This Episode You'll Discover:

Why should anyone try stand-up paddleboarding?
What are the capabilities of this modern craft?
How has SUP'ing evolved?
How does one tackle a multi-day SUP expedition?
What gear items do the pros take on their trips?

Have a listen to our discussion!

Listen on Apple Podcasts: Ep19 – Bruce Kirkby and Norm Hann – Let's Talk SUP

And let me know if you have any questions about the topics discussed!

See you out on the water! …..norm

Following the Ancestors: Searching for an 8,000 Year Old Grease Trail

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 18:07:39 GMT

I first heard the call of this 8,000-year-old Grease Trail in 1999 while reading The Great Bear Rainforest by Ian and Karen MacAllister in my dingy Vancouver basement apartment. Earlier that year I turned 29, quit my job as a high school teacher in Ontario and drove out west to complete my Adventure Tourism Diploma at the Canadian Tourism College. To prepare for my first guiding job at King Pacific Lodge on the North Coast of British Columbia, I headed to the nearest book store in search of publications about the area, finding two: Spirit Bear by Charlie Russell and the MacAllisters', which I raced home and read cover to cover. In a few short months, I'd be in a floatplane heading north to the Great Bear Rainforest for my first day of work as an adventure guide in Gitga'at Territory.

Inspired by a Gitga'at Matriarch

Helen Clifton, "Granny," a Gitga'at Matriarch

By 38, I had been adopted by the Raven Clan and my path led me to spend a winter teaching an Essential Skills for Work course to the young adults in Hartley Bay alongside Helen Clifton, a Gitga'at matriarch, leader and mesmerizing storyteller. 'Granny', as she is affectionately known, shared much of her traditional knowledge with the class, including the use of this ancient trade route for thousands of years by her ancestors. She produced old maps of the territory and pointed out the land bridge between the Quaal and Ecstall Rivers; only a short shouting distance separated the two valleys where "grease" had been carried. Hearing Helen's ancient cultural history lessons, the grease trail and the land called louder. I had to find the storied trail.

A Trail Greased by Oolichan Oil

The Oolichan Harvesting Process

Grease trails were vital corridors of exchange for over thousands of years. These well-developed cross-country paths linked coastal and interior communities, supporting the trade of goods between nations. Their main use on the north coast was for carrying oolichan grease. Oolichans (Thaleichthys pacificus) are small, smelt-like fish with buttery flesh rich in oil, and are highly prized by coastal First Nations. Known as the saviour fish, their annual spawning migration and return to the rivers at the end of the North Pacific winter when food supplies were low meant the difference between life and death. Today, a jar of Oolichan grease holds more value than silver and gold and is given out as gifts by Chiefs at potlatches.

My adopted family Eva & Cam Hill with Grease from the Nass and Kemano Rivers pc: Rachel Hill

In Search of the Ecstall/Quaal River Grease Trail

Our Grease Trail Journey, Map: Norm Hann

Twenty years after I had first viewed the MacAllisters' images of the Quaal River, world adventurer, speaker, and author Bruce Kirkby and I planned a paddling trip to search for this old trail. With the help of "La'goot" Spencer Greening , a member of my fellow Raven Clan, we mapped the route and planned our trip for May, a time when the trail would have been in full use by the Gitga'at, Haisla and Kemano people for moving their highly prized grease. Our goal was to use our inflatable paddleboards and a week's worth of food, to retrace this route last used by the Tsimshian people well over a hundred years ago, with continuous use dating back thousands of years.

Departing from Old Town, Home of the Ancestors

Bruce Kirkby entering the Quaal River pc: Norm Hann

Once we received Granny's blessing, we travelled by boat north up Douglas Channel, landing on the shores of Kitkiata Inlet and Laxgaltsa'ap, "Old Town," the ancestral home of the Gitga'at people. With at least three village sites in the valley, thousands of years of continuous use, and a mountain top retreat site used during the great flood, the area provided the Gitga'at with everything they needed to thrive and survive. In 1889, they relocated to Hartley Bay for better access to their territory and more favourable weather.

Petroglyph on the shores of Kitkiata Inlet. Pc: Bruce Kirkby

Family member Jesse Bolton dropped us off on the shores of Kitkiata Inlet and Old town and we loaded up our inflatables amongst one of the largest petroglyph sites in the Pacific Northwest. Running our hands over these unique rocks, we asked for permission and safe travel across the land that belonged to the Killer Whale clan. Less than an hour after leaving Old Town, we entered the mouth of the Quaal River and soon passed Man Made Island, K'alahahaitk which means to "go against the tide," something Bruce and I would be engaged in for the next two days. An archeology study of the island in 1938 revealed ten longhouses, a village site the Gitga'at used for fishing and in times of war.

The Magnificent Quaal River and Man Made Island. PC: Mark Wunsch, Greencoast Media

The river narrowed as we paddled against it's flow past lush, green shorelines and prime Grizzly Bear habitat. Three hours later we landed at the "divide", our campsite for the night and another culturally significant landmark where generations of Gitga'at families have camped and harvested coho and pink salmon.

First night campsite at the "divide" on the Quaal River. Pc: Bruce Kirkby

A Sign of Ancient Sea Levels and Migration Routes

A bluebird morning greeted us as the warm rays of the sun filtered through the tops of the rainforest as we enjoyed hot coffee and a nutritious bowl of oatmeal. We were not far from the bend in the river "La'goot" Spencer had told us to look out for. Something caught my eye a few feet under our boards, white clam shells on the river's bottom. If these were the same types of shells found in the ocean, what were they doing this far up a freshwater river fourteen kilometres from the Pacific Ocean?

White clam shells visible on the lower level of the bank, indicating higher seas levels on the Quaal River. PC: Norm Hann

Spencer and his colleagues had studied here the previous year and concluded that the sea level was much higher after the glaciers had melted, creating ocean inlets of the Ecstall and Quaal rivers, a detail not found in the Gitga'at people's traditional coastal migration story. Had we been paddling the route approximately 12,000 years ago, "La'goot" theorizes we'd be floating on the ocean.

Stepping Back in Time, the Entrance to the Grease Trail

Pulling our boards in the Upper Quaal. Pc: Bruce Kirkby

With thoughts of ancient migration routes and higher sea levels still on my mind, we pushed up the ever-narrowing valley. Without deep enough water to paddle, we began pulling our boards into the upper reaches of the Quaal. Signs of moose, grizzly bear and wolf were everywhere. The old-growth forest in the upper reaches of the Quaal was some of the most spectacular I have ever paddled and walked through. Red cedars soared above us, the same trees the Gitga'at would have selected to make canoes that would have travelled this same route. Navigating became a challenge as tree-fall and log jams blocked our path. In many sections, we reverted to shouldering our drybags and carrying the inflatables through the maze of snags and windfall as we began to sense the presence of the old trail.

Amongst giants and close to the entrance of the grease trail. pc: Bruce Kirkby

Using the route finding information Spencer shared with us, combined with the relative ease of scrambling up a river devoid of springtime growth that would not sprout for another couple of weeks, we could feel the trail was close. At another divide where the Quaal continued north to its glacial headwaters, we began to follow a small tributary using it as a handrail our topo map showed towards a natural gap between two hills.

"We have to be getting close!" called Bruce.

And then, there it was—the entrance to the grease trail. It was unlike any trail I have seen before and I remembered Spencer's words. "You'll know when you arrive, it will look like many feet have walked there."

We looked at each other in disbelief. I had tried to envision the trail in my mind but nothing prepared me for the sight of the two massive Red Cedar trees standing as a natural gate to the ancient trade route. The trees looked worn from many hands and the path was clear, like a hiking trail maintained by park staff—yet according to Helen Clifton, no one had passed here for well over a hundred years. It was a surreal and numinous feeling and presence overtook us. We were so overcome that neither of us remembered to photograph the trail!

We hugged and acknowledged a moment of gratitude to the spirit of the land, and to the ancestors who had travelled it before us. As we left the Quaal river and scrambled along the trail I couldn't help but wonder: How many people had travelled this route? Who were they? What were their names? What did they carry with them? I felt like we were walking with them and in a way I guess we were.

Entering Upper Ecstall Lake from the terminus of the grease trail portage. Pc: Norm Hann

We dropped our boards into Upper Ecstall Lake as a loon, fishing for trout, greeted us with it's haunting call. A short but very challenging log-filled section between the upper and lower Ecstall Lakes brought us into the Ecstall River and our campsite after an emotional 13-hour day.

Reflection at our Ecstall River Campsite after successfully finding the grease trail. Pc: Bruce Kirkby

Downriver Past Cathedrals and Ghost Towns

Entering a new river valley, the upper Ecstall. PC: Bruce Kirkby

After the previous day's challenge and emotion of finding the grease trail, Bruce and I floated down the emerald green waters of the upper Ecstall in a deep state of calm, surrounded by towering Sitka Spruce and pristine temperate old-growth forest. Two days spent paddling the lower Ecstall brought us past the majestic Madeline River Valley and its jaw-dropping views of skyscraping granite walls and feelings of stumbling upon one of the great wonders of the world. We concluded another big day at the ghost town of Port Essington, a historic salmon cannery community at the confluence of the Skeena River.

Entering the "Yosemite of the North", the majestic Madeline River Valley. Pc: Bruce Kirkby

On our final day we paddled across the Skeena River, and pushed on to our final destination of Metlakatla. With a massive sixty kilometer day, Bruce and I completed our journey, effectively wringing out any remaining stores of energy we had. The wildness and mystery of the old grease trail had released us. Although quiet, we shared a deep feeling of pride and connection knowing we had been a part of a greater and older story. I finished what I had started twenty years ago by following in the footsteps of the ancestors and doing my best to honor them in the process.

Our final night at Port Essington on the banks of the Skeena River. Pc: Norm Hann

Learn More About the Great Bear Rainforest

I wish I could bring every Gitga'at to retrace the route of this ancient trail. I give many thanks and acknowledgement to the Gitga'at and Tshimsian people and their land. I am so fortunate to retrace this route and steep myself in the cultural history of our wild coastlines.

Here are some books and podcasts I've enjoyed on the area:

The Great Bear Rainforest Book : Ian and Karen McAllister.
Stories from the Magic Canoe of Waxaid: Briony Penn and Cecil Paul
Indigenous Harvesting Rights and Practices: Spencer Greening. I really enjoyed the podcast and it is eye opening.

If you were moved by this piece, please consider a purchase from our Stand Shop with proceeds going to the Standup4Greatbear Society to help support our wild coastlines.

Wetsuits Vs Drysuits

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:35:49 GMT

I just wanted to post up this really great blog by the Mustang Survival , the company I work with for PFD's, Drybags, Paddling Clothing and Drysuits and more. This article gives some great information on one of the most common questions I get for those coming into the sport of standup paddleboarding here in Canada, Wetsuit or Drysuit? And when do I wear them? Click here to find out!

Inspired by the Great Bear.

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 20:50:18 GMT

My First Flight into the Great Bear Rainforest

I will never forget the first time I saw the sun shining on Princess Royal Island, the fourth largest island on the B.C coast and deep in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. This island holds some of the last remaining coastal temperate rainforest in the world. It was May 2000, and I had recently quit my full time teaching position in Sudbury, Ontario, packed up my truck and moved west to follow my passion for guiding in the outdoors. After a year in Vancouver training to be a guide and inspired by Ian McAllister's Great Bear Rainforest book , a DeHavilland Beaver float plane transported me from the northern B.C. coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert deep into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest and Gitga'at Territory. As we softly touched down on the serene, emerald green waters of Barnard Harbour not only had I arrived at King Pacific Lodge to work for the season but at that moment I began a powerful journey, a new path that changed the course of my life and continues to this day.

A Season Missed

Moksgm'ol

For the first time in twenty years I was not able to spend any time in the Gitga'at community of Hartley with the communities closed to visitors due to the COVID pandemic. I am usually there in July, August and September guiding clients on our Great Bear Outer Island , Stand and Wild Trips. I've missed the connection to the place and people of the north coast as both have had such a profound impact on my life and for those clients who have made this journey with me.

Harvesting cockles in November with my Gitga'at Family. PC: Nicolas Teichrob

As I write, wild pacific salmon have spawned, the bears are getting ready for their winter nap, and the Humpbacks have started their long migration south to birthing waters in Hawaii and Mexico. The Gitga'at have done most of their seasons harvesting except for the cockle and clams that usually take place under the light of a lantern and on the big winter tides. As seen in the above photo, the winter days are short and I work side by side with the Gitga'at as we use pitch forks to dig up cockles at low tide and fill five gallon buckets. As our fall turns into winter and the rains and storm systems return to the coast I look forward to springtime in the Great Bear and the opportunity to return once again.

Standup4Greatbear Society – Products with a Purpose

Many of the products we have in the expedition shop help protect the Great Bear Rainforest through our Standup4Greatbear Society . In May 2010 I, along with sea kayaker Brian Huntington of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, stand up paddled the proposed Enbridge oil tanker route through the Great Bear Rainforest from the Haisla community of Kitimaat, 400 km south to the Heiltsuk village of Bella Bella. My goal was to bring awareness to the threat of oil tankers to the wildlife and pristine marine ecosystems of the Great Bear and to highlight the traditional food harvesting areas of the coastal First Nations communities along the route.

Adrian Richter letting the experience sink in on Raven land in Kweltsu. Our expedition was called Standup4Greatbear and now the mission of the society is to promote the education, awareness and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest through speaking engagements, school presentations and ongoing conservation expeditions. Partial proceeds from the sale of all items on my shop page will goes to organizations like BC Whales, the Raincoast Society and Pacific Wild that are helping to protect our magnificent coastline for future generations. Read on to learn about some of the items that would make great gifts for any explorer in your life. All of these items were inspired from our coastline and the Great Bear Rainforest.

Sprout Spirit Bear 12' Inflatable SUP

Gifts from the water on our Great Slave Lake Expedition

Did you know that Gretchen Gamble's design on this board represents the Legend of the White Bear & the Raven's Decree? At the beginning of time, so the legend goes, the whole world was white with ice & snow. "Then the Raven came from heaven and made the world green as it is today. But he also wanted to make something to remind himself of the beginning and it's whiteness. So on this special island, he went among the black bears, and every tenth one he made white – that way he could look at them and remember the world the way it was ……. then the Raven issued a decree: "The white bears will live here forever in peace"

A light and well designed board for overnight touring or leisurely exploratory paddles the Spirit Bear will remind you of your connection to the land and water. $20 from the sale of each board goes to the Standup4Greatbear Society.

You can PRE ORDER these boards for delivery in spring before your paddling season.

Standup4Greatbear Coffee

If you have been on one of our trips to the Great Bear Rainforest then you have tasted this coffee. This medium to dark coffee is roasted locally by our friends and longtime supporters of Standup4Greatbear, Lance McClure and Cara Barth of Galileo Coffee Co in Squamish, B.C. Did you know that Lance was on one of our first seven day paddling trips to the Great Bear Rainforest? Shortly after that expedition Lance roasted his first bag of Standup4Greatbear Coffee to help support our society. Thanks Lance!!

Order your fresh roasted coffee here .

Blackfish Steersman Paddle

This paddle is another collaboration with locally-owned Blackfish Paddles known for their craftsmanship, durability and performance. Blackfish Paddles and owner David Smart are huge supporters of the local community and our coastline . Our Steersman design on the blade blends two incredible artists, Cash Bo Smith, a Gitxsan artist from the Skeena River who designed the expedition logo representing Raven, Bear & traditional canoe paddle and Roy Henry Vickers whose Standup4GreatBear Crest sits behind the Steersman crest.

Order your Steersman Paddle here .

Sunova Steersman Expedition

Ryan Fowler exploring the waters of Canmore with one of the first Expedition in Canada.

This is my signature expedition board designed in collaboration with Sunova Surfboards . The Expedition Eco is made using Paulownia Wood which is a tree that is native to South East Asia and is the highest strength to weight ratio hardwood on Earth. It reminds me of our coastal Sitka Spruce, another light yet strong wood. Wood has a completely different feel when you are paddling it, providing that connection to something naturally made and features the Steersman Logo. The board comes in a variety of sizes to fit you perfectly depending on your paddling goals. I have been really happy with this board and it has taken me on many coastal adventures including our most recent paddle around Cape Scott .

You can PRE ORDER this board for arrival in March of 2021.

Oracle Deck Cards – Messengers from the Great Bear

Beautiful work by Sarah Hammond and Brenda Holmes

I first met Sarah last year at a Christmas craft show and was blown away by her incredible hand drawings of wildlife . Her dragonfly is my favorite. Anyone who knows me or has been on a trip with me knows that I look to all creatures for signs and guidance. They all have a message to tell, we just need to listen and to ask for their help. I am personally excited to incorporate these cards into my trips.

Messengers from the Great Bear Oracle Deck cards were created by Sarah Hammond and Brenda Holmes. Together they share a passion for foraging a deeper connection, not only with their innermost selves, but also with the world in which they live. Sarah's stunning hand drawings, paired with Brenda's interpretations, have created a deck unique to the geographical location in which they both reside: Beautiful British Columbia. One of the most beautiful aspects of connecting with the creatures around us is the vast amount of wisdom they hold, and the knowledge they can impart about our deeper selves. Their teachings are innate and intuitive within each and every one of us – we only have to rediscover it. Sarah and Brenda hope this deck brings your self-exploration deeper insights and enhances your connection with your intuition, dreams and subconscious. 5% of your purchase goes to CPAWS to support healthy parks and wilderness.

Order your Oracle Cards here.

Stand Hats

Longtime SU4GB friends and supporters Kristy Wright & Jenny Poppitt.

Inspired by our STAND film project with design by filmer Nicolas Teichrob, our Stand hats and toques have been found all over the world, some barely recognizable after continuous use on the ocean. A simple and effective message keeps you supporting our coastline and has you part of a movement of conservation and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Pick one up here.

Book a 15 min Gear Consult with Me

For more products and Christmas ideas for the paddler and coastal adventurer in your life, please visit the shop page . If you have any questions about boards, paddles, gift certificates or anything else from the website I am offering a free 15 minute gear consultation for you to help answer any of your questions.

Gift with Purchase: Free Online 1 on 1 Expedition Coaching

What it your expedition plan? This was our North Coast Trip!

I am excited to start some one on one online expedition coaching in the new year. Topics can range from discussion and support with expedition planning, weather, navigation, gear choices, distance training and much more. But for now, anyone who makes a purchase in December will receive a free session with me to be used by the end of February 2021.

$1000+ – receive a free 60 min coaching session
$500+ – receive a free 30 min coaching session
$250+ – receive a free 15 min coaching session

Learn how to put your new gear to good use and fill 2021 with your most epic expedition calendar yet.

Last Day of 2019 in the Great Bear

I haven't been to the Great Bear Rainforest since September 2019. My client, Zvi Goldfarb and I spent the day looking for Spirit Bears with my longtime friend and Spirit Bear Guide Marven Robinson . We had spotted earlier in the week, and hoped nature would grace us again.

Our highlight though would come later in the day as we left the river. As we were about to depart on my boat for the short trip back to Hartley Bay, a big Black tailed deer came bounding out of the forest and into the water. I knew what we would see next, and on cue a coastal wolf came out quickly behind it in pursuit of the deer not seeing it in the water but picking up its scent. Deer head to the water when being chased by wolves, they are adept swimmers and the wolves will usually work their way along the shoreline in hopes of an ambush when the deer gets out of the water. This is exactly what happened, a game of cat and mouse between predator and prey carried on. The deer would get to shore and the wolf would attack and chase it back in. I realized how persistent and committed the wolf was and what efficient predators they are, smart with an incredible sense of smell.

Unfortunately the day was getting late and we had to leave the drama unfolding. We never did know the fate of the deer but it was an exhilarating final day in the Great Bear Rainforest. Hopefully we will be back soon to take part again in the life cycles of people and wildlife but until then I remain thankful for the experiences I have had in Gitga'at Territory.

We hope to get back to this soon, dinner on our Great Bear Outer Island Trip PC: Chris Christie

Paddling Around Cape Scott

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:56:29 GMT

HAZARD TO MARINERS

Ever since I moved to the coast from my home in Northern Ontario twenty years ago and first laid eyes on a chart of the west coast of Vancouver Island, I have looked at the jutting headland and fabled, treacherous waters of Cape Scott and wondered what it would be like to paddle around it. Could we even get around? How big would the seas be? What did it look like? Cape Scott, located off the Northwest corner of Vancouver Island, is a wild and raw landscape and showcases the immense power of the coast. It is rich in legends and stories of the Kwakwaka'wakw people. The lighthouse here has recorded hurricane winds well over 160km and seas greater than 30 meters. The dynamic and potentially terrifying conditions here have made 'rounding the cape" a major paddling accomplishment.

I couldn't have asked for a better partner for this mission. Bruce Kirkby who I had paddled with in Gitga'at Territory on the grease trail the year before is an accomplished adventurer, big water paddler, speaker and a heck of a writer. He recently released his third book, Blue Sky Kingdom: An Epic Family Journey to the Heart of the Himalaya, that I am really enjoying, many of his stories shared over this trip. A few years ago Bruce had his own epic journey as he paddled solo from Port Hardy to Tofino but a heavy fog on the north portion shut down his attempts for a safe rounding of the Cape. Bruce was motivated to have another go while I was fortunate to have his valuable experience on our adventure and I trusted and respected his decision making skills.

Thankful to have Bruce Kirby as a remote expedition paddling parter.

Getting out of Port Hardy

Under sunny skies and building winds, we launched our touring boards from the coastal logging and fishing town of Port Hardy. Afternoon starts are ill advised on the coast and as such were rewarded with strong Northwesteries that we battled on our way out of Hardy Bay. Stroke by stroke and using drafting techniques for efficiency we made our way to our first campsite at Frankham Pt, 15 km from our start. We certainly hadn't eased into our expedition but as always it felt good to be on the coast and on the doorstep of Goletas Channel, the portal to the north shore.

Night One Campsite at Songhees Creek and at the door step of Goletas Channel

THROUGH THE PORTAL

On the water early, we took advantage of the low winds and ebbing current to move us up the relatively straight shoreline and potential wind tunnel effects of Goletas Channel. The crux move motivated us to put our head down and paddle with purpose as we moved past the north shore trail drop off point at Shushartie Bay and up to Killer Whale rubbing beach at Jepther Point. Jepther is also the transitional area that leaves behind the more protected waters and opens up to the exposed and more committing paddling of the north shore. Not wanting to waste the ebb tide we moved quickly across Tatnall Reefs, indicated by bull kelp that was laid over showing the currents speed and direction. Our free ride ran out at Cape Sutil, the most northern point of Vancouver Island and one of the most scenic beaches and locations on Vancouver Island. The north tip of the Cape Sutil was once a fortified village, named Nahwitti for its chief and eventually it's people. As much as we wanted to stop and search for the petroglyphs, ancient rock carvings, we had heard about we carried on not wanting to waste the sublime conditions. After Cape Sutil we changed our direction from north to west as we moved along the spectacular shoreline. It was the first time we could see our objective, Cape Scott with clear views out and beyond to the ominous Scott Islands. With a low swell, clear waters and flat conditions we made our past a couple of feeding humpbacks and landed at Shuttleworth Bight. We dragged our paddleboards up above the high tide mark and settled down for dinner overlooking Queen Charlotte Strait and tiny, but perfect waves that were breaking at the rivermouth. With the day's conditions we were able to put down almost 50kms in seven hours of paddling, getting quickly through Goletas Channel, rounding Cape Sutil and much closer to Cape Scott.

Heading North into Goletas Channel on a spectacular day. Gods Pocket at Hope Island to the North East

Rounding Cape Sutil and the most northerly point on Vancouver Island. PC: Bruce Kirkby

Landing at Shuttleworth Bight

GETTING INTO POSITION

Another morning of a friendly ocean had us up early and paddling past north coast hikers trudging their way along the beach trailsl as we went by Nissen and Nels beach. But as we got closer to Experiment Bight, our last point of shelter before committing to rounding the Cape, strong winds began buffeting us indicating the unforeseen challenges that lay ahead. We landed at this most spectacular beach and in less than 48 hours after starting we were now in position, Cape Scott was right in front of us.

Experiment Bight "Whale between on Beach"

The Sand Neck, with an old Danish settlement fence, connecting Experiment Bight with Guise Bay, the Nawhitti had use this portage for centuries to avoid rounding the cape.

Guise Bay

A DAY TO REFLECT AND CONNECT

It rained hard overnight and the winds began to drop. A huge Bald Eagle sitting low on a driftwood log met us at Guise Bay and dropped a large flight feather which I grabbed for our hike out to the headlands. I have always felt a very strong connection to raptors and eagles and I took this feather as a good omen. Another look from the headlands revealed a punishing sea state. Bruce and I spent the day searching for sea glass and exploring the incredibly unique ecosystem of the Cape. The sand neck connecting Experiment Bight with Guise Bay was one of the most unique places I have been to on our coast. I had centuries of use by the Nawhitti people as they hauled their canoes across, using teh natural and short portage to avoid going around the cape. Interpretive signs on the beach at Guise revealed the history of the local Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations. The more I read the better I felt about this history and connection to the area, that up until now was leaving me with more of an eerie feeling. Through the understanding of place and people I felt I was giving the respect this place deserved. According to the Nahwitti People who inhabited this area, Experiment Bight was known as "Whale between on Beach" and the sand neck connecting Experiment with Guise was "against each other." The cape had names referring to "Trail on the surface," "foam place," "sea monster," and "swell on beach," all indicating the heavy sea states found here. Most fascinating to me was the village of Ouchton, an ancient village site referred to as "those of the unprotected bay." It was fortified and protected by jagged sea cliffs and heavy swell and I wondered how anyone could survive out here. For Bruce and I, we were "remote" yet this was "home" for the Nakumgilisala People who spent their summers harvesting and gathering food. An area of immense power, it was clear that the spirits were present and the ancestors were watching. After listening to the weather radio, watching natural cues and processing thoughts and feelings we made the plan to paddle around the cape.

ROUNDING THE CAPE

Both Bruce and I, too energized to sleep, were moving well before our alarms went off at 4am. Darkness greeted and winds had shifted to Northwest as we quietly loaded up our boards, deep in thought and anxious about the next hour. We had planned to launch at 4:45am giving us a short 30 minute window to get around the Cape but we couldn't see anything. Close to 5 we pushed through knee high surf and with the sun's first rays rising in the east above the Coast Mountains we were headed around the cape and within minutes we'd reached the point of no return. The stiff Northwest wind was generating chaotic three foot chop and more unsettling, the SW swell had not eased overnight. Dark sets rose from the ocean, 3m and building to more in shallows.

Cape Scott

4:45am departure around the Cape.

Bruce Kirkby, Rounding the Cape

Feeling good and enjoying the sun at Lowrie Bay

Two hours later we were doing a surf landing and Lowrie Bay and setting up camp under a blazing sun.

In times of intense focus and being in the zone, memories and feelings are etched in your psyche. In the midst of the chaos what I remember most are the commitment of the first few paddle strokes leaving the beach into the Northwest Winds, the Surf Scoters Bruce mentioned, flying close by as they made their way out to offshore feeding grounds and the waves rising up and crashing against hull shredding rocks. But the one vision that made me smile the most was looking back at my partner, focused, committed, making his way slowly past the Cape as the blood red light of the coastal sunrise lit up the world behind him.

Lowrie Bay Campsite

Rest and relaxation at Lowrie Camp.

A BEAUTIFUL FINISH

On the beach at Lowrie we had rested well knowing that we had successfully rounded Cape Scott. We celebrated with a nip of scotch under a setting sun and we slept well that night. A short paddle from Lowrie Bay in calm winds and dying swell put us around the challenge of Cape Russell as we made our way to the scenic Helen Islands. Fog arrived after setting camp, so we spent the rest of the day beachcombing, drinking coffee and sharing stories. On our final morning we made our way into beautiful San Josef Bay and surfed into the clear and tranquil waters of the river. It was calm and quiet with only the sounds of birds, and our paddle strokes that highlighted the obvious contrast to the last few days of exposed paddling. Not wanting the trip to end, we made our way up the last few winding kilometers and past towering Sitka Spruce and lush temperate rainforest. It was the perfect ending to our north coast journey.

Fog in the Helen Islets

Bruce outsized on the northern entrance to San Josef Bay

Bruce coming into the river at San Josef Bay

Paddling up the San Josef River.

Reflecting before our finish on the San Josef River.

Sea to Sky Corridor: Top 10 Thrills | Vancouver Sun

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 13:03:08 GMT

Norm Hann Expeditions and our Howe Sound Tours and Coffee Runs are excited to be featured in Vancouver Sun's Top 10 Thrills in the Sea to Sky Corridor. To experience Howe Sound and our standup paddleboarding experiences visit our Paddle Squamish Page on our website.

Paddling the Salish Sea Marine Trail

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 22:59:36 GMT

This past spring my partner Jen and I were looking at a John Kimantis's Sea to Sky Marine Trail map and a smaller inset map on the foldout showed the route of the larger Salish Sea Marine trail from Vancouver to Victoria. Jen, born and raised on Vancouver Island announced, "We should do that." I agreed and we started planning.

The Salish Sea Marine Trail, created in 2017 is a 257km adventure paddling route across the southern BC coast and the Georgia Basin encompassing much of the Canadian side of the Salish Sea. You will experience the open ocean feel of the Strait of Georgia combined with the beautiful and protected waters of the Southern Gulf Islands. Information on the trail can be found at BC Marine Trails website at www.bcmarinetrails.org.

We purchased three charts for the trip.

Strait of Georgia Central Portion 3512
Strait of Georgia Southern Portion 3463
Juan De Fuca Strait 3462

With six to seven days of time budgeted for the trip Jen and I decided to start at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, close to our home in Squamish.

The start of our trip in Horseshoe Bay

Day 1: Horseshoe Bay to North of Roberts Creek, 40 km 6.5hrs

It is always exciting starting a multi day expedition and Jen and I both felt fortunate to be together and to be paddling the traditional waters of the coast Salish People. The first couple of days, from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, across the top of the Salish Sea would prove to be the most challenging due to the exposed coastline and big water of the "Strait."

We used favourable southerly winds and flooding tides to round the bottom and west side of Bowen Island and up to the Paisley Group. These islands. which remind me of my hometown in Northern Ontario, is a highlight paddling spot, especially if you're camping at Plumper Cove on Keats Island and have the time. Unfortunately we moved quickly through them on our way past Gibsons Landing and north towards Sechelt. We met our friend, and Robert's Creek local, Geordie Harrower who pointed us to a scenic camp spot between Robert's Creek and Sechelt. There are not many campsites along this section so we were happy with the unique rock beach and stunning views across the Salish Sea to the snow capped mountains of Vancouver Island. We set camp and dug into our Mountain House dinner.

Our sweet camping spot thanks to Geordie Harrower.

Day 2: Roberts Creek to South Thormanby Island 23km 3.5 hrs

Jen and I woke up to an overcast day and strong south winds that were building the seas. We used the wind and swell to move quickly north past the town of Sechelt on our way up to Reception Point across from the Merry Island Lighthouse. Merry Island looked like a beautiful spot to explore but the 20 knot southerlies would have made the crossing difficult. After working our way through some confused water on the southwest corner of South Thormanby we found the protected beach of the marine campsite. Our goal today was to get to Jedediah Marine Park which we had heard so many great things about but the weather and sea state would not have allowed us across on this day. After setting camp and having lunch we hiked up a logging road behind to Spy Glass Hill. I highly recommend this hike if you happen to camp here . Stunning views west across the strait and Vancouver Island awaited us. We could also see our next section of paddling across the top of the Salish Sea. It looked far and somewhat intimidating. But with a great weather forecast predicted for the following day we slept knowing day three was going to be the crux of the whole trip with a crossing of the Salish Sea.

Fully loaded and using the swell as we headed to South Thormanby Island

Jen on top of Spy Glass Hill with views south and Merry Island right behind her.

Day 3 – South Thormanby Island to Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) 55km 9hr 15min

We woke to clearing skis, calm winds and calm seas as we hit the water early to make our way around the top of South and North Thormanby. A summer vacationing area with sand beach and warm waters, North Thormanby is beautiful and both Jen and I wanted to stay longer to explore. But with the great weather flat waters we decided to make a crossing for the Ballenas Islands instead of over to Texada, Jedidiah and Lasqueti islands. With two thirds of the twenty kilometers done the winds went from zero to a 15 knot NW wind that made paddling difficult for us and our fully loaded boards. Finally, the wind released us as we made it to the calm waters between the two islands. We had successfully made the crossing of the Salish Sea and stopped for a snack and rest break on an idyllic beach and under the watchful eyes of a group of Harbour Seals. With the winds now behind we downwinded efficiently south along the east side of Vancouver Island and through the rugged Winchelsea Islands before stopping at Maude Island and a scenic pocket beach on the south end for lunch. With the wind still blowing and building we used the bigger swell to make our way around Neck Point, a scenic but turbulent spot before finding calmer water in Hammond Bay. With our paddling reserves diminishing we made our way to Departure Bay and rewarded ourselves with dinner and an ice cold beer at the ocean side pub. A short paddle over to Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) brought us to our campsite on the southwest corner of the island wrapping up a massive 55 km day and a crossing of the Salish Sea.

Breakfast, sunrise and calm seas on South Thormanby Island.

The sand cliffs and beaches of North Thormanby Island.

Our 20km crossing with cloud topped Texada Island, Jedidiah and Lasqueti Islands.

Ready for a break at the Ballenas Islands.

The Messenger in the Windchelsea Islands.

Day 4 – Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) – Wallace Island. 40km 7hr 15min

We were up early again to make the tide at Dodd Narrows and what a morning it was. A spectacular sunrise over the snow capped coast mountains and across the Salish Sea met us as we had breakfast. It was amazing to now have the perspective of looking east across the strait after spending the last couple of days looking west. I really liked the campsite and wanted to stay longer and to explore the deep cultural history of the island.

Saysutshun: Means 'training for running' and refers to the special places where runners, canoe paddlers or warriors would bathe to cleanse themselves before a race or battle.

Sunrise over the Coast Mountains from Saysutshun, "training for running."

Making the tide and going through Dodd Narrows was like going through a portal, a doorway which left behind the bigger waters of the Salish Sea and into a new world of the calmer waters and lovely paddling of the southern gulf islands. It felt good to be "inside" and Jen and I both felt gratitude for the mileage and crossing of the Salish Sea the day before. We finished out the ebb tide and stopped at the top end of Ruxton Island for our most favourite coffee stop on the whole trip on a caribbean like crushed shell beach. It was just one of many special spots we found on our travels through the islands. We carried on down the west side of Valdez Island and gave Poirlier Pass a wide berth as we crossed over to Galiano Island. Our destination was Montague Harbour as I had visions of more beer and burgers but we were met with a very stiff headwind blowing from the south through Trincomali Channel. We stopped for lunch with hopes of it calming but the wind did not subside. We made a change in plans and instead opted to get over to Wallace Island. A short twenty minute crossing of the wind brought us to what would become one of our favorite campsites . I have always enjoyed how Mother Nature determines what we do out on the water and how quickly doors close and other open. Getting to Montague would have made it another 55km day so we were happy to park our boards on Wallace after a 40km day. A refreshing swim washed away the day's work and after a short hike to explore the island we made dinner and got to bed early.

Our favourite coffee stop on north Ruxton Island.

Day 5 – Wallace Island to the Little Group -40km 6hr 56min

As the sunrise was cresting Galiano Island, we left the north end of Wallace to take advantage of the last three hours of ebbing tide and flatwater to make our way around Saltspring Island. It was some of the fastest paddling we had done all trip as we averaged 7km/hr with the tide and strong effort. We moved past Ruckle Provincial park , one of the most beautiful parks in the southern gulf islands that overlooks Swanson Channel. With its 7 kilometres of shoreline, rocky headlands and tiny coves and bays, Ruckle Park can provides hours or even days of enjoyable exploration. A mixture of forest, field and shore habitats makes it one of the most productive wildlife viewing areas on Salt Spring Island. It is a great place to watch for sea lions and killer whales out in the sea, and mink and river otter along the shoreline. Tidal pools are filled with a brightly-coloured world of crab, mussel, limpet, oyster, sculpin, starfish and more. From Eleanor Point we figured out the ferry schedule and crossed over to the top end of Portland Island. It was sunny and warm as we pulled into the white shell beach at Arbutus Point to have lunch and wait out the flooding tide.

Portland Island is a gem and part of the Gulf Island National Park Reserve. We would have considered camping here for the night but according to our phones the park was closed due to Covid 19. First Nations people utilized Portland Island going back 3,000 years as verified from the middens that can be found on the island. There are two other campsites here, Shell Beach and Princess Bay. I highly recommend this area as a destination to spend some time camping and paddling. After lunch and a beach nap we left Portland Island and headed south to find a campsite for the evening. With Rum, Sidney and Darcy Islands all being closed due to Covid as well we found a shell beach, mostly used by river otters in the Little Island Group. We set camp and met some friends who came over from Brentwood Bay and kind enough to bring dinner for us after a long but spectacular day of paddling. With eagles screeching above us and the sun setting over the Saanich Peninsula we fell into a deep sleep.

Spectacular Wallace Island sunrise.

Jen making good time headed south towards Salt Spring Island.

Lunch stop at Arbutus Point, Portland Island

Day 6 – Little Group to Clover Point – 40km 7.5 hr

We enjoyed another early breakfast as the sun rose over Mt Baker before leaving with the ebb tide in yet again flat calm conditions but it wasn't long before advection fog, moving quickly up Haro Strait, overtook us. We headed for the shoreline south of Sidney as the current swept past Cordova Spit and through Cordova Channel. The fog then began to lift as we made a big crossing of Cordova Bay on our way south to Cadboro Point. We took a quick break here with eagles and seals as we enjoyed the views across Baynes Channel to Chattham and Discovery Islands. Although the flood was not running too strong through the channel, currents can get up to 6 knots here and the area deserves respect if you want to get over to explore Discovery Island. The CBC documentary Takaya: Lone Wolf, inspired us to explore the islands and Songhees First Nations territory that Takaya had spent years living on and thriving in. Unfortunately Takaya had been relocated this year and was shot by a hunter, ending the life of a very special wolf and one that captured the hearts of many people around the world. We stopped for lunch and coffee at Cattle Point and while looking out over the waters, I realized what a unique meeting place of land and water the south west corner of Victoria is. It was an unusually clear day and over the sedate waters we could see the glaciated flanks of Mt Baker, all the way down to Mt Rainier, a peak I had climbed when I turned forty, and over to the majestic Olympic Mountains to the west. It was an area where the waters of Haro Strait meet the waters of Puget Sound and the Juan De Fuca Strait. Although I was within the busy city limits of Victoria I felt fortunate to be paddling this area on South Vancouver Island. With less than an hour of touring left in our trip we picked our way against the current around Gonzalas Point where the smell of cigars met us from the golfers at the signature green on the point. We made it past the swirling waters of Trial Island before finally coming ashore at Clover Point, Mile 0 as a strong SW wind was starting to blow. This concluded our trip and brought to end a very inspiring south coast journey.

Another beautiful morning sunrise from the Little Group Islands.

Haro Strait fog on our way south along the Saanich Peninsula.

Jen paddling past Ruckle Provincial Park

The Salish Sea Marine Trail was an incredible south coast journey that provided many highlights. Most of my big trips are on the North Coast of BC but I really enjoyed all of the hidden gems of this route, especially in the Gulf Islands. Jen and I did the trail pretty quickly and pushed ourselves to cover the 250kms. We averaged close to 40km per day with loaded boards and were up at sunrise to do our best to take advantage of the tides, critical when covering distance. Our only regret was missing out on Jedidiah Island as so many people had reached out to mention how much they loved that area for paddling and exploring. There were so many other places we could have spent a lot more time on exploring and we recommend at least another week.

The end of the Salish Sea Marine Trail at Clover Point.

Thanks to Jen for sharing this experience with me and for being such a strong partner. Jen's hands and feet were pretty beat up but she bit her lip and grinded out the big days, a testament to her incomparable adventure racing resume and mental grit. We also appreciated all of the support and encouragement from our social media posts. Although we didn't really want to be on our phones it was cool to keep you updated. It meant a lot to us and we loved hearing the stories of everyone's connection to various places along the route. Also big thanks to Jen's mom Bonnie who took care of our son Kiel so that Jen and I could adventure together.

Our Trips Highlights

Roberts Creek Campsite.
Ballenas Islands after crossing the Salish Sea
Sunrise over the Coast Mountains from Saysutshun
Coffee Break on the carribean like shell beach at Ruxton Island
Wallace Island Campsite
Lunch at Arbutus Point, Portland Island
Our view south from Cattle Point
Morning Sunrises
Counting Bald Eagles for my son Kiel.

Some of the Gear we used

14' x 28.5″ and 12'6" x 28.5 Sunova NHX Eco Expeditions
35L Mustang Survival Greenwater and Bluewater Drybags, and Khimera PFD's
MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 person tent
Mountain House Freeze Dried Food
Vaikobi Long Sleeve Base Layer and Storm Pant.
Jetboil Stove with Aeropress and Standup4Greatbear Coffee

If you have questions about this route contact me at explore@normhann.com or sign up for one of our multi day touring trips like Discovery Island Ocean Camp on Sept 17-20, 2020.

12 Unique Experiences Along the Sea to Sky Corridor

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 15:46:46 GMT

Norm Hann Expeditions and our standup paddleboarding programs are excited to be featured in Hello BC's list of 12 Unique Experiences along the Sea to Sky Corridor. If you are interested in one of our tours and exploring Howe Sound sign up for one of our Paddle Squamish paddling programs .

See here for the full article and the 12 Unique Experiences.

Badfish SUP Facebook LIVE: Multiday Padding Trips

Wed, 20 May 2020 16:53:59 GMT

I was excited to be a part of a live Facebook discussion with Reta Boychuk of Badfish SUP and Kim Kenyon of Born to Board. We sat down for an hour to chat about multi day paddling trips, gear, physical and mental training and more. Reach out with any other questions you may have on the topic. Thanks for listening.

Salish Wolf Podcast

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 20:03:45 GMT

I was excited and honoured to sit down with Todd Howard, owner of Pacific Rim College in Victoria, B.C. for his inaugural Salish Wolf Podcast.

The inspiration for Todd's podcast is from a wolf named Takaya who gained global fame for living alone for nearly a decade on a tiny archipelago in the Salish Sea. The dramatic doc-cast series "Takaya Chronicles" will be featured on this podcast to showcase his unbelievable life and impact.

Have a listen her for my podcast with Todd. Thanks Todd for having me as your first guest and congratulations on the new podcast.

Cool Weather Clothing System for SUP

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 15:45:31 GMT

One of the questions I get asked the most is, "What type of clothing system do you wear in spring and fall for standup paddleboarding?" I have put this youtube video together to go over a clothing system that you can use when the probability of going in the water is low. If you thought the probability of going in the water was high then you could go with a wetsuit or farmer john/jayne. If your in a colder climate a good drysuit could be the best option. This system presented here assumes you are carrying extra clothes/rewarming kit in your drybag and essentials kit. Here is another blog I wrote on my favourite clothing system for paddling which will also get explained in this video.

The Creek Review – A Legend Born

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 15:56:35 GMT

Product Overview from the Sunova Site:

SUNOVA CREEK

The CREEK received its name from our good friend Mr. Rick Weeks aka SUPTHECREEK. Over the last 4 years Rick has become somewhat of our master tester and approver of our SUP surf SUP range. With his intensive knowledge of all other SUPs on the market and his never effected time for constant 10 hours testing days this judgement is very much appreciated to us.

Over the last years he really understood better than almost anyone including ourselves our range and what each board really does and where it belongs. So it was only a matter of time before Rick asked Bert.

How would it be if I wanted: The outline of the SKATE, the performance of the FLOW, the rocker of the ACID, and most important the tail of the SPEEED.

Well… A lot of people asked that same question. And this is the result …

Testimonial

This board comes in a wide range of lengths and shapes. Feel free to reach out to us here at Norm Hann Expeditions to chat more about this board and the incredible range of surf boards, race boards and expedition touring boards!.

In the Throne Room of the River, Ocean and Mountain Gods

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 00:45:38 GMT

Paddler Magazine asked Bruce Kirkby to write a 600 word piece for a column they have called Still, using one image from our North Coast Great Trail Trip, and the story behind it. The image they chose was of me paddling towards this incredible river valley that branches off the Ecstall River. Our trip took place this past spring in May. Thanks to Bruce for capturing this moment and expressing our feelings on paddling up to this incredible section of the Northern Coast Mountains.

" During the spring of 2019, Norm Hann and I set out from the Gitga'at community of Hartley Bay, tucked in the deep fjords of Northern British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest. Our goal was to follow an ancient and long-disused section of a traditional Grease Trail, once employed by coastal nations carrying oolichan grease to the interior, where it would be traded for furs and meat. For years, Norm — pioneer of the Stand project and an adopted member of Gitga'at Raven Clan – had heard whispers of the route. Traveling up the Quall River, the path lead over a low portage, into the mysterious Ecstall drainage, and finally down to the Skeena. Being long-time SUP expedition enthusiasts, Norm and I saw it as a perfect test; taking us upstream, through rugged bush, down unknown rapids, and finally out onto the open ocean. After receiving the blessing of Gitga'at elder Helen Clifton, and invaluable route advice from community members, we set out, carrying seven days of food and minimal camping equipment on inflatable paddleboards.

For two days, we pushed up the Quall, as it slowly shrank into an ankle-deep creek. With fins off, we dragged our SUPs over rocks, across tumbled log jams, and through thickets of scratchy Devil's Club. Soon exhaustion set it and progress slowed to a crawl. Shins and forearms grew scratched and bloody. It took three hours to cover a kilometer.

'You'll know the portage trail when you see it,' Spencer Greening told us, a young First Nations Archeologist working in the region. 'You'll know many feet have walked there.'

I wondered how a trail could still exist after a century of neglect, but Spencer was right. Abruptly, amidst rocky slopes and Avitar-like Sitka spruce, an unmistakable trail materialized, leading over the mountains and to the sandy banks of Eckstall. That night we camped in the shadow of a driftwood log, ten-feet in diameter.

The next day we launched in drizzle, unaware and unprepared for the wonders that awaited downstream. The river was playful, weaving and turning as it descended class III boulder gardens. Elsewhere it was glassy-smooth, a crystal-clear conveyor belt, that carried us into the largest intact-yet-unprotected old-growth rainforest on the British Columbia coast, a world of lush green and constant birdsong. The overriding sensation in this ancient forest was not the uniformity we grew accustomed to in modern replanted stands, but rather a perfect wildness; the sense that everything was exactly where it was supposed to be.

For three days the Eckstall continued to grow, until it felt more like a fjord than a river. Silt lined the banks. Tides pushed and pulled us back and forth. It seemed we had left the great, hidden wonders behind. And then we rounded the corner pictured above.

Stumbling face-to-face into granite monoliths – the scale and grandeur of Yosemite – we paddling right to the base of the steepest cliffs and lay speechless on our boards for hours, warmed by the sun, munching on energy bars, and gazing up at the impossibly sheer walls of rock.

We would later press on, past log booms and busy shipping-container ports on the ocean, to the First Nation village of Metlakatla, north of Prince Rupert, but by that point, the wilderness had released us."

– Bruce Kirby

The Sunova Surfboards Norm Hann Expedition Touring Board

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 16:26:08 GMT

"Explore with a Norm Hann designed Sunova Expedition Touring Board."

I have been proud to work on this Expedition touring board in collaboration with Sunova Surfboards and designer Marcus Tardrew. I think we have created a special expedition board This board has built to explore coastlines, lakes and rivers. It is a stable and efficient board with a simple design that you can load up with overnight gear to take you on your next adventure. My ongoing input into the features and design of this board come directly from the years of experience and thousands of miles of multi day expeditions, distance races and coastal adventures.

Key Features of the Expedition

Design: One of the secrets to the incredible stability found on this board is the somewhat parallel rails. This allows for narrower widths which translates to faster speeds and better forward stroke technique. Marcus built this board with just the right amount of rocker making it an ideal recreational touring board as it handles downwinding, upwinding and surfing with relative ease. A simple bottom design make this board user friendly and contributes to the smooth glide in flat lake conditions. It is a fairly simple and traditional design which I really like. A good touring board should not be complicated, it should be functional.

Flat Deck: Maybe it's my history in the sport but I have always loved the flat decks which provide freedom of movement and quick adjustments in big conditions, downwinding or surfing. The flat deck also provides a stable platform for your gear to be carried. This is one of the easiest surfing, touring boards out there, great for remote outer coast missions."

Attachments: This board is well appointed with a number of attachments both front and back for having variety of ways to attach your overnight gear. There are 6 attachments at the front including the option of using the handle to tie down gear which I like and there are 8 attachments in the back.

Paulowina Wood: The Eco Expedition is a full wood board, light and beautiful to paddle. Paulowina is a tree that is native to SouthEast Asia and has the highest strength to weight ratio hardwood on Earth. It's also fast growing and is plantation grown in many parts of the world making it an eco friendly wood and the ideal material for building the expedition board which has to stand up to the rigours of coastal expedition life. Wood has a completely different feel when you are paddling it, providing that connection to something naturally made. It dampens vibration and carries its momentum really well.

Fins: The fin placement is slightly forward which allows for easier turning, especially with a fully loaded board. In order to help with tracking I like using a fin with a bit more rake like the FCS II Kalama or Candace Appleby Touring Fin .

Other Reviews:

"I love my Sunova!. The volume of the board gives me the option of carrying enough weight, to take off for as long as I want, yet it's so light weight and easy to carry. Easy to load on the top of my SUV. And it looks sexy! It tracks really well. I love my Sunova!!!" – Mary Wakefield, Victoria, B.C. 12'6″ x 28.5″

Mary paddling her Sunova at Telegraph Cove

"This incredible board is so awesome to paddle – fast, stable and easy to turn. Where the Sunova Eco Expedition really shines is when the wind picks up, the swell rises and this board becomes the perfect tool to go play. From glassy lake cruises with my daughter sitting on the board, to challenging, choppy open water lake crossing – I couldn't imagine paddling any other board and having as much confidence and fun!" – Ryan Fowler, Canmore AB 14′ x 27″

Ryan Fowler enjoying the Rocky Mountains.

"Touring is all about exploring the waters and shorelines in search of the perfect spot to overnight and make camp … not only is this board incredibly stable, the EcoExpedition tracks precisely and offers ample space to tether gear – fore and aft – making this the perfect board for adventuring. Plus best graphics ever, gorgeous! " – Jodee Zinselmeyer, Nakusp, B.C

Norm Hann Expeditions Crest: The eco expedition is a visually stunning board and although it's meant for paddling it could also work well as wall art. The Steersman crest is an original design by the renowned Canadian Git'xsan First Nation artist Bo Smith. It depicts a Raven on the left side that symbolizes creation, knowledge, prestige as well as the complexity of nature and the subtlety of truth. He is known as a trickster, and was responsible for creating man and woman and bringing light to the world. Norm has a special connection to the Raven as he has been adopted into the Raven Clan of the Gitga'at People. On the right side of the crest is Bear symbolizing strength, family, vitality, courage and health. Known as the Protector of the animal kingdom the Bear is the most powerful coastal animal. It also represents the Great Bear Rainforest, an area Norm has been passionate about protecting through his Standup4Greatbear and Stand Expeditions. In the center of the crest is the traditional canoe paddle, representing the water, leadership and working together to accomplish a common goal. Norm's Raven name is T'aam Laan, meaning Steersman of the Canoe.

Overall: The feedback on this board has been great. It is light yet solid and carries gear really well. I love the flat deck and you can go narrower with this board due to the stability making it a efficient and a joy to paddle.

If your interested in chatting more about the Eco Expedition send me an email and I would be happy to answer anymore questions.

Check out my Eco Expedition review on Youtube . See the expedition in action on our conservation film HOWE SOUND .

Paddling in Belize: Why I love Glover's Atoll

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:17:09 GMT

I am excited to be heading back down to Belize again for our 6th year running paddleboarding trips with Island Expeditions . Last year was our first year paddling out at Glovers Atoll.

This trip is a little bit different than our Coral Islands Trip. The highlights for me are:

Paddling on an atoll, one of three in Belize. Glover's Atoll is a Unesco World Heritage site, one of the richest marine environments in all of the Caribbean. This atoll sits another 45 min boat ride off the barrier reef where our Coral Islands trip takes place and is absolutely spectacular.
Wilderness Tent Base Camp with sunrise yoga sessions to start the day. The base camp gives me more of a family and team feeling to the experience with our small group numbers and outstanding staff. The Island Expeditions Team out at Glover's is incredible, all of them are really special people.
The opportunity for some paddle surfing if the wind swell conditions line up. This environment allows for some really good sup skills building and if your and experienced paddler you will enjoy the challenge.
I enjoy the cultural depth to this trip. Guests take part in a fun, cultural night of dancing and drumming. The Belizean guides, lifelong fisherman, dive and catch local food like lobster and conch. One of my most memorable experiences on Glover's was actually not paddling it was diving and hunting the west wall of the Atoll. We caught our food, and then brought it home to have it cooked up by the amazing women in the kitchen. A very unique experience.
Glover's basecamp is a great spot for families. I was happy to have my partner Jen and our five year old son Kiel there last year and it was really well set up for a family experience. The staff were phenomenal with Kiel and it was safe, environment for Kiel to enjoy and learn in.

These are just a few of my highlights out there. All I can say is that Glover's is a very unique experience and if you have already done our Coral Islands trip you would love it out here. We are running a 3 night 4 day trip from Feb 2-5th and then our 4 night 5 day trip. We have details on the website and you can reach out if you have any questions about the trip.

Here are a few of the shots from last years trip.

"Miami Beach" south end of Glover's Atoll

Our Wilderness Tent Base Camp

Jackie enjoying the magnificent waters of the atoll.

Our top notch Belizean guides, Rue, Budge and Byron.

Kiel enjoying his own board.

Howe Sound Short Film

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 15:46:33 GMT

We are excited to release our Blackfish Paddles short film called Howe Sound produced by Kelsey Thompson of Lee Visuals. I have been working with Blackfish Paddles for the last three years and using their paddles for all of my standup paddleboarding expeditions, tours and races. Blackfish owner, David Smart is located right here in Squamish and they have been very supportive of the paddling community and protecting our our local ecological gem Howe Sound. It was a pleasure to work with Kelsey and David on creating this spectacular short film that brings awareness to the Howe Sound Fiord and the Salish Sea.

Here are Norm Hann Expeditions we have been running tours and showing paddle boarders from around the world the beauty of Howe Sound. If you are interested in exploring Howe Sound and experiencing it for yourself visit our SUP Squamish page and sign up for one of our tours or multi day paddling trips.

A Review of the Sunova Skate

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 14:39:37 GMT

A big thanks here to guest reviewer Neil Gilson from Bearfoot Performance Paddle for this short and sweet review of the Sunova Skate.

We are looking forward to heading out to Canmore to work with Neil for our SOAR River Camp June 19th. If your in the area and looking for some high level flatwater or river instruction send Neil an email to get out on the water.

The Sunova Skate

Length: 8'6″
Width: 30 3/4″
Volume: 124L
Weight: 8.8 Kg (19.36 lbs)
Designer: Burt Berger

Thoughts from Neil

"Ok – it's time. Time for my review of the Sunova 8'6 Skate! I have spent a bunch of time on the Skate now – some in Tofino and a month down in Costa Rica. My review in short – love this little board more and more all the time!

First of all – she's gorgeous. (and I outfitted her with some classy stickers). However the Skate is more than a beauty! Moving to a smaller board like the Skate, it took me a while to figure out how to get positioned for paddling out. As it turns out, a slight stagger stance fore and aft of the balance point works just fine. The Skate is fast paddling out, knifes through the whitewater, and holds direction with minimal correction. Stable enough that I can readily use an offside stroke and save switching sides too much. So for paddling out – very good!

I've been surfing small – up to chest high – beach breaks down here at Dominicalito, Costa Rica. In 2-4 foot surf the Skate is SO fun! Fast to accelerate. Easy to catch waves. Turns so quick and yet has a ride as smooth as glass! You just sort of look where you want to go and it seems like the board drives itself there! So fun!

The Skate picks up virtually any wave you are lined up for. And then surfs it! And by that I mean you can take off on an angle, ride the shoulder, drop down, cut back. And even after the whitewater breaks behind you, this little board takes off and you can even carve that stuff! In a word the Skate is fun! It has really helped my surfing technique and understanding – it performs when you perform. But it doesn't crush you if your skills are new or rusty! For a lot of the time in the summer months this would be a perfect board for in and around Tofino.

Earlier today I was fortunate to line up a 4-5 foot face and carve along the lip, slide down on the face, back up, back down and into a little bottom turn, and then back up along the crest staying ahead of the break. That wave went right to within a couple board lengths of shore before it broke under me and I rode the pile up the beach and settled her gently into the sand. That's my Sunova Skate – just pure fun!"

Thanks Neil!! If your looking to get into any of the Sunova Surfboards products please contact us here at Norm Hann Expeditions and we will be happy to help you out! "There is nothing like a Sunova"

Kapoose Creek Surf & Sup Retreat

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 23:33:00 GMT

Remote Wilderness Paddling Adventure on Vancouver Island

This past summer a friend of mine, Neil Callaghan, reached out about an incredible new lodge he had started working at as the activity co-ordinator. Neil and I go back a long way in the sup world as he sold me my first paddleboard from his Second Wave shop in North Vancouver over ten years ago. He has been on various instructor courses with me and is a well trained guide. Neil sent me the link to the lodge and I was blown away by the pictures. I was wondering where this magical looking place was on Vancouver Island as the white sand surf beaches, clear emerald waters and stunning temperate coastal shoreline had my attention. It was quintessential west coast B.C. Neil expressed interest in setting up a retreat and I was really excited to have a visit. I took Jen and Kiel to the lodge for their birthdays this past September and the place was better than advertised. We spent two amazing days at the lodge with Neil, manager Andy MacInnis and his incredible staff. We paddle surfed the gentle beach break, explored Kapoose Creek, hiked the shoulder of Remarkable Cone and enjoyed a special sunset birthday beach bonfire, by far the biggest one I have ever seen. (thanks Captain Jeff)

Heading for surf in Rugged Point Provincial Park pc: Neil Callaghan

I had been looking for a spot on Vancouver Island for the past few years where I could provide an inspiring and rejuvenating coastal experience where clients could paddle surf and tour and then come back to a comfortable lodge with delicious, healthy food. The lodge sits on the doorstep of Rugged Point Provincial Park and close to Kyuquot Sound, a well know paddling destination. The staff make you feel like your family and they provide first class genuine service. I am excited to partner with Kapoose Creek to offer our first paddle surf and touring retreat to this Vancouver Island paradise, May 22-26th.

Gentle beach break for paddle surfing beginners walking distance from the lodge.

Your Kapoose Creek Retreat with me Includes:

4 Night/5 day accommodation at the Lofthouse
World Class paddling in Rugged Point Provincial Park and Kyuquot Sound
Beginner friendly paddle surf break a short walk from the lodge.
Chef prepared meals and all house beer and wine included
Transportation from Tahsis Via Boat (26 foot Kingfisher)
Optional Daily yoga overlooking the beaches and oceans
All touring boards and paddle surf boards and equipment.
Full use of 26′ Kingfisher Boat for sup shuttles, pick ups and drop offs.
Nightly beach fires
Professional trip photographer and videographer.

I am looking forward to sharing this coastal experience with you.

Cheers…Norm

Birthday girl Jen Segger enjoying a sunset apres on the yoga deck.

The Lofthouse

Kapoose Creek River & Estuary

Kapoose Creek Paddling

The Sunova Steeze Board Review

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 01:48:39 GMT

Old School Feel with All Around New School Performance

There has been some incredible paddle surfing conditions on our coast this past fall and I have been spending a lot of time surfing the Sunova Steeze. After years of dropping down in size and volume with my boards it has been refreshing getting back on a board like the Steeze. It reminds me of the early days of standup when everyone was paddling those big all arounders. They were so fun in the surf because they caught every wave and many of those earlier boards had really good surf design built into them because that was the heritage of the sport. The Steeze reminds me of that feeling yet this board performs so well owing to the incredible design performance of legendary shaper Bert Burger . It surfs really well, feels great and puts a smile on your face in the right conditions.

Catching some glides on our Tofino Surf Weekend. pc: chris christie

According to the Sunova website, "The Steeze is the ultimate all-around in performance board. A traditional outline that maintains width and volume, increasing stability without sacrificing performance. A refined performance rocker that maintains paddling speed but lets loose when required."

I have been surfing the 9'6″ x 31 at 144L. It is a very smooth board and catches waves easily but where I really noticed the performance was when I stepped back to the tail of the board. This board is very manoeuvrable and it turned easily with the nicely foiled tail. I had so much fun surfing it in the Longboard division of the Tofino ISUPiesta Paddle Surf Contest . A big thanks to organizer Jake Collard for adding the division this year which I know will grow in years to come. It sure is nice standing on a board that has a little more volume and chews up less energy while waiting for waves. Conditions on the BC coast can be windy, choppy and challenging and it is great having a few more litres of volume under your feet.

Chatting with Jake Collard after our longboard heat. pc: Ryan Fowler

For me this board is a perfect compliment to the Sunova Speed which I ride a lot as well and absolutely love. I surf the 8'5″ Speed and having the 9'6″ Steeze is a great compliment. A few clients tried the board on our Tofino Surf Weekend and the feedback was great. Even beginners seemed to have pretty good stability with the 9'6″ and the design and length allowed them to paddle well in order to catch waves easier. Smaller paddlers will love this size and more experienced paddle surfers could look at dropping down to the 8'10 which I would love to try as I think this one board could be the perfect one quiver size.

Getting some practice in before the Longboard Heats. pc: Kelly Brown Photography

If your not familiar with Sunova Surfboards have a look at their website . Their combination of performance, durability and lightweight construction is second to none on the market. One of the biggest standouts for me is the balsa wood construction and "how it feels" on the water and when you are surfing. This board comes with a two plus one high performance fin set up with the longer centre fin providing stability and direction while the smaller side fins help with the turns. Although these boards are lightweight they are really well built with excellent attention to detail.

The Steeze in action at the Tofino ISUPiesta Longboard Heat. pc: Kelly Brown Photography

If your looking to demo, purchase or if you have questions send me email and I will be happy to help out.

See you on the water….Norm

Paddling with Passion in Belize

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 19:49:18 GMT

This winter will be my fifth season running standup paddleboarding trips in Belize with Island Expeditions and it has been an incredible paddling and cultural experience. I feel fortunate that my life's passion and purpose has provided me the opportunity to show clients from around the world this immersive tropical experience. My goal is to create experiences that I love and those that I want to share so I am thankful to Island Expeditions for the opportunity to partner in order to create these adventures for you.

Reef lunch on our Coral Island Trip pc: Ana Sorys

Coral Islands Experience

Belize is a paddling paradise and Island Expeditions owner Tim Boys knew this long before anyone when his passion for adventure and exploration brought him to Belize over thirty years ago with a few sea kayaks in tow. Together we have combined our passions for people, paddling and places by providing an active vacation with the chance to explore remote islands and reefs while learning about the local culture. Great trips are always more than the sum of its parts and these trips are no different. Highlights for me have been the opportunity to paddle from white sand island to white sand island along the barrier reef within the protected SouthWater Caye Marine Reserve.

Paddling the Belize Barrier Reef, A UNESCO World Heritage Site

See for yourself why this area has been dedicated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Paddling the reef is unique and showcases the wide array of marine life like Sea Turtles and Spotted Eagle Rays in the shallow, clear waters. To understand a place you must understand it's people and I enjoy the relationships I have built with the local Garifuna and Creole people. Those I work with are talented guides, cooks and support staff who have now become my friends. They are beautiful hosts and proud ambassadors of this tiny county who love sharing their culture and ways of life with you.

Garifuna Boat Guide, Captain Ballz with a massive hand line caught Barracuda

Another must do activity on our trip is snorkelling. I will never forget the first time I put a mask on and stuck my head in the water on the outside wall of the reef on my first trip to Belize. It was like looking into a new and different world and I was astonished at the colors and the diversity of fish and corals. Pictures do not do it justice. Our local guides are born waterman and trained coaches and they will provide a safe learning environment to for you to enjoy if it's your first time. Our seven day Coral Islands Trip located right on the barrier reef and within the marine reserve showcases all of these highlights and more.

Paradise Lodge on Tobacco Caye

A New Experience on Glovers Reef Atoll for 2019

After the success of our Coral Island Trip we have added a new experience this year that I am very excited about and that I think you will love. We will be travelling to the Glover's Reef Atoll. This adventure allows you to explore and stay on Glover's Atoll, a protected marine park and UNESCO designated world heritage site thirty-six miles offshore of mainland Belize.

Our base camp at Southwater Caye, Glover's Reef Atoll.

Glover's Reef is one of the most spectacular marine environments in Belize and offers some of the best standup paddleboarding and snorkelling in the Caribbean. We will be incorporating some fun paddle surfing into this trip and we will also look to build our down winding experience in the warm trade winds that blow along the reef. Due to its isolation from the mainland, the waters are exceptionally clear with a rich reef ecosystem. This experience differs from our Coral Islands adventure as you will enjoy flexibility in your choice of paddling and daily guided activities. You and your traveling companions can do things together or separately, making it ideal for families and couples of mixed abilities.

I am excited to bring my family to Belize this winter to experience it for the first time as Glover's provides an ideal basecamp for our family to paddle, relax, explore, swim, snorkel and fish.

We are offering both four and five day trips that I will be personally guiding and I am excited to see you this year in Belize. If your interested don't wait as they trips are already filling up. Send an email for more information or to book your Belize adventure.

See you on the water, Norm.

A great way to end the day. pc: Kalavida Surf Shop

The Steersman Paddle

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 14:52:04 GMT

Overview

This is a paddle that has a design deep in story, history and coastal legend and is a partnership between Norm Hann Expeditions and Blackfish Paddles . These paddles can only be purchased through Norm Hann Expeditions and showcases the incredible artwork of Cash Bo Smith and Roy Henry Vickers in combination with industry leading construction and design from Blackfish Paddles. Ten dollars from the sale of each paddle goes to the Standup4Greatbear Society for the awareness and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest. These paddle are shipped in their own nylon paddle bag, a company wide initiative by Blackfish Paddles, instead of using plastic for wrapping.

Steersman and Standup4Greatbear Design

Review

Prior to the Steersman collaboration with Blackfish Paddles I had been using the Nootka 52o Fish Skin Adjustable for the last two years for all of our expeditions, tours, surf courses and river courses. It has been tested extensively. I have to stay that I think it is one of the best adjustable paddles on the market. The Nootka comes in a fixed length, 2 piece and 3 piece travel paddle. The combination of durability, performance, lightness and bomber adjustability make this a blade every sup paddler should have in their quiver. It made sense when I was looking at collaborating on a paddle for Norm Hann Expeditions that we would use the Nootka as the canvas for the Steersman. The result is beautiful and practical and the design will you inspire you with it's message.

Clients enjoying their Blackfish Nootka Steersmans on the Sunshine Coast Get Away

Technical Specifications

Technically the Blackfish Nootka 520 is one of the best all around paddles on the market. The 520 is the ideal blade shape for touring, surfing, river paddling and pretty much anything on the water. With a teardrop shape, the dihedral design allows for clean water entry, a stable catch phase and a clean exit with its eight degree angle. The paddle has a carbon shaft which contributes to its lightness and allows for effective power transmission. The blade is constructed with Blackfish's unique Fishskin technology making it incredibly durable and long lasting. The shaft adjustment is proprietary to Blackfish Paddles and provides an easy and secure adjustment with a grooved, measured top piece making up and down adjustment a breeze.

Grooved, measured top piece for easy up and down adjustment.

Steersman Design

The circular design was created for Norm Hann Expeditions by Gitxsan artist Cash Bo Smith. Bo Smith's traditional name is Git Wil Tim Gibuu which means "warrior wolf." Through his art Bo Smith is ultimately connecting with his Gisgega'as ancestors, the historic village of Gisgega'as – Place of Raven.

Bo's design is represented by a Raven on the left, Bear on the right and Traditional Canoe Paddle in the middle. This logo represents Norm story and the British Columbia coastline. The Raven has special meaning to Norm as he is adopted into the Raven clan of the Gitga'at people by Eva Hill. The Raven, according to First Nations legend is the creator of man and woman and also brought light to the world. He is known as the trickster and has the ability to change forms. The Bear represents the Great Bear Rainforest and the coast. Bear traditionally represents strength, family, vitality, courage and health. Known as the Protector of the animal kingdom the Bear is the most powerful coastal animal. The traditional canoe paddle in the middle of the design represents Norm's traditional name, T'aam L'aan, the Steersman of the canoe, given to him by the Gitga'at people and also represents the ocean and standup paddleboarding.

Standup4GreatBear Design

The design behind the logo with eyes looking forward is the Standup4Greatbear logo created by renowned artist and friend Roy Henry Vickers. Norm's Standup4Greatbear Expedition was a standup paddleboard journey Norm and Brian Huntington of Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition took along the proposed north coast oil tanker route. Norm wanted to bring awareness to the threat of oil tankers to the pristine marine environment, wildlife and traditional harvesting areas of the coastal First Nations from Kitimaat to Bella Bella, a 400km journey.

Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, and publisher and author of several successful books.

Andrena Gray digging deep with the Steersman on our Sunshine Coast Get Away

The Steersman comes in a 2 piece or 3 piece travel paddle and can be purchased exclusively through Norm Hann Expeditions on the shop page.

Vaikobi Ocean Performance – My Go To Paddling Gear in Canada.

Thu, 10 May 2018 16:20:33 GMT

One of the questions I get asked the most is what to wear standup paddleboarding. It can be a bit of tough question since it requires a few more questions of my own like. Where are you paddling? What season is it? What is the water temperature? What is your experience? and looking at the probability vs consequence of going in the water. Your number one goal is safety and certainly if your in the water a lot and the water is cold then going with a wetsuit or drysuit is the way to go. The best clothing I have found to paddle in for most of the year and for most of my touring and racing is Vaikobi Ocean Performance . I recommend this gear to everyone who asks and I have my guides outfitted in as well. Vaikobi's mission is to increase performance and comfort by creating the world's most innovative technical apparel for ocean athletes and paddlers.

Getting ready to paddle the Juan De Fuca Trail

My two favourite pieces to wear are from their V Cold Performance line and I pretty much live in this stuff out on the coast.

V COLD Storm Paddle Pant

Tina Currie touring the Octopus Islands on the SOAR Ocean Camp with Vaikobi Storm Pant and L/S Base Top

When I am paddling/training in the cool winter and shoulder seasons here on the coast this is my go to paddling pant. I tend to overheat when I train so I need gear that breathes well yet provides some safety protection for the cooler conditions and colder water if I happen to go in. These pants are the best. They are made of Airprene (light neoprene with holes in it) placed through the pant in combination with Hydrofleece back leg panels for maximum comfort and breathability. It also has a rip stop outer lining for durability. I have worn these pants non stop for the last couple of years. They are comfortable, provide light protection and they are very well made. These pants come with me everywhere I paddle in Canada. I usually wear a pair of board shorts overtop to compete the look, provide a little wind block if needed and for the ability to carry a couple of small things in the pockets.

V COLD Long Sleeve Base Top

Exploring the Sea to Sky Marine Trail. PC: Chris Christie

I pair this top with the Storm Paddle Pant. This top is super comfortable in cool to cold conditions and feature's Vaikobi's innovative VCOLD Technology. Super Stretchy, Super Light & Super Comfortable, the VCOLD Base top keeps you warm without overheating. Considering how much I have worn this top I can say that it is also very durable.

I have fallen in a couple of times on Howe Sound (cold water) and I am always so impressed how quickly I warm up. I always carry a light goretex shell with me and if the air temperature is a little cooler or if there is wind then I throw my shell over top. This cuts the wind and keeps my heat in as I paddle as needed and then shed the shell once I have warmed up sufficiently. This system just gives you that safety peace of mind when you are out there and the probability of going in the water is not that high.

My Warm Weather System comes from their V Cold Ocean Performance Line

V Ocean UV Paddle Pant

This pant is designed for the warmer seasons, The UV Paddle Pant protects your legs from the elements and also improves circulation for increased performance. The UV Paddle Pants will keep you cool as the sun heats up and provides a neoprene pad on the seat for extra comfort and protection. I do wear the V COLD system much more but I wear this system when I am Belize to protect me from the sun and I wore this system on the 714km long Yukon River Quest. I have started wearing it on Howe Sound on those warm summer days but I am aware that it will provide minimal protection if I am in the water for longer periods of time. These pants breathe well and I am using it for element protection and breathability.

Vaikobi Ocean Performance top in Belize on our Coral Island Trip

V Ocean Long Sleeve UV Top

This fitted top features our super lightweight and stretchy VLight fabric which is extremely soft feeling for maximum comfort while racing and training. This top provides maximum protection from the sun as it is rated UV 50+ and keeps your body cool. I like wearing this system on the coast during warmer days but I will also wear this system down winding and love it for racing. Spring races on the coast can be cool and this was my go to system for the 34km Indian Arm Challenge in Deep Cove.

34k Indian Arm Challenge with Ocean Performance Top and performance pant rolled up.

I cannot recommend this gear enough. I have tested it extensively and I think it's the best paddling clothing out there. Contact us at Norm Hann Expeditions if you would like to get into some Vaikobi gear or if you have any questions about the product.

The Ocean Performance top and bottom was my go to system for the 714 km Yukon River Quest

SOAR Ocean Camp featured in Explore Magazine

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 14:12:42 GMT

We want to thank Explore Magazine for featuring our SOAR Ocean Camp in this month's issue as part of their article, "The Pursuit of Outdoor Knowledge." The article highlighted 18 outfitters who are well-prepared to guide you through an exciting outdoor educational experience.

From the article,

"Norm Hann is probably Canada's most experienced stand-up paddler. He's paddled up and down the British Columbia coast, raced the 715 -km long Yukon River Quest and competed in multiple surf contests. On his SOAR Ocean Camp, he brings all of that experience and more to bear. Based out of a lodge on Quadra Island, between Vancouver Island and the mainland, the course uses the tidal currents and dynamic ocean environment nearby as a classroom to teach about navigation, tides, currents, safety, stroke development and weather. The goal of the four days on the water is to build the experience and skill of participants so they can complete longer expeditions on their own. The bonus is that the classroom is a rich marine environment with whales, sea lions and abundant sea life all under the shadow of the snow-capped Coast Range."

Experience Required: Intermediate SUP Skills

Cost: $1499

Dates: April 30 to May 4

Location: Discovery Island Lodge , Quadra Island

If your interested in joining us on this great experience then send us an email.

West Jet Magazine – Exploring Belize on a Standup Paddleboard

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 23:53:45 GMT

Norm Hann Expeditions is really excited to have Canadian based WestJet Airlines feature our Coral Islands Belize SUP Trip on the cover of November's West Jet Magazine. Enjoy the article here.

The Coral Islands SUP is an exclusively designed trip between Norm Hann Expeditions and Island Expeditions a leading adventure travel company that has been in Belize for 30 years; together we have created the ultimate paddleboard experience for both novice and advanced paddlers. The huge SUP expertise and vision of Norm Hann Expeditions combined with Island Expeditions' 30 years of paddlesports outfitting in Belize has resulted in a truly world-class tropical SUP adventure – specifically created for you, the Belize traveler:

Paddleboard along the Southern Belize Barrier Reef
The only lodge to lodge and island to island SUP and snorkel trip in Belize
Paddleboard skills clinic and week long coaching sessions with Norm Hann

Explore Southwater Caye Marine Reserve on Belize's Southern Barrier Reef, a United Nations' designated world heritage site. Days will be spent exploring lesser traveled areas of the reef by Stand Up Paddleboard and snorkel, discovering uninhabited islands, coral reefs, mangroves and abundant marine life. Nights will be spent in small, family run island lodges, enjoying breathtaking sunsets from the hammock on your deck, fresh seafood and local cuisine, and a comfortable bed and shower. This trip also includes an inland overnight adventure to the Tropical Education Center, with a specially-arranged (optional by donation) night tour of the Belize Zoo – a great introduction to native wildlife and Belizean ecology.

Norm Hann will be personally guiding the January 27 and February 3rd departures and we look forward to having you in Belize with us!

8 Reasons Squamish is the Best Town For Adventure

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 20:02:17 GMT

"SQUAMISH IS A SMALL TOWN in British Columbia, about an hour north of Vancouver. It's a town that many visitors pass right through without even realizing, as it's on the way from Vancouver to Whistler. If you're into outdoor adventure, skipping it would be a huge mistake. I spent a few days in Squamish and quickly realized that almost any outdoor activity that you can think of can be done there." – Jessica Devnani

Norm Hann Expeditions was excited to get a mention online with the Matador Network as the #3 reason for our stand up paddleboarding tours on Howe Sound.

#3 You Can Try Out So Many Water Sports

"Squamish is located at the top of a scenic fjord area known as Howe Sound. The area where the Squamish River flows into Howe Sound is known as "The Spit". The geography of this spot creates very windy conditions, which make it perfect for windsurfing and kiteboarding. A little further down, the calm scenery of the Howe Sound harbor make it a beautiful place for stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking. I gave stand-up paddle boarding a shot for the first time with Norm Hann Expeditions. Once I got over the initial fear of falling into the freezing cold water, I was able to relax, paddle my way around, and enjoy the surrounding scenery."

For the full article have a look here!

SUP Tips for Families

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 13:21:24 GMT

Both Jen and I love getting out with our son Kiel on the local waterways, specifically the new Sea to Sky Marine Trail on Howe Sound, right here in Squamish. Kiel absolutely loves being on the paddleboard with us and travelling to campsites that are nearby. The sup provides and amazing vantage point for children to view the world from. We have been paddleboarding with Kiel since he was a baby. A number of people have asked what type of systems and concerns we have when padding with children. Here are a few pointers that Paddle Canada Instructor, Tina Currie and I put together to help keep you and your family safe while you are out paddleboarding with your family.

Thanks to Healthy Family Expo for connecting with us for the interview. Here is the link for the article.

http://healthyfamilyexpo.com/sup-tips-for-families/

Board Review: The Infinity 14′ Wide Aquatic Touring Board

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 21:41:13 GMT

A performance touring board that is fast and fun to explore with.

I am really excited this season to be using Infinity Race and surf boards. Infinity Surf is an amazing company started decades ago by shaping legend Steve Boehne with Infinity SUP being led by the creative genius of Dave Boehne. Dave is one of the best paddle surfers in the line up and is the Speed Freak captain and head designer for the Infinity Sup division. I have always admired what the Infinity brand and the Brown Blurr has created and I feel they are progressive leaders in the high end design of race and paddle surf boards and one of the leading brands in the industry.

I had the opportunity this year to purchase a second hand custom 24" wide 2015 Blackfish. I have to say it is one of the funnest and most enjoyable boards I have ever been on. It just rips on the ocean and in variable conditions. This year Dave sent me up his custom 23.5" wide 2017 Blackfish and I am pretty blown away by its performance, speed and abilities on the ocean. I love these boards and more about that later. I also had their new 14' Wide Aquatic Touring Board sent up to test as well.

First of all this is a beautiful looking board which doesn't surprise me with Dave's design abilities. My first test was a quick paddle on my home training waters on Howe Sound. It was a short upwind paddle followed by an even shorter downwind paddle. Then I took the board on our 5 Day SOAR Ocean camp with an overnight trip and the final was some flatwater sprint training in Victoria, B.C.

Board Details

Length: 14′
Width: 30″
Volume: 318 L

Great Stability

This is something you expect in a touring board and is critical for expeditions and carrying gear. The Wide Aquatic is 30" inches wide and has a slightly recessed deck which adds to the stability by lowering your centre of gravity. It has a very good, diamond pattern deck with kick pad at the tail which provides support for pivot turns and down winding and ample amount of deck space for switching stances and pivoting heavy gear loads in more challenging ocean conditions. I am not a fan of any ocean touring board that doesn't have a good 3/4 deck pad that runs right to the tail. You need to the ability to move around on your deck and it can also provide better traction for gear that may be lashed down on the back of the board. Great stability, great deck pad.

Speed Freak Fast

This may be the fastest 14' x 30" wide touring board I have even been on. Not surprising considering it's pedigree. This board seems to have borrowed some of the best design aspects of the Whiplash and the Blackfish. It has a pretty flat rocker similar to the Whiplash but tends to skip on top of chop like the Blackfish. The design is quite impressive and it paddles upwind really well and blasts through light chop efficiently. In the little downwinder I did the board caught waves pretty easily considering the flatter rocker. Usually flat rocker is not ideal on the ocean but with the "Blackfish Skip" this board kept impressing me with its ability to ride over the chop vs through it. The flat rocker may prove somewhat challenging as the conditions get bigger and the board takes more water over the nose but in light chop it paddles well. This is a fast, beautiful paddling board that borrows design features from its race line and is one that fitness and training clients would find just as enjoyable as the touring clients.

Pack it Up, Go Explore!

I brought the Wide Aquatic Tour up to our SOAR Ocean Camp on Quadra Island and for the first three days I just toured with a day pack on it. But on our final day we did an overnight camping trip and we loaded all the gear onto the boards. This board carries most of its volume from the nose back to just behind the feet and is designed to carry the weight up front. The tail foils which decreases the volume and does not make it as ideal for carrying weight but allows the board to pivot quickly and surf better than most touring boards. I like the latter advantages vs the lack of volume. I still think the board could have the option for some rear attachments to distribute weight in a flatwater situation. For now I had to load all the gear on the front of the board. I was not sure how it was going to handle or how stable it was going to feel. I used the attachments and the Speed Freak handle as an anchor point to lash the gear down. I had close to 50 pounds of gear on the front deck with my overnight kit, tent, emergency gear and a heavy food bag. I was surprised at how well the volume of the board supported the weight, there is ample volume in this board at 318 Litres and great volume up front to displace water and carry gear. Some touring boards just feel better fully loaded and with ballast and the Wide Aquatic Tour felt super solid and did not feel unstable at all. Actually it felt quite stable and even with all that weight up front it paddled really well and was very smooth. I liked it a lot and since it handled the weight so well up front I had the whole deck to move around. For ocean touring, the ability to move around and switch stances allows you to quickly handle the variable ocean conditions and surf you are most likely to encounter. The wind does not affect the side profile of this board as much as other thicker touring boards. The challenge with having gear on the tail of the board is that it is difficult to step back while down winding or pivot turning with a full load. Most of the time the gear in the back is right where your back foot needs to be in your surf stance so I embraced the lack of rear attachments and it now has me thinking about just keeping all of my gear up front in the future, certainly with this board. I know my kit and food can be lighter so this board should perform even better with a lighter load. I am very happy with the ability of this board to carry overnight gear and for future models I would love to see the option for some rear attachments.

Stable Training board

After a week of sup touring with loaded packs it was nice to clear the deck and run some intervals with it in flatwater. It was during these sprints where it really sunk in how well this board paddles and how responsive it is. It's not a light board but it's not heavy either, maybe lighter than other 14' touring boards out there and it seemed to accelerate pretty well for a touring board. It is well constructed and can take a bump which is good on our rugged coast, there is most always a cost to lightness. I had it matched up with an FCS II Kalama touring fin and the board pivoted like a dream, yet tracked well. It was very quick and the swing weight seemed fast. It was refreshing to have the stability to really lean into the paddle stroke and I think people would be really happy with the flatwater training performance of this board.

Final Thoughts

Overall I love this touring board and I am excited to get on some bigger, longer overnight coastal runs and distance speed crossings with light kit in the near future. Hopefully Dave will have his famous Infinity SUP Vimeo video out soon for this board so you can hear from the man himself what thoughts and design went into this touring board! It's a performance touring board that I seem to enjoy more and more each time I paddle it.

Blackfish Paddles Andaman 520

Wed, 03 May 2017 22:37:27 GMT

Light, Quick and Ocean Fast Hybrid

For 2017 I have partnered with Blackfish Paddles as an athlete ambassador with their company being based right here in Squamish, B.C. Blackfish Paddles design, manufacture and distribute high quality, handcrafted SUP paddles. All their blades and handles are handcrafted in Thailand using the highest quality materials. Their manufacturing processes ensure your paddle will not only look great but will provide an exceptional paddling experience. I have been impressed with all aspects of this company and I am really excited to represent a local brand. Owner and friend, David Smart has created a pretty incredible product that performs well, looks great and is environmentally focused.

Invest in your paddle!!

I have been running sup courses, clinics and instructor training through my business for almost 10 years and I always tell people to invest more in their paddle comparatively than in your board. Your paddle is the engine and once you invest in and find that blade that you love you will never want to let it go. You will change boards throughout your paddling career but a good blade will be an extension of your body and the difference in performance you get with a great paddle is night and day. I understand there are other applications for adjustables and durable, heavier paddles but for you as individual paddler racing, training and touring then invest in a good one and purchase from a local shop and staff that really know what they are talking about. I would be happy to chat with you about Blackfish Paddles anytime.

THE ANDAMAN 520

Build Your Weapon

One of the great things about Blackfish Paddles is that you have the option of getting exactly what you want for your blade. The Andaman comes in two shaft choices, carbon adjustable and carbon filament , two handle styles the T grip handle and the Ergo handle and a hand laid 520 or 580 blade size. The paddle I have been using has the has the round carbon shaft, ergo grip and is in the 520 blade size. I am just over six feet and I have the length cut to just over 77 inches. I thought it was a touch short but my body has adjusted well to it and the thickness of my Infinity Blackfish works as well with the length.

Smaller is better?

The past couple of years I have been using a blade size that is around 94 sq inches. The 520 works out to be around 81 sq inches with the 580 coming in at 90 sq inches. I have been loving the smaller blade size on the ocean as it offers super quick acceleration and very little stress on the body. The Andaman Blade is a hybrid between the teardrop shape and the high aspect that you would see on the Race and it provides a very solid catch with a quick exit and recovery. Ocean provides unpredictable conditions and often you have to change your cadence and the Andaman is very reactive and still provides a good catch. The small blade size also allows you to keep you to keep a faster cadence in headwinds or when stability is needed. I thought the 520 was going to be too small but my body has grown to love it and at this point it is hard for me to paddle with anything else. Mind you I have not tried the 580 yet nor the 550 in the Race.

Light with the magic touch.

The first thing you notice about this blade is the lightness and the feel. It is super lightweight and has a really great feel to it when it's in use. It has a round shaft which I prefer with a 3k twill carbon construction and is well built with ABS rails that provide durability. The shaft has a really great flex pattern to it, not too stiff nor is it too flexy. Generally if a paddle shaft is too stiff you may feel it in your body and will have more of a dead wood feel to it. A paddle shaft that has too much flex will cost you power and efficiency.

Ocean Performance

I train, tour and spend most of my time on the ocean and I have quickly grown to love this blade. The blade pairs really well with the all around ocean race designs that are out there right now and gives you the ability to keep your cadence up which is a benefit on the ocean. This is a fantastic blade for ocean racing, downwinding and fitness.

Final Thoughts

Overall I can highly recommend this blade, I love it. This is the first blade from Blackfish Paddles that I have used extensively and I am looking forward to testing their new Race 500. Blackfish Paddles focuses on the environment and each paddle is shipped and comes with a nylon paddle sleeve instead of it being wrapped in plastic and styrofoam. For the price of $349 Canadian it is a heck of a deal and well worth the investment.

MULTIPLICITY 2016: Norm Hann Stands up for the Great Bear Rainforest.

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 19:17:48 GMT

Big thanks to the crew at Mountain Life for inviting me to speak at Multiplicity this past spring as part of the Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival. It gave me another opportunity to talk about our coastline and to share some stories and pictures.

MOUNTAIN LIFE RECENTLY RELEASED THE TALK AND YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE.

Creating a World-Class Standup Paddleboard Experience.

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 18:07:03 GMT

I am really excited about our upcoming Coral Islands SUP trip in Belize which is a unique partnership recently formed with Island Expeditions , the leading adventure experts in Belize. This is a premier paddling adventure as the Coral Island SUP trip is the only multi-day, lodge to lodge sup adventure in Belize. The trip was also named Best SUP Odyssey in Outside Magazine's Best of Travel in 2015.

Day 1 Skills Clinic Tobacco Caye

For a long time Island Expeditions has known that Belize provides the ideal location for an SUP trip with the second longest Barrier Reef in the world. I was fortunate to connect with Island Expeditions a few years ago to start training the guides and to help develop the huge sup potential. Paddlers can look forward to being immersed in Belize's spectacular marine habitat with its palm studded cayes, coral reefs, mangroves and abundant sea life.

Click here for the Coral Islands SUP Detailed Trip Itinerary & Find Out More About This Incredible Journey.

Together, with Island Expeditions we meticulously built the ultimate Belize multi-day stand up paddleboard experience for all levels. The trip combines beginner through advanced skills development, downwind coaching and expert local interpretation, in one of the most incredible tropical marine environments, the Southwater Caye Marine Reserve.

One of the things I enjoy the most in Belize, aside from the incredible ocean environment, is spending the week coaching clients and helping to build their sup skill set. Some guests arrive with little paddling experience and some have more advanced experience in the sport but either way I can accommodate everyone. We start all trips with a flatwater skills session that will get everyone excited and comfortable in this new ocean environment. Coaching will continue throughout the week and there will be opportunities to work on more advanced skill sets like down winding if the right conditions present themselves. Belize is such and amazing place to build confidence and experience while being surrounded by tropical beauty.

Southwater Caye Marine Reserve

I am really happy that I connected a few years ago with owner Tim Boys. In our initial phone conversation I could hear the passion he had for Belize and for the potential of sup with Island Expeditions which got me really excited. My first trip down to Belize was to introduce the sport and the potential for the sport to the staff. We had a lot of fun that first trip but it became very clear to me that Belize would be an ideal international location to run a multi day sup trip. Belize would compliment my other expeditions well. It was obvious that Island Expeditions ran a first class operation, the staff was well trained and the island and reef systems were a paddlers dream. There are so many options for paddling and it's an amazing country to spend a week in. From my first trip in 2014 to introduce the sport I have continued train and work with the local guides. I am proud to say we now have six Paddle Canada certified Belizean instructors, who focus on safety, technique, interpretation and having fun.

Belizean's First Paddle Canada Trained SUP Instructors

Guests have the option of joining me for our January 28th and February 4th departures where I will be the lead Instructor and trip coordinator. IF those trips dates do not work for you then we also have departures March 11th and April 1st. Although I will not be on those departures our Paddle Canada Certified Belizean guides will be leading the trips and coaching you throughout the week.

If you go:
If you love SUP or just want to build your skills up and bring them to the next level, the Coral Islands SUP trip is for you. This is a 6-night/7-day journey that is ideal for paddlers seeking the adventure of a guided and fully catered SUP trip, combined with the comforts of small lodges in spectacular locations. If you are new to the sport, I recommend you take some beginner classes before you go if that is a possibility, so you can start to build a foundation for the trip.

The Coral Island SUP trip departure dates for 2017 are: Jan 28th, Feb 4th, March 11 and April 1st. Contact us for more information or book this trip online.

Paddling Tobacco Caye

Watch the video here.

Lunker Lakers: SUP Fishing Expedition on Great Slave Lake

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:11:17 GMT

I reflect fondly on my first standup paddleboard & fishing trip exploring the legendary east arm of Great Slave Lake as shared below and I am excited to return in 2026 in partnership with Jackpine Paddles . Jackpine Paddles are leaders in Arctic paddling and Norm Hann Expeditions is excited to work with Jackpine to offer our Great Slave Lake SUP Expedition . Jackpine also offers a sea kayak trip and a canoeing trip to explore the big lake if you would prefer that mode of travel or if that timing works better for your schedule. Whether its by paddleboard, kayak or canoe, Great Slave Lake is a must for a memorable paddling expedition in the North West Territories. The video below showcases Jackpines Sea Kayak Expedition in the East Arm and our sup trip in 2026 will follow the same route around Etthen Island.

Watch the Jackpine Sea Kayak Expedition video here.

My trip up north originated with a phone call from Benji Straker, co owner with Ivan Gloeden, of Old Town Paddle Co in Yellowknife, NWT. Benji proposed "hey, how about a two night, three day sup exploration and fishing trip in the remote East Arm of Great Slave Lake?" "I'm in!," was all I said. This would be my second trip to Yellowknife and our plan was to paddle, camp and fish our way, thirty kilometres along the scenic north shore of Blanchet Island. Last year I came up for a few days to do a touring instructor course for Old Town Paddle Co and we would be carrying on that training while having a great adventure and the opportunity to explore the area by sup. I was blown away by the vastness of Great Slave Lake and the endless opportunities for paddling. The highlight of my trip for sure was the pike fishing trip we did on the north arm, guided by Benji's older brother Randy. Having grown up fishing my whole life it was hands down one of the greatest fishing sessions I have ever had. The final cast of the day resulted in a 48 inch 35 pound monster.

Monster Northern Pike : pc Benji Straker

My relationship with Benji and Ivan started in Squamish when they came down for one of my flatwater instructor courses and has blossomed into a great friendship. I was excited for another trip back up to Yellowknife.

Old Town Boys Benji and Ivan

After a quick flight to Yellowknife from Vancouver Benji picked me up and we met Ivan and Randy at the new NWT Brew Pub for a last minute planning session to make sure we all had the appropriate gear, food and safety equipment. With everything ready to go we loaded up the boat with our inflatables and all the gear for the three hour boat ride out to our drop off area. We were headed to Blanchet Island, half way up the stunning East Arm of Great Slave Lake. We left late in the evening and we searched out a beautiful spot to set camp for the first night under a stunning sunset. At this time of the year it pretty much stays light out the whole night.

After good sleep in and a leisurely breakfast we packed up camp, pumped up the inflatables and hit the water. Randy is a diehard fisherman and knows these waters well. He showed me the rig we would be using, a spinning rod with a weight attached to the leader and a cisco rig which would be trolled 15-20 feet deep behind the paddleboard. The cisco is basically a freshwater herring and this set up worked really well for the Lake Trout we were targeting. I had never caught a Lake Trout before so I was excited to try to catch one off the paddle board.

Randy Straker SUP Fishing & Expedition Set up

We paddled and fished along the stunning, remote, and volcanic shoreline of Blanchet Island. Randy was the first to hook into a fish, a beauty that was close to 20 lbs and ended up being the biggest fish of the trip. Soon, I got into my first laker and after a short fight, landed the beautiful fish on the deck of my paddleboard.

Lake Trout Shore Lunch

Trolling off the paddle board and the challenge of setting the hook was a fun way to catch these fiesty fish. Just before lunch we landed the paddleboards and set off on a short exploration hike on the island with fishing rod in hand to Le Nez inlet to look for fish. We were not as successful as we had hoped to be so we returned to the shoreline where Benji was in the process of cooking up one of his catches from the morning for one of the most delicious shore lunches I have had in a long time.

My First Lake Trout, PC: Benji Straker

We paddled and fished twenty five kilometres down the shore and soon found a picture perfect campsite on a rocky point attached to a calm secluded bay for our second nights accommodation. After setting up our tents and ditching all of our gear Benji and I headed out to catch a few more fish while Randy worked on getting some drone shots. Our day ended with a late dinner over a hot fire while the setting sun provided yet another incredible backdrop to the lake.

Ivan paddling the rugged shoreline of Blanchet Island. PC: Benji Straker

We woke to a beautiful morning and after packing camp up a light tail wind pushed us a few kilometres into Shelter Bay. Shelter Bay was the highlight of our trip, being out of the main channel of the east arm it was a lot warmer. The fishing was incredible, the temperatures were perfect and there were numerous islands and bays to explore. We found the best spot for lunch on the backside of an island and took our time, lounging in the sun, drinking coffee and enjoying the beautiful weather. We fished the afternoon away and Benji and I caught a few fish to bring home. I could have stayed in this bay for days but soon we were packing all our gear up and getting ready to meet Andy for our trip back to Yellowknife.

Yellowknife has really grown on me. I love the big lake and I love the incredible fishing up there, the North West Territories is vast and beautiful, with few people. Benji and Ivan have created an amazing sup business up there and they are incredible ambassadors of the sport and provide great instruction. I will be back up there next year! Stay posted for a Norm Hann Expedition/Old Town Paddle Co sup adventure for 2017.

Thanks a lot to Captain Andy for the ride out to the fishing grounds and of course to the Old Town Paddle crew, Benji, Ivan and Randy.

Benji Straker with another beauty Lake Trout. PC: Norm Hann

Lunch Spot on Blanchett Island PC: Randy Straker

Sup Race to the Midnight Sun: The Yukon River Quest

Wed, 13 Jul 2016 20:43:29 GMT

It was over half a year ago that my friend, Stu Knaack, from SUP Yukon in Whitehorse contacted me and said that the Yukon River Quest had just opened registration to a select number of paddle boarders for the first time. It was going to be an experimental year which meant we would not be part of the prize money and that race organizers would be looking to see if sup could be a viable category in this historic canoe and kayak river race. The Yukon River Quest is a wilderness adventure paddling race that follows the rich history of the wild and remote Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City, some 715kms. I signed up immediately as I had always wanted to go to the Yukon and to experience the place and people and thought this would be an incredible way to do that. I knew it was going to be a massive challenge and I was motivated to prove that sup was legitimate in a race like this. It's not too often in life where you have the opportunity and timing to do something so unique for the first time. There were a lot of unknowns, which made this appealing and with that, training and race preparations began for the Race to the Midnight sun.

With Lina Pre Race. Where is Tavas? PC: Nikki Rekman

There were eleven paddle boarders who found ourselves in Whitehorse prior to the race making final preparations, and trying to answer many questions people had about sup in the river quest. We were the talk of the town and a new energy had been injected into the Quest. There was a lot of skepticism as to how effective we could but but I was confident in my abilities and I knew was in good company with Bart De Zwart, Starboard athlete and distance legend, world champion Lina Augaitis who was the first to paddle this river by sup in 2011 and Deep Cove athlete, Jason Bennett who was well prepared and had been a great training partner in the months leading up to the race. Our crew was rounded out by Whitehorse locals Stu Knaack, Michelle Esheter, Stephen Waterreus, europeans Tony Bain, Joanne Hamilton Vale, Andre Le Geyt and Tofino paddle surfer and adventurer Glen Pearson.

Whitehorse Race Start PC: Albert Joseph

Our race began in downtown Whitehorse at noon and started with a 400m run down to the rivers edge. We jumped on our boards and with that the race had begun and the mighty Yukon River was taking us north towards the midnight sun and on our way to Dawson City. After all of the details, planning, travel and training it felt really good to be finally on the water. We had two mandatory stops on this race, a seven hour supported stop in Carmacks and a three hour rest at Coffee Creek. Bart charged out quickly and I wasn't about to let him have the race so soon so I broke out with him with Jason not far behind. A three hour river sprint took us to our first check point at the start of Lake Laberge. If there was one physical attribute of this race that would provide the biggest challenge and was met with many warnings by the locals, it was Lake Laberge. It was massive, beautiful and at times unpredictable. In a way I was looking forward to this section since most of my training and expeditions take place on the ocean in challenging and windy conditions and the big water would allow me the opportunity to open up my stroke a bit more and to use my comfort on big water to grind through the miles. Bart and I continued on together with Jason and Stephen not far behind, all of us at times using Voyageur canoes and C2's for drafting and efficiency. We finished the last couple of hours on the lake with a tail wind that blew us to our Lower Laberge checkpoint. We ripped off one of the most challenging sections of the course and with the initial river section, we raced 89 kms in in 9.5 hrs.

Me, Bart and Jason on a draft across Lake Laberge PC: YRQ

One of the most unique aspects of the race is the midnight sun, which dips slightly below the horizon so it never gets dark here at this time of the year. Bart and I were moving into the midnight hours as we connected with the fast currents of the river leaving the lake. It was a beautiful section of river that kept us entertained for hours as we searched for the faster currents on the outer bends and throughout the main flows which in the end would save us a lot of time. Stu Knaack said the locals called it the "silver lining", the most efficient and fastest line in the river. We spent our whole race looking for this lining. Another challenge of the race was sleep deprivation as the course would see us paddle through three consecutive nights and for a lot of competitors would be the x factor they had to deal with. I had only limited experience with sleep deprivation but my two year old son Kiel certainly has taught me that I could operate on very little sleep but that was a far cry from racing for three straight days on minimal sleep. The toughest hours, seemed to be between three and five which was the coolest hours with the least amount of light. Bart and I would talk to each other to keep each other up and we would stop periodically to eat to help keep the sleep monsters at bay. A key survival technique on this race that I anticipated prior to the race was to team up and paddle with someone of equal ability. Although you were racing against each other it was critical to share hours together and help each other during down times which would inevitably come. I was really excited to be paddling with Bart, he is a true paddling legend and a great person with a ton of experience. He had crushed all of the longest races in the world and had done some epic crossings, including a four day open ocean crossing from Tahiti to Bora Bora.

Jason Bennett, Bart De Zwart, and I. PC: Carmen Merkel

Hour after hour we paddled down this remote section of the Yukon and as we got into the early morning hours we were joined for a while by local Whitehorse paddler Stephen who displayed some great endurance this deep into the race and not only passed Jason who was minutes behind but caught up to us as well. Bart and I were both surprised to see Steven charging up from behind, using the river currents well. I began to affectionately call Stephen "the phantom", for his ability to sneak up on you out of nowhere with his strong paddling and then, just as quickly, disappear. Jason was not far behind either and having both Jason and Stephen pushing from behind kept Bart and I on our toes and kept us paddling at a good pace.

Army of Darkness, Stephen Waterreus PC: YRQ

As morning turned into lunch time we approached our first mandatory stop at Carmacks. It's really amazing how the final hours leading into a rest or even the finish of an endurance race seem to drag on, time moves much more slowly and this is where you begin to tap into your mental toughness. After a few more bends in the river, and with muscles aching we landed at Carmacks. I looked at my watch, 24.5 hrs and 305 km. It was so good to see Carmen, Nikki and Mark. I pretty much fell into Nikki's arms as my legs were having difficulty adjusting to movement after being pretty much in the same spot for the last full day. She brought me up to the rest area where I devoured food and got my legs up to help the fluids drain. I had not given much thought initially in my planning to the importance of the support. Nikki Rekman , Werner and Kokatat rep, and her partner Mark had graciously offered to help me and I now realized how critical this seven hour layover would be. My partner, Jen , who has adventure raced and run ultra marathons all over the world for the last fifteen years provided incredible support to Nikki in terms of advice on what would be most effective for me during this stop. After a 45 minute feed I got to the tent for some much needed rest. Thankfully I managed to sleep, which allowed my body time to recover. I woke up an hour prior to departure to eat more and warm up. Nikki and Mark were amazing in their support and I felt grateful to have such incredible people around me.

Mandatory Rest at Carmacks. PC: Nikki Rekman

Bart, Stephen and I leaving Carmacks PC: JEP Media

Bart, Stephen and I pretty much departed together just after 7:30pm and paddled strongly into the early evening and towards 5 Finger Rapids. Three hours later we made our way to Five Finger Rapids, the only section of whitewater and the halfway point of the race. Five Finger Rapids is a beautiful section of river with a few options through the rock wall portals and as advised we stayed far to river right. Bart and I made it through without much problem and again moved into another night of paddling but with the rest at Carmacks I did not struggle as much with sleep deprivation.

Bart and I at Five Finger Rapids PC: Albert Joseph

Five Finger Rapids PC: JEP Media

We both remarked that it seemed lighter than the previous night but we realized that we were another 300 plus km's north. We passed the site of Sam McGee's ashes, made famous by Robert Service's poem about a prospector who froze to death on Lake Laberge. I think everyone in the Yukon can recite this word for word. We passed check points in Minto and Fort Selkirk and paddled past stunning sections of river lined with volcanic basalt walls while keeping company with a Voyageur canoe full of ladies who sang and called out paddling cadences. Earlier into the morning we partnered up with Jason who had made up some time while Bart and I stopped on the hour for quick food breaks. From here Jason and I would be together until the end. The grey, cool and foggy early morning broke into a warm beautiful day as we made our way to our second mandatory stop at Coffee Creek. I struggled with the last few hours of paddling leading up to the stop with the heat of the day and the fact that we were pushing into 40 hours. I was really starting to feel the wear and tear on my legs and my feet and so it was good that our next mandatory stop appeared on the horizon. We were met with happy and surprised faces and I fumbled around like a drunk sailor once I hit land again. We were all thankful for the soup and sandwich that was provided by the volunteers and a for the short rest. I felt horrible after waking from the two hour nap, I was stiff and groggy and it took a little while to wake up. My hands were showing the wear of two straight days of paddling and I threw down some Advil to help. In contrast, Bart was feeling great after the break and minutes into our last leg he decided to push hard and to break from Jason and I. With a gentleman's agreement to leave the safety of the group Bart pushed off ahead. I did think about chasing after him but considering how I felt at the time and knowing we still had another 12-14 hrs of paddling, Jason and I decided to continue on together, not giving up on Bart but not being foolish in our chase. This is where I saw Bart's experience take over. He had been in this position before, he had done these long races and understood what he could demand from his body. I just wanted to make sure I had enough left to finish. Bart was really focused on breaking the 55 hr mark and although Jason and I wanted the same we both wanted to make sure we got the got to Dawson City.

Annie's Mac & Cheese PC: Nikki Rekman

The last section of the Yukon River to Dawson City widens and becomes much more braided with countless creeks and large rivers like the White, Stewart and Klondike that dump into the main flow. There are some stunning sections of shoreline on this bottom end and if you were not seeing faces in the rocks earlier into the race after two nights without sleep, well every rock and tree seemed to take human form. Our minds began to play tricks and stumps looked like animals, trees looked like canoes and the river began to take on a bit more of an eerie feel to it. I did not have any full on hallucinations but the mind was starting to walk that fine line. This is where having someone to paddle with makes all the difference. Jason would help me and I would help Jason, like Bart and I did earlier in the race, we both worked to keep each other moving forward. Paddling through our third evening we were trying to find anything that had caffeine in it as we watched the pages of Mike Rouke's river map slowly move by. Our pace diminished in the headwind and a number of canoes had passed us providing encouragement as they went by. We kept our mind focused on getting under 55 hours ourselves but our speed was slow and it wasn't until Team 7th Chakra, a voyageur canoe went by with reports of the Phantom aka Army of Darkness (Stephen's team name) in the area that snapped us out of our of slog and inspired us to shift gears as we started to build some momentum to the finish. I can attribute the success of our finish to this team. Thank you 7th Chakra. Basic math at this point in the race seemed futile but Jason managed to do some rough calculations and had figured that if we could keep a higher pace we might be able to get in under 55 hrs. We were finally within striking distance of the finish and although I still wasn't sure what I had left in the tank I thought we should really give it go. With an hour and a half left I began my sprint for the finish with Jason tucked in behind. I kept the (voyageur) in sight and charged to catch them and then use their draft. I was moving full speed and I had no idea where the reserve of power had come from. Maybe my body was adapting and getting stronger, maybe it was adrenalin. Regardless we were gunning hard for Dawson City and Jason was calling out our speeds which at times, in the right current, was hitting 18kms an hour. Soon we could see Moose Hide slide, a prominent land mark above Dawson City and finally, finally Dawson City came into view. Month's earlier Stu had sent me Mike Rouke's river map and graciously marked check points but the one thing he marked on the map right at the finish at Dawson City were the words "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner." Those words stuck in my head the whole race and I guess became my mantra for moving forward! So I have to thank Stu for that motivation! We could hear the hollering from shore, we could see Nikki and Carmen on the shorelines screaming with signs that said Go Norm! Go Jason! and with that added bit of energy and support I pushed into a full speed sprint to get across the finish line with Jason not far behind. Then, the horn went and I crossed the finish line. Just like that, it was over, we were done and we had made it. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. My time, 54:56:47, we had made it under the cutoff. The 55 hrs was significant because that was the cutoff time for canoes and kayaks to receive prize money. Although we did not receive any prize money this year, we wanted to prove a point that SUP's could do it. Bart came in first, 15 minutes ahead of us and with that we had three paddleboards to go under 55 hrs. I did not think i would be sprinting to the finish line but it is amazing what reserves the body has when called upon. Just before hitting the beach the body relaxed and I felt a well of emotion arise in me as I waited for Jason so we could hit the beach together, it was a team effort. We were by met with hugs and kisses from Nikki and Carmen and with the exertion of the last couple hours Jason literally passed out on the shoreline. I think he needed a Sour Toe Cocktail to revive him!!

The Finish at Dawson City, 54:56:47 PC: Nikki Rekman

What an absolutely incredible feeling to finish this epic, inaugural race, and hard to describe the range of emotions but I was quickly rewarded with a full Pizza, a coke and a bag of Miss Vickies chips. I called my family and headed to the hotel for a sleep. After waking up I headed back to the beach a few hours later to wait for the rest of the paddle boarders to come in. I did not get a chance to see Steven come across but I was there for Andre, Michelle, Stu and Glen. I was so incredibly proud of everyone. Few words were needed, everything you important to know was reflected in the eyes of our fellow paddlers. And with that it was over, we had done it and although I did not have the infamous Sour Toe Cocktail I did enjoy a glass of Yukon Brewing's Ice Fog IPA at the historic Downtown Hotel. A beer never tasted so good.

My incredible support, Nikki Rekman. Dawson City PC: My other incredible support, Mark Klein

Rest and Miss Vickies Chips PC: Nikki Rekman

This race affected me in so many ways. It was beyond what I thought it would be. It was a powerful, special experience that imprinted on me and left me very, very satisfied. It was incredibly challenging and long, there were ups and downs, it made me question what I was made of, what mattered and what motivated me. Although my physical tank had been emptied and the race had stripped away everything that was unnecessary, other parts of me were completely full and overflowing. Sharing the experience with Bart, Jason and the other racers, along with my support crew Nikki and Mark brought depth and understanding to the experience. Paddling through the remote and pristine Yukon wilderness, being part of the First Nations and gold rush history on the river and being part of the first crew of paddle boarders to race to the midnight sun was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Welcoming Stu to Dawson City. Me, Stu, Mark, Jason. PC: Nikki Rekman

Many thanks go out. Thanks to my partner Jen and my son Kiel for giving me strength when I needed it. Thanks to Jen as well for helping me to train for this race and for putting my nutrition plan together. Thanks to my parents and all those people who provided support throughout the race, you do not know what that means to us when we are out there. Thank you! A massive thanks goes to Mark and Nikki for providing such incredible support, sponsorship and love throughout the whole race. Thanks to Carmen, your an amazing women and I appreciated your support and encouragement and smile. A special thanks to Stu Knaack for getting me to sign up for the race, for hosting me while I was here and for being the Original Northerner here in Whitehorse. I will not forget the look of pride you carried in your eyes.

Mr SUP Yukon & the Original Northerner, Stu Knaack

A really big thanks to all the volunteers at the race and for the Yukon Quest organizing committee. Peter Coates, you did an amazing job with the race tracking and I have heard from so many people how much they enjoyed following the race.

Thank You Volunteers!!! Thank You!!

Our incredible support crew, Nikki and Mark.

Thanks to my sponsors Boardworks Surf , the Eradicator was awesome, Kokatat, Vaikobi and Galileo Coffee . Thank you to Bart and Jason for paddling with me for so long and helping me to get through the race successfully. Finally congrats to all my teammates Stephen, Andre, Michelle, Stu, Glen, Tony and Jo, it was an honour to share such a powerful experience with you all and we are all Winner Winner Chicken Dinners!!

The 2016 Yukon River Quest Eleven

Watch the Yukon River Quest video here.

Multiplicity: The Raven's Journey

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 17:04:32 GMT

This past April I had the opportunity to be a part of the Mountain Life Multiplicity Speakers series in Whistler as part of the Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival. It was an incredible event to be a part of and I was excited to share the stage with so many great speakers and people that I admire in the industry. My 10 minute presentation was on our incredible coastline and looking after these wild places and the importance they play in our lives. I sat down with Mountain Life's Brian Peech and shared my thoughts on our coastline and on the presentation. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. Thanks to the Nicolas Teichrob, Chris Christie and Jimmy Martinello for sharing your amazing photos.

Standup4Greatbear Society receives Werner Healthy Waters Donation

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 18:42:00 GMT

My Standup4Greatbear Society would like to thank Werner Paddles and their Healthy Waters program for the donation to the Standup4Greatbear Society. The Healthy Waters program donates to those who protect where we paddle and Standup4Greatbear was honoured to be one of the recipients of this years awards. A big thanks goes to Nikki Rekman of Nikki Rekman Sales who nominated the society and who has been a big supporter since it's inception. We sure do love the Great Bear Rainforest and we will continue to help protect this incredible area and outstanding ecosystem for future generations. The Great Bear is one of the most amazing places to standup paddle board and my week long trips there connect you to a sense of place and will help you to understand how sensitive this ecosystem is and what is at risk.

The Standup4Greatbear Society was born from a 2010 conservation standup paddle with Brian Huntington along the proposed oil tanker route and supported and inspired by the community of Hartley Bay and the Gitga'at people. The society now promotes the education, awareness, and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest through conservation expeditions, featured talks and school presentations. We support environmental, educational and youth related projects in the Great Bear Rainforest.

If you have not had the chance to see the Standup4Greatbear Documentary you can view it here.

M & S Vancouver 24: Support our Paddle for Cancer

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 01:45:35 GMT

I am honoured this year to be part of the Vancouver team paddling Monster and Sea's 24, a 24 hr paddle to raise money for those local families struggling with cancer. The 24 was created by Troy Nebeker of Monster & Sea as another way to give back to those families and individuals in need and started with 6 people last year in Seattle who paddled for 24 hours to raise funds. This Easter weekend, there will be 7 teams, paddling in cities across the US and Canada and our team is proud to be representing Vancouver.

Please support the team by making a donation large or small at our GoFUNDME page.

Know that your donations are going to a place that will make a difference in people's lives. We also know that support comes in many forms, so if you are unable to make a donation, we welcome you to come out and join our team to paddle a lap around False Creek or to just hang out with us to help keep the stoke going for 24hrs.

Please join us:
Where: False Creek (staging point to be decided)
Start: Saturday March 26 8:00 AM
Finish: Saturday March 27 8:00 AM

Thanks from our Monster & Sea 24 Vancouver team! Scott, Ken, Harry, Norm, Shannon, Estelle!

The Beauty of Winter Paddling

Thu, 07 Jan 2016 22:03:11 GMT

"With a little preparation and the right equipment there is no off season."

Paddling in the winter can be an amazing and beautiful time to get out with less crowds, picturesque winter scenes, and quiet, calm moments. The key to winter paddling is making sure that you are well prepared. I have complied a few thoughts here that may help and will keep you safe out there so you can enjoy the training, touring and the beauty of the winter season.

Safety Gear

Leash – this is the cheapest piece of safety equipment you can have. Make sure it is in good working order. Leashes save lives, wear one! If you are winter paddling on a river, make sure your leash is quick release.
PFD – Wear a good PFD with pockets and reflective material. A jacket like the Kokatat Maximus Centurion or the Orbit Tour will not only keep you buoyant and safe but will provide well needed core warmth on those cold day. You can carry communication, snacks or essentials in the pockets.
Delorme In Reach – Whether I am on the ocean or in the mountains I carry my Delorme InReach. Although you need a monthly plan, these units can save your life and if you spend enough time in the outdoors or in remote climates then it is a really good safety item. These units are durable and have great battery life. They are also a great back up if your cell phones die or become submerged. The battery life really drains on those cold days.
Cell Phone – Make sure you have your phone in a waterproof case and there is enough battery life.
Headlamp – Our days in Canada are short in the winter and having a headlamp can help you in many ways.

Clothing

Drysuits

Drysuits are very effective for winter paddling especially in more colder climates.
Drysuits give you the ability to layer appropriately and adjust temperature control depending on your internal engine. I like to layer with Icebreaker . A thick pair of wool socks for the feet, a 150 or 200 weight long underwear bottom and a 150 long sleeve, with a 260 over that works well for me up top here in Squamish, B.C.
Drysuits are ideal for winter river paddling. I have really been enjoying my Kokatat Idol drysuit , it's a comfortable two piece system with the ability to switch tops to a more river or touring specific setup. Our coastal climate is more moderate but places where the temperature drops well below zero, drysuits are the way to go.
The initial cost of a drysuit is high in comparison to a wetsuit but it well worth the investment if you use it regularly for ocean and river paddling and for the safety, comfort and warmth factor.
A good pair of high top river shoes like the Astral Hiyak will work well with the drysuits. I have been wearing the Brewer which is a great shoe but it seems to let a lot of gravel in on the river banks.
For head gear, Predator helmuts on the river, Stand toques for those cold winter days, or Standup4Greatbear trucker hats for training.

Winter Touring on the Strait of Juan De Fuca PC: Doug Bains

Wetsuits

Wetsuits are designed for surfing. I love my Xcel TDC Drylock Hooded 5/4 for winter surfing in Tofino and my 4/3 for summer sessions but I stay away from them for flatwater winter paddling.
Wetsuits are meant to get wet and for that layer of water to keep you warm, especially when your in the water but they do not work as well for winter paddling if you standing on your board and not getting the neoprene wet. Even if you do get wet standing in the colder temps will chill you quickly.
Thicker wetsuits can be restrictive for paddling.
Wetsuit gloves are not ideal for winter paddling as your fingers can freeze quickly. An option would be to wear a pair of waterproof ski gloves and bring an extra pair if they get wet. I recently paddled down one of our rivers with a pair of Arctertx Beta Shell Gloves on and they were great until I started trying to land a few small waterfall drops.
If you are going to wear a wetsuit, farmer john or neoprene top and bottoms in the winter, it will be a good idea to layer some board shorts over the bottom and a light shell jacket up top which will cut the wind and keep some of the heat in.
On some of our colder outflow down winding days here on Howe Sound I will wear a 2 mm pant with board shorts over them, a 2 mm long sleeve top and a 5 mm booty. I tend to go with this system over a drysuit because I will overheat too much in the drysuit. Generally on Howe Sound our outflow winds are very cold so I may even go with a 4/3 depending.

Tofino Surf Invitational PC: Sorry I can't remember

Training Systems

Some days when I head out for faster, flatwater training runs on my race board I will opt for a more traditional layering system to manage the heat generated.
The Vaikobi Cold series is a clothing system I really like for training paddles or paddles were the probability of going in due to weather, experience, and board choice is low. The V Cold Paddle Pant, V Cold Base Layer and the V Cold Plus Top all are incredible pieces which allow you to train hard without overheating yet they still provide a bit of protection in the event of falling in. These pieces can be layered over top with board shorts and a light shell or soft shell jacket.

Squamish estuary

You should be prepared for immersion and it depends on your comfort level, experience and the board you are paddling on. If the probability of going in the water is low then you can get away with a little less vs a little more considering you have met all other safety precautions. Conditions on the water can change quickly so people need to be prepared for that. You should always be asking yourself, "what if?"

With all of this knowledge it is still important to file a trip plan and use the buddy system for those late fall, winter and early spring paddling conditions. Have fun and be safe and if your looking for another option Southern California is nice these days and our 7 day trips to Belize are pretty fun too. Our ocean sup training programs begin this April with our Tofino Surf Weekend.

Thanks to photographers, Jimmy Martinello, Chris Christie and Doug Bains for being out there and getting some shots!

Mamquam River Drop

Yukon River Quest – It's On!

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 06:39:18 GMT

So I have signed up to race the 717 km Yukon River Quest. This is the first year the organizers have opened up the race to standup paddleboards. I was excited when I got an email from my SUP Yukon buddy Stu Knaack asking me if I would be interested in competing and before the words were out of his mouth I had filled out the online application.

This is a trial year for SUP and they are only allowing 10 sup racers to compete, at this time those 10 spots have been filled. This is a great goal for me and a challenge that I am really looking forward to. I am most excited about going to the Yukon, meeting the people up there and paddling a new body of water for me, this historic section of the Yukon River. After a year of racing downtime I am excited about training and competing.

I was recently interviewed by CBC Yukon about the race. You can listen to it here.

And here is the CBC article announcing the inclusion of the standup paddleboard class.

Follow along here for the training and preparation leading up to the race and live for the race itself starting June 28th.

SUP the Mag: Water Warriors

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 06:52:08 GMT

FROM THE MAG | WATER WARRIORS | NORM HANN

PADDLERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE ECOSYSTEM
By Eugene Buchanan

Funny, but at birth, we're not given much actual substance. Sure we receive a few treasures, like our parents and their DNA, if we're lucky, and siblings and grandmas and grandpas. But mostly, we're given things. Disposable possessions like baby pajamas and boxes of diapers and pacifiers and cute plastic objects that make cute sounds.

Often overlooked is one of the greatest gifts of all, given to each human the moment they enter the world: Earth. It's rivers and oceans and lakes are something we all share, as is the health of those waterways.

None of us can solve all of Mother Earth's problems in one sitting. But the following seven paddlers are thinking globally, and acting locally, to bring awareness to important water problems in their areas.

Norm Hann
In 2013, Squamish, B.C., standup paddler Norm Hann was the first solo Canadian to finish the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships. While that's an impressive notch in the paddle, he's more proud of using his board to protect the Great Bear Rainforest, a stretch of coast between Vancouver Island and southern Alaska.

In 2010, Hann embarked on his 400-km Standup4GreatBear Expedition, campaigning to keep oil tankers off the forest's coastline by paddling the proposed tanker route from Kitimat to Bella Bella. Two years later, he paddled 350 kilometers along the coast of Haida Gwaii as part of the award-winning STAND film project.

"The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the most incredible marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the world," he says. "We wanted to showcase some of the stories from it, including my paddle along Haida Gwaii, First Nations students building their own wooden paddleboards and even the connection Canadian pro surfer Raph Bruhwiler has to the coast. We wanted to inspire people to take action to protect it."
Calling attention to it via SUP, he adds, was natural. "Standup paddling was a way to experience it intimately and really see what was at risk," he says. "It also gave me the opportunity to paddle to First Nations communities and other cultural sites."

Hann says he has paddled every section of the proposed oil tanker route except across the dangerous Hecate Strait, which he plans to cross on a one-day unsupported push this summer. Raising funds to help preserve the rainforest through sponsorship and selling apparel via normhann.com, he is also starting a project this year called Protect What You Love, joining STAND filmmaker Nicolas Teichrob speaking at local high schools and setting up video contests to inspire youth to help the cause. All monies raised support environmental initiatives protecting the region.

"People seemed to understand the significance of me standing on my paddleboard and relating that to standing up for the Great Bear Rainforest," he says.

Globe & Mail features our Belize SUP Trip

Mon, 30 Nov 2015 17:05:48 GMT

Last year Norm Hann Expeditions had the opportunity to run the first ever sup expedition in Belize with Island Expeditions. Writer Steven Threndyle was on that trip and his recent article just appeared in this weekends Globe and Mail. If your interested in coming to paddle with us in Belize this year check out our dates this February.

GLOBE AND MAIL STORY. By Steven Threndyle

Join us for our Coral Island Belize Trip

Thu, 26 Nov 2015 17:24:26 GMT

We are excited for the return of our Coral Islands Belize SUP trip with Island Expeditions. Our first date is sold out but we have space on our February 6-12th, trip. See our expedition page for details.

Coral Island Belize SUP: https://youtu.be/DFKuvBg9h0k

Juan De Fuca SUP Tour

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 20:10:25 GMT

Recently I had the opportunity to present and instruct with Ocean River Sports in Victoria, B.C. Our first evening included a multi media slide show presentation on my coastal sup trips, stories from the Great Bear Rainforest and conservation expeditions. More recently I have been doing a lot of school presentations as part of our Take a Stand for Conservation program so it was fun to put a different one together on my coastal adventures with those who came out. I especially enjoyed sharing some shots and videos from our recent West Coast trail trip this past June. Thanks to all those people who came out and thanks to Ocean River Sports for hosting and donating proceeds to my Standup4Greatbear Society.

The following day we headed up towards Jordan River to do a day tour of the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Ocean River paddlers Justin Dunlop and Yannick Michaud joined me and helped greatly with the organization of the weekend, shuttles and guiding responsibilities. We ended up having pretty much perfect conditions for our run from Flea Beach to Sooke. The winds were down but the swell was big so we had to give certain sections of this beautiful coastline a wide berth.

Making our way to Sooke pc: Doug Bains

Tour: Juan De Fuca Sup Tour
Start: Flea Beach
Finish: Whiffen Spit, Sooke
Time: 3:42 w lunch stop
Average Speed: 4.5km/hr

Thanks to Reuben Buerge who provided the support boat for safety and a nice on water lunch spot. Thanks as well to those paddlers who joined us for this fun adventure. Stay posted for more course and tours with Ocean River Sports for 2016. If your in the Victoria area and need good advice on boards, paddles, safety equipment and clothing stop it to chat with helpful team at OR.

Boardworks Great Bear Expedition Board

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 22:35:49 GMT

From Boardworks
Boardworks proudly offers the Great Bear. In collaboration with Canadian team ambassador, Norm Hann, this SUP is designed to be the ultimate tour and expedition board.

Features:

Evolved from the Raven platform, the Great Bear is thinner throughout the hull and wider in the tail for extra stability
The nose shape and rocker have been refined for downwind paddling and cutting through heavy chop
More gear tie downs added in the back as well as the front for maximum storage
Filled in the cock pit for watershed

Inspired by Norm's conservation efforts, Boardworks has pledged $20 of the sale of each Great Bear board to be donated to StandUp4GreatBear, a non-profit organization that promotes awareness and encourages the protection of Great Bear Rainforest through "expeditions, partnerships and action."

THE ISSUE: Enbridge Inc, a Calgary-based oil and gas company has proposed the construction of a 1,170 km pipeline running from Alberta's tar sands to Kitimat on British Columbia's west coast. From here, crude oil would be loaded into super tankers bound for Asia. Before reaching the open ocean, these tankers would first need to pass through some of the most dangerous navigable waters in the world — the narrow inlets of the Great Bear Rainforest. If this happens, a devastating oil spill is inevitable that would wipe out one of the most pristine marine environments on the planet.

Our hope is not only to help protect the Great Bear Rainforest but to inspire people all over the world to take action to protect the waters that they paddle and love.

SPECS
12'6″x30 1/4″x6 5/8″ — 304L — Single TEC-V
14'0″x30″x6 3/4″ — 342L — Single TEC-V

NORM'S REVIEW

"MAYBE THE BEST OCEAN TOURING BOARD ON THE MARKET"

One of my all time favourite ocean touring boards has been the Boardworks 12'6″ Raven so I was excited when I had the opportunity to work with Boardworks GM and designer Phil Rainey, to help design a new 14′ Great Bear Expedition board based off a similar platform as the award winning Raven. The Great Bear is the flagship touring board in the Boardworks Surf line up and it's name sake is a place I have worked hard to try to protect and bring awareness to. I was honoured that Boardworks wanted collaborate on such a cool project that not only would result in a beautiful and competent ocean board but would also support my Standup4Greatbear Society and protection of our coastline.

Looking at the Raven platform our first goal was to make the Great Bear in a 12'6″ model and a 14′ model. My ultimate goal was to create a multi day touring board that I could carry all of my gear on for extended periods of time and one that I could safely use to tour on almost any water condition experienced on our coastline. I have always enjoyed big crossings and long days exploring the ocean and this board had to be able to handle itself in such environments.

Boardworks Team Captain Mike T with his Great Bear on Powell Lake

With the Raven as our template Phil and I discussed sleeking out the displacement hull while keeping it's rocker profile. We adjusted the front attachment points and added attachments to the rear of the board to make it a legitimate touring board capable of carrying everything you need for an unsupported week on the water. We discussed a flat water shedding 3/4 deck and a slightly wider tail that would support additional weight. Graphic designer Gretchen Gamble, used coastal First Nation's inspired artwork with a Tec V bamboo inlay to create an absolute masterpiece. With Phil's design tweaks, Gretchen's creativity and a few of my goals the Great Bear Expedition board was created.

Explorer and River Protector Gabriel Gray with his customized camo Great Bear

Testing — Howe Sound, B.C.
I first had a chance to test this board on the stunning coastal waters of Howe Sound, right here in Squamish, B.C. I felt like a proud father when I first got the board and I was moved by how stunning the board looked in person. This is a big board with a lot of volume capable of carrying almost any paddler with loads of gear. It is heavier than your average 14′ board which speaks to its durable construction and ability to carry weight. The board is very stable in flatwater and for having a rocker profile built for the ocean it tracks well.

Overnighter with Kiel on Howe Sound

Dot loves her Great Bear! Howe Sound, B.C. pc: Chad Guenter

Nanaimo2Vancouver
Last year I had the opportunity to raise funds for Rueben's Shoes and to do a paddle with a great group of guys. Crossing from Nanaimo to Vancouver across the Straight of Georgia was a paddle that I had wanted to do for some time. It was a long crossing at 65 kms and it took us 12 hrs but I used the Great Bear which again provided great stability and decent efficiency for the crossing. Conditions did become challenging with strong headwinds and swell and I was happy to have the rock solid feel of the Great Bear under my feet.

Mid way through the Nanaimo to Vancouver crossing. pc: Eric Becks

West Coast Trail by SUP

The remote West Coast trail

This was the real test for the Great Bear that I had been waiting for. This was a goal that I had looked at in the last couple of seasons and I was excited by the opportunity to paddle this historic 75km life saving route with my partner Jen Segger. This section of coastline, known as the graveyard of the pacific, provided legitimate board testing along its rugged, exposed length. We paddled it unsupported so it meant carrying all of our own gear, a test the Great Bear had not been through yet but was built for. I came away from that expedition loving the Great Bear more than I had before.

Down winding the West Coast trail

Cruising down the coast! pc: Jen Segger

Low Down
As an ocean touring and multi day expedition board, the Great Bear is incredible with its stability, capacity to carry a lot of gear and its efficiency in challenging conditions and downwind swell while fully loaded.

First night's campsite on the West Coast trail after 42 km's

STANDUP4GREATBEAR SOCIETY
A big thanks goes to Boardworks Surf for donating $20 from the purchase of each board to my Standup4Greatbear Society. The society works to educate and bring awareness to the incredible marine and terrestrial ecosystems found in the Great Bear Rainforest. And thanks goes to everyone who has purchased a Great Bear Expedition board for their contribution to the Standup4Greatbear Society and helping to protect our coastline.

Stunning Lake shot!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUe08bJideU

Phantom Lake Fly In Guided SUP Experience

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 18:57:30 GMT

Join Norm Hann Expeditions and Sea to Sky Air for this incredible alpine lake standup paddleboard experience. Our trip leaves from the Squamish airport where our inflatable paddleboards will be loaded up for a stunning and scenic 20 minute flight through the Tantalus Range on our way to remote and beautiful Phantom Lake. Once there you will be taken on a 2 hour guided standup paddleboard trip with incredible views of the surrounding mountain ranges, glaciers, waterfalls and ancient temperate rainforest. No sup experience is necessary. Once our morning or afternoon of mountain lake exploration is complete our waiting floatplane will pick us up and bring us back to Squamish. This is an absolutely amazing coastal adventure experience. Join us!

Price: $399 + taxes
Group Number: 2 + sup guide
Time: 3 hrs

Includes
- Private float plane transportation with your sup guide to an alpine Lake and back to Squamish with 2 hours of guided SUP time at the lake.
- All sup equipment and safety gear.
- Lunch menu available.

Sign up for this incredible adventure on our expeditions page!

SURF, TOUR, AND EXPLORE

Sat, 25 Apr 2015 23:54:48 GMT

We are excited to be offering some new courses, fun trips and solid sup training for the 2015 season. Here are some details.

TOUR & EXPLORE TOFINO

Interested in gaining more ocean experience while enjoying the incredible SUP touring in Tofino? This course will improve your coastal touring skills and decision making for paddleboarding on oceans and lakes. We navigate and explore picturesque Clayoqout Sound and the coastline of Tofino. The course focuses on weather forecasting, trip planning, navigating throughout currents & tides, launching and landing in surf, and improving skills and paddling technique. Explore the endless waterways around Tofino on your board with expert instruction from Norm Hann and Tofino local, Catherine Bruhwiler from Tofino Paddle Surf.

Dates: June 12-14th
Price: $450

TOUR & EXPLORE HOWE SOUND

Howe Sound is one of the most incredible coastal fjords found on the coast of British Columbia and it is a standup paddle boarders dream location for exploration, down winding and ocean touring. Over the three day course instructor and guide Norm Hann will share his three favourite paddles on Howe Sound with you while interpreting the stunning natural environment and teaching you the finer details of ocean touring and navigation. Join us for our "Coffee Run" our "Porteau Cove Downwinder" and the "Anvil Island Exploration."

Dates: July 10-12th
Price: $450

SQUAMISH RIVER RUNNING

One of the most exciting components of standup paddle boarding is running rivers. This exciting two day course is designed for people who have flatwater standup paddle boarding experience but are beginners when dealing with moving water and making safe decisions on the river. Norm Hann Expeditions has partnered with Chad Guenter from Raven Rescue to introduce the novice to paddling on rivers. The emphasis on this Paddle Canada certified skills course is on mastering the fundamentals of river paddling, along with a strong grounding in water safety, rescue and safe paddleboard practices.

Dates: July 8-9th
Price: $299

TOFINO PADDLE SURF COURSE

Enjoy the magic of Tofino and the west coast on our sup fun paddle surf weekend. The course is designed to introduce paddlers to the ocean environment and stand up paddle surfing. Over the weekend clients will take part in on-water and dry land based teaching sessions that will focus on safety, etiquette, paddling technique and catching your first ride. Accommodations for this year's course will be at the Tin Wis Resort located on beautiful MacKenzie Beach. If you have not had the chance to visit and spend time in Tofino then do yourself a favour and come out and enjoy the surf capital of Canada, Tofino, B.C.

Dates: July 12-14th
Price: $450-$650 depending on accommodations

EXPLORE GREAT BEAR SUP

Adventurous travelers with a passion for the Great Bear Rainforest and paddling in remote places will find it with Norm Hann Expeditions. Our standup paddleboard trip coincides with the return of wild pacific salmon to the rivers of the Great Bear Rainforest. Guests will have the opportunity to paddle with whales, search for the iconic Spirit Bear and immerse themselves in the rich culture of the Gitga'at people on our leisurely and relaxing trip. An adventure with Norm Hann Expeditions is a journey of discovery, education and connection with one of the most spectacular places in the world.

Dates: August 29-September 4th
Price: $3200 — ONE SPOT REMAINING!!

BEST LOCAL SUP INSTRUCTORS: NORM HANN

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 19:53:37 GMT

SUP THE MAG

Cold climates breed hardy folks. The weather dictates how they live their lives. But there are always those special souls who venture out regardless of the conditions. Norm Hann is among the hardy. And he faces winter's worst with a paddle in is hands.

"I take pride in being a Canadian paddler" Hann says. "We're fortunate up here; you can paddle all winter. I take pride in paddling in all conditions."

Hann, 44, is one of Canada's leading paddlers, finishing the Molokai2Oahu last year solo, starring in the conservation movie Stand film and bringing serious SUP expeditions and training to British Columbia.

Hann grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada wandering around the outdoors surrounding his grandpa's cabin. When he was in college he played basketball at the national level while getting his teaching certification. He taught for a couple years and spent his summers hanging out in Banff where he "got into the Western mindset" while earning guiding credentials on the side.

In 2000 he moved west for good and found a job guiding fishing, hiking and kayaking trips at the King Pacific Lodge, deep in the Great Bear Rainforest, which stretches up the BC coast from Vancouver Island toward southeast Alaska.

In 2008, he saw a video of Loch Eggers and Laird Hamilton standup paddling.

"I loved the ocean and loved surfing but you can only get so good if you're not (on the ocean) everyday," Hann says. "SUP looked like the absolute perfect combo of paddling and surfing."

After forcing a local to sell him one of the only standup boards in the area, Hann took to the water.
"Being a guide on the coast here in BC, my eyes just got really wide at the potential of having SUP on the coast," he says.

Hann first did a paddle along proposed oil tanker routes covering 400 kilometers from Kitamat down through Great Bear. This stretch of coast grew close to Hann's heart over his time guiding there and would eventually turn into the "Stand" movie project. He started bringing people on tours there that same year.

"It's an area under threat," he says. "There are people in Canada and the US seeing what's happening and want to check it out."

He also began his own standup business in Squamish.

"It's beneficial to me to have a teaching background," Hann says. "Coming from a high-caliber athletic background I also had a lot of tremendous coaches. Standup is so multi-disciplinary that I believe teaching the foundation and the proper skill sets (beginners) up for success for all these disciplines they can do."

Hann is certainly certified for the job, both with on-the-water time and through technical classes such as wilderness first aid and swift water rescue. He's also an instructor for Paddle Canada, which means he teaches at the highest level within their SUP program.

His instruction schedule is fittingly diverse. In the spring he concentrates on teaching paddle surfing and instructor trainings, getting shops and businesses ready for the upcoming busy season (an area which he says is growing rapidly). In the summer he focuses on touring and expeditions and then in the fall he comes back around to surfing.

"It's a lot of fun introducing people to our coastline and opening peoples eyes to what you can do on a standup paddleboard," he says. "You can get as gnarly as you want with it. I look at it as a really incredible tool to experience water with." — Will Taylor

Coral Islands SUP Trip – Belize

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 22:17:35 GMT

The Belize SUP expedition was born over a year ago when I was invited by Island Expeditions owner Tim Boys to come down to Belize to take part in their week long training program and to introduce standup paddle boarding to the company. It was my first time in Belize and I was impressed by the culture, people and beauty of this small Caribbean country. Island Expeditions runs an amazing operation down here and they have been the leaders in eco adventure travel in Belize since 1987. Tim started the company with a couple of kayaks and passion for adventure. Tim and I talked about the potential to run multi day lodge to lodge sup trips down here. Belize has numerous cayes, mangrove islands and a spectacular pristine reef system in relatively calm marine waters that make this trip ideally suited for sup travel and those just getting into the sport. So we created a seven day itinerary called Coral Island SUP . This was a historic trip as not only was it the first multi day sup trip for Island Expeditions but it would be the first in Belize and most likely in Central America.

ISLAND EXPEDITIONS OWNER TIM BOYS

The trip filled quickly and I was excited to have clients of mine from the Great Bear Rainforest joining me, Jenny Poppitt (Kelowna), Steve Moir (Squamish), crowd favourite Jamie McVicar (Canmore), Blaine Malberg, and photo queen Dorothy Jordan (Merritt). We were also joined by Lisa Bahan (Calgary), yoga guru Ann O'Brien (San Francisco), US east coasters Lisa Rutkoske and Anne MacDonald, Cheryl Johnson (Astoria) and writer "Big" Steve Threndyle. Our Belizean guides were Kimike and Cappi and Tim was also there to provide support for our trip. IE photographer and filmer Duarte Dellarole also joined us.

FOREST CABANAS AT THE TROPICAL EDUCATION CENTER

Day 1: All of the guests arrived in Belize City where we were shuttled to the Tropical Education Center for the evening. After dinner we went on a nocturnal tour of the Belize Zoo which proved to be an exciting activity as we had the opportunity to see many of the animals and birds found in Belize including Tapirs, Ocelots, Puma's, Howler Monkey's and Jaguars, the largest and most powerful cat in the western hemisphere.

THE BELIZE ZOO – PUMA

THE BELIZE ZOO – JAGUAR

Day 2: After breakfast we left for the coastal town of Dangriga, a two hour ride from the TEC where Captain Ballz and his boat would be waiting to take us to our first island, Tobacco Caye. Belize is an english speaking country and Dangriga is the largest town in Southern Belize. It is the cultural center of the Garifuna — people of a mixed indigenous Caribbean and African descent. We had beautiful, hot weather for our 30 minute ride to Paradise Lodge on Tobacco Caye. After settling into our cabanas built on stilts over the water we took advantage of having the boat with us and we towed our boards up the reef for a couple of miles with hopes of down winding back.

RIDE OUT TO TOBACCO CAYE WITH CAPTAIN BALLZ

SHUTTLE UP THE REEF FOR OUR FIRST PADDLE IN BELIZE

PADDLING THE REEF CREST

Day 3: The day started with an early morning yoga session led by Anne followed by coffee and breakfast. Afterwards a natural history presentation by Kimike and Cappi on reef fish and coral was followed by a "walk off" (the island) snorkel. Belize has the largest living barrier reef system in the world called the Meso American reef. This reef contains a stunning, rich and diverse tropical marine ecosystem and the first look into the water leaves most people speechless.

EARLY MORNING YOGA

KIMIKE POINTING OUT A COUPLE OF SPOTTED EAGLE RAYS

After the challenges experienced the day before in the wind, I offered a skills clinic to build an efficient forward stroke and to learn how to handle their boards properly in conditions beyond flat. We used these skills for our light downwind afternoon paddle over to the Tobacco Range, a group of mangrove cayes an hours paddle away from Tobacco Caye.

PADDLING THE CALM WATER OF THE TOBACCO RANGE

SEARCHING FOR MANATEES THROUGH THE MANGROVES

Day 4: This was our big day of paddling, a 5 mile trip from Tobacco Caye to South Water Caye located in the South Water Marine Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before leaving we did another skills clinic and then headed out.

BELIZEAN GUIDE "CAPI"

From the snorkel we paddled to our lunch spot where the guides set up a table right on the reef crest. A solid two and a half hour paddle after lunch brought us to South Water Caye. It was a long afternoon and I was proud of the group as for most it was the longest they had ever paddled.

ANNE M, DOT and CREW LEAVING TOBACCO CAYE

DELICIOUS LUNCH ON THE REEF, STEVE and STEVE, LISA R, BLAINE AND JAMIE

JENNY AND STEVE LEADING FROM TOBACCO CAYE TO SOUTHWATER CAYE

BLAINE MALBERG EXPLORING THE REEF CREST

Day 5: Southwater Caye is another stunning island and Outside Magazine had recently rated it as having one of the top beaches. Our accommodations were at IZE, the International Zoological Expeditions Lodge that provided excellent rooming and superb food that sampled locally harvested species like conch, snapper and shrimp.

CHERYL AND LISA R PADDLING FROM SOUTHWATER TO CARRIE BOW CAYE

LISA B ENJOYING THE SUNSET AT CARRIE BOW CAYE

Day 6: The cold front brought very strong winds to the islands, so for most of the day it kept everyone pretty close to the island. Cappi enlightened the group with a morning talk on the importance of mangroves. I did have the opportunity in the afternoon to take a group out the south side lee of the island where we had a lot of fun working on our pivot turns, upwind and downwind paddling.

FINDING SHELTER FROM THE WINDS WHILE WORKING ON OUR ROUGH WATER PADDLING

KIMIKE CRACKING THE COCONUT

ENJOYING OUR COCONUT AND BELIZEAN 1 BARREL RUM

Day 7: We were up for an early morning breakfast at 7 and then the Flasher Wrasse was there to shuttle us back to Dangriga. From there some flew back home while others added on and travelled to Island Expeditions newest venture, Bocawina, a jungle adventure lodge located deep in the rainforest. Aside from a short worker strike at the Belize airport that delayed me for another day, I made it back to B.C. a little darker than when I left.

JAIME CRUISING SOUTHWATER CAYE

Overall it was an incredible trip, everyone left happy, safe and better paddlers. We had a lot of laughs and it was an amazing group to have for the first of it's kind, lodge to lodge sup along the pristine Belizean reef system. Thanks to all the clients, now friends who came on the trip with us. A special thanks goes to our guides Kimike and Cappi and to owners Tim, Denver and Leif for having a great vision and providing a first class business to partner Norm Hann Expeditions with.

SOUTHWATER CAYE ACCOMMODATIONS

If your interested in coming to Belize next year with me stay posted for the dates and send us an email to express your interest. There is still so much to explore and new experiences to be had in Belize. We look forward to 2015/2016.

ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO END THE DAY IN BELIZE

Take a Stand: Youth for Conservation Project

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 23:42:42 GMT

We are excited to have launched our Take a Stand: Youth for Conservation Program. This is a partnership between Simon Fraser University and the Stand film team, including myself, Nicolas Teichrob and Anthony Bonello. If your school is interested in participating in this engaging program please contact our program co-ordinator listed in brochure below. Our new website is live here at www.takeastandforconservation.com

Ocean Rodeo Ignite and Soul DrySuits

Fri, 28 Nov 2014 06:14:43 GMT

I have had a few people asking me about my thoughts on Ocean Rodeo's drysuits so I thought I would take the time here to do a review. After seeing them on the market for a few years I finally got my hands on their Soul Drysuit without the attached booties a couple of years ago. There were a number of features that stood out immediately and that I liked about the Soul

REMOVEABLE HOOD : Another great feature was the fact that the suit had a removable hood. Living and working in the rainforest has taught me that almost every piece of upper body clothing should have a hood on it, or at least should have the option. For pretty much all of my work in the sup world and the times of the season that I am using this suit I require a hood. The hood is really well thought out, can be fitted anatomically for good vision while paddling and as I said is removeable, a nice feature if your river running.

STANDBY MODE: The standby mode makes a lot of sense since you don't have to pull the gasket over head, a nice feature if your teaching or instructing on land for awhile before getting on the water, or used in a way to regulate temperatures. Also nice if your paddling conditions get better and you need a breather from the full suit. Having the built in suspenders is nice feature helping with the fit in standby mode.

The first Soul drysuit I had did not have the attached booties and that's a feature in the Ignite that I love. It's amazing how much better you feel when your feet are warm and dry. Wearing socks in the booties and then putting on a pair of rubber boots or a good pair of NRS/Teva/water shoes is great combination. If you wish you can order the blue Soul Drysuit with booties and for me that was one of the best features when I moved into the Ignite.

COLOR AND REFLECTIVE MATERIAL : I do a lot of expedition sup paddling on our coastline and choosing gear that can be easily seen is an important safety feature. The red will be more easily seen and or found when I am on the water. The Ignite has a lot more reflective patching and piping on it and this visibility comes in real handy in an emergency and may save your life if someone is looking for you in the water or on the shoreline. I hope this never happens but as a coastal guide you are always asking the questions "What if?"

ROUGH WEATHER COLLAR: I do not find this collar that beneficial when I am just standup paddling but I also do a lot of salmon fishing, sup expeditions and coastal travel with my centre console aluminum boat and this collar is really nice to have up when your in a gale. The collar does have the option to be snapped down which is nice but from a straight paddling standpoint I like the collar on the Soul better.

PADDED KNEES: The first time I knelt down on my paddleboard I was like, wow, that feels pretty good. Those padded knees are really comfortable and durable. It nice to have high wear areas around the knee reinforced.

APPLICATIONS:
I spend pretty much all of my time working outside as a sup instructor and wilderness/expedition/fishing guide in the Great Bear Rainforest and I have used both the Soul and the Ignite in a number of different applications.

SAFETY GEAR: As I mentioned earlier I have a boat and this is a great piece of safety gear to have on your boat similar to a survival suit. If I ever got into trouble and with the right layering I could always throw this suit on quickly and at least get to shore. If I had some long, knarly open water trips and I was on my own then I would just wear the suit outright. Jacket PFD's fit perfectly over these suits giving you one of the safest systems in the industry.

Overall these are amazing suits and well worth the investment, they are really well designed and a pleasure to paddle in. Plus they have gotten me over my fear of wearing a drysuit in public �� Contact your local retailer to purchase or touch base with the Ocean Rodeo guys.

Join us in Belize

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 20:59:29 GMT

This year I am excited to partner with industry leaders Island Expeditions for the first lodge to lodge paddleboard (sup) trip to the southern barrier reef in Belize. This is a fun week of sup, snorkelling and warm water island exploration. We will travel from island to island where will we will stay in quaint cabanas while experiencing the carribbean culture and relaxing days on the water.

I first visited Belize last December when Tim Boys, co-owner of Island Expeditions hired me to train his staff for standup paddle boarding. All I thought while down there was wow, what a spot to bring people to enjoy standup paddle boarding. Tim and Denver figured this out a long time ago and have been bringing people here for the last 25 years to explore the second largest barrier reef in the world. The marine ecosystem here stunning and intact.

If your interested in a warm water get away for standup paddle boarding and have always wanted to go to Belize then join us for one of our two trips in February.

Coral Island SUP
Dates: February 7-13th, 14-20th
Price: $1829 (tax exempt)

For more details and to sign up visit the website, www.normhann.com

9'3" Kraken Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 23:54:49 GMT

Company Line

The Kraken SUP's have been so popular that we added 3 new models to the line for 2015.

The 9'3″, 9'9″ and 10'3″ are extra wide providing incredible stability for paddlers of all sizes and abilities. These models feature pulled in nose and tail design with thinned out rails allowing for excellent surf performance. They are also a great choice for recreational flatwater cruising.

Constructed with Boardworks EPX-V construction. All Kraken models equipped with LiftSup handles.

THE 9'3″ KRAKEN

Length: 9'3″
Width: 32″
Thickness: 4.25″
Volume: 136L
Fins: Fins 2 + 1

Low Down:

I have been testing the 9'9″ Kraken for over a year now and have really enjoyed the stability and ease of catching waves. For the full review on the 9'9″ see the review here. Due to the popular success and good looks of the Kraken line, the 9'3″ and 11′ was added. Boardworks also has a new 12'6 touring boat coming for the 2015 season. I recently picked up the 9'3″ for our paddle surf course in Tofino this past October and was excited to try it out. With the shorter length and 2″ less width this board was really fun to surf in all conditions. I first tested the board on some peaky rights and I had a lot of fun with it. Here are a few features that I really liked on this board.

Stability: The main benefit to the Kraken surf line is the stability. It was solid underfoot inspiring confidence getting out through the break and it gave a great platform to get up and over the waves, stomping the nose down as the whitewater rolled through. The board also provided that critical stability when getting into the wave. Designer Phil Rainey has added good nose and tail rocker throughout the board, a more traditional rocker than what you would see on BW Mini MOD's allowing for good drops and wave catching success. I had a number of clients demo this board and all enjoyed the ease found in catching waves. If you surf in an area that tends to be windy and more turbulent, like Tofino, then you will appreciate the stability. More stability also decreases fatigue, allowing to stay out longer and enjoy more waves. The shorter length and added rocker does make the board yaw back and forth much easier but a good pulling draw will compensate for that.

Trevor Peterson/Paddle for PTSD with his 9'9″

Turnability (is that a word?): With the solid rocker design built into the board and the foiled, low volume tail this board turned on a dime. Being used to the 9'9″ Kraken and the 9'6″ Mini Mod, I loved the responsiveness when you stepped on the tail with good wave speed. I found that as the waves got steeper and faster these Kraken's really started to surf well. With the Krakens being a wider board, the speed generated by bigger, steeper waves allowed for the design properties of the Kraken to really start working.

BW Team Manager Mike T shredding dusk.

Weight: With the TEC V (veneer) construction and stepping down from the 9'9″ Kraken and the 9'6″ Mini Mod the board was certainly lighter which not only made it easier to carry, especially with the LiftSup handle, but it also had good swing weight on the wave and was felt quicker in the transitions. The board looks to be around 22 lbs and it seems to be a really combination of weight and durability. I have had a lot of people on the 9'9″ and it has held up really well.

The board comes with a 2 plus 1 fin set up and the ability to surf it as a quad. It tested it out as a 2 plus 1 but our team manager Mike Tavares has been surfing it as a quad and really enjoyed his small water shredding with it.

Final Word: The 9'3″ is a great addition to the Kraken line. This is super stable and fun board that turns on a dime. Those looking to step down in size from their larger paddle surf boards will love this model. Like all Kraken's they are beautiful to look at and come with a diamond deck and kick pad. This could also be a good choice for the great lakes surfers who require rocker for the shorter, wind blown wave lengths, ample volume, and stability yet without compromise to performance. Visit your local retailer to try one out.

#Welivewater – New Boardworks Product From Outdoor Retailer

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 18:54:04 GMT

I just spent the last couple of days at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City with the Boardworks Surf Team. The is the second time I have been down to OR with Boardworks. I always enjoy connecting with the Boardworks Surf family and getting a chance to test new product, talk to retailers and share the #welivewater stoke with people.

I just wanted to showcase some of the NEW PRODUCT for late 2014/2015.

SUPER SPORT PRONE
Length: 12′
Width: 21″
Thickness: 8.75″
Volume: 237L
With the recent popularity of prone paddleboarding Boardworks worked with renowned shaper Jon Henderson to come up with a super efficient and fast paddleboard that can be used as an incredible training and fitness board supplementing time on your standup paddleboard. I am personally excited with this addition and I will be picking one up for the 2015 season to use for my own standup paddleboard training. This prone paddleboard will be a lot of fun on those epic downwind days in Howe Sound. Grab one and start training for the 2015 Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard race.

Paddle Surf

KRAKEN
Length: 9'3″
Width: 32″
Thickness: 4.25″
Volume: 136L
Fins: 2 + 1
I love my 9'9″ Kraken with it's incredible stability and surf performance. With that said I have always wanted the Kraken to be a little more narrow. Well this season a lot of us got our wish as BW added this board to it's lineup. As of now these boards are not in stock yet but I cannot wait to pick one of these up. I think this will be a incredible surf board for our Canadian paddle surf scene and I will be excited to test it out during our paddle surf course in Tofino this fall and for the first paddle surf contest in Tofino October 26th.
This video showcases the Kraken well but only references the original two sizes. 2015 will have the 9'3″, 11′ and 12'6″ added to it's line up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Ms5r7DVQs

KRAKEN
Length: 11′
Width: 32″
Thickness: 4.75″
Volume: 199L
Fins 2 + 1
This is a beautiful all arounder and I did have a chance to test this one. It is a stable coastal cruiser and one that has surf inspired design like all of the Kraken line except the 12'6″ I think those who enjoy an all around paddle surf board but still want a board that surfs well then this is it. The board will be great for beginners wanting to get into surfing yet will satisfy the experience paddle surfer with it's long board feel. I will be picking up at least one for sure to use for myself and to have available for those in my Tofino paddle surf courses.

BRAY SQUID KIDS
Length: 9′
Width: 26.25″
Thickness: 4″
Volume: 115L
Fins: Single
New for 2015 this board has the perfect scaled down dimensions for smaller paddlers and a deck plug up front so that a child can be towed. Soft on the top and rails for extra comfort, safety and durability this board is part of our popular Bray line.

River
BADFISH RIVERSHRED
Length:9'6″
Width: 40″
Deck Thickness: 6″
Rail Height: 7″
Fins: 2 + 1
The badfish guys are at it again. Inspired by Mike T and the world famous Shred Dog Badfish has created the RiverShred that combines the stability of the MCIT up front with the tail performance of a single chamber on the back. Tested heavily by the Badfish team this board will appeal to first time river paddlers and the experienced rivershredder looking to take on more challenging objectives.
https://vimeo.com/99280644

BADFISH IRS
Length: 7'2″
Width" 33″
Deck Thickness: 6″
Rail Height: 6″
Fins: Tri Fin Removeable
It's not the tax man it's Badfish's newest inflatable river surfer. Short, stable and fast this board will be used to shred local river waves at your park and play destinations. Just another innovative product by Mike Harvey and Zack Hughes. Check out the new IRS.
https://vimeo.com/101678853

BADFISH COBRA RIVER SURFER
Length: 6'6″
Width: 33″
Deck Thickness: 6″
Rail Height: 6″
Fins: FCS Tri
I saw this board up close and personal. It's a beautifully crafted sup made from Boardworks new Carbon Innegra. Mike and Zach wanted to create a short, higher volume, river surfing SUP that would shred the smallest, tightest river waves. Shorter and wider than the 6'11" the Cobra has a reduced chine similar to the MVP with a higher volume tail you surf on without falling off the wave. This board is all about fun making even the smallest days on the river some of your best.

THESE ARE JUST THE NEW PRODUCTS!! Check out our full line up at Boardworks Surf . We have also added new paddles, board bags and other cool accessories for SUP.

With all of these new products there is no doubt that Boardworks Surf has one of the best and most extensive product lines in the industry. We have amazing sup's in each category. "Here at Boardworks we are passionate about all things to do with the ocean and water lifestyle we all embrace. Our goal is to share that passion, to promote respect for the planet, it's creatures and each other and to make surfing and standup paddle more fun for more people." – Mike Fox, Owner.

"BEST LOCAL SUP INSTRUCTOR"

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 18:08:51 GMT

Just a big thanks to Will Taylor from SUP the Mag for featuring me in their Beginner's Guide issue. I have really enjoyed combining my passion for standup paddle boarding with my passion for teaching and having the opportunity to share those passions with clients I am fortunate enough to instruct. Thanks to all of those people who I have had the chance to teach, guide and learn from. Here is the feature.

SUP CROSSING FOR RUBEN

Tue, 08 Jul 2014 16:47:32 GMT

N2V TEAM AT THE FINISH IN VANCOUVER

Ruben's Shoes
Ruben's Shoes is a non-profit organization that gets much-needed footwear to kids in the Dominican Republic. Ruben is a real boy who lives in the Dominican Republic. He is 12 years old and is the inspiration behind Ruben's Shoes. Founder, Kelly Strongitharm, has been sponsoring him through World Vision since he was three years old. After seven years of watching him grow up through pictures and letters, Kelly was finally able to meet him in 2012 and her life was forever changed. In many countries, children are forbidden from attending school if they simply lack shoes. Ruben's Shoes believes education is the most important tool we have to lift these countries above their economic strife, and that's why its mission is to collect shoes so these kids can attend school and change the world. Ruben's Shoes also fundraises in an effort to build needed community schools and dorms to ensure education remains a priority.

Setting a Goal
I had talked to Harry about the paddle at the hospital in early June when he came to visit after I had surgery for a ruptured appendix. I wasn't sure I would be ready in three weeks time but I thought the crossing would be a good goal to shoot for. The crossing was originally scheduled for Saturday June 28th but solid SE winds thwarted any thought of an attempt. With my expedition experience and looking at the forecast for Sunday I was not feeling confident in what the weather was going to give us but the plan was to go anyways. I was just happy to be feeling good enough to join the fellas and try to accomplish a paddle that I have had my eye on for awhile. I am sure most paddle boarders that go from Vancouver to Nanaimo on the ferry think about making that crossing. It's an hour and a half on the ferry and with good westerly conditions 8-9 hours should be realistic goal……"with good westerlies."

BEN GETTING AFTER IT IN THE EARLY MORNING.

Nanaimo2Vancouver

The eight of us left Nanaimo at 5:15 in the morning and had flat calm seas and no wind for the first 3 hours where we were able to cover distance fairly quickly. Around 8:30 am the wind shifted abruptly and strong to an easterly which was pushing out of Vancouver delivering challenging conditions and seas head on. I was expecting strong south but the easterly surprised me, such is the reality of making big crossings on our coastline. After a couple of hours of paddling against that, the wind then swung southeast and stayed that way until we made our way into English Bay. We had the wind and a rough, front quartering sea on our right hand side the whole way across. We paddled hard on our left side for most of the day. Even a couple of strokes on the right side would move us downwind and on a course for Campbell River. A few guys had some swims in the choppy, turbulent conditions but the air temperature was warm enough to carry on without having to wear a wetsuit. Having the support boat, lead by Captain Lyle Berzen provided the much needed support for our group. In the end it took us 12 hours to cover the 65 Kms of distance. We arrived at Sunset Beach in downtown Vancouver where we were greeted by other paddlers and a crowd that had gathered on the beach to congratulate the guys on our successful crossing. I was really excited to see Jen and Kiel waiting for me as my board touched the beach. Still in recovery mode my body was feeling the challenge of the conditions and the long day. I have always wanted to make that crossing and it was a nice goal to have completed. I had to laugh the following day when I looked at the buoy forecast on Monday, it was westerly all day , 10-15 knots. It would have been an 8-9 hour downwinder…but who wants something that easy right?? Haha.

CAPTAIN LYLE BERZENS AND PHOTOGRAPHER LECH DOLECKI

Equipment and Nutrition
Paddleboard : For the crossing I took my 14′ Boardworks Surf Great Bear board and when the conditions got bad I was really happy to have the stability the Great Bear provided. I felt really solid on the board and as a result my legs were fine afterwards. Compared to the lighter race and touring boards, the Great Bear is heavier due to its solid construction so my upper body was feeling the results of pushing that board across 65 kms of rough ocean. It was a good test for the board, Phillip Rainey and I designed the Great Bear to handle these types of tough ocean conditions and to carry a lot of gear. Mission accomplished.

Paddles: I brought two of them with me. I started with the new Boardworks Slater Trout which I have really grown to like. It has really great flex characteristics which doesn't take a toll on your joints and at 94 square inches the blade face is efficient but not overpowering. I also had my Kialoa Hulu UL small and as I began to fatigue I used the smaller blade face to take a little pressure off my body and to be able to increase my cadence in the choppy waters. These two paddles were a perfect compliment to each other. Having a back up blade is always a great idea on expeditions and big crossing. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Clothing: I wore a pair of Icebreaker 150 tights with my trusty old, red, Boardworks shorts over. On top I wore a long sleeve Virus performance top with a Virus short sleeve T that was provided thanks to Virus and Harry Saini. I felt that combination was great, never too warm and never too cold and I wore that for the whole 12 hours. I wore a pair of XCEL Split Toe boots for most of the trip but they started to bother me and I took them off with a couple of hours to go which felt like heaven.

FINAL APPROACH INTO VANCOUVER.

Nutrition: My partner Jen Segger always puts my nutrition plan together for races, expeditions and crossings. We all had hydration packs on and after draining a few 1.5 litre bags of water I started supplementing my water with Nuun electrolytes investing the much needed electrolytes for laster in the day. It's important to get on your nutrition and hydration early in the day and not when your body really starts to need it. I kept eating Luna and Cliff bars every hour and around 1pm we all met at the boat to have a lunch and real food which the support boat gave us the luxury of having. Upon hitting the beach a well deserved burger, chips and cold IPA was all I was looking for in recovery. Thanks to Jen for her training and nutrition expertise and for always keeping me fine tuned in spite of my sweet tooth tendencies. For performance training coaching and nutritional advice contact Jen and Challenge By Choice Coaching.

MR. EMBRACEYOURAWESOMENESS ALWAYS HAVING FUN.

Our main goal was to raise money for Ruben's Shoes and that we did. We raised over $6000 dollars and it's something the guys feel really proud about. Congrats to all the guys, Harry Saini, Ben Wright, Adam Cole, David Jinau, Scott Burton, Jason Bennett, Ken Larsen, who completed the crossing, it was a really fun and great group of guys to spend 12 hours with. Thanks to Harry Saini for pulling all of this together and to all the support from so many people including Kathleen Saini and Sarah Wright. Thanks to Lyle the support boat captain who did a fantastic job. Thanks to James and Eric for providing additional support in their boat. Big thanks to Lech Dolecki for capturing the event with some incredible stills and video and for providing support to all the fellas when anyone needed it on the boat.

A SUCCESSFUL CROSSING ON THE GREAT BEAR

Thanks to support from the Boardworks Surf team and for the awesome boards I get to use everyday, #welivewater. Thanks as well to Icebreaker , Kialoa Paddles , Ryders Eyewear , Northern Board and Galileo Coffee .

After that crossing I had not really wanted to do it again but I could not stop thinking about what it would be like with a strong westerly wind and swell at your back. Maybe Kelvin Hummeny would be interested?? I know I don't even have to ask!

MY REWARD!

NANAIMO2VANCOUVER

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 06:20:42 GMT

I am excited to join eight other standup paddle boarders this Sunday June 29th for a crossing of the Strait of Georgia from Nanaimo2Vancouver in support of Ruben's Shoes. Weather permitting we will be leaving at first light Sunday morning and we are anticipating a 10-12 hr crossing as we make our way to Vancouver and Sunset park. I am most excited to be representing Ruben's shoes and raising funs for this amazing non profit. Donate as little or as much as you can.

RUBEN'S SHOES

Ruben's Shoes is a non-profit organization that gets much-needed footwear to kids in the Dominican Republic. In many countries, children are forbidden from attending school if they simply lack shoes. Ruben's Shoes believes education is the most important tool we have to lift these countries above their economic strife, and that's why its mission is to collect shoes so these kids can attend school and change the world. Ruben's Shoes also fundraises in an effort to build needed community schools and dorms to ensure education remains a priority. The organization currently focuses its efforts on the Dominican Republic and Haiti, but will go where the help is needed in the months and years ahead.

The nine paddlers include Harry Saini, Scott Burton, Ben Wright, Adam Cole, Ken Larsen, David Jianu, Jason Bennet, Kelvin Humenny and myself, all striving to make life a little easier for kids who face enough challenges without having to walk barefoot through them.

Want to help Ruben's Shoes get it done? Click on our Fundrazr link and do your thing. We appreciate any donation, any size. We'll put it to good use.

PLEASE DONATE TO RUBEN'S SHOES HERE at FUNDRAZER .

Big thanks to support from BOARDWORKS SURF , KIALOA PADDLES , GALILEO COFFEE , ICEBREAKER , NORTHERN BOARD , and CHALLENGEBYCHOICE FITNESS .

Kiel visits Kiel

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 20:59:01 GMT

KIEL'S NEW RIG

Jen and I were both excited to bring our son Kiel up to the Great Bear Rainforest to show him where his name came from and to immerse him into the culture that would guide him throughout his life. We made the long road trip from Squamish to Prince Rupert where I picked up my new Bridgeview fishing boat.

We stopped first to see Roy Vickers in Hazelton at his beautiful home on the Skeena River and we were so happy to see an old friend there as well Karmen Smith, who was helping Roy get ready for the Kispiox Rodeo. Roy gave a signed copy of his brand new book, Cloudwalker, to Kiel. Kiel was so excited about the book which brought a smile to Roy's face. I have been reading to Kiel since before he was born and anytime I pull out a book he vibrates in excitement. This is an awesome book on the origins of the Sacred Headwaters of Northern British Columbia. Thanks Roy!!

In the last couple of years I have really wanted to get a boat to support my sup expeditions up here and I must say Kiel inspired me to pull the trigger. This boat will also allow me to take more people into the Great Bear to experience this incredible area. If your interested in coming to the Great Bear with your friends or family for fishing, wildlife viewing, photo shoots or general exploration contact us for our daily rates or custom packages.

With a fully loaded boat we made our way down the Douglas Channel from Kitimat to Hartley Bay. We battled against a solid inflow but made it down to Hartley Bay safe and sound. The sense of freedom you have in owning your own boat and being able to take your family with you is a pretty good feeling. Aside from a really unfortunate incident when we arrived in Hartley Bay is was great to be back to see my family and friends.

KIEL HELPING ME WITH THE TIDES

The following day we made our way down to Kiel. Kiel is a traditional Gitga'at fishing village and traditional food harvesting camp where the people of Hartley Bay have gone for centuries to harvest halibut, salmon, abalone, seaweed and all kinds of food from the ocean. It is places like these that we must protect from the threat of oil tankers. This village also represents the name of our son and we were honoured to give Kiel this name which has some much meaning. Boy or girl our first child was going to be named Kiel.

KIEL ARRIVES AT KIEL

We spent the weekend in Kiel enjoying camp life, fishing and seeing close friends. Kiel had a chance to see halibut and seaweed being brought into the camp and processed. He seemed to enjoy the boat but on more than one occasion we began to give him the nickname, Screamin Eagle for his loud shrieks of displeasure or hunger. We brought with us a couple of Boardworks inflatables including the 10'6″ Badfish MCIT and our new Shubu Raven. The inflatables are just so amazing for travel and the exploration and trips we are doing in the Great Bear Rainforest. Jen was excited to explore Sea Lion rock on the Badfish which provided a stable platform for picture taking.

THE 10'6″ BOARDWORKS BADFISH EXPLORING SEA LION ROCK.

KIEL HAS ALREADY TAKEN OVER AS CAPTAIN

It felt really good to be back in Great Bear Rainforest, we saw a number of Humpback Whales and there was a couple of Transient Killer Whales in the area but we never got a chance to see them. We also had dinner with Hermann Meunter, the whale researcher who lives on Gil Island. Last year Standup4Greatbear donated money towards the purchase of a new hydrophone to help the lab monitor Humpback and Killer Whale calls in the area.

KIEL CHECKING OUT THE HALIBUT AND YELLOWEYE.

DRYING HALIBUT IN THE WARM MAY SUN.

We made our way back to Hartley Bay and spent the next few days up there fishing and exploring on the new boat. Jen managed to land our first beautiful Chinook salmon on the boat after missing a big one that peeled off a bunch of line never to been seen.

ENJOYING THE BEAUTY OF THE GREAT BEAR.

OUR FIRST CHINOOK ON THE BRIDGEVIEW

We were also incredibly fortunate to see two young Grizzly Bears feeding on sedge grass in Malsey Bay right around the corner from Hartley Bay. I showed Gitga'at Bear Guide Marven Robinson the shots and he was surprised as he nor anyone else had seen Grizzly's in this little river so close to the village. The Screamin Eagle managed to scare them into the bush but it was an incredible sighting right from the boat.

TWO YOUNG GRIZZLY FATTENING UP ON SEDGE GRASS.

I ended up having to deal with some health issues so we had to cut the trip short and make our way back to Vancouver. Big thanks to Cam and Eva Hill and Lynne and Ernie Hill for all the support and care.

I am excited to get back up there at the end of July for some fishing and Norm Hann Expeditions will be back up for two more sup trips at the end of August and early september. If you interested in visiting the area contact us for rates.

MY ADOPTED FAMILY CAM, EVA, MAX AND EVA HILL ON THE GROUND AND POUND.

BIG SEA LOVING THE NEW BOAT.

STELLAR SEA LIONS CHECKING OUT THE STANDUP PADDLEBOARDERS.

AWESOME BOAT FOR SUP EXPLORATION AND SURFING.

The New Boardworks Eradicator

Mon, 19 May 2014 23:29:15 GMT

Boardworks Team Rider Cyril Burguiere recently was in California and had a chance to check out the new Eradicator race boards in both the 12'6″ and 14′ lengths. I am excited to get a 14′ up here soon to test out and race. In the meantime here is Cyril's thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pYKGvUFOeA

Team Manager Mike Tavares also gives a great run down here of some of the great designs and features of the new Eradicator. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agzeqUgP2Ts

Stand Film Now On Netflix

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:24:51 GMT

The Stand film team was recently excited to hear that a deal had been made with tv giant Netflix to showcase Stand under the documentary category. So if you have Netflix sit down with your family and friends and enjoy. Nic, Anthony, Raph, the Bella Bella woodworking students and all those involved including myself are really excited that the message of protecting our coastline and the Great Bear Rainforest will be shared with a much larger audience.

Thanks as well to Tim and Joker Films and John Hamilton for making this deal happen. In the meantime if you haven't already check out the trailer.

https://vimeo.com/38875388

MEC F.E.A.T Talk

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 07:07:59 GMT

Recently I had the honour of presenting as part of the MEC FEAT evening of speakers. Thanks to Sean Verret, the organizer who invited me to share my story and sup expedition from Haida Gwaii.

FEAT, Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks, is an annual evening of time-limited presentations. Each presenter speaks for seven minutes; no more, no less. With images. Although the speakers are invited because of their achievements, presentation themes focus on an aspect of their expedition – not the entire extended expedition. With stories of adventures on land, water and in the air, you will be enthralled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GxYOdEOcug

Boardworks Interview with Norm Hann

Tue, 08 Apr 2014 18:40:38 GMT

Recent interview with Mike Tavares and Boardworks Surf. Check it out here.

9'9″ Boardworks Kraken Review

Mon, 20 Jan 2014 22:25:43 GMT

Company Line

DESIGN NOTES

Introducing the new Kraken SUP models by Boardworks .

Available in 2 sizes 9'9 and 10'3 the Kraken SUPs are extra wide providing incredible stability for paddlers of all sizes and abilities. The Kraken features a pulled in nose and tail design with thinned out rails for excellent surf performance.

These models come with LiftSUP handles for easy portage and handling.

DIMENSIONS

Height: 9′ 9″ Width: 34″ Thickness: 4 1/2″ Fins Included: 2+1 or Quad

SIZE AND ABILITY

Novice: up to 185lbs Intermediate: up to 200lbs Advanced: Up to 230lbs

VOLUME

Liters: 174

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Ms5r7DVQs

Low Down: I first saw these new Boardworks Kraken's when I was down at Outdoor Retailer this past summer. These boards come in a 9'9" and a 10'3" length, both are 34" wide and you can get them in a blue-gray like the one above or the sharp "Canadian" red which was the one I had sent up to Squamish. With the growing number of standup paddleboarders getting into paddle surfing, the Kraken looked to be a great combination of stability and performance that would fit a wide range of paddleboarders. I ordered the Kraken in the 9'9" length for a couple of our paddle surf courses in Tofino this past October. I was there for almost two weeks so I had lots of time to test the board out and a number of clients had a chance to give it a go as well.

First of all the Kraken is a beautiful looking board with great graphics and a stunning bamboo veneer under lay. I really like the Kraken logo which makes me think right away of the delicious Kraken Spiced Rum. I keep thinking that Boardworks should throw in a bottle of the rum with the purchase of a paddleboard in Canada since we need it more up here to keep warm. Seems to be a good match…maybe next year. Anyways, I like the salty pirate feel to the board.

I ended up getting the 9'9" in the red and it's a really sweet looking board. With a sold out course in Tofino there was going to be a lot of clients that would have a chance to test it out and I am always excited to try out new paddle surf boards myself. Our surf courses are great for testing boards since client success depends on stability in trying to catch waves, yet having a board that they can handle and that will perform well as they begin to progress.

Very Stable
The first thing that was obvious was that it was quite stable in the flatwater due to the 34" of width. The stability underfoot inspired confidence getting through the whitewater and when standing out back waiting for surf. I have been surfing my 9'1" Mini Mod for a few months and really enjoy that in the surf but in the Mini Mod line it's as small as I need to go at my height and weight of 6'1" 185 plus wetsuit. I don't like feeling unstable when getting through the surf and waiting for waves in conditions that are not ideal which we tend to experience quite often on our coastline. Boards with a bit more stability will allow you to conserve more energy thus providing more time in the water as one of the benefits. I use up more energy with the 9'1″ Mini Mod than the Kraken which makes sense due to the difference in length and volume. Sometimes it's just nice to surf waves with a board that has more width and volume and the Kraken has that. The other thing I really enjoyed about the Kraken is that it allowed me to tour from break to break in Tofino and not have that paddling distance become more of a challenge and take longer. It is shorter and wider with less volume in the tail so it does not track as well which is to be expected with a board like this but it did the job of touring from spot to spot. I certainly felt a lot better than the other guys looked paddling boards that were much smaller. I also have a bit of a stiffer lower back so the stability takes a lot of pressure of my lower back and allows me to have more fun and stay out longer.

Performance
The Kraken paddled into waves pretty easily and I enjoyed the performance in waist to shoulder high waves. With increased stability the Kraken provides much better forward stroke technique which allowing you to generate forward speed and increases your chances of catching waves. At that critical moment of when the wave picks you up this board has the stability to increase your chance of success in catching the wave or allowing you to get into the wave a little earlier. The Kraken has a pulled in nose with decent rocker which allowed for some later take offs and steeper drops. The tail is well foiled, nice thin rails which I believe is the key to this board as it becomes very lively once you have some speed on the wave. The closest board that I have tried that compares was the 10'2″ Extra Wide Boardworks Paddle Surf Hawaii All Arounder. The PSH may compare better with the 10'3″ Kraken as I felt the 9'9″ was livelier than the PSH most likely due to the shorter length. The fin set up is a 4 + 1 and can be set up as a thruster, quad, and single fin. Thanks to Jeff at Northern Board in Sooke for sending me some Gerry Lopez fins to test out. I set the Kraken up as a thruster with the Gerry Lopez FCS fins and was quite happy. I am still learning a lot about fins types, fin placement and fin setup for sup but I usually ride a thruster or 2 +1 on most of my boards. The board is also light which I really liked and allowed for easier control on the waves, accelerating to catch the waves and pivot turns. Going rail to rail is not as quick due to the width but I sure did have fun on this board.

Everyone who tried the Kraken at the course really liked it. It's an ideal board for beginners and for experienced surfers. The beginners love the stability and the success they find with the board and the big guys love the performance. The board really fits a wide range of paddle surfers and can be used on the flatwater for smaller paddlers. It even works for big guy beginners!! Big Chad came to my Tofino Surf and Explore course and he runs about 6'3" 240 and had just learned to paddle surf in the course. He was finding success on the 11'6" Bray and a couple of days later I told him he should try the Kraken. I wanted to see how well or not well the board would work for him. I was pleasantly surprised with how well Chad surfed this board once he made the adjustment to the smaller size. He really liked it and this is what he had to say about it.

"Paddled the Kraken in Tofino with Norm Hann Expeditions, really liked it and thought it performed well for me. I'm 6'3″ and 235lbs and found it to be a fun, sporty, yet stable ride. Easy to catch waves on and fun to paddle back out into the surf with! Hope to have one in the quiver soon"

I really enjoy watching people find success paddle surfing. Chad liked it so much that it was really hard to get him back in.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a great looking, super fun, yet stable board that I think a lot of beginner paddle surfers will enjoy and find success on, yet those looking for performance will value the great surf design built into the Kraken. This board will fit a lot of paddlers and retailers are already finding success getting the Kraken under people's feet. I know I will continue to enjoy the Kraken this season and I am looking forward to using this board for our upcoming surf courses and paddle surf adventures to Tofino and Nootka Island, B.C.

Haida Gwaii: SUP, SURF and STAND

Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:21:35 GMT

Ernie Collinson Pole in Old Masset.

Shortly after a great 10 days of paddle surf and touring courses in Tofino I left for Haida Gwaii to do a Paddle Canada SUP Instructors course. I was hosted by Vanessa and Dave Wahl in Tlell and Mike McQuaid and Lucy Neville from Masset and North Beach Surf Shop who helped to bring the training to the island.

Haida Gwaii is one of my favorite places in the world. I have been here a few times surfing and spent a few summers guiding saltwater fishing charters for the West Coast Fishing Club. My fondest memories though are from my Standfilm expedition and my standup paddleboard trip from Old Masset to Sgang Gwaay where I paddled the remote shorelines of Graham Island and visited the five Haida Watchman sites on South Moresby. The land, people and culture here are powerful and there is a magical feeling to these islands that can only be experienced by travelling here.

I decided to come up a few days before the course so I could take part in Mike's North Beach Surf Shop Expression Session. Mike had organized a showing of Standfilm that evening and I was really excited to share the film in Masset. It was a great opportunity for me to say thanks to the people who supported and looked after us on our expedition. I shared a table with artist Rick Rika, whose paintings and prints of Haida Gwaii are spectacular and have been showcased yearly on the expression session t shirts. We had over 100 people come out to see Standfillm and Sitka's Forture Wild, both films showcasing the incredible waves, coastalines and people of Haida Gwaii. I spent the next two days surfing North Beach during the expression session, conditions were not as ideal on the saturday but they cleaned up on Sunday and everyone had a lot of fun, including the youth who were part of the adopt a grom program. I was just happy to be in the water paddling and catching waves in such a beautiful and unique place.

Rika's Poster for the Expression Session

After the weekend a big swell and strong southeaster hit the island. Buoys on the north shore were reading 4m at 18 seconds and I finally had a chance to see North Beach light up. Big sets, closeout barrels and screaming rights and lefts lit up all the hot spots. I managed to paddle surf the river but it was tough getting into the bigger sets with the howling offshore winds. This was real Haida Gwaii surfing. My trip from North Beach back to Tlell where Dave and Vanessa lived revealed some really fun wind swell that broke all along the coastline down to Skidegate. After school Dave and I hustled back so we could suit up to catch a few waves in the fading light.

Mike McQuaid showing us some North Beach sweet spots.

After the big surf day I went to check out Dave's practice with the Skidegate Saints. The seniors are back to back All Native basketball champions which carries huge coastal clout. Dave spends countless hours coaching and fundraising and has helped to build a very successful basketball program. I enjoyed watching these athletes and having played five years at Laurentian University and coaching at the All Native Basketball Tournament myself with Hartley Bay I really appreciated the talent that was on the floor and getting to know the guys. Not only were these guys very good basketball players but they are good people and superb role models for the youth in Haida Gwaii. If you love the game of basketball and want to experience something really amazing, check out the All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert in February. The Saints will be there to three peat this year and judging from what I saw, will have a very good chance to do just that.

Firing North Beach

One of the nights after our course I again had the opportunity to show Standfilm in Skidegate at the Haida Heritage Center thanks to Vanessa, who spearheaded the organization and Jason Alsop, one of the deadly shooters from the Saints who manages the center. We had a good turnout and it was impressive to share the film again on the big screen, the incredible sound system brought the film to life with it's thumping base and great soundtrack. I was happy to have the opportunity to thank people in Skidegate and area for supporting us. I remember the day of the expedition clearly. It was a beautiful, flat calm day when I left Dave and Vanessa's as I headed towards Skidegate and the K' aay Heritage center. Judson Brown from Skidegate came out to greet me on his paddleboard and to welcome me to the area. Shortly after Jag from Jag's Beanstock Coffee Shop waved me onto shore to provide lunch and coffee for me. I parked my Raven at the K'aay center under the totems and spent the afternoon at an orientation before heading into South Moresby the following day. If you happen to purchase a copy of the film, the picture on the jacket of the dvd is a shot Nicolas Teichrob took of me walking out from the outdoor workshop and past the old traditional canoes. This past April I was at this exact spot watching Jaalen and Gwaii Edenshaw and Tyler York(another talented point guard for the Saints) carving a totem pole that would be raised at the exact spot I visited on my expedition at Windy Bay. It was the first time a pole had been raised in South Moresby in 130 years. I watched the live stream of the raising from Squamish and watched as the Haida raised the pole to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of the formation of Gwaii Hanaas National Park. It was very powerful to watch the pole being raised in a spot that was showcased in Stand and had wished I was there to see if for myself. It's places like these that we are trying to protect with the showing of Standup4Greatbear and Stand film.

Jen with Haida carvers Tyler York and Gwaii Edenshaw working on the Windy Bay memorial pole.

Our Paddle Canada course got started and over four days with the students we spent considerable time working on their individual skills and then shifted our focus to developing their instructional skills. I was really impressed with the improvement and committment to the program shown by all the participants. After completing the course I spent our final morning back at North Beach introducing the students to paddle surfing in the gentle waves under sunshine and blue skies. I was really proud of all the Layla, Lucy, Mike, Nico, Heather, Shelly, and Tiffany who are the first Paddle Canada certified SUP instructors on Haida Gwaii. They still have a lof of experience to gain and lessons to teach but they all now have the fundamentals and confidence to be able to teach people effectively and safely.

Haida Gwaii Paddle Canada SUP Instructors on North Beach with Tow Hill in the background.

Thanks to everyone I met for such an amazing and memorable experience. I will be back in the spring and hope to see the fellas at the All Native Tournament. Norm Hann Expeditions will be planning a new trip to Haida Gwaii for 2014 so sign up for the newsletter on the website to keep up to date.

East side line up.

Salmon and Spirit Bears- Great Bear SUP Trip 2013

Fri, 30 Aug 2013 02:12:34 GMT

Jenny getting her camera ready.

This year our expedition and paddling team of six clients headed up to the Great Bear Rainforest a little early due to the future arrival of our baby on September 11th. Jen was disappointed that she had to stay home this year. Jen usually guides with me on the trip but she had more important things to look after. This year I hired Jessica Rando, a top sup racer and business owner from Mississauga, Ontario. I was really excited to have Jess out on short notice after an unfortunate injury to my guide Sheila Sovereign, Jess has always been a supporter of Standup4Greatbear and I was happy to take her into place she has been inspired by.

For this years expedition I went with the decision to use all inflatable sups for our trip. I had six Badfish MCIT's and two Boardworks Shubus. Although they are not quite as efficient as a hard board I can't tell you the ease of transporting these boards through the Great Bear. I put all eight into the back of my Tacoma for the ride to Prince Rupert then threw them onto the ferry for our ride down. The lightness, ease of transportation, stability and durability of these inflatable's made them a logical choice. The Badfish MCIT's have to be one of the most versatile inflatables out there and were fantastic on the expedition. We used Kialoa PuPu adjustable paddles for the trip and this seemed to be a really good combination. Having boards that can withstand the ruggedness of this coastal environment is critical in such a remote setting.

The Badfish fleet and the March Madness

A beautiful 4-hour ferry ride took us into the Gitga'at community of Hartley Bay. I am fortunate to have been adopted into the community by Eva Hill. Our group stays with Cam, Eva and their family for the first and last nights of the trip. It's always an incredible experience to share time with the Hill family. Cam and Eva share freely their home and lives in Hartley Bay and what it means to be Gitga'at. The afternoon was spent exploring the village, going for a short paddle to test gear and enjoying dinner with the Hill family. The weather looked promising for the next day.

Day 1: The Gray Whale and Birthdays

We awoke the next day to flat conditions and after loading up Cam's "March Madness" we headed for Cornwall Inlet south of Hartley Bay. Cornwall is a beautiful, steep sided, and granite fiord with a Raven Longhouse we camp in at the back. Ferocious tidal rapids that need to be navigated during slack tide for a safe passage guard the inlet. The full moon was tonight and the size of the tides reflected the strong gravitational pull. This area of tidal rapids is rich in life as the strong, cold currents provide endless food for the ocean species.

A rare sighting in the Great Bear Rainforest, a Gray Whale

On our approach to the rapids I was stunned to see the blow of a whale right in tight to the shoreline and very close to the bottleneck entrance of the inlet. I had never seen a whale in here before. Was it lost? Was it sick? As we got closer I could see that it wasn't lost and it wasn't sick. It was a Gray Whale. I know Gray Whales travel on our outer coast but I have been guiding up here for 15 years and I have never seen a Grey Whale before. I called Herman and Janey, whale researchers who have been here studying whales for about the same time and they had never seen one. I called Cam on the vhf and he and his dad saw one once, way out in Kitkatla. What a sighting. The whale waited for the tide in the rapids to go slack and then entered the inlet. After our glorious paddle through the fiord we ended up seeing it at the back of the inlet at the estuary feeding again. Cornwall never disappoints and during our paddle we enjoyed the calm waters, stunning scenery and incredible amount of jellyfish that seem to congregate in here. We visited an ancient Gitga'at burial site on our way to the longhouse. We arrived, settled in, explored and hiked a small river and enjoyed the sunset and full moon rise. It was a great way to not only celebrate my birthday but Dorothy's as well. Most of my birthdays in the last decade have been spent guiding in the Great Bear. Time here is one of the greatest gifts anyone can receive.

Stunning Cornwall Inlet

Day 2: Rivers and Salmon

Dorothy and I got up for a morning paddle over to the river to watch the spawning salmon. We were rewarded with the sightings of two black bears that were in rivers looking to bulk up for the long winter season. I love watching bears in their natural habitat feeding in remote, lush river valleys. After breakfast we packed up and headed back out the rapids. I dropped the group off outside of the rapids and I accompanied them to our lunch spot close to a small salmon stream. After lunch a very short hike took us to a beautiful waterfall surrounded by lush, green, temperate rainforest. We spent the rest of the day exploring local rivers and checking out some of the salmon returns. One of the most amazing things to experience in the Great Bear is watching the return of the wild salmon to the exact rivers they were born in. After a day pushing through wet rainforest we headed south to one of my favorite places. A Gitga'at Watchman cabin here would be our base camp for the next three nights.

The lifeblood of the Great Bear, the wild Pacific Salmon.

Day 3: Killer Whales

We awoke again to a beautiful morning of flat calm conditions and low-lying cloud and fog. Today we were heading over to see Herman and Janey at Whale Point. We did not have the tides with today so we had to use the terrain to navigate and to make our paddle more efficient. A large crossing took us to the south end of Gil Island and it was at that point where we saw three Killer Whales approaching us. It was a large bull male, a female and a baby. We made a call to Whale Point to inform them just as Hermann was getting on the water. It was exhilarating to have the apex ocean predator right in front of our group. I have seen a lot of Killer Whales but we have never had them this close to our sups before. We spent the next 45 minutes watching as four or five more Killer Whales joined the first group we saw. Hermann identified them as Transient Killer Whales. Transients feed on sea mammals such as sea lions, harbour seals, porpoises and even whales. Residents on the other hand are fish eaters and follow the salmon runs on our coast. Transients and Residents from what we know do not associate much with each other. Seeing a Killer Whale in the ocean is comparable to seeing a Grizzly Bear in a river, both are at the top of the food chain and still elicit that surge of adrenalin, the fight or flight response, remnants of time spent running away from sabre tooth tigers and hunting mastodons.

The fog was lifting and we headed for Gill Island to check out another creek. This creek, another of my favorites, was absolutely loaded with salmon, wall-to-wall thick. Large schools of Pink salmon swam underneath our boards as numerous Bald Eagles watched from the trees above. We worked our way up to a small waterfall and sat amazed observing the salmon swimming up the falls on their way to the distant reaches of the river. This river is one of the most prolific in the area and can hold in some of the best years close to a hundred thousand salmon. This was a banner year for Pink salmon evidenced by the commercial opening right here in Howe Sound. From Gil Creek we took a short paddle over to Whale point under a blazing hot sun and a dead flat ocean. It was great to see Herman and Janey as they shared their inspiring story, their research and some whale calls recorded from their network of hydrophones. I was happy to donate money from our trip and from donations received from Lance and Cara at Galileo Coffee Shop for Standup4Greatbear. Lance roasts Standup4Greatbear coffee and $5 from every bag gets donated back to Standup4Greatbear. After a wonderful afternoon we paddled back to our home in Cameron Cove.

The ladies on approach to Whale Point.

Day 4: Harvesting camps and Sea Lions

Curious sea lions.

Our fourth day on the water took our group on a day trip to Sea Lion Rock and to Hartley Bay's spring harvesting camp, Kiel. We had an incredible experience with the sea lions and I have never seen their numbers so high. They were all around our boards and under our boards and having close to 50-75 large sea mammals coming up out of the water to have a really close look certainly made for some nervous paddling. While we were watching the sea lions a couple of humpbacks were passed us by. There was so much life around us that we did not even know where to look.

Gitga'at Spring Camp, Kiel.

Surrounded by thick fog, I used my old navigational skills to get us across the channel and to Kiel. Cam and Eva recently built a cabin in Kiel and invited us over for dinner. Hartley Bay has used Kiel for centuries in the spring as a place to harvest seaweed, halibut, salmon and abalone. It's an incredible place that comes alive during the month of May. All of the food harvested is brought back to the community for use during the fall and winter months. After a delicious dinner Jenny and James paddled back to our cabin while I took Jess and Tiffany into the river near the cabin to check out the salmon. Once the paddling crew got back to the cabin James spotted a black coastal wolf less than a hundred yards away from the cabin. He radioed me in the river and at the same time the wolf was approaching the river a couple of black bears were working their way out of the forest. It was an interesting interaction and the young bear which seemed nervous, headed back into the forest and gave way to the young playful wolf. Wolf packs are known to kill Grizzly's and Black Bears if they encroach on their territory but this area is one place where I have seen bears and wolves interact. Years ago I saw a wolf and a bear on the same log looking in the water while they both fished meters away from each other. As dusk descended in the estuary, we made our way back to the cabin.

Black Bear in estuary.

Day 5: A Refreshing Dip

This was our last day at the cabin and it was spent with more exploration. We saw another black bear walking the shoreline as we paddle away from the cabin. We tried to follow it on our sups but it was on a mission and disappeared into the forest quickly. A brief paddle took us to a picturesque river and I think everyone enjoyed the refreshing swim at the waterfall; it was a great way to end our time in this area. As a strong southeast wind was building we made our way back north for the hour boat ride to Hartley Bay. That evening was a traditional salmon dinner with seaweed at Cam and Eva's. We swapped stories and pictures and enjoyed the company of the Hill family.

Jessica in Cornwall Inlet.

Day 6: Gitga'at Donuts

On our last morning we went over to Cam's parents place for breakfast. Lynne, Ernie and Cam's sister Jodi prepared fried bread and a traditional berry cocktail for us. I like to call the fried bread Gitga'at donuts and I like to eat a lot of them with maple syrup. Someone usually has to stop me or I will eat him or her all. Ernie Hill is the hereditary eagle chief in Hartley Bay and one of his favorite foods are seagull eggs that Cam and family harvest off outer island rocks in June. Mr. Hill shared one of his seagull eggs with the group and me. It was the first time I had ever had one. The egg was very good, just a bit larger and richer than a regular chicken egg. Breakfast at Lynne and Ernie's is always a great way to finish off the trip. Jen and the baby were waiting for me at home so it was time to get on the ferry. I was excited to get home but I am always a little sad to leave the people and place that is the Great Bear.

Sunflower Star.

Thank You:

I really want to thank Cam and Eva for sharing their home with us and for providing my guests with an intimate experience and what life is like being Gitga'at. Cam also looks after our safety while we are out on the water and I appreciate the use of, and his trust with his boat. We cannot do this trip without the March Madness. Thanks Lynne and Ernie Hill for the amazing breakfast. Thanks to Marven Robinson, and the Gitga'at community for the partnership in the territory. Thank you to Hermann and Janey at Whale Point for having us over. Big thanks to Ethan Dundas for catching two Coho salmon for us to eat during our expedition. Thanks to Jess Rando for doing such an amazing job with the food and as a guide and for helping me out last minute. Thanks you to James and Tiffany, Dorothy, Jenny and crew for coming on the trip and allowing me to be your guide. Thanks to Lance and Cara at Galileo Coffee for the amazing supply of Standup4Greatbear Coffee. Thanks to Jen who I know wanted to be on this trip with me but was looking after our baby and it's imminent birth. Eva said our baby is going to born with the big tides in September.

James on a foggy approach to Kiel.

Thanks to Kialoa Paddles , Boardworks Surf Canada , Kalavida Surf Shop , Quiksilver and Galileo Coffee Co . for supporting me.

Kialoa Quiver.

Lastly, thanks to the Great Bear Rainforest.

A Canadian Solo Crossing of the Ka'iwi Channel

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 19:59:49 GMT

What a tremendous experience the 2013 Molokai2Oahu World Championships were. Two years ago Bodie Shandro and I competed and successfully crossed the channel on a 14′ Bark Expedition. I remember at that time thinking I would return to cross the channel solo envisioning the challenge it would present. The calm words of surf legend Gerry Lopez, kept ringing in my head, "Molokai to Oahu…. it's a pretty big bite." Well this year, I was ready to take the bite. First thing I did once I committed to this race was to get my partner Jen Segger , to put me on a good training program in preparation for the mental and physical challenge of racing across 53km of open, turbulent, ocean.

There are a lot of logistics when it comes to doing this race similar to planning an expedition. Details, which included hiring a good boat captain, finding a board to race on, accommodations, flights, shuttles, more training etc. It all came together with the help of my good friend Scott McPhail and with most of the details in place I flew to Hawaii five days before the race. I stayed with Scott while I was there and his experience, support and knowledge was invaluable. Scott has crossed the channel 15 times on surf skis, paddleboards, outriggers and stand ups. As understated as "Wheels" is, he's a badass and he helped me immensely.

Captain Dan Habel and Moana Kai

Scott picked me up late Tuesday night and the following morning we hit the water for paddle surf at Four's on the south shore of Oahu. What a treat to be surfing in board shorts and not a 5/4 hooded wetsuit. Later that afternoon we met one of Scott's closest friends, Jay "The Director" Stephens. I bought the 17' Unlimited Bullet off Jay and I was excited to get some experience on it with a Hawaii Kai run. I had known for awhile that if I came back to M20 I wanted to race an unlimited board. Even though I trained with a 14' SIC Bullet, I was not used to being on a board with the steering assist. The Hawaii Kai run was so much fun. The board was stable and fast and caught waves with ease. I would only have one hour and 15 minutes of experience on this board before M20, not ideal but that's how it was.

My M20 ride.

Thursday was more surfing, relaxation and dealing with logistics. I met my boat captain, Dan Habel, and dropped of my paddles and other essentials for the race. His boat was the Moana Kai, which meant vast ocean. Thank you to Johnny Pang, our boat captain from 2011 for setting me up with Dan and his wife. Dan was a real professional. One of the crux moves for M20 is getting a good boat captain, something you want to get on early when planning for the race. Scott then took me to Portlock Point and the China Wall, the landmark where after 31 miles you finally make the turn into a head wind and charge for the finish line. It's a challenging area and Scott showed me how to negotiate the reef and the breaking waves. It was a pretty cool spot and an area that would be lined with spectators as we made our dash for line. That evening Scott and I dropped off our boards to a different boat captain who would be shuttling our boards across the channel the following day. Not all captains will take your board across due to the chance of damage but again Scott looked after this for me. That evening we were invited to dinner by one of Scott's friends, Mark Rocheleau. Mark and his brother are big wave chargers, paddleboarders and accomplished waterman. Their dad Bob is a legend and he pulled out some charts later that night and shared with us the best route across the channel based on winds and tides. This is one of the things I love about Hawaii, there are so many great, humble watermen and you can't help but learn and try to take advantage of their incredible experience.

Friday was a full day of relaxation and a beautiful evening spent with another close friend of Scotts, JD, and his family. Scott helped me with race nutrition and hydration that evening and we got to be early.

Saturday we flew across the channel to Molokai. The channel was frothy and plane turbulence let us know that the winds were moving pretty good. We took a cab with Scott Gamble and Mark Rocheleau to race headquarters. Scott ended up having an incredible race and place second behind Travis Grant. We had a great dinner that evening and met all the racers including a fellow Canadian Lina Augaitis and her husband Andrew. It was great to see a familiar face and I was proud of Lina as the first Canadian female to attempt crossing the channel and her commitment to the race. Accommodations are really tough in Molokai and most places make you book for three nights. I have to thank Scott, The Director and his wife Katie for hosting me and letting me sleep on the couch. Thank you, thank you.

A couple of solo canadians.

Wheels was racing this year in the unlimited class again on his purple F16 and Jay had given up the unlimited board to me for a 14' bullet in the stock class. We all had a great sleep and headed down to the beach for the morning prayer. The prone paddleboarders started at 7:30am and standup start was at 8:00am. I met Dan, grabbed my paddle and headed to the start line as I watched the clouds overhead starting to move quickly. For the first time in 10 years Jamie Mitchell was not on the start line to defend his 10 time prone paddleboard championship.

The blessing for a safe crossing.

Wheels, Jay and I at the start line.

It's always a bit nerve wracking waiting on the start line for the horn to go but I focused on my breathing and brought calmness by staring into the clear blue waters. The horn went and we were off quickly. I used my flat-water training to try to get out quickly. I took a gel 15 minutes before the start of the race so I would have a boost to help me deal with the stress and energy expended in the first half hour of the race. I was working hard and was sweating profusely from the intensity and heat. I got my breathing under control and my body was feeling pretty good as the wind slowly started to build. It wasn't long before everyone started to spread out and after a half hour or so Dan and the Moana Kai had found me. I was happy being back on the channel again and I felt really fortunate to be where I was. Having the experience from our race in 2011 helped me to landmark on Oahu as I made my way across the channel. We picked a line and Dan and his wife helped keep me on that line and not let me drift too far south. They were there to support with equipment changes and the refilling of my hydration pack, which happened a couple of times. Just knowing the boat was there brought comfort.

Getting in the groove.

The wind was building but never really seemed to be pushing in the right direction. The wind and swell direction was pushing south and every wave you caught would quickly take you off line. Riding waves south is very enticing but it's a bit of a trap as your line across the channel is in a north east direction.

Leaving Molokai behind.

One of the things I love about the channel are the flying fish which fly across the water in schools usually right in front of your board. Watching these fish take flight makes me focus on the moment and appreciate the time. You spend most of your time living in the moment when your on the channel but at sometimes it is easy to let your mind wander as the hours and miles pile up. These flying fish always snap your mind back to the moment and always put a smile on my face. They are just so cool and were reflected in the branding on all merchandise for this years race.

The flying fish.

I was working pretty hard, paddling, hydrating, eating and trying to stay on my board as the island of Oahu started to become larger and the landmarks easier to see. The further I got across the channel and closer to Oahu the more challenging the ocean conditions became as the wind, swell, current and chop began to transform the channel. I just kept pushing on and kept trying to find someone in front of me to catch. Even with small distances between competitors it was really hard to catch someone because every athlete on the channel can paddle. Small distances are hard to make up and I did my best to gain ground and to not get caught myself. For the most part with the rough conditions you can barely see the support boats let alone see other competitors.

Zane Schwitzer and I enjoying some rides.

In between hours 4 and 5 I found my legs getting pretty tired and worked from the unstable conditions. As a result I started falling in the water a lot more with the right combination of wind and chop. Sometimes I would waiver and lift a rail and that was enough to have the wind get under and flip you over. The board I was on was stable and I am pretty solid on a standup but the conditions were tough. If your in the water, not only are you losing time but you get out of your paddling cadence and it's a big energy expenditure getting back up on your board and getting the engine going again. Usually a lack of concentration due to fatigue was the culprit for a quick dip. I remember thinking that those who said, "All you want to do is finish" were exactly right. I also felt that I was "paddling my board" more than I was surfing it. I just wrote this off to my inexperience in the channel and the fatigue that I was feeling. It takes a lot of energy to accelerate a 17′ board fast enough to get into a wave which is where having a light, carbon fiber board is of benefit. I did not have that luxury and even with my inexperience the conditions did not seem right to surf. So now I seemed to be pushing this board a lot more.

Closing in on Oahu

The closer I got to the south shore of Oahu the more challenging the conditions became. The waves were ricocheting off the shore and combining with other waves. It was one big confused sea and it took all the concentration I had to stay on the board. Catching waves was barely an option.

Unstable on approach to Portlock Point

Soon I could make out Portlock Point and China Wall and could see the waves starting to break. I battled to Portlock Point, the area where all the competitors after being spread out across the channel would funnel to. Wow, it felt really good to get here, I knew the end would soon be in sight. As the wind that had been on my right shoulder the whole way started to die and get ready to shift, at that moment that the most amazing thing happened. A huge beautiful sea turtle swam up towards my board and then dove down just as my board glided over his back. My first thought was, "Who is this?" I had read before that people thought the great big wave Hawaiian legend and North Shore lifeguard Eddie Aikau was reincarnated as a sea turtle after being lost at sea in the exact same channel I had just crossed. Maybe the turtle was here to bless and congratulate my safe crossing. This turtle made me feel really good, I can't quite explain the feeling but it was powerful and was one of the highlights of my entire paddle. It's path seemed so deliberate that I was sure it had something to tell me.

Shortly before meeting the sea turtle.

Steep and deep outside of China Wall

As soon as the turtle disappeared into the turquoise blue depths the dreaded infamous head wind that blows from the valley behind the finish line and Hawaii Kai hit me like a ton of bricks. I weaved my way through the reefs and breakers off Portlock and I envisioned myself surfing a big bomb like I did in 2011 on the Bark Expedition which helped us to cover at least 100 yards. But I was unsuccessful trying to surf this big 17' displacement hull, especially being so fatigued and I found myself in the water a number of times getting worked across the shallow reefs. To add insult to injury I stepped on a black sea urchin and had to extract the painful spines before paddling on. After getting through the surf zone and with a km left I zeroed in on a competitor in front of me and put the hammer down in the headwind to try to sneak up on him and beat him at the finish line. He was laboring but his crew sounded the alarm and gave him the motivation to get to the line just before I did. If I wasn't such a kook in the surf zone I may have picked up another spot.

China Wall, finish line in sight, ready to navigate the reefs and waves.

I was concerned about my time since my goal was to finish in under 5hr:30min and I had hit Portlock Point at 5hr:30min. I was a little disappointed because I thought I could do better and it wasn't until got past the finish line that I heard the announcer say that Travis Grant had won in 4:50min, 40 minutes slower than last years finish. Travis was the only person this year to go under five hours and the consensus was that it was one of the toughest races and conditions in recent memory. Even Wheels when he came in said, "Dude, what the heck was that??" I had to laugh. The challenging conditions confirmed why I was battling and pushing my board more than surfing it. I finished the race 22nd male overall, and 3rd in my age category of 40-49 which got me some hardware as Scott would say. My time was 5:58min. I was happy with that. I was happy with crossing the channel solo as a Canadian. I have paddled a lot in my career and all over our coastline and that was the toughest 6 hours of paddling I have ever done. Everything they say about the channel is true.

Travis Grant first, Scott Gamble second, and both upset the favorites, Connor Baxter and Kai Lenny. It sounded like it just came down to different lines. Travis and Scott stayed more north while Connor and Kai got sucked a little too far south. When I hit beach I was given a bottle of water, a hug and lei, and I got my coveted M20 belt buckle. JD's children were there to also give me congratulations, lei's and hugs, their big smiling faces lit my heart up. I then headed for the cooler to grab my well-deserved Kona Island Lager. Scott and Jay came in and we all celebrated together. Scott was second in his age category and Jay won his category in the stock 14′ class.

JD's beautiful family at the finish line.

Congratulation goes to all of the competitors who crossed that finish line. There were some really inspiring stories out there that again confirmed how lucky I was to have the opportunity to compete and race across the channel. I was so excited for every competitor that I saw finish and there was a common bond from a shared experience like that.

I am humbled and thankful to all those people who supported me before, during and after the race. I used all of your positive energy and stoke to get me across the channel. I felt so proud to be a Canadian and to represent the country and all of the great people in it. Thanks to Scott, Jay and JD for all of your help in Hawaii and to Jen who was at home looking after our future keiki.

Jay "The Director" Stephens, Scott "Wheels" McPhail, The Canadian, and Glenn

Thanks to support from Dario Phillips and Quiksilver , Boardworks Surf Canada , Dave and Meg from Kialoa Paddles , Galileo Coffee , and Kalavida Surf Shop .

I have already been asked whether I will go back to race again. Well I have my 17′ board over there waiting for me and I would like to have another crack at the channel in epic conditions for downwind surfing so I guess that's a yes.

The Canadian Surf Movie- Protecting the Great Bear Rainforest

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 17:54:29 GMT

Carey Misler's new film, The Canadian Surf Movie has been completed and screenings will start soon. Big thanks to Carey for showcasing the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest. Here is a clip from the movie with some old Standup4Greatbear footage. Thanks to Boardworks Surf Canada .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsranYRld0c

Training for Molokai2Oahu

Sat, 27 Jul 2013 19:47:53 GMT

As I sit here in Hawaii getting ready for the Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard race in a couple of days I wanted to reflect back on some of the training I have done for the last couple of months to get prepared for this epic race.

The first thing I needed to do before anything was to commit to the race. Once the commitment was made there was no looking back. This would be the second time I would paddle my standup across the channel. In 2011 Bodie Shandro and I were the first Canadian standup paddleboarders to compete in this grueling, historical, open ocean race. We paddled a 14′ Bark Expedition(haha) and we made it across in 5:45. It was such an incredible experience and I vowed that next time I would cross the channel solo, and on the best board for the job, an unlimited 17′ SIC Bullet. The challenge of the open ocean and testing myself as a solo competitor was something I had looked forward to. It was also good to have that experience of crossing the channel under my belt.

After signing up the next thing I needed to do was to get on a real training program for the M2O. I have competed as a national level basketball player for years when I was younger so I knew the importance of a good training program that would give me the best chance to show up ready and to accomplish my goals. I decided to go to the best person I knew, my partner and future mom, Jen Segger . Jen owns the Squamish training facility ChallengebyChoice and has been training and programming for motivated athletes all around the world for years, her clients success rates speak for themselves. Jen is not only an incredible coach but she is one of the top endurance athletes in the world. Jen walks the walk and brings this vast athletic and training experience to all of those people she works with. Her programs are individualized and thoughtful with cutting edge training and nutrition benefits applied. Jen's first two sup clients have been myself and Deep Cove charger Mike Darbyshire .

My 2 month training program consisted of 4 days of paddling, two days of cross training and 1 day of rest. What was great about the program was that it was flexible and blended well with my lifestyle. Out of the four paddling days, 2-3 of them ranged from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours with mostly high intensity interval work, there was a big paddle one day a week lasting 4-5hrs. Most of my cross training were the 1 hour multi-functional strength and endurance C3 classes at ChallengebyChoice. A majority of those fell on our Monday night all men's Boneyard class with coach JF Plouffe. The beer and wings afterwards with the boys did not fall into Jen's program but I felt the hydration and protein boost was needed. I varied that with trail runs and mountain bikes. Squamish is an incredible place to train outside with easy access to all types of terrain and easy access to the ocean. I have a pretty good paddling base from the years of expedition paddles, racing and paddle surfing so the Jen's program was a perfect addition and gave me a real plan and focus for my training. Nothing beats T.O.W. (Time on the Water), and in order to get ready for a race like this you have to be out on the ocean working hard in downwinders, headwinders and choppy, challenging conditions.

In the past couple of months and part of the Jen's M20 program I have certainly put my time in on the water which has included long paddles and races. You also have to try to keep the training fun, I love paddling and I never really want my training to get to a point where I am bored or where I don't feel like going out on the water. To accomplish this you can change your paddling location, find good training partners and set some fun goals, especially for the long paddles. Here are a list of paddles and races I have used in the last few months.

Round Bowen Island Race – 34k- This race was great for conditioning and pushing a race pace for hours at a time. It also gave me a chance to compete again other athletes to see where I was. It took me 3.5 hours to get around the island and I was pretty happy with my performance.

HorseshoeBay to Squamish – 40k. 4.40 hours. I have always wanted to paddle from Horseshoe Bay to Squamish and I got lucky with a really great downwind run as well.

Around Anvil Island to Squamish – 35k- 4:20 hours. The backside of Anvil Island in Howe Sound is really beautiful and worth checking out.

MEC Big Chop – 8km- 50 min. A great place to train in choppy conditions and there is nothing like training at race pace. Deep Cove's Tuesday Night races are also a great weekly training venue.

Tofino Paddle Race – 11km 65 min A new distance course was added this year in Stu Robinson's Surf SUP event. Open ocean racing with challenging dynamic conditions.

Cheakamus River/Squamish River Descent – 3.5 hours: This was a super fun challenging paddle at really high water with a competent local crew.

Cheakamus River Run

Quiksilver Week/Tofino – Of course I had to throw in some paddle surfing with the Quiksilver crew in Tofino. Getting across Molokai is all about riding the bumps and understanding how to move effeciently in the ocean. The more time you can spend learning how to surf, the better.

So those were a few of the more interesting and varied training days with the rest of the time spent locally on Howe Sound. I jumped at any opportunity to go downwinding. Although it's impossible to mimic the conditions I would find in Hawaii any time spent surfing, learning about the ocean, paddling against currents and wind and developing waterman knowledge gained only by T.O.W was good time spent. Racing also let me know where my training was at and gave me the chance to compete at race pace and really push my body. Putting in big challenging days not only hones the body but more importantly develops the mental toughness you need to do battle against/with the channel. A strong mind will pull the body to places it sometimes does not want to go.

Equipment : Here is the equipment I have been using to get ready for M2O

Paddles : I recently switched to a Kialoa's Hulu Ultralight , Dave's new race paddle. In the past I was using a 100sq inch paddle and the Hulu has 104sq inches. My body really felt the change and it's been a few weeks of training with it to get my body accustumed to it. As soon as I got to Hawaii I did a Hawaii Kai run which took 1:15 and the paddle felt really good. The longer aspect blade worked really well in the swells and seemed to match up perfectly with the Bullet. Generally you can go with a little bit longer paddle for the DW's but I am happy with how the paddle felt. I have brought my Shaka Puu for a back up, 2 paddles are essential for obvious reasons. The Shaka is one of the best all around paddles out there. I can also switch to this paddle as I fatigue since the blade face is a little smaller.

Kialoa Lineup

Boards : The first thing I did once I registered was buy a 14′ SIC Bullet. Although I paddle for Boardworks Surf and am loyal to them they do not carry a 14′ or unlimited DW board. The 14′ I purchased from Lance McClure , a training buddy and owner of Galileo Coffee in Britannia, was built in the tough wood construction and with its base construction, a little heavier which was good. It became the perfect training tool and pushing this board around in the flats increased my power and gave me a feel for its design, tendencies and sweet spots. In a downwind situation the boards is magic. These boards, designed my Mark Raaphorst in Maui, are the boards of choice in DW conditions. They just take off on waves. I did not purchase mine with the steering system as I thought it was a little too much for our local conditions and I wanted to keep things simple and the deck clear. However, I did call my buddy Scott McPhail in Honolulu and he lined me up with his buddies 17′ Unlimited Bullet with the assisted steering system. I ended up purchasing this board as well since it's really tough to demo/rent a board and most people are unlikely to let you take their 2500 board across the channel on a support boat and then paddle it back. Regardless, after my first Hawaii Kai run it was like I was on a rocket ship and I was really stoked to have this board. I thought about selling it right after the race but I seem to be having trouble thinking about parting with it already. All of the training I had done on the 14′ transferred really well to the 17′ so I was happy about that.

I won't get into too much more in terms of the equipment and I can leave the nutrition and other race details for another day.

The absolute best training is heading over to Hawaii early to train in the conditions and race the numerous downwinders like the Maliko run or the Maui2Molokai race, on the board your going to use. Molokai2Oahu starts with a dream, the commitment and plan to accomplish your goals. I feel ready now thanks to ChallengebyChoice and my own commitment to the plan.

A really big thanks to everyone who has support me in this race and to support from Meg, Dave and Andrea Dillon at Kialoa Paddles, Boardworks Surf , Dario Phillips at Quiksilver , Lance and Kara at Galileo Coffee and Kevin Obrien at Kalavida Surf Shop . A really big Mahalo to Scott "Wheels" McPhail here in Honolulu for the accommodations, transportation, race knowledge and nutrition, surf sessions, DWers' and a great outlook on life. Thanks to Jen for the program, shuttles for training and all her love and encouragement. Sorry you and the baby could not be here.

We were on China Wall today looking at the finish through the maze of breaking waves, I looked outside to the channel and it was firing. My heart started to race and I gave thanks for the opportunity.

Follow the race live here.

The China Wall

Sup Touring Beautiful Tofino

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:01:07 GMT

Our crew, Ryan, Kathy, Norm, Catherine(checking me out) Meike, Trevor, Jason, Jeff, Michelle, Brian, Carla, Sheila, Toby and Warren taking the picture.

Last weekend I was in Tofino, British Columbia for our three day Paddle Canada Coastal Journeying Course. Cat Bruhwiler and I had partnered up to offer this course for those excited about sup touring on the ocean and improving expedition paddling skills. The course focused on weather forecasting, decision making, trip planning, navigating, currents & tides, launching and landing in surf, and improving skills and paddling technique. We had a full course with 12 paddlers from around British Columbia. Not only would the clients be improving their skills but they would have the chance to experience the magic of paddling around Tofino.

On our way out to Leonard Island lighthouse.

Day 1: We had set up accommodations at the Tofino Swell Lodge located right on the calm inlet side of Tofino. It was a perfect base camp with a common area for teaching and cooking, complete with an outdoor hot tub, fireplace and many rooms for accommodation. Our paddlers arrived on Friday evening and after some delicious halibut cerviche served up by Catherine and Trevor our course started. Friday night was spent sharing thoughts about touring specific sup equipment, safety considerations, decision making models for the ocean and the use of charts for navigating. We set a plan for the following day based on weather, tides, currents and swell forecast and then enjoyed the rest of the evening by the campfire. The conditions for the following day were looking pretty sweet.

Meike, Kathy and Brian planning the day's route.

Day 2: We awoke to stellar ocean conditions and after a coffee at my favorite place, the Tofitian, we geared up at Cat's shop on Mackenzie Beach. Cat has a really sweet location so if your visiting Tofino and would like a lesson or a tour swing by to see her and her staff. With the amazing conditions of a glassy seas state, low swell and no wind we decided to travel out to Tonquin Island first before going around Leonard Island light house. It also gave Cat and I the chance to talk about group travel and to work on forward strokes and efficiency. We made our way around Leonard Island and then headed to South Chesterman's to practice our surf landings and surf launches. The small, glassy waves provided a great opportunity to learn these new skills without a lot of risk. From South Chesterman we crossed the land spit leading to Frank Island and then had a leisurely paddle across North Chesterman's on our way back to Mackenzie Beach for lunch. If you want an incredible lunch while your in Tofino, go to Tacofino, an old food truck located at the back of the Live to Surf parking lot. Wicked fish taco's, burritos and one of the most amazing cookies I have ever eaten.

Big Tree Trail

After lunch we launched our boards right off the docks at the lodge. We passed Chris, the owner, who was down at the dock processing the fish he had just caught. Chris runs a salmon fishing business right from the lodge and will take visiting guests out on fun guided fishing expeditions. I was excited about paddling the inlet side because our group would have the chance to paddle in moving water and stronger tidal currents. The group practiced their ferry angles and spent time getting comfortable on their boards in more challenging and dynamic conditions. We also focused on teaching the group how to use terrain like islands, and points to move efficiently even when going against the currents. We made it to the Big Tree Trail on Meares Island and a short rainforest hike took us into some incredible stands of Red Cedar trees. Conditions were warm with little wind and after our hike a short paddle took us back to the lodge. With our morning and afternoon paddle we probably covered around 15kms. Clients spent the evening around the fire again and enjoyed a stunning west coast sunset.

Trevor and Ryan paddling past the lighthouse.

Paddling over to Cox Bay.

Day 3: Our final day started at South Chesterman's and we paddled past Rosie Bay on our way over to Cox Bay. There was a little bit of a bigger swell and even though it's a pretty short distance the water is always dynamic in this area with the currents running in one direction, swell's focusing in Rosie's and backwash off Sunset Point. We discussed getting a little lower in our stances, increasing our stroke rates, and leaning more weight onto the paddle to provide more stability and speed while paddling. We made our way to the south end of Cox Bay and our group had a blast paddle surfing the Land of Lefts. I was really impressed with the skills in the surf that people were developing. The group was ripping waves on all kinds of boards, Warren was surfing his 14′ Starboard Carbon All Star, Kathy was on a Starboard K-15, and we even had a 14′ Jimmy Lewis downwind board testing it's design. The rest of the boards were paddle surf boards including a Surftech Laird Woody, a couple of Naish's, and a few Starboard Drives that were perfect for the conditions. Up to this morning, I had been paddling my 12'6′ Boardworks Raven but traded that in for my 10'10" Boardworks Rusty since I knew we would be getting into some surf. The more and more I surf this Rusty the more I love it. It's well constructed, super stable and surf's really well. After having a blast in the surf, we toured the south side of the bay hugging the shoreline and using the rip and made our way out to the exposed waters of Cox Point. I had never been out to this rugged point and the view back to the beaches was pretty sweet. We paddled across the bay and back to our landing spot at South Chestermans, but not before riding a few sweet waves.

Jeff enjoying some fun surf conditions at South.

This was the conclusion to our weekend and some of the crew stayed for an extra night and some headed back to catch the ferry. After a really good lunch I made my way out to Long Beach to surf some wedging lefts with Tofino local, friend and fellow Laurentian Voyageur, Andy Greig. After another two hours of surfing I dragged myself out of the water and headed back to Andy and Ade's for some sushi. It was a great way to end a super fun weekend. Cat and I are both looking forward to offering another course in the near future.

Warren testing the Starboard All Star out at Cox Point

Big thanks to Catherine for organizing the weekend, as always great working with you. Thanks as well to all of the clients who participated in the course kudos on a great job paddling over the weekend. It was a lot of fun working with you all. And thanks to Andy, Ade and Micah for having me at their home.

Inlet view from Andy and Ade's back deck.

Standup4Coffee

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 03:46:06 GMT

This is one of the best tours in the Sea to Sky. This unique half day paddleboard trip gives you the opportunity to experience the ocean and the incredible scenery of Howe Sound. Our morning commute leaves from Nexxan Beach, underneath the towering cliffs of the Stawamus Chief and Shannon falls, and travels on a scenic 9km paddle to Brittania Beach for our morning java at Galileo Coffee Company. This trip gives you the opportunity to build ocean experience and confidence while increasing your decision making and SUP skills. This is a fun coastal adventure in the heart of Sea to Sky Country. This tour includes all sup equipment, qualified guides, coffee and shuttle service. Paddling experience is required.

Vargas Island SUP Expedition

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:23:17 GMT

Last weekend showcased the premiere of Standfilm and our last stop on the tour was Tofino, B.C. I managed to sneak in a sweet Long Beach Paddle Surf before a sup skills clinic set up by Catherine Bruhwiler at Tofino Paddle Surf . We had great turnout under sunny hot skies and spent a couple of hours working on forward strokes and turns. Thanks to the locals and people who came out to take the clinic. That evening we had the premiere and the following day we got ready for our Vargas Island sup expedition. Catherine and I had talked about doing a sup trip around Vargas Island with hopes of offering the trip to clients later in the summer. I have guided a number of kayak trips around Vargas Island an knew it would be the ideal location to offer standup paddleboard trips. White sand beaches, wildlife and some great surf breaks are all part of the Vargas Island experience. This trip also offers guests the chance for a true coastal experience as the west side of the island is exposed to the full power of the North Pacific.

Our route South-East-North-West-South

Loading up in Tofino

Day 1:
We spent most of the afternoon on Day 1 packing up our gear and getting ready for the trip. There would be four of us on this trip, Catherine, myself, Pascale, a Tofino local and owner of Live to Surf and Coastal Bliss Yoga , and Zak, a writer and guide from Comox, B.C. We all had touring boards for this mission. Catherine was paddling a 14′ Ace Carbon, Zak was on a 14′ Carbon Touring board, Pascal had a 14′ Surftech Coast Runner and I was on my trusty 12'6″ Boardworks Raven . We would be self sufficient on this tour so we had our big packs loaded up with everything we would need. I managed to get all of my gear into a 75L MEC Slogg pack. This has been my go to pack for all of my expeditions including my Great Bear SUP Expedition. Zak had the food bag on the back of his touring board.

The west coast always has a way of throwing something at you to make things interesting and as we were packing, a thick fog usually seen in August here with the nice days came in quick and closed out our short crossing from Tofino to Vargas. Our goal today was to get to the top end of Vargas starting along the east side and camp on Dick and Jane's beach, a beautiful beach that would give us great views of the setting sun. We managed to get out of Tofino and make our way through the fog with a flooding current and light wind that pushed us to the east side of Vargas. Once we made our crossing the fog cleared as the heat of the island dissipated the fog as it came across. We spent the next couple of hours paddling in stunning conditions with amazing views of Lone Cone, Catface Mountain and the snow capped peaks of Strathcona Provincial park in the distance. It took us a comfortable three hours with a good tide to get to Dick and Jane's. Once there we set up camp on the edge of the thick fog and enjoyed a beautiful evening with an incredible sunset that lit up the mountains in fuschia. I always enjoy the feelings of remoteness and singular focus that paddling on our coast provides.

Crossing in the fog to Vargas Island

Pascale enjoying the setting sun.

Pascale with her coast runner enjoying a break on Day 1 with Catface Mountain as a backdrop.

Landing at Dick and Jane's Beach, North Vargas Island

Day 2
We had a pretty good sleep in and I was happy to catch up on some rest after a busy premiere weekend. I was expecting the fog to be set in but we awoke to a low, uniform, cloud cover that brought with it a south wind that we would not have to deal with until we rounded the top end of Vargas and onto the west side. A well know guiding philosophy on our coast is to "get on the water early and get off early," a rule of thumb that allows you to cover ground before the daytime winds start to pick up. Traveling on the open west coast, especially by sup is no joke and you always have to be on. Disregarding my natural instincts, we spent a lazy morning on the beach. The girls did some yoga while I surfed the knee high waves that were breaking. Zak and I also met Jane, the beaches namesake at the beautiful west coast cabin located in the corner of the beach. Jane had made her way back to the cabin after a number of years living in other locations on the coast. Dick and Jane set up shop here 30 years ago because they enjoyed surfing. Dick has passed but Jane shared some great stories of what life was like here years ago. We finally got going around 2 pm (haha) and made our way to the west side. As we rounded the top end we were met with rough ocean conditions and a stiff south wind that hampered our progress. I enjoyed the ruggedness and rawness of the west side and was happy to be paddling in "training conditions." The loaded Raven was handling the conditions really well. We slogged south against the wind and crossed the large expanse of Ahous bay, not before having a break in a quiet calm cove. We finally made it to the south end of Ahous where we stopped at a beautiful protected beach for lunch.

Whenever your traveling by sup, you always have to using the terrain to help you with travel. Shorelines, points, islands all can help you to get out of the wind and current or can be used to compliment your travel. I am always looking for ways to work smarter and not harder and I enjoy the puzzle of route finding on a SUP that the ocean provides. It took us 2 hours to get to the south end of Ahous bay and another 1.5 hrs to get through an island rock field on our way to Medallion beach on the southwest corner of Vargas. We set up our camp after a day paddling against the wind. Zak and Cat set up a fire while Pascale and I went to harvest some mussels. We had a delicious dinner of Miso Soup and west coast mussels expertly prepared by Zak. The mussels were so good!! I love the fact that you can still harvest food right off the beach. If you know what your looking for you will never go hungry on our coast. Vargas Island is also well know for their wolves and while Pascale and I were harvesting a wolf made an appearance quite close to where we were gathering. Pascale and I did not see the wolf but Zak and Catherine did. These wolves have become too conditioned to campers and kayakers so they did their best to scare the wolf away. We would not see it again but we were pretty sure they visited us later in the night as we woke to a lot of wolf prints encircling our tents. Some animal, most likely a wolf, picked up a pelican case that I had and carried it down the beach. It's so important to keep a clean campsite and use the food caches that are provided by the parks. Catherine's brother Frank, is a park warden here and has had to deal with a lot of wolf issues on Vargas, most not so good. The saying goes "a fed bear is a dead bear." Same for wolves. We loaded up the fire to keep the wildlife away(or so we thought) and headed to bed.

Cat with some pre paddle yoga. Me surfing some ankle biters in the back.

Coastal Bliss Yoga class.

Zak and Pascale on one of the many beautiful beaches on Vargas Island.

Catherine and Zak on a break from the wind, west side Vargas Island.

The team enjoying fresh mussels over the campfire on Medallion Beach.

Day 3
We woke on our last morning and started a fire with the burning embers of the last nights fire. Pascale made a great breakfast before we got packed up for our last leg to Tofino. We got on the water around 10:30 am so we could pick up the strong flood current that would push us all the way to the top end of Stubbs Island. We passed a Gray Whale hanging out in the strong, turbulent current. Gray's call this area home and Jane had even talked about all of the Gray's that used to hang out at Dick and Jane's beach before tourism pushed them to more remote locations. We used the strong current and south wind at our backs to push us quickly home. We got to the east side of Stubbs and into calm water, a couple of easy channel crossings brought us back to Tofino. It took us 1.5 hrs to get from Medallion to Tofino. We hauled our gear up to the trucks and quickly headed to Tuff Beans for a well deserved breakfast and a hot Americano. This was a super fun trip with great people. A big cheers goes to Pascale who did not have a lot of experience but used her quickly improving sup skills to battle against the winds and take on the challenge of a 3 day trip. Her energy was amazing and she was a real joy to paddle with. Thanks for the yoga class "for stiff guys." Big thanks to Zak who looked after the food and who made some delicious meals. Nice to have another bro to balance the females, haha. Thanks to Catherine whose knowledge and local experience was incredibly valuable. Cat and I are really excited to offer this trip later in the season. What a place to paddle. I can't wait to get back. The trip was 31 Km's with 7 hours of paddling. A trip like this can be done in one long day, 2- 3 days or week long if you decide to set up a base camp and explore other great beaches and islands.

The Raven at Dick and Jane's Beach.

Catherine enjoying the best of Clayoquot Sound.

Quiksilver Mountain and the Wave Blog Expedition Paddling

Sun, 12 May 2013 06:07:17 GMT

https://vimeo.com/54403007

Prior to the Standfilm release my sponsor Quiksilver Waterman contacted me to do an interview for their blog. The interview centered around Standfilm and expedition paddling. I am excited through Norm Hann Expeditions to be able to take clients into some pretty incredible areas, specifically the Great Bear Rainforest. Click here to read the interview and gain some insight on expedition sup paddling.

Standfilm Premiere a Success

Sun, 12 May 2013 01:19:46 GMT

After 2 years in the making and hundreds of hours put in by filmmakers Anthony Bonello and Nicolas Teichrob. Stand was released this past weekend to rave reviews and incredibly positive feedback. We were in Vancouver on Friday, Victoria Saturday and Tofino on Sunday.

Here is an update by Quiksilver Marketing Manager, Natalie Farrell.

"This past weekend we were fortunate enough to be a part first three premieres of STAND.
The world premiere kicked off in Vancouver at the Fredric Wood theatre, Victoria the next night on our outdoor screen and heading out to Tofino for Sunday night.

All premieres were filled to capacity with excited crowds. Posters, stickers and prizes were given out. Custom made Tshirts and hats were sold along with raffle tickets raising over $3000 for the filmmakers.

The moving and inspiring film wowed the crowds and the feedback was all respect and astonishment of the cinematography, the landscapes, environment, people and culture along the coast. A movement to STAND up against the oil tankers has begun and this is only the beginning for STAND.

Prior to the premieres we received coverage on SBC Surf, The Zone (Radio interview), BC AM (Global Morning news), ION Mag and Quiksilver had an email blast go out.
We are still waiting for Vancouver Sun and The Province write ups.

Thank you to everyone that made this film possible – it is an honour for Quiksilver to be a part of it."

Our screening in Vancouver was a special one, not only because it was the first release and first time I saw the film but because our families were with us to share in this special night. Thanks to mom and dad, my true hero's, for being there. Anthony's parents had flown out from Australia to be with him and all of Nic's family were there as well. Thanks to my partner and expecting mother, Jen for all of her support and love.

Personally I want to thank everyone who came out to support the screenings and all the support from film sponsors and my personal sponsors to make the film and the screenings happen. Thanks to the communities and Watchman on Haida Gwaii, the communities of Hartley Bay and Bella Bella and to all those who helped make this film a success.

A big congratulations goes to the filmmakers Anthony Bonello and Nicolas Teichrob who did an outstanding job on the film. Really proud of you guys and what you have created. Thanks for sharing in such an incredible project.

Finally a thank you goes to Dario Phillips of Quiksilver who approached me over a year ago after watching Standup4Greatbear and said that if i ever wanted to do another conservation on the coast that he an Quiksilver would back it. True to his word Dario supported us and helped to make this happen. We were disappointed that Dario could not be up to see the premiere as he had just accepted a new position with Quiksilver in California. Our goal is to get down to LA for a screening there.

I was blown away by this incredible film and very proud to be a part of it. SBC Surf's, Malcolm Johnson, sent a message his dad has sent about the film which I think sum's things up pretty well,

"Just finished experiencing STAND, Stunningly persuasive, technically superb, and elegantly scripted and produced. It need's to be seen by every Canadian."

Keep an eye out in your local areas for upcoming screenings and head to the website to purchase Stand merchandise and DVD's.

Stand film crew

Haida Gwaii for Easter

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:57:49 GMT

Jen and I just got back from an amazing five days in Haida Gwaii where we spent the Easter weekend with friends Dave and Vanessa Wahl. We had five days of incredible weather as the coast was entrenched in a strong high pressure system bringing clear skies and warm temperatures. It was really good to back in Haida Gwaii. I was here in June for our Standfilm expedition where I paddle from Old Masset to the world heritage site at Sgang Gwaay on the south tip of South Moresby in Gwaii Hanaas National Park. I stayed with Dave and Vanessa on night two of my expedition in Tlell before heading south to Skidegate. Dave and Vanessa, school teachers in Skidegate, have a beautiful property overlooking Hecate Strait, a mesmerizing view that I never get tired of.

Day 1: We enjoyed our 2 hour flight from Vancouver to Masset. Few flights in the world are more amazing than a flight up our coastline in clear blue skies. Usually I just look out the window searching for waves and looking at places I have explored over the years. After landing, we connected with Mike McQuade, owner of the North Beach Surf Shop. Mike supported our Standfilm expedition and provided amazing local knowledge and transportation along the route for the first day shuttling Anthony and Nic around so they could film on the North Beach section. Mike was there to see me off on Day 1, met me for lunch at Rose Spit and then pointed me in the right direction to the Cape Fife cabin later that evening. We dropped into the coffee shop where we met George Yeltatzie, a local Haida carver who just happened to be showing off a beautiful copper Raven bracelet to his friend. This caught my attention, we struck up a friendly conversation and then I ended up buying it off him right there. We commissioned him to make one for Jen that we would pick up later in the week. He ended up carving a mother and baby otter. I was hoping to get in for a surf that afternoon but we ran out of time before Dave and Vanessa picked us up for our trip back to Tlell. That night a full, orange moon arose over the coast mountains to the east. Stunning.

George Yeltatzie's Copper Raven

Best Coffee and service in Haida Gwaii

Day 2: Jen and I awoke to a beautiful morning and Dave and Vanessa lent us their truck and sup's so we could tour the island. We headed first to Jag's in Skidegate for the best coffee and breakfast in Haida Gwaii. It was great to see Jag and his wife again, Jag was there when I paddled in to Skidegate during Standfilm and when he invited me in for coffee and lunch. Jag is an amazing host and is in the process of building a hostel where people can stay while they are on the island. Jag's is a must stop. Fueled up we headed to the Haida Cultural Center where we met Gwaii and Tyler. Along with Gwaii's brother, they are in the process of carving a pole that will be raised in Windy Bay to commemorate the anniversary of the formation of Gwaii Haanas National Park. It was Gwaii's father, Guujaaw, leader of the Haida Nation who made the historical stand in 1985 to stop logging on South Moresby. This will be the first totem pole raised on South Moresby in 130 years. The pole will be raised in Windy Bay on August 17th. From Skidegate we traveled north to Masset and headed to North Beach to see if the surf conditions were shaping up. Their was a strong NW wind blowing with little swell so Jen and I climbed to the top of Tow Hill where we took in the sweeping views of Dixon Entrance, one of the best views on the island. Jen then went for a hike on North Beach and I got into the water to surf some crummy wind swell. North Beach, when it's on, produces some of the most incredible, heavy, barreling tubes found anywhere in Canada. Dave and Vanessa have proof on their wall at the house. We then headed back to Tlell to watch some March Madness with Dave and Vanessa. Dave, an old basketball buddy, is the coach of the Skidegate Saints who are back to back senior men's champions at the All Native Tournament. One of Dave's best players, Tyler, is the talented young carver we had met earlier that day who is working on the memorial pole.

Tyler, Gwaii, Jen and the Memorial Pole

Day 3: Dave, Vanessa, Jen and I again woke up to a beautiful morning and headed out for a 2.5 hour hike through temperate rainforest along the Tlell River and out to it's terminus in Hectate Strait. A short beach walk took us to the wreck of the Pesuta, a testament to the nastiness of the Hecate waters. Later that afternoon we paddled the Tlell River on an ebbing high tide right out to the ocean and headed south back to Tlell. I was happy to see that Dave had bought Vanessa a brand new 12'6″ Boardworks Raven from Kevin at Kalavida Surf Shop in Vernon. Both Dave and Vanessa love this board and it's going to be a great one for all of their future coastal explorations. It was a beautiful paddle and an end to another great day in Haida Gwaii. I thought often of my expedition in June and how incredible the paddling was and how remote and desolate these shorelines are.

Pesuta Wreck

Dave, Vanessa and Jen on the Rainforest Hike.

Day 4: After a morning coffee and enjoying the sunrise over Hecate Strait we headed out for another 10km hike along Tlell River and through some massive stands of Sitka Spruce. There is nothing like walking through ancient temperate rainforest, it's quite humbling and spiritual. After a great lunch at the Crow's Nest, Jen I had another nice paddle back to the house. I noticed there was a little bit of swell in the Hecate so Dave and I suited up for a paddle surf at their local East Side break. We enjoyed some really fun little glassy waves and I kept thinking how good this spot would be after a big south east gale. I don't know if I have ever been more excited for a 1 foot swell. There are so many untouched, unexplored waves along the east side of Graham Island. Most are super remote and very difficult to get to but I did see a lot of potential during my expedition in June. Surfing in Haida Gwaii is so unique and I know for sure that Dave and I were the only ones in the water on SUP's that evening. Duke Kahanamoku said "the best surfers are the one's having the most fun." Well at that moment Dave and I were the best! We shared the break with a lone seal. I smiled numerous times.

Dave paddling the Tlell

Day 5: Happy Easter! I went out for the morning surf check but the mini swell that was there was now gone. We checked the Dixon Entrance buoy report and saw some promise so we headed north. Upon arrival we were greeted with fog, cool conditions and onshore blown out surf. So we decided to do the next best thing and went to Bud's for brunch. Well fed and happy Dave and Vanessa dropped us off at the airport for our flight back home.

Haida Heritage Center

We had such an great time up there and I want to thank Dave and Vanessa so much for hosting us, guiding us, and sharing their vehicle and paddleboards with us. We hope we can return the favor in Squamish. My goal is to get back up there again in November for Mike's North Beach Surf Shop Expression Session.

Crow's Nest Beach, North Tlell

East Beach Trail, Tlell River and Hecate Strait

The Boardworks Surf BadFish MCIT Does it All

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 06:00:00 GMT

First Look. 10'6″ Badfish MCIT, Tacoma not for sale.

Innovation and Background

Well there has been a lot of excitement about the new Boardworks Surf Badfish line of standup paddle river boards and inflatables. Built by mountain-based watermen, located in Salida, Colorado at the foot of 14,000 foot peaks on the Arkansas River and after four years of brainstorming, prototyping, surfing, and stand up paddling rivers, a new type of SUP board was born. Mike Harvey and Zack Hughes, two whitewater experts have brought their incredible line of Badfish boards and have partnered with Boardworks Surf. These guys are leading the charge with very innovative and unique SUP boards designed specifically for challenging river conditions, river surfing and far reaching applications for their inflatables. With countless rivers, coastlines and lakes, it's the type of line that will complement the Canadian paddler and the variable bodies of water we have in our backyards. The potential is very exciting.

Portable Backpack, Center fin fits in zippered pocket.

I was pretty stoked to pick up two of their inflatable 10 6″ MCIT's (Multi Chambered Inflatable Technology) from Boardworks Surf Canada. I have been thinking a lot that the inflatable niche is going to be a growing market because there are so many applications. They are such a cool idea and the technology has been impressive and growing. I have only been on a couple of inflatables for a short time so i was pretty excited to try them out. The 10'6″ i tried is 35 inches wide and a 4 inch deck thickness. These boards also come in 9'6″ and 11'6″ models with colors blue, red, grey and yellow.

First Look

I pumped up the board right in my garage to have a first look at it. I have been using the K-20 pump which has made my life a lot easier pumping up boards. The K-20 does not come with the board but once you use this pump you won't use anything else, at least i haven't. The board itself comes in a backpack carrying case, and with a stock pump and repair kit. The stock pump does a good job getting most of the air in but becomes pretty challenging when trying to get the last few PSI into it. The K-20 can be used by anyone and gets the board pumped up quick. The last few pounds on an inflatable make all the difference and allows the board to perform efficiently making it stiff and stable. It took me just under 13 minutes to have the board ready to go. The K-20 pump has a main pump that gets most of the air in and then you can switch to a smaller finishing pump to top the board off. Great design and very portable. They come in their own carrying case and i recommend getting the Kwik Check Gauge to make sure the correct amount of air is in an not over or under inflated. Both the K-20 pump and the gauge can be purchased through Boardworks Surf dealers. The Badfish MCIT has three chambers, a drop stitched central body that requires 14lbs and two tapered rails that require 7lbs. Blown up this board looks really good and is a real head turner. The board also comes with two plastic side fins and one large removable center fin.

The K-20 pump with Kwik Check Gauge

The put in with gear.

The lower Squamish

Once i got down to the lower reaches of the river, I experienced a pretty strong headwind coming off the ocean and i found that the board seemed to paddle pretty well and efficiently on the flatwater. The river was not flowing too strong so i even paddled back up river and was impressed with the ease of moving forward. The rockered nose allowed moving water to flow under the board instead of piling up against it. I took a friend of mine who has been on a standup before but had not paddled a river on an SUP and he absolutely loved the board. Once i gave the board up to him i never got it back. He was very stable and did not have to swim at any point. I could see his mind racing with the potential of more trips. We did experience a couple of sections where it got pretty shallow and it was a simple task to get off the board lift the tail by the grab loop, or pick it up completely and walk the board through these sections. After finishing the afternoon tour, we had to scramble up a steep shoreline and the lightness of these boards and with three grab handle options made it very easy to carry the board back to the vehicle. The boards deflated really quickly and in minutes i had the board back in its bag. These inflatable seem to be very well built and the solid construction lessens the continual worries you would have if you were paddling a hard board. I have gone down this same stretch of river on an 11 6″ hard board and i found that the inflatables flex and conform to the variable water conditions making them much more safe and stable. We passed a few fisherman on the river and you could see how fishing off these boards would make a lot of sense. My buddies in Northern Ontario would love fishing for bass, pike and Walleye off these and portaging them into untouched lakes and rivers. Paddling a place like Killarney Provincial Park would be a blast. You could carry everything you need.

Darren testing the Badfish

Touring Applications

I have been guiding on the coast for 12 years and my mind lights up with the applications for these inflatables on the coast. I have been running my Greatbear Rainforest SUP trips for four years now and these have been the ideal sup inflatable. Not having to transport 8 hardboards from Squamish to Prince Rupert, then onto a ferry off a ferry, on a support boat off a support boat makes so much sense and having 6-8 of these in a backpack makes me smile. They are stable and comforatable. I have no doubt the performance of these boards will allow the efficient movement and exploration of lakes, rivers and hard to reach places much more easy. My friends on sailboats and motherships are really excited to see them and I have been talking with my fishing friends to try them out. With the stability and perspective you get from these boards I can see a whole niche of fisherman that would love the ease of use and durability in rivers and lakes. The 10 6″ would have no problem carrying a solid day pack of gear but i think for big multiday day trips and the ability to carry a large amount of the 11'6″ would be your choice. Multi day river trips on these boards seem to be a no brainer. We have recently sold Badfish Inflatables to the luxury resort Nimmo Bay and owner Fraser Murray say they are ideal for their heli adventure and wildlife viewing programs. Bottom line is that they are lot of fun. Being able to take one with me when I fly up the coast in floatplanes will give me the option to paddle anywhere anytime.

BW 3 Piece Paddle

Another product that Boardworks Surf Canada carries is a three piece SUP paddle which breaks down and can be transported with the board. In the carrying case provided I think you can carry your K20 pump, repair kits and 3 piece paddle all together. As i said i will be using these boards to teach First Nations kids to SUP on our coast and i will start using these on our multi day SUP expeditions to the Greatbear Rainforest. They will be fun at camps and cottages and will be ideal for families and will stand up to a lot of abuse. They take care of the storage problem that so many of us have. This is just one product in teh Badfish line. I am excited to visit my friends in the Smithers, Terrace and Hazelton areas so we can try out the incredible line of river surfing boards the boys at Badfish have shaped as well.

Boardworks 3 piece paddle.

My testing will continue throughout the season and more reports are sure to follow. A number of people have asked me my thoughts on these inflatables so i thought i should get my initial impressions out there. Thanks to Darren Ashby for helping me test them out and thanks to Jenni Chancey for the pick up. See you on the water. Any questions feel free to email me at norm@normhann.com

More on the Badfish inflatable design:
https://vimeo.com/31766023

Standup4Greatbear

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 18:19:52 GMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAnRFd3jBqQ

Standup4Greatbear was based off my 2010 Standup Paddleboard Expedition along the proposed North Coast oil tanker route. The goals of the expedition was to highlight the traditional food harvesting areas of the Coastal First Nations and to bring awareness to the threat of an oil spill on the wildlife and rich marine ecosystems of the Great Bear Rainforest. Please enjoy Taylor Fox's Standup4Greatbear Documentary.

Tofino Coastal Touring Course

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:52:55 GMT

Interested in gaining more ocean experience while enjoying the incredible SUP touring in Tofino? This course improves your expedition skills and decision making for paddleboarding on oceans and lakes. We navigate and explore picturesque Clayoqout Sound and the coastline of Tofino. The course focuses on weather forecasting, trip planning, navigating throughout currents & tides, launching and landing in surf, and improving skills and paddling technique. Explore the endless waterways around Tofino on your board with expert instruction from Norm Hann and Tofino local, Catherine Bruhwiler from Tofino Paddle Surf.

This course includes Paddle Canada Coastal Journeying certification and ocean side accommodations in Tofino. Wetsuit and sup rentals available.

Gear Review: Boardworks Raven

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:08:00 GMT

I have had the 12 6" Boardworks Surf Raven for over a month now and I thought I would take this opportunity to do a review on its performance.

Here are the boards stats:
Height: 12'6″
Nose: 13 9/16 inches
Width: 30 3/16 inches
Tail: 15 5/8 inches
Thickness: 6 15/16 inches
Fins Included: Single Fin

First off the Raven was awarded the Men's Journal Gear of the Year for 2011, an award which certainly piqued my interest when i picked up the mag to check out more cool things i could buy.

I am adopted into the Raven clan in Hartley Bay so I seemed to have an instant connection to the name of the board and the super cool First Nations design. The Raven certainly is a prominent bird on our coast, it's know as the Trickster, the creator of the world by the First Nations and a super intelligent jay that has over 1000 vocalizations and knows how to use tools. They are my constant companion and secret teller when i am in the salmon streams looking for bears and wolves in the fall.

The Rainforest Green, white and black deck looks really sharp and I am sure the wood veneer model is going to look just as great. This board also comes in a 10'6″ for smaller paddlers or youth. Admiring it in my garage I noticed how thick the rails were for this displacement hull board, pretty much 7 inches thick, and I also observed how decent rockered the board was.

My first test was on a flat water lake here in Squamish. Upon stepping on the board I immediately realized how stable this board was. With the built in rocker and side to side stability I found it really easy to pivot turn this board, surprisingly so for a "displacement hull." A step to the tail popped the nose up pretty easy. Even without wax I was able to walk to the front of the board and pivot the board, with the fin out of the water, fairly easily. Although it's a displacement hull, it has a really flat bottom, more so like a planning hull board which adds to the stability, making, maneuvers and turns efficient. I then ran a few lengths up and down on the lake and brought it up to speed, and the Raven seemed to move well through the water. Although you can race this board the added width, nose rocker and weight does not make it an efficient flat water race board but that's not what this board is designed for. It is 12 6" so you could race it in that class but for a more efficient flat water race board you could look to the BW Morelli and Melvin or the Ohana Race boards . It would be a better race board in the ocean if conditions were more challenging and the person racing was a beginner to intermediate paddler. These days with so many disciplines in SUP there is no one board that does everything great. On the flat water lake I could feel the boards weight a little bit in moving it forward and the added nose rocker made me tighten up the technique on my forward stroke and edge the opposite side of the board. Usually to help keep your board straight, a planning hull(surfboard), you edge the same side you paddle on but with most displacements, due the rail design and volume in the board you edge the opposite side your paddling on. Easier to show you than to explain it. Anyways, putting a bit of an edge on it helped keep it tracking straighter. Leaving the lake I was pleased.

My next test was on the ocean and i found myself getting excited to give this board a good go. A dynamic ocean is the best place to test out a boards security and insecurity, as well as a paddlers I guess. For this test I was doing my favorite coffee run from Squamish to Brittania and I had a nice little 20km wind behind me to kick up enough of a swell to make this fun and to give me an idea of how this board would perform. Well, after an hour on this board , I was really impressed with how great the Raven handled the downwind conditions and I was completely blown away with how stable the board was and how easily it surfed. It really did bring a smile to my face. I don't even remember having to brace once. Super stable. Plus the thick rails and slightly recessed deck kept me out of the water and deflected waves really well. The nose rocker helped surf the waves well as i assumed it would from initially looking at it. I am stoked to take this board out on a really big day as I think the boards stability, weight and surf ability will shine as the conditions become tougher. To this point it has been the best board I have used on the Howe Sound to downwind. A week later I had another coffee run but this time I had the wind and waves against me and at one point there was a quartering chop. I realized that the thick rails did catch the wind and waves a little easier for sure and its volume and rocker did not allow it to penetrate efficiently through the waves in this quartering situation, head on would have been better but I did not have that option. With its thickness and volume it did tend to pitch. Although I was not as efficient in this instance I sure was stable, no problems. Most people on the ocean would prefer stability over speed in rough conditions. This board gives you a lot of confidence in an ocean environment.

Other Applications: I have been enjoying the Raven so much. Its an incredible ocean board and I have been doing all of my instructor courses with this board. Right now it is my go to board on the coast. The Raven would be amazing for big dudes on flat water but if anyone is looking to step up to the challenge of the ocean or if you spend all of your time on the ocean or larger lakes then this could be your board. I have not even begun to discuss the touring potential of this board. That will come later in the summer. It has built in recessed deck attachments and all I can think about is taking 6 of these up to the Greatbear Rainforest for my SUP expeditions. I have carried a day pack on it and you hardly know its there. You could potentially carry a weekend kit with you but i would place some wax or monster paint underneath so your pack would not slip. I have not surfed a west coast wave on this board the flat hull, rocker and stability would make this board a cinch in a surf landing. I have also had a number of people try this board out and everyone seems to like it. This is an incredibly versatile board that has many applications. This board can allow you to explore the potential of many great adventures on the water. Have fun……norm

Raven Update: I used the 12'6″ Raven for my 2012 Standfilm Expedition to Haida Gwaii, the trip was 350Km and it was absolutely amazing. This for me is the board of choice for touring. Super stable, can carry a lot of weight, can handle nasty ocean conditions and it's durable. Check out the Standfilm Trailer on my conservation page and keep an eye out for our Standfilm movie to be released May 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfDzg3b6zb8

Explore Vargas SUP

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:04:23 GMT

This 4 day expedition takes in Clayoquot Sounds wild beauty while exploring the coastline of Vargas Island. Islands, white sand beaches, calm bays and perfect waves to surf await. Camp under the stars where the mountains rim the horizon. Wildlife viewing is abundant with bears, wolves, salmon, shorebirds, seals, eagles, whales, fish, and intertidal life. A short walk off the beach takes you into the rare old growth forest under a canopy of giant cedars. Clayoquot Sound is a BC Provincial Park located around Tofino. Vargas Island lies within Clayoquot Sound and the traditional territory of the Nuu-chah-hulth First Nations. This tour provides an ideal location for deepening our appreciation for the wilderness, exploring a new place, and adventuring on our paddleboards in a safe learning environment with enthusiastic and expert guides. In partnership with Catherine Bruhwiler and Tofino Paddle Surf.

Boardworks Rusty SUP 10 10 Review

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:59:06 GMT

BOARDWORKS DESCRIPTION:

Rusty SUP's are designed to surf. All feature similar bottom contours: Slight release in nose, Flat entry, Light concave in center, A slight double barrel vee coming into the fins, Flat off the back. All boards feature a tight bottom radius on the rails. This contributes to stability and helps to get the board up and planning more efficiently. This is a proven, go-to, bottom design for surfboards that has stood the test of time for decades. It generates a lot of speed yet enables the rider to make smooth, controlled, rail-to-rail transitions with minimal effort.

Dimensions:

Height: 10'10"
Nose: 20 3/16″
Width: 30 15/16″
Tail: 19 1/16″
Thickness: 4 1/2″
Fins Included: 2+1
Volume: 213 L

THE LOW DOWN:
I had been admiring these Rusty SUP's for quite some time and I finally got a chance to pick one up to test out. Rusty Preisensdorfer is a shaping legend and has 40 years of surfboard building and design experience. He has brought that lifetime work to his paddle surf boards. The result are some very user friendly and performance-oriented shapes. One of our team riders, Michael Tavares, loves his 9'4″ Rusty and I have always admired the paddle surfing of Andre Neimeyer who absolutely loves his Rusty's and rips all shapes and sizes. He recommended trying one out. The board I decided to try was the 10'10." For straight surfing these days I am enjoying my 9'6″ Mini Mod designed and tested by Phillip Rainey and I have just ordered the 9'4″ Infinity Carver, but I wanted to get a more stable board that I could do everything on and use for my paddle surf courses, something user friendly and versatile. One of the things I love about the Boardworks line of SUP's and specifically the Rusty's is that they have proven surf design built into the boards. Aside from Rusty, Boardworks partners with outstanding shapers like Steve Boehne of Infinity and Blane Chambers of Paddle Surf Hawaii. Phil Rainey's Mini Mod design is incredible and you know when you purchase any one of these boards they will not only perform on the flatwater but they will offer an incredible surfing experience. These guys are out testing their designs every day then tinkering with shape and design until they have almost the perfect board.

The Importance of Design: People ask my opinion a lot when it comes to purchasing a SUP board and I caution them because there is a lot of garbage on the market. Lots of these paddleboards being pumped out look pretty and if all you need is something to stand on then I guess they serve their purpose. Most people have no idea between a good board and a bad one or a well built board from a cheap one. Put some bright paint on a sup and you can fool a lot of people. I have always tried to push people into buying boards that have thoughtful, proven design with good construction. Maybe that comes from my surf, ski, biking, and sports background where quality gear not only performs better but will also keep you safer in the outdoors. I believe that you get what you pay for. So many people want a cheap SUP and then expect it to perform well in various conditions but with a lack of design and purpose, these board fail in those environments. Living on the west coast of Canada on any given day I can be touring my SUP, taking it down a river, downwinding it or surfing it and a good SUP should be able to perform well in all of these areas, a "jack of all trades" type of board. I want boards that not only paddle well on the flatwater but kill it in the surf if I decide to take them there. I want that potential in a board. Most of us are not lucky enough to have a quiver of boards that you can use in different environments so I tell clients to purchase that one good, well constructed and well designed surf board. The 10'10" Rusty is that type of board. The Rusty stands out as a throw back, a classic that you may have to invest a bit more money in but in the long run will be a board that you will be happy with. Well designed boards stand the test of time.

Tofino Testing: The first place I took the Rusty was to Tofino where I could test the board out in a number of places. My first love is surfing so I headed for the surf. I loved the stability of the board and managed to get through the whitewash and out to the break fairly easily. The 10'10" though is not as easy to move through the break as the smaller lighter boards with less volume like my Mini Mod and I had to get used to the added length and volume. I set the board up with Gerry Lopez Future fins and was happy with the performance, hold and control on the wave. My best session with the board was a day at Cox Bay where the waves held up a bit with a softer shoulder. The waves did not have enough punch for the Carver but were absolutely perfect for the Rusty. I had an incredible "longboard" type session and it brought me back a few years when all we had to paddle surf were the big sup's. These long boards really put a smile on your face in the right conditions and usually your rides are so much longer. Once comfortable with the added size the board got into waves really easy and like i expected it surfed well and was super solid underfoot. This is a really well constructed board and I was impressed with how solid it felt. The 10'10" is a little heavy and I noticed the extra weight accelerating into waves and maneuvering in the surf. The added weight is a small price to pay for a board that will last me for years and will hold up to the rigors of the coast. I love the stability of the board in between waves and I will be using this board for my upcoming paddle surf course in Tofino. The beginner and intermediate paddle surfer will love this board, a nice blend of stability with performance. From the surf Catherine Bruhwiler and photographer/videographer Adam Dewolfe and I went to explore a nearby river to do some shooting. It wasn't a big section of river but the rusty was pretty stable on the moving water and pivot turns were pretty easy. I usually don't like taking hard boards onto the river but the Rusty held up really well and we managed to get some great shots. My last test of was the following day when catherine and i took our boards on a little tour of Clayoquot Sound. I just used a single fin to help the efficiency of the board and for a 10'10" the board toured really well. I was impressed with the flatwater ability and it was very comfortable. Those interested in touring could easily set this board up with a couple of EZ Plugs or SUP Things suction deck rigging.

Bottom Line: The Rusty 10'10" is well built coastal classic that can do everything yet with 40 years of surf design experience built into every board this sup is at home in the surf and will make paddle surfers very happy.

Board Review: The Boardworks Surf B-Ray

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 11:42:47 GMT

COMPANY DESCRIPTION: Boardworks Surf of Encinitas California introduces their new line of Soft Top SUPs called the B-Rays. These attractive stand up paddle boards are available now in two sizes 10'6 and 11'6 and are the perfect introductory SUP boards for the whole family. They feature full EVA wrapped deck and rails for comfort and safety with an EVA traction pad inlay. The rails, nose and tail have a high density "crash bumpers" for extra durability. The B-Rays are constructed with an EPS foam core with fiberglass epoxy resin and dual wood stringers for stiffness and strength and a slick skin bottom. These models are designed for stability and glide using the same proven template as the ultra popular Boardworks Joyride models making them perfect for recreational paddling in inland waterways or mellow surf conditions.

2013 LINE UP:

DESIGN AND FEATURES: Well we finally got a shipment of the new B Ray's up here in Canada and I grabbed both models, a green 10′ 6″ and a blue 11'6″ to test out. These are value priced boards and I was excited to see how they would perform and how much value they had. With my first look at the boards I was impressed with a number of features and unique designs. Both are great looking boards that come with a functional and comfortable 3/4 deck pad that's set into a full length soft top. The nose, tail and rails, the high impact parts of the board, are built with "crash bumpers" for durability and longevity. These bumpers will protect the board from paddle hits, impacts, transportation and will make the board very user friendly and safe. Both boards are wide and stable and have a good handle inset into the deck but does not have the new Lift Sup handle that is built into the Joyrides, Super Naturals, Sirena's and Ravens. I have had a chance to try the new lift sup on my 12'6″ Raven and I love it, one hand transportation. The base of the B Ray's are built with a Slick Skin bottom that is durable and will allow the board to travel efficiently through the water. One of the features that impressed me the most was the tip to tail double concave hull with a pronounced center line. This hull design will allow the B Ray's to paddle more efficiently while giving good stability. Both boards come with a single center fin. The B Ray has good nose rocker which will allow it to surf and handle some downwind chop while keeping the deck a little drier.

FIRST PADDLE: My first flatwater test was with the 10′ 6″ on Howe Sound here in Squamish, B.C. I went for an hour paddle and like I expected, it was nice and stable and the 3/4 deck pad was very comfortable. One of the challenges, generally of a shorter, wider board is the tracking ability, but the double concave hull with tip to tail center line allowed the board to paddle and glide really well for it's dimensions. I was easily able to paddle on one side without switching back and forth too much. With the single fin and board stability, pivot turns were easy. At 185lbs the 10'6″ carried my weight easily on flatwater but I wanted to try carrying a bit more weight. My "test weight" would be my 90lb Rottweiler, Seana, who loves to go for paddleboard rides with me. She hopped on and I took her for a tour of the harbour. The board carried her weight easily and there was enough volume in the board to keep us both dry. With the bomber construction of this board I had no worries with damages or scratches from Seana. In a touring situation this board would have no problem carrying enough gear for a weekend expedition.

TOURING TEST: After testing the 10'6″ on the flatwater I wanted to try out the 11'6″ so I organized a small touring trip from Horseshoe Bay here in West Vancouver to Snug Harbour on Bowen Island to go for lunch. It's an hour paddle and we had a great line up of stable Boardworks products for the ocean tour. We brought the 10'6″ and 11'6″ B Rays, the 10'11" Joyride and a 12′ Epx. We carried our day packs on the board and I had a beginner on the 11'6″ and another friend on the 10'6″. Both loved the B Ray's, I had to ask for the 11'6″ back so I could try it. I found that the 11'6″ was ideal for the choppy ocean conditions and the added length gave it better speed and tracking. I even managed to surf a few downwind waves and it caught them pretty easy. Bigger paddlers will like the added length and volume of the 11'6″ and it's ideal for a lot of ocean paddling. With the added length of the 11'6″ the board is heavier making longer walks to the water a little more tiring.

DO IT ALL: These boards have a lot of applications. One of the obvious ones would be for the massive sup fitness and yoga market that could take advantage of the stable, durable, and full, soft top deck design. With the durability of these boards they can be used to explore mellow, meandering river systems, lakes and oceans. I will personally use these boards for rentals and lessons with my business Mountain Surf Adventures and I would also like to explore the possibility of kitting the boards out and taking some of them with me up to the Great Bear Rainforest for my sup expeditions. One thing I always worry about during these expeditions is damage to the hard boards I bring up. My expeditions consist of a lot of transportation and boat shuttles that can wreak havoc on boards. These expeditions are a good testing environment for any gear I take up there and I am sold on their touring applications when a lot of transportation is required. They will be a great compliment to the Boardworks inflatables I have brought up there in the past. Another area of use can be in mellow surf conditions as the stiffness, nose rocker and decent tail design will allow for some fun surf applications. The beginners in our surf courses will like stable base and will increase their success rates catching waves. The soft top design and crash bumpers will keep paddlers safer in the impact zone. Families will really love this "no worry" board and it will be great performer at the camps, cottages and lodges. Outfitted with some basic fishing gear, this board would be a great platform for catching fish. The sky is the limit with what you can do with this board.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I have only paddled this board a couple of times and a season of testing is required to really see how the board stands up but they performed well in a flatwater and touring situations. This board has great value, its "no worries construction" is durable, stable, and fun on any body of water. Try one out and see what you think. To get one of these B Ray's for yourself, your family or your SUP business contact Boardworks Surf Canada up here in the Great White North or Boardworks Surf in the Blue, Red and White. Have fun and see you on the water.

Tofino Coastal Surf Weekend

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:49:36 GMT

Photo Credit: Adam DeWolfe

This March we will again be offering our Coastal Paddle Surf course in Tofino, B.C. Over the three days our course teaches you how to catch your first wave on your sup, improve your existing paddle surf skill set and provide a framework to make good decisions in a dynamic ocean environment. At the same time, you will enjoy the stunning west coast and the beauty of Tofino from our beach side accommodations. As certified instructors with years of surfing and coastal experience we are committed to your success on the waves and safety in the ocean. Nothing makes us happier than seeing people catch their first wave on their paddleboard. Enjoy, relax, have fun, and learn to paddle surf.

DATES: MARCH 14-16th, 2014
LOCATION: TOFINO, B.C.
PRICE: $575+hst ** A third night is also available for an additional cost.
INCLUDES: Paddle Canada SUP Coastal Surf certification , Beach side accommodations, Video Analysis, Coastal Surf Swag Bag sponsored by Quiksilver, FCS, Tofino Brewing and more.
*Board and wetsuit rental packages available.
** Contact norm@normhann.com to confirm your spot and receive a detailed itinerary.

Tofino, British Columbia: Reigns as the jewel of Canada's west coast. The stunning beauty and ecological diversity of Tofino's location in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is the source of all activities. Imagine, all in one place, fishing, kayaking, whale watching, bear-watching, bird watching, camping, hiking, storm-watching and First Nations cultural touring. Surfing is big here, and Tofino was named the best surf town in North America in Outside Magazine's 2010 Editors' Choice awards.

COASTAL PADDLE SURF INSTRUCTORS:
Norm Hann: Norm is a sponsored Canadian paddleboard athlete and racer with Boardworks Surf Canada , a Quiksilver Waterman Ambassador and Paddle Canada SUP Instructor Trainer. Based in Squamish, B.C. Norm runs Norm Hann Expeditions which focuses on coastal expeditions and standup paddleboard instruction. Norm has also been active in the conservation and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest and the British Columbia coastline through his Standup4Greatbear Society.

Mike Darbyshire: Mike has been outside and on the water for most of his life. Surfing and kayaking led him into the Stand Up Paddleboard world and he hasn't looked back. In a few short years SUP has given Mike opportunities to travel around North America, explore new places in his own backyard and help develop the Paddle Canada SUP Instructional Program. Mike is an excellent instructor, talented paddler and is stoked on all disciplines of SUP including surf, touring, racing and river; and is excited to share it with whoever he can! He run's the SUP program at Deep Cove Kayak and is sponsored by Starboard , Kokatat and Werner Paddles .

Catherine Bruhwiler: Catherine is a life long local Tofino surfer who loves to spend most of her time in the ocean. She is a talented surfer with a beautiful style and is an incredible ambassador for her hometown of Tofino, B.C. As a Paddle Canada SUP Instructor she teaches paddleboarding full time through her business Tofino Paddle Surf . When she is not teaching surfing for her brother's Sepp and Raph or paddleboarding she will be found traveling and surfing with her kids. With her vast experience growing up on the ocean and surfing, Catherine brings a wealth of local knowledge to the course. Catherine is sponsored by Roxy , Level Six and Aftanas Surfboards .

Payment:

To secure your place in the course we require a 50% deposit with the remainder of the balance to be paid 30 days prior to course start date. Email transfers can be made to norm@normhann.com and cheques can be made payable to Norm Hann Expeditions.

Course Location:

The course takes place in Tofino, BC and will be run out of our beautiful beach house located right on South Chesterman Beach. The house is fully loaded with outdoor showers and hot tub. Chesterman Beach is an excellent location for this course as it provides a number of different surfing locations that will allow for a good progression from smaller sheltered waves to larger breaking waves. Accommodation is included in the price but does not include food or travel costs. Accommodations are available for additional nights at an additional cost. Here is where the house is located.

What to Bring:

Surfing Gear
- Board (Boards can be provided for an extra cost but if you have your own feel free to bring it. For specific board requests or questions please contact one of the instructors)
- Leash
- Paddle (Paddles can be provided. Please let one of the instructors know if you need a paddle)
- Wetsuit (4mm or 5mm hooded suit is recommended)
- Neoprene Surf Booties (5mm or 7mm)
- Neoprene Gloves (optional but strongly recommended on colder days)
- Rashgaurd (optional)
- Towel
- Personal Items (House provides beds, sheets, blankets and pillows)
  - Clothing
  - Toiletries
  - Pen and Paper
  - Food
    - Food is not provided during this course. The house has a fully equipped kitchen. Participants are encouraged to cook together particularly for dinner and breakfast. If 10 people try and cook individual meals we won't have any time for surfing! If you are interested in doing group meals please contact Mike Darbyshire with dietary concerns/requests.
    - Given that this course can be physically demanding we strongly recommend cooking healthy nutritious high-protein meals. Please also bring plenty of snacks.
    - The running water in the house is safe to drink but if you prefer filtered or bottled water please bring your own.

Tentative Itinerary

Friday March 14, 2014:
Afternoon: Participants arrive and check into the house any time after noon.
Evening: Introductions and Course objectives

Saturday March 15, 2014:
Morning: Etiquette, Prone Surfing, Launching into waves
Afternoon: Catching Waves, Bracing
Evening: Video

Sunday March 16, 2014:
Morning: Bottom turns, Angled take-off
Afternoon: Advanced turns, trim

Monday March 17, 2014:
Morning: Expression Session (optional surf)
Check out of house by noon.

Contact:
Norm Hann Expeditions
P.O. Box 656
Garibaldi Highlands, B.C.
V0N 1T0
604-848-8792
norm@normhann.com

Standfilm Power Teaser

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 03:59:10 GMT

https://vimeo.com/52119128

Standfilm has now be released. Our world premiere was showcased recently in Vancouver to a packed, fired up crowd. Filmmakers Anthony Bonello and Nicolas Teichrob have created something very special. This film is a creative masterpiece and will become a legacy for the protection of our coastline. Check out our list of upcoming premieres on our events page and contact us for opportunities to showcase this film in your area or to purchase DVD's and Stand merchandise.

Hecate Strait Glass

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:46:59 GMT

Anthony just released this edit from the last paddling day of our Standfilm Expedition.

I awoke that morning just outside of Burnaby Narrows after a long day of paddling and filming with the team. The ocean was flat calm, a mirror, and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the reflections on the water and reality. I wanted to take advantage of these conditions to push quickly south before the typical day time winds would pick up, or so I thought. I was amazed that hour after hour the ocean remained calm as I headed into Hecate Strait and around some potentially challenging points and headlands. I continued to paddle hard thinking at some point the conditions would change. The weather is so volatile and quick in Haida Gwaii that I never rested when conditions were good. Nic and Anthony took advantage of the weather gift to follow me in a zodiac and to explore some of the remote islands and inlets. They were like kids in a candy store as they zoomed around shooting video and stills.

Later into the afternoon of that day we would receive a weather report forecasting 50 knot winds and 8m seas for the following day. It was hard to believe since we were in flat, calm conditions with no wind but I have been on the coast long enough to understand the seriousness of that forecast. This system would be moving quickly. We were to overnight in Rose Harbour and then head to Sgang Gwaay the follow day but based on the forecast I would push on to complete the expedition that evening, sneaking in before the storm came and giving Anthony and Nic an opportunity to film the totem poles and Watchman site under a setting sun. Late that evening we left the Watchman site with the boat and traveled back to Rose Harbour under a starry night to anchor up before the storm. We awoke the next day to winds gusting over 50knots. I shuddered thinking about what the conditions were like in the areas I had just paddled and had to smile thinking we had made a good call to push on with a 50km day to finish the trip.

We would hang out in Rose Harbour for the day while the winds blasted the area and torrential, sideways rain drenched everything and swelled the local rivers. We would sail the following day from Rose Harbour to Port Hardy in a SW gale and 20 foot seas. It was a 30 hour push, knarly and uncomfortable.

Quiksilver Interview for Standfilm Expedition

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:22:54 GMT

https://youtu.be/FrWjR_-ups

Great job Adam Dewolfe on this edit for our Standfilm Project and a really big thanks to the Quiksilver Foundation for their support.

Gear Review: Boardworks Mini Mod

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:54:00 GMT

Company Line: Mini Mods are designed to be performance surf sups but are also a good choice for smaller paddlers looking for a light-weight recreational paddle board with ample stability. What makes the Mini Mod unique is that it is thinner than most boards on the market which allows the surfer to easily set the rail in bottom and top turns. The board sits lower in the water which allows for less "bobbing" from rail to rail. It has a wide tail which also adds to the stability. The Mini Mod was designed to excel in playful sized surf much like many of the popular alternative surfboards on the market today.

Tester: Norm Hann
Tester Height and Weight: 6 1″ 182 with wetsuit.
Test Board: Mini Mod
Height: 9'6″
Nose: 19 1/2″
Width: 31″
Tail: 20″
Thickness: 4 1/2″
Volume: 143 L
Fins Included: Quad + Center

Norm's Low Down:
I first had a chance to demo some of the new Boardworks Surf products when I was down competing in the Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle this past October. I first jumped on the 9 1″Mini Mod and had a chance to ride a couple of waves with it at Doheny. In a quick assessment, at 106 litres, I was looking for a bit more volume that would work for me in our Canadian surf waters. Although i could get on the wave fairly easily I like to have a little bit more volume in my board so I am not burning up a lot of energy in rougher conditions. The thing I noticed on those first few rides was how snappy the tail was. It felt fast and responsive, super easy to turn and although seemingly low in volume it paddled into waves easily. The MOD now had my attention. I only rode a couple of waves in clean conditions so i could not really give a good full report on the 9'1". I also had a chance to try the new 9'11' Sirena which is built off the mini mod design and really liked this board. Fun rides were had at Cardiff and Table Tops. I really liked the stability of the board and again, how playful the tail felt, i was super solid underfoot. Both the Mini Mods and Sirena's have a wide stable tail but the thinness of the rails and tail really allows it to turn efficiently and perform well. For those who purchase the 9'11" Sirena and 10'4″ Sirena will really like this board in flat water conditions but will love it in the surf. The design has been so effective that a 9'11' and 10'4″ Mini Mod has now been added to the line up.

Before leaving the Boardworks warehouse in Encinitas and heading north to Canada, i picked up a 9'6″ which i thought might be the ticket for me. I could not wait to get to Tofino to try this board out. I had two Paddle Canada surf courses i was running in Tofino. In total I had 11 days of full on testing in all conditions from small glassy waves to full on storm surf. The bottom line after those 11 days for me was, "I love this board." The board was so much fun and I really had a tough time letting other people try it as i did not want to miss any waves with this board. One of the great things about this board is the combination of its stability and on wave performance. For me, as mentioned earlier, I like having a little bit more stability than a little less stability. My "home" break is Tofino and most times the waves are not ideal and winter conditions can be challenging. I wanted a board that would perform on the wave yet be able to provide good stability in between sets while waiting in choppy, windy conditions. A board with a little more stability allows your forward stroke to be more efficient and will not tire you as quickly. I find that a lot of people purchase boards that do not have enough volume for them and they spend a lot of time unstable and unable to paddle efficiently and powerfully. I also wanted a board that if needed i could paddle from break to break. There are a number of beach breaks in the Tofino area and i enjoy leaving the crowds in search of my own wave. I surfed some decent swells at one of the beach breaks and enjoyed down the line speed with fun snappy turns. I have a long way to go and grow as a paddle surfer and this board has a whole lot of potential in it. I took the board on a bit of a tour from one break to another to take on some bigger swells, this short paddle can be very challenging with cross chop and strong currents but the 9'6″ handled it really well. I also had a chance to surf it at a faster peak and the stability allowed me to drive into the wave and make the fast bottom turn. I realized the with the increased speed on the wave came better performance as i moved to the back of the board and engaged the tail. When the tail is weighted this board really responds. I used a thruster(3 fin) set up but really want to try this board with a quad fin set up. I experimented with varying sizes of side fins and realized the stock fins that come with it perform well. I did break one of the side fins and replaced with a larger fin which seemed to slow the board down a little. I also tried the FCS H2 performance side fins and those seemed to be the ticket allowing good planning speed and great maneuverability.

I wanted others to try the board and gave it to a female friend of mine to surf who didn't want to give the board back. She said it was the funnest board she has been on and flat out said she was going to buy one. I lent it to a number of other people in the course and throughout the week and the feedback was always the same, fun, stable, great performance with good speed. This board surprised a lot of people and i know the surfers enjoyed the stability of it.

I put the board through a pretty good beating over the 11 days and with the EPX construction the durability was excellent. I like the graphics with the orange and blue stripes providing easy recognition in the break. I am really looking forward to getting back in the surf to try the quad set up and experiment with different fin set ups.

Those riders, beginner, intermediate and advanced will love this great performing paddle surf board that looks and has outstanding stability. As the company line states, the board "excels in playful sized surf." The female specific 9'11' and 10'4″ Sirena will keep the ladies happy in the surf and on flat water but don't be surprised if the fellas are stealing it for their own surf missions. Check out the full line up at Boardworks Surf Canada. Feel free to email with questions, thoughts, or more feedback. See you on the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP2wregI0Fk

Great Bear SUP Expedition 2012

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 13:38:00 GMT

This was our fourth September SUP expedition trip in the last four years and it came on the eve of last years trip making the upcoming cover of Standup Paddle Magazine. Aaron Teasdale, writer/photographer was on our trip last year and killed it with his photos and writing. We were also featured on the cover of Sierra Magazine this past May. Both articles not only featured our expedition but more importantly brought increased awareness to the threat of oil tankers traveling through the Great Bear Rainforest.

September 1st/2nd- Road trip North.
With the Tacoma loaded up Jen and I started our expedition leaving from Squamish headed for Prince Rupert, a 17 hour drive. I always enjoy the road trip but it's a pretty good pull up there. There was lots of wildlife around the Burns Lake area including three moose, four Black Bears and two deer. Our first day of travel took us to one of our favorite towns, Smithers. We stayed at Jan and Amy's beautiful home close to the Babine River where we caught up over a warm fire under a starry night. The following morning we loaded up on groceries and then headed west. We stopped at one of my favorite places, Moricetown, to watch the local natives dip netting salmon out of the turbulent river. There were signs everywhere saying no to oil. If you ever get a chance to stop at Moricetown, which is right off the highway, do it, it's a pretty powerful and memorable place. It showcases firsthand the dependence of the First Nations on the rivers and on the salmon.

The road trip from Smithers, west to Prince Rupert is one of the most beautiful drives you can take. It's river and mountain county and will leave you incredibly inspired. After numerous coffee stops, we made it to Prince Rupert to meet the guests and to get ready for our early morning ferry ride to Hartley Bay. Cowpucchino's coffee shop is a place you should stop by for some java and lunch, say hi to Judson Rowse when you're there. We met our guests that evening at Breakers to go over trip logistics and to have the guests meet each other. This year we had four guest, Scott Fitzgerald from Vancouver, Steve Sawacki and Mika Yokahama from Los Angeles and Christy Shaw from Revelstoke. Another guest had cancelled a couple of weeks earlier due to an injury and i am hoping Alessandro can make it next year. The guests were stoked to say the least, as were we.

September 3rd-Hartley Bay and Traditional Foods.
Up early with the rain we shuttled guests and gear down to the ferry which would take us on a three and a half hour trip to the small Gitga'at community of Hartley Bay where we would launch our expedition. I have been fortunate to be adopted as a Raven by Eva Hill and each year Cam and Eva host our group for the first evening and for our traditional dinner. It has become tradition that we have Dungeness Crabs. Cam goes out to harvest them locally and then shares them with our group and teaches us all how to shuck them. It's always and amazing experience and it's the best crabs you will ever eat. Cam usually spends close to a hour showing the guests all of the traditional food he and Eva harvest over the year. Their freezers are full with salmon, halibut, seaweed, octopus, oolichans, Bcod, sea cucumber, shellfish and much more. It's said in Hartley Bay that you are rich not by how much money you have but by how many freezers you have filled with traditional food. The Hill's have five freezers stuffed to capacity.

September 4th- The Magical Cornwall Inlet.
Up early we loaded up Cam's boat, The March Madness with all our gear for our trip to Cornwall Inlet. This year I brought up three Boardworks inflatables, the 10′ 7″ and 10′ 2″ Shubu and the 10 6 Badfish, one Boardworks Joyride and my old faithful, Bark Expedition. Christy, a health food store owner from Revelstoke, was paddling her kayak for the trip. Inflatables are so much easier to travel with, especially with all the boat shuttles and ferry's. Next year I will be using all inflatables, as they are the perfect board for this expedition. They break down easily into a backpack, have a removable center fin making them easy to stack in the boat and are light enough to pick up off the water with one hand. They are very durable as well and i do not have to worry so much on the rugged shorelines and during boat transfers.

We made our way down to Cornwall Inlet and launched our SUP's just inside the tidal rapids as we got ready for our two hour paddle to the Raven longhouse at the end of the fiord. Cornwall is just a magical and spiritual place. Last year photographer Aaron Teasdale got some incredible shots in Cornwall and two of his photos of the inlet made it onto the cover of Sierra Magazine and Standup Paddle Magazine. Cornwall never fails to disappoint, with its steep sided granite walls cloaked in ancient rainforest and under the watchful eyes of Gitga'at ancestors. We made it to the longhouse and then explored the estuary and worked our way up a salmon river where we ran into a black bear that was feeding on salmon. The Great Bear has endless areas that are beautiful and stunning and Cornwall Inlet is one of them. That night Jen prepared a beautiful meal and shortly after we were fast asleep in a remote corner of Gitga'at territory.

September 5th-Waterfalls and Black Bear traffic.
An early morning dawn patrol took us back into Cornwall River to see if we could find some more bears but instead we enjoyed watching salmon travelling up the river under our boards. We headed back to the longhouse for one of Jen's amazing breakfasts and then loaded up the Madness for our trip out of the inlet. We relaunched our boards just outside of the tidal rapids and right from ancient rock canoe slips that had once been used by the Gitga'at to wait out the rapids before entering Cornwall. We stopped at another sweet little salmon river where a short hike took us to a beautiful waterfall where loads of salmon were stacked in a small pool at the base of the falls. I was sure we were going to see a bear and I have also see wolves here, but not today.

Lunch under a blazing sun got us ready for an afternoon of paddling. I loaded up the team and headed south to check out another waterfall before paddling to the stunning watchman cabin in Cameron Cove.

There were Humpback whales nearby and one surfaced close to the group before moving away to look for herring to eat. The weather today and all week was the best I have every seen it for a seven day period in September and the paddle into the cabin with a setting sun was unreal. We set up our camp at the cabin and that evening the bears started their movements into the nearby river right in front of our group. Over the next three nights two blacks would regularly make their way past our cabin, and within feet of our group, on their way for a night feed. They paid no attention to us or the cabin and moved quickly on their way. An incredible sunset turned into the milky way and I stayed up to watch some shooting stars before heading to bed.

September 6th-Sea Lion Rock and Lunch at Kiel
Awakening to a magical sunrise over the temperate rainforest we had a quick breakfast and got ready to take the ebb current out to explore the open waters of Camano Sound. We battled a bit of a north wind chop coming out of our quiet cove before making it out to the calm waters of the sound. We paddled over to sea lion rock, a popular rookery, and experienced the thrill of being up close to these massive sea mammals from the decks of our SUP's.

After snapping a few shots and taking some video, I collected some sea urchin for us to eat at Kiel, our lunch stop. Kiel is the traditional harvesting camp of the Gitga'at People. During the month of May and early June, elders and community members travel down to Kiel from Hartley Bay to harvest halibut and seaweed. Today we would be having our lunch on the shell beach overlooking the placid ocean. I cracked the urchin and we all shared the delicious taste of "Uni." After lunch we had a relaxing paddle back to the cove in perfect conditions. We had worked up an appetite so we devoured another great dinner and enjoyed another stellar sunset before hitting the rack early.

September 7th- Stacked with Fish!
Today we took the group to an ultra prolific salmon stream. This fall salmon stream never disappoints. This river valley has a high concentration of eagles, is a ancient Gitga'at harvesting sight and the river itself is loaded with salmon and feeding coastal wolves and bears. This small to medium sized island river this year contains 30-40000 salmon and at times have had salmon numbers over 80000. I have walked this 4km river from top to bottom counting salmon with a creek walker and it was an incredible experience. Walking salmon rivers in the fall can be a very addicting endeavor, and one i love immensely. From the river we paddled over to see Herman at Cetacea Lab for a quick tour. He played us a recent whale recording taken while humpbacks were bubble net feeding in a channel directly on the proposed tanker route. He also told us that Cetacea Lab has identified close to three hundred resident whales which include Humpback and Fin Whales. This is super valuable work considering the threat these whales are under from the Northern Gateway Project. Another epic day paddling in the Great Bear. Before heading to bed I said to the group that we would be getting up early for a dawn patrol paddle before packing our gear to head back to Hartley Bay.

September 8th- Spirit of the Rainforest
Up early before sunrise we launched our boards into the still waters of the cove, it was cool and quiet, except for the raucous calls of the ravens. We floated quietly with the rising tide and soon we could see a black bear hunting for salmon at the low tide, he made a kill and quietly carried it on the estuary grass to fed. As this bear was feeding, another bear appeared on the opposite side of the estuary and quickly disappeared into the forest, most likely working his way up the river to feed for the day. Early morning is a such an amazing time of the day to view wildlife as the rainforest begins to come alive. We spent a few more moments watching the bears and as they disappeared our thoughts turned to breakfast. But before that would happen a Spirit Bear would appear along the shoreline and not far from our group. It doesn't matter how many times I see a Spirit Bear, it is still such a precious and special moment. The clients were speechless and after a few stops to look for salmon, and as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared into the rainforest and up into the river to feed. Incredible. We paddled back to the cabin for breakfast before packing up our gear and heading back to Hartley Bay. We stopped for a halibut lunch at another Gitga'at Watchman cabin located in a secluded quiet bay that held another salmon river we would explore. The group paddled with Humpback Whales on the way into this cove and from the boat I enjoyed watching them bubble net feeding.

From there it was back to Cam and Eva's in Hartley Bay for another incredible feast held by the Hill family. It was the perfect close to yet another amazing time standup paddleboarding in the Great Bear Rainforest. The following morning we would awake for one of Lynne Hill's famous breakfasts then our final pack before getting onto the ferry that would take us back to Prince Rupert.

A big thanks to the Hill Family for their hospitality and a special thanks to Cam for renting his boat to us for the week. Also thanks to Marven Robinson who is the eyes and ears on the territory and for putting us up in the watchman cabins. Thanks to Steve, Mika, Christy and Scott for coming up this year to experience the Great bear. Finally, thanks to Jen for doing such an outstanding job on the food and being my co guide, support and partner on yet another great expedition.

I will be posting a few more trips up to the Great Bear for next year so stay posted if you are interested in coming up and have a look for the new issue of Standup Paddle Magazine.

Bella Bella Paddleboard Project

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 08:27:00 GMT

I have finally had some time to write some blog's on my latest adventures. It has been an amazing month to say the least.

My first trip up the coast was on Thursday May 31st to Bella Bella to see Chris Williamson's wood working class. All seven students had completed their gorgeous wooden red cedar paddleboards and were now ready to learn how to paddleboard. This was the second class of students that have completed boards. I was up a year ago after the first class completed their boards and those students were highlighted in the Standup4greatbear Documentary. That first class has been an inspiration to many. This year there were seven new, excited students who were hand picked to be a part of this years project. I had flown up with talented photographer/filmmaker Nicolas Teichrob to meet Anthony Bonello who had been up documenting the board-building project for our new Standfilm project. This year the students and the Standfilm team were really stoked to be heading to Calvert Island and to the Hakai Beach Institute to do the official launch. Much thanks goes to Eric and Christina for hosting us at their incredible resort. Secretly I couldn't stop thinking about the surf on the west side of the island, nor could professional surfer Raph Bruhwiler who had also flown up to meet us as part of the Standfilm team. Raph is a Quiksilver athlete and not only is he an outstanding surfer but he is an incredible ambassador for the sport and for our coastline.

We left on Friday June 1st but a nasty southeast wind forced us back to Bella Bella after taking a couple of green waves right over the boat. I was impressed with how quickly the sea state blew up. We managed to get a bigger boat later in the afternoon and before we knew it we were at Calvert Island, greeted by the welcoming staff at Hakai. After settling in we headed to West Beach, a stunning remote white sand beach 10 minutes from the resort and the protected inside waters. We were starting the Paddle Canada Intro course the following day so time was spent paddlesurfing, enjoying the sunset and embracing the incredible feeling that only a remote coastline can give you. I was in heaven.

Saturday was the official launch of the new wooden sup's the students had built. They were ready to learn how to use their new ocean crafts. I spent the morning teaching them the fundamentals and essential skills of this sport and quickly they picked up the basics. Coastal First Nation's are waterman and it didn't take long for the student's confidence to grow and the smile's to emerge. Soon they were off on their own exploring their own territory and enjoying their newfound independence. For the afternoon we headed back to West beach where Raph took them through a " Bruhwiler Surf Camp " lesson right on the beach. It's important to teach standup paddleboarders how to surf these big boards without a paddle and to learn the proper surf etiquette. The sun was shining and the students took to the waves. Raph was awesome and soon enough the students were using their SUP's to harness the remaining power left in the white water. Sort of like your first time standing up on a paddleboard, you will never forget your first wave you catch. I couldn't keep the smile off my face watching the students surfing their own boards that they made by hand and with hours of hard work, built from the very trees that were lining the shoreline. I was like a proud father. The rest of the weekend was spent surfing, standup paddle boarding and exploring the outer coast. With the SUP being a great platform for diving, Raph headed to the outer islands to dive for Urchins with his Boardworks Surf Badfish Inflatable . A highlight for the weekend was when Raph brought some urchins back for the students to clean and eat. They had never tried urchin before and Raph showcased some of his intimate knowledge of living off the coast. Soon we were packing the boat up again for Bella Bella after an amazing weekend and before Hakai Beach was out of sight most of us were asleep. Congratulations to Courtney, Blake, Jennifer, Koran, Greg, Teesha, and Gene. Each of you are inspirations to myself and those who have followed this incredible story. All your hard work paid off. Nothing great ever comes without a commitment to your passion and lots of hard work. Where you take this is now up to you but I am sure your wooden sup's will take you to places you never imagined, have fun and be safe.

The Bella Bella PaddleBoard Project has to come to an end for now as this will be the last class to complete boards. Teacher, Chris and his partner Kara are now taking a year of to sail to Mexico. Congrats, life's an adventure.

Chris, I personally want to thank you. You're an amazing teacher and accomplishing what you have over the last two years with these students has inspired and humbled me. Your commitment, work ethic, creativity and love for your students have provided them with a lifetime experience. I have continued to be contacted by other teachers, woodworkers and schools with hopes of replicating what you have created. I believe we are fortunate in our lives when we commit to our passions and are able to positively affect not only those in our immediate circle but when the experience has far reaching power that not only we even know. I feel you have done that. Teachers have this potential and you have not taken this responsibility lightly. So thanks Chris, and all the best for you and Kara on your sailing adventure. We are excited to showcase your story and the student's path in Standfilm.

Standfilm Ready for Haida Gwaii

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 12:03:00 GMT

You can follow our SUP expedition to Haida Gwaii live here at Spot Tracker. GPS locations should be showing up the morning of June 6th. You can also follow at www.standfilm.com.
http://www.blogger.com/goog_1173569551
SPOT TRACKER LIVE! !

Haida Gwaii and StandFilm

Sun, 20 May 2012 03:13:00 GMT

View Haida Gwaii – Standfilm in a larger map

As some of you may or may not know I am getting ready for my next standup paddleboard conservation expedition to Haida Gwaii. Since completing Standup4Greatbear , I then set my sights on the islands at the edge of the continent. Haida Gwaii is one of those powerful, magical places and an area that is part of the Great Bear Rainforest and at risk of an oil spill from the proposed tankers.

I have had the opportunity as guide to fish for salmon on the rugged and swell blasted, west coast, one of the highest energy coastlines in the world. I have surfed incredible waves on the stunning North Beach of Graham Island within sight of Alaska and i have sailed and explored Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve on South Moresby. A plan was set in motion after sitting down a year ago with Anthony Bonello, a Whistler based filmmaker, photographer, writer and adventurer. He saw my film Standup4Greatbear and wanted to work on a film that would bring the issue of oil tankers and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest to a larger audience. I convinced him to do an expedition to Haida Gwaii. Anthony is a talented, creative filmmaker and will be working with another professional filmmaker and photographer, Nicolas Teichrob. We have worked hard to bring this all together in order to accomplish our goals.

Our project is called STANDFILM . Quiksilver and the Quiksilver Foundation have signed on as the title sponsor and we are also getting financial support from the Escape Route and Pacific Wild . My board sponsor, Boardworks Surf Canada is supplying me with a fast 12 6″ Ohana that i will take through the challenging waters of North Beach, Rose Spit and Hecate Straight. We are incredibly excited to showcase the rich marine ecosystems and powerful Haida culture.

Some of you have followed the students in the wood working shop in Bella Bella and their teacher Chris Williamson. We highlighted the students building their own wooden SUP's in 2011 on the Standup4Greatbear Documentary and this year Standfilm will follow the second class of seven students who are each building their own wooden SUP's.

I, along with Anthony and Nicolas, will be heading to Bella Bella on May 30th. We will launch the boards on Calvert Island from Hakai Beach Institute and I will teach them how to paddleboard, giving them the skills to safely explore their traditional waters. Our filming will be complete after a fall surf trip with Quiksilver athlete, Raph Bruhwiler. Raph, a professional Canadian surfing icon, waterman and coastal explorer will lead our trip to some remote surf break on Vancouver Island. Super stoked about this too. Immediately after Bella Bella, we are headed to the Haida Village, Old Masset, where we will begin our trip. Thanks to Escape Route we have secured our support boat, Soul Haven, a 40′ Valliant sailboat which will be captained by Nigel, an experienced racer and international traveler.

Our expedition begins on June 5th and we have set aside a couple of weeks. Our route takes us across the top of Graham Island, down the East side where we will visit the five Haida Watchman sites and ending at the UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, the Ninstints on the remote southwestern tip. I will continue to update as Bella Bella and Haida Gwaii approach. The training has been going well and this will be something special. One more opportunity to work with talented, passionate people dedicated to protecting our coastline and the Great Bear Rainforest.

Sierra Magazine

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:15:00 GMT

Last fall's Greatbear Rainforest Paddleboard Expedition has made it onto the cover of this months May/June Sierra Magazine. Aaron Teasdale did an outstanding job on the feature article and his pictures are amazing. Great to share this expedition with my brother Brad, friends Derek Nixon, Jamie McVicar, Sheila Sovereign, John Redpath and my partner Jen Segger. Here is the online link to the article.
Contact me if your interested in this years expedition from September 3-9th.

STANDFILM

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:19:00 GMT

I am really excited to announce our new coastal conservation project we are working on for 2012. It's called Standfilm. Our goal with Standfilm is to bring additional awareness to the threat of oil tankers on our coast and in the Greatbear Rainforest. The film will be shot and produced by Anthony Bonello of B4Apres Media, and Nicolas Teichrob of Dendrite Studios. The film will highlight our upcoming standup paddleboard expedition this summer to the magical islands of Haida Gwaii and will showcase the First Nations students of Bella Bella and their board building project, plus a surf trip lead by coastal waterman and professional surfer Raph Bruhwiler of Tofino, BC. We are looking for financial support and you can click on the link to see our fundraising campaign and all of the great things you can bid on to help us accomplish our goal.

Click here to help support our STandfilm project.
http://www.indiegogo.com/STAND-Film

New Generation of Protection for the Greatbear

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:46:00 GMT

Last week I had four students from Mulgrave School in West Vancouver contact me about wanting to interview me for a project they were working on, focused on the Greatbear Rainforest and oil tankers. Whenever, I have the opportunity to talk to youth I jump at it, especially students who are already engaged in what's happening on our coast and throughout our province. They also wanted me to show them the Standup4Greatbear Documentary. I got down there early so Grade 6 young men, Alex, Aiden, Grayson and Jaime, could interview me. They had watched the film SPOIL last week, so they were well informed and their questions reflected that. One of the toughest questions was what my most memorable moment in the Greatbear has been. It was tough since there have been countless magical moments in the Greatbear but I expressed seeing my first Spirit Bear, the opening of the Raven Longhouse in Cornwall Inlet and my adoption into the Raven Clan of Hartley Bay as tops on my list. Another tough question for me was what would I do if tankers were allowed to go through…I hesitated, never actually picturing it and said, "I would be very sad, a piece of me will have died."

From the interview we headed into the classroom with close to over 60 Grade 5 and 6 students ready to watch the film. They sat excited as they watched the whales, sea lions, vast intertidal life and traditional foods. Afterward we had a question and answer period and I was impressed by the insightful questions posed to me. The one that was memorable was posed by a bright young student, originally from Mexico, who seemed to have a different perspective and seemed lit up by the Greatbear and it's challenges. He innocently asked, "if this is such an incredible place, and all these people need these traditional foods to survive, and there are so many people who do not want oil tankers, WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT WANT TO DO THIS." After handing out Standup4Greatbear wrist bands and stickers I left feeling good knowing that we have groups of youth like this who will carry the torch into the future and help with the protection of special places. Thanks to Aiden, Grayson, Jaime and Alex for asking me to come down to the class and for father and fellow standup paddleboarder, Declan Sacre for making the connection to the school for me.

A few days later, the student's teacher, Christine, emailed me and sent these letters of reflection from the four boys on the Greatbear Rainforest, Spirit Bears and Oil. Here they are…

Spirit Bear

Creatures so majestic
Strolling in the forest
Looking quite terrific,
With their creamy coats
And their capable claws
They look like walking boats,
Creatures that are so solitary
And are often seen as slow
They are massive and hairy,
Located in a special place
The Great Bear Rain Forest
Where one forgets time and space,
Expert fishermen
Thrashing in the sparkling streams
Pursuing the silvery salmon,
They are very observant
Loved by Natives
They are from heaven sent.

By Jamie, Grade 6

The Eighth Wonder of the World

by Grayson, Grade 6

I love everything Norman Hann is doing to raise awareness of the risk to the Great Bear Rainforest and the urgent need to protect it. During the Canucks vs. Red Wings hockey game on February 23rd, 2012 there was a spot featuring the Red Wing, Quincey, who also loves to paddleboard and owns a surfboard company. They mentioned that he would be joining Norman Hann to paddleboard through the Queen Charlottes to raise awareness about protecting the environment and the proposed pipeline. I think it is so hopeful that the threat to the rainforest is becoming public.

The Spirit Bear, one of the most wonderful animals on the planet, lives in the Great Bear Rainforest. This beautiful, white bear is not an albino and not a polar bear. Since there is only 200-400 left on the planet, they are extremely endangered. We need to protect these animals from logging which would cause panic in the rain forest and kill many animals as well as cause a lot of species, like the Spirit bear, to become extinct.

The once untouched land that provided food, shelter, and water to these and many more animals, is at risk due to logging for the planned Enbridge oil pipeline. Currently, only 50% of this precious habitat is safe from the project. This is not enough. The cities are rising and the rain forests are falling. But the animals are the ones losing their homes not us. We need to grow trees not cut them down. It would be terrible to lose the forest habitat to logging for the oil pipeline.

Another place that would be so sad to lose is the waters. The loss of this ecosystem would affect the whole rain forest because the forest relies on the waters for food. If an oil spill were to happen, it would ruin the healthy life cycle in the rainforest. Unfortunately, something like this has already happened. There was a BC ferry that crashed in the area of the Great Bear Rainforest. Still, people cannot fish anywhere close to the ferry because 4 litres of oil still leaks out of it every day. This is another factor that is greatly affecting the wonderful forest.

I think that the Great Bear Rain Forest should be considered one of the natural wonders of the world. It is an amazing place that is 25% of the world's remaining temperate rain forest. The waters are home to a wide variety of aquatic life. It has the spirit bear that is a white black bear that is the heart of the rain forest. There should be eight natural wonders of the world and the Great Bear Rain Forest would be one.

THE FUTURE

By Aiden, Grade 6

In the night sky, as yellow and blue stars shone and twinkled with intense emotion, a small white creature treaded through the forest. Its furry paws dug into the wet soil as it turned its head side to side, admiring the tall green trees. He rubbed his back up against a huge cedar, trying to mark his scent as high up as possible. As he continued to stumble through the army of greenery, the Bear came across a river. The rushing water was filled with a thick black substance, and oily bubbles formed at the top of the flowing liquid. The creature's eyes widened with confusion and fear, as he stared at unknown matter. It wasn't there yesterday! The place where he had always hunted and bathed under the hot sun, and sometimes took a dip under the shining stars, was gone, replaced with a river of garbage. He ran. No… almost galloped on his four paws, through the dense trees, slowly following it up stream, trying to find the source. After a couple of minutes, he arrived at a sharp curve, close to where the rivers met the sea, and found what he was looking for.

The massive red ship sat still. Its right side jammed against the jagged grey rocks that shimmered from the moonlight. Thick oil leached from the hull, and its bow slowly lowered into the sea, sinking towards the depths. A whimper of sadness escaped the bear's mouth, and his eyes turned watery with tears. A super tanker. Its huge body was disgusting, but fascinating at the same time. It took him a minute before he realized that a bit of the oil was washing up around his paws from the tide. He stepped back, and watched, as the matter dripped from what was once pure white fur.

The animal ran again from the alien like substance, trying to find fresh water, but everywhere he went, there it was, bubbling and slopping around abnormally. At one point, he ran into a clearing, where tons of stumps sat, looking sad as the clouds covered the moon for a moment, before moving onwards in the sky. Huge machines lifted the bodies of the massive plants, and in the distance, the Spirit Bear could hear whimpers and cries as animals were hunted and killed. Was this the new world? A place where water was replaced with gunk… and tall trees were taken down until only their bases remained. Yes…it was. A place of greed and destruction. A place where being human wasn't about survival, but instead about luxury. A place where madness ruled. It was the future… and this wasn't right. Not right at all.

My Perspective On The Enbridge Proposal

Alex Wortman,

Enbridge, a large pipeline company has recently proposed to build an oil pipeline through BC and Alberta. Oil from this pipeline would be carried by large tankers along the coast of BC. In the following, I will explain my perspective on this proposition.

The oil pipeline will start in the tar sands oil mine in Alberta and will pass by hundreds of lakes and rivers in Alberta and BC. The oil would flow to the west coast of BC and be transferred to tankers to be shipped to China. The pipeline will carry some of the world's dirtiest oil, bitumen. If it were to leak into a water source, it would have devastating effects on the environment. I think this would be terrible because all of the animals that live there could be poisoned and maybe killed by this crude oil. This is my perspective on the proposed pipeline.

Now, I will explain my perspective on the tanker route proposal. The tankers that would be used to carry the bitumen would be the largest and loudest supertankers in the world. They would be three times the size of the freighters you can see carrying containers and other types of cargo. Also, they are so loud that if they were to travel the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest, they would vanquish all of the singing of the whales living in the area. The rainforest is in fact one of the last places on earth where humpback whales can be spotted. These tankers would have to make many turns to get out of the forest area and on their way to China. If they were to miss just one of these turns, unimaginable amounts of oil could leak into the surrounding area and destroy the wonder that is the Great Bear Rainforest. This is my perspective on the proposed tanker route.

In conclusion, if Enbridge were allowed to go ahead with these projects it would be only a matter of time before there would be a tremendous disaster. This is my perspective on the Enbridge oil pipeline and tanker project.

Bella Bella Board Builders

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:25:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago I went to Bella Bella to work on a new website for the SEAS (Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards) program that I work for in Hartley Bay. I always enjoy visiting Bella Bella; it's a beautiful place with great people. I was staying with Ian and Karen McAllister and I was really excited to drop into Chris Williamson's wood working class up at the high school to check out the new wooden SUP's the students are building. Last year Chris and his class built 10 wooden SUP's and afterwards I had the chance to do a Paddle Canada Intro to SUP course for them. You can check that out from my previous blog here .

This year there are 7 students building boards so I stopped in to the class to say hi and see what stage they were at in the building process. The students were just getting started with the forms for their boards to be built on which can be a slow process and not the most rewarding part of the board building process. I had a good conversation with the class about boards, designs and paddleboarding. Chris and his class had chosen a great design this year going with an 11-foot board that will be over 30 inches wide. These boards will be great all around boards and great on the flat-water with enough rocker to charge some outer islands reefs and beach breaks. Local artist Ian Reid has offered his skills to design the native logo to be incorporated into each board. The class then watched the Standup4Greatbear documentary and it was the first time that I had brought the film to the community so the students were pretty stoked, especially once they saw me paddling into Heiltsuk territory and finally ending the paddle on the shores of Waglisla (Bella Bella). Chris and his class have been so inspiring for me and I know for a lot of others who have followed this story. Filmmakers Anthony Bonello and Nicolas Teichrob have already been up here documenting the class's story. They will be part of a bigger film project we are working on called StandFilm . I have seen the rough trailer for the film and it looks amazing. I am really excited that these students will be showcased in the film.

Once the students complete their boards Ian McAllister has offered to take us down to one of the outer central coast islands where we will spend three days in early June teaching these new students how to standup paddleboard. This remote island has stunning white sand beaches and beautiful surf so we are hoping there will be a nice swell hitting the coast so I can also teach the students how to paddle surf. I have never been to this particular island and i am really excited to get there. This is going to be a great opportunity to test out some new inflatable boards, the SHUBU and the Badfish MVP by Boardworkssurf Canada .

Canoe and Kayak Online Article

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:49:00 GMT

Writer Conor Mihell, from old stomping grounds(well at least when we beat them in ball) Sault Ste. Marie, called me this week to interview me for an online article for Canoe and Kayak on my Standup4Greatbear Expedition and buddy Frank Wolf's On the Line Expedition. Check it out here.

Standup4Greatbear Documentary

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:57:00 GMT

Standup4Greatbear Documentary

Standup4Greatbear Online Article

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:22:00 GMT

Just happened to find this article online that i hadn't seen before and it brought back fond memories of the expedition. Having Guujaw sing for me has motivated me to look towards a new SU4GB expediton to Haida Gwaii. Click here for the article.

Eddie Would Go!

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:29:00 GMT

Well it was a dream come true for me as we left Vancouver on Dec 9th for our 10 day trip to Oahu's North Shore. The North Shore in the winter means only one thing to me, big, legendary, historic surf. Before i could get to the North Shore though i was there to support Jen in her Honolulu marathon(it'sin my contract). We were also travelling with close friends Jenni Chancey and Leaf's fan Darren Ashby. Jenni also ran the marathon and both Jen's ran well competing against 22000 other runners. Jen ran a a solid 3:20 battling Achilles tendinitis and a strong headwind. Jenni ran a great race as well coming in just under 4 hours. I know both girls wanted more but Darren and I admired the commitment and effort. The last time i was in Oahu was this past July when Bodie Shandro and i raced our standup paddleboard in the Molokai2Oahu World Championships. The south swell at Waikiki was much bigger and consistent then but it still felt good to be there in the shadow of the Duke Kahanamoku statue. It was great to be in the heat and humidity of Hawaii and we were not missing any powder at Whistler so that made me feel good too.

Arriving on Oahu our timing could not have been better as a 12-15 ft swell had hit the North Shore the day we arrived which signaled the start to the Billabong Pipeline Masters. Not only would we see the historic North Shore but we would be able to watch the best surfers in the world compete for the prestigious title and the final piece of the Triple Crown . The marathon was on the 11th but we headed straight to North shore the day before to watch the final day of the Pipeline Masters. I have been buying surf magazines and looking at pictures of the North shore for close to 25 years, growing up in Sudbury and 4500kms away from the nearest surf break. Finally i was here. We all got to the beach early and set up right in front of Pipeline with the wash almost coming to our feet. The crowd would swell as the morning went on. I was mesmerized by what i saw. The Bonzai Pipeline is one of the deadliest waves in the world that breaks over a nasty coral reef and showcases the skills of the best surfers and watermen in the world. We watched the quarters, semi's and finals. I was most excited to see Kelly Slater, the 39 year old, 11-time world champion and king of surfing. He was right there in front of me running to the water for his heat with John John Florence. There were camera's everywhere. John John has been killing it this year and was super hot and had already scored a couple of perfect 10's throughout the contest. Florence basically had Kelly beat but i got to see the magic and mystique of Kelly as he pulled a way back come from behind win over John with less than 2 minutes remaining in the heat.

Incredible. It's not too often you get a chance to watch an athlete in the same caliber as a Michael Jordan or a Wayne Gretzky. These guys are so good. Also, it's not too often that you get a chance to have free(except for $10 parking) front row seats to watch a guy like this. Crowds follow this guys every move. Kelly's magic ran out in the Semi's as he was beat by past Triple crown winner and 3 time world champion runner up Joel Parkinson. Joel was then beat in the finals by a hard charging Kierran Perrow who lost the Pipeline Master's himself in the final seconds of last years contest to Jeremy Flores. With his quarter final appearance Hawaiian, John John Florence became the 19 year old winner of the Van's Triple Crown Title.

After the contest we headed back to Honolulu for the marathon but we came back up to the North shore for five days after the race. Honolulu is pretty busy and we wanted the country feel. We rented a vehicle and stayed at the Turtle Bay resort at the tip of the island which was a good base for our time up there. The weather was windy and cool with off and on rain but the weather got better and hotter as the week went on. After not being in the water for 3 days and stoked to surf I finally rented a standup board and got in the water. Not everywhere does it break like Pipeline(thank goodness)but the swell was also dropping. Over the course of the week we surfed at places like the Boneyard's, Chun's and a bunch of times at Haleiwa/Puena Point. I was spending close to 6 hours a day in the water and had a chance to surf a number of different boards. The first one i took out was a 10′ Boardworks EPX , it was a nice stable beginner surf board and seemed to surf pretty good. I enjoyed the stability and ease of getting into waves. It was a good first board to try out as i was getting my feet wet on the Northshore. The second day i rented a C4 9'8″ Raimana that i surfed at Chun's. It was set up with a quad fin which made it more unstable, and tougher to get into the waves but once i got used to it, the board performed really well and was pretty fast. The last two days up north i went to Uncle Bryan's and rented a 9'8″ Paddle Surf Hawaii Ripper . I had always admired these boards shaped by Hawaiian Blane Chambers. He knows how to build an incredible board and that's all he focuses on, paddle surfing. They seem to be the board of choice here in Hawaii, and Uncle Bryan swear's by them. I also got a glowing review from NorthWest Paddle surfer Tom Haney, who loves his PSH All Arounder. Even with a thruster set up this board was less stable than the C4, with very little volume in the tail, but man was it fun to ride on the wave. It was fast and snappy. There were a number of guys in the lineup who were asking about the board as they could see that i was having a lot of fun on it surfing the rights and lefts inside of Pueana Point. The best times had was when we were all in the water together, Darren doing a great job paddlesurfing for the first time and the girls enjoying the long rides on their longboards.

Another large swell hit the north shore again which kept us out of the water for a day but gave us the opportunity to head back to Pipeline to watch it go off. And go off it did. The waves were much, much larger that what we had seen on the final day of the Pipeline Master. Large waves were breaking and feathering out on second reef and some were even breaking way out on third reef. It made me think of how big the swell gets when the outside reefs become towable.

It was incredible and i was blown away by the performances and the ability of these surfers to manage the extreme conditions that they had to deal with. We also had a chance to go to Waimea Bay and watch the 10 foot shorebreak and a swell that was just starting to break outside at Waimea. Waimea, before places like Mavericks, Jaws, Cortez Banks, Shipsterns, and Dungeons, was the premier big wave break in the world. It is still the proving grounds for waterman world wide. Check out this amazing breakdown of Waimea Bay by the late Surfline founder Sean Collins.

It is also the sight for the historic Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Invitational . Eddie Aikau was a legendary Hawaiian waterman and North Shore lifeguard who was lost at sea trying to go for help on his paddleboard after the traditional canoe he was in with crew members swamped in the dangerous Kaiwi Channel. It was 1978 and he was 31. On his passing the term, "Eddie Would Go" was born meaning that when the surf was XXL and no one would dare, Eddie would. The phrase originated during the first Eddie contest. The waves were huge and the conditions were extremely dangerous. While the contest organizers were discussing whether to put it on, Mark Foo looked at the conditions and said "Eddie would go." The phrase stuck and the Eddie went. The slogan is now seen on Quiksilver stickers and tshirts all around the world. As we speak, the contest, which is held only when the waves hit a 20ft. minimum, is now in the waiting period.

Our trip back to Waikiki took us along the beautiful windward side of the island and past places like Kailua Bay, Sandy Beach and Haunauma Bay. I had time to stop in to C4 headquarters where i met team rider Greg Pavao. They set me up with a C4 Slingblade which was the narrowest board i have ever surfed at 27inches wide with not a lot of volume. At times i had trouble standing on it in the chop but wow, did it surf well. Fast, snappy and i could even make my way to the front of the board on it. I had a real challenge though when the wind came up. I surfed with sea turtles at Queens, Canoe's and Pops and it made me think of the great memories of surfing the summer swell with Bodie Shandro in July after the M20 race.

One of the highlights for me in Hawaii was when i hooked up with Scott McPhail, Doc, and Jay for a Hawaii Kai downwinder. Scott is an amazing guy who I had met at the Molokai race and who the night before had treated our group for dinner at one of his restaurants in Waikiki, P.F. Changs. Amazing restaurant, service and food. I rode the 16ft SIC unlimited board in 15-25 knot winds over the 8 mile run. These guys know how to build a downwind board. Wish i had this for the Molokai race, what a blast, i was so stoked. We finished at the Outrigger Canoe club and i realized that this is the specific training i needed for Molokai. If i could only do this 3 times a week. The guys were animals to paddle with and kept me chasing for the hour and 15 minutes. I fell in twice but quickly got the hang of the rudder system and revelled at how well these boards perform in the big bumps. So much fun. We also spent one day heading to the beautiful west side of the island and made our way up to Yokohama Bay, with miles of beautiful, white sandy beaches. Darren and Jenni took time to snorkel the clear water with turtles and a variety of fish while Jen and i soaked up the heat of the Hawaiian Islands. Along the way up to Yokohama Bay i was excited to see Makaha Point, another historic break. Makaha produces some of the largest waves in Hawaii and it was here during the swell of the century in 1969 that Greg Noll rode the largest wave ever paddled. The swell was so big that the whole of north shore was closed out and being evacuated. Greg made his way to Makaha and into the history books. Today it was flat.

We headed home on the 19th, tanned and stoked on life. I just love the lifestyle of being able to get in the water everyday and surf. I was happy to be coming home to the west coast to get ready for Christmas. I found myself thinking about board shorts when i managed to get a surf in at Jordan River on Christmas Eve. I surfed in my 5/4/3 wetsuit, along side a couple of locals and numerous large sized logs(high tide). There were no sea turtles but i felt at home.

Next up is a trip to Vernon for Bob Purdy's Paddle for the Planet Celebration on December 31st. Bob has paddled everyday this year in order to bring awareness to the our planets environmental needs and to raise funds for the David Suzuki Foundation.

Thanks to Jen, Jenni and Darren for an amazing trip. So much fun sharing waves, brew's, cigars and stoke. I look forward to the next one!

If you go to Oahu a few things we liked:
Restaurants:
PF Changs, Honolulu: Just go.
Lulu's, Honolulu: Great surf feel, sports, looks out over Waikiki breaks, good burgers.
Haleiwa Bakery, Haleiwa: Amazing sandwiches, awesome ice cream cookies
Kona Brewery, Hawaii Kai: Its a Hawaiian Brewery, nuff said.

Coffee:
Coffee Gallery, Haleiwa
North Shore Board Rentals and Lessons:
Uncle Bryan's
Bevy's:
Maui Brewery Big Swell IPA, Foodland
Kona Brewery Firerock IPA, On Tap.
Books:
Eddie Would Go
The Wave
DVD's
Riding Giants
Blue Horizon
Hawaiian Wood Carvings:
Carver: Maile Niu, Kaneohe, Oahu

Deception Pass Dash

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:11:00 GMT

Last Sunday night i headed down to Washington for the Deception Pass Dash. Traditionally a kayaking race, they have recently added a standup paddleboarding class and since i hadn't had a chance to race and push the pace since August i thought this would be a fun event to be part of. Due to my guiding in the Greatbear Rainforest I had unfortunately missed races in September like the BOP in Cali, Board the Fiord in Deep Cove and the Round the Rock race at Mercer Island. The DPD intrigued me because it was on the ocean and there were currents to deal with. Kevin OBrien from Kalavida Surf Shop had sent me a couple of new Quickblade paddles and also sent a 14′ Naish Javelin to try out. I have been training on my 12'6″ Rogue Outlaw but I have always admired the Javelin and it looked to be a pretty fast flatwater board. I also wanted to paddle a 14′ board as l like this class on the ocean. I also knew the Javelin was tippy in choppy, dynamic conditions but i wasn't quite sure what to expect.

We had beautiful conditions to paddle in with the presence of a strong coastal high pressure system. Deception Pass is a scenic area and a great place to have a race. It was sunny and cool with a bit of a NW breeze. The race started at 10:30am and it was great to see race veteran, local and Northwest Paddle Surfer Beau Whitehead. I last saw Beau at the Kalamalka Classic in Vernon in June. It was great to follow Beau's race at Round the Rock in September on 9/11. Beau, a firefighter himself, was racing his new 19′ custom unlimited board in tribute to the firefighters who were lost in 9/11. I admired that. He had a great race and placed second to Thomas Maximus, another powerful unlimited paddler on a lightweight carbon rocket.

I was also not sure what to wear. I did not know how strong the currents would be, how choppy the ocean was going to be and how i would perform in those conditions on the Javelin. I brought a bunch of clothes but just looked to Beau as he has been there and done that in this race. I basically copied what he was wearing so that meant a 2mm neoprene MEC pant and a longsleeve Victory KoreDry shirt with and Xcel short sleeve over it. That system worked pretty well and i didn't really overheat.

The Javelin took off pretty quick in the first couple minutes of the race but i realized immediately that the board was indeed "sporty" as i had to deal with the wake of all the kayakers who had blasted off ahead. We made our way around the first island and again I found it a little challenging dealing with the northwest chop but i kept my focus and drove forward. The goal is to get through Deception Pass before the currents really started to move and made paddling even more difficult as it ran into the NW wind chop. Beau and Rob Casey told me later that they can surf some the 8 foot standing waves that build as the current ebbs out to the ocean. It felt good to be out pushing the pace and to just be out on the ocean with other people as i tend to train by myself most of the times. I did not have to route find much as i just followed the speedy surf skis ahead of me. It reminded me of the Bowen Island Challenge i had done early in the season. Like the rest of the kayaks i used the back eddies and hugged close to the shoreline as i made my way under the bridge and to the turn around island inside of the pass. The racers battled the current to the island but once around we were now with the flow and used the main stem to moved quickly back under the bridge and through Canoe Pass.

My Larry Allison race fin performed well and shed the bull kelp found in certain sections of the course. It certainly kept the board going straight but i did find it a little tough at times trying to turn upwind. Regardless it was the right fin to have on the board. The most challenging part of the race was battling against the growing NW chop that was bumping up due to the ebb current coming out of the pass. Actually, it was really challenging and i found myself bracing a few times to keep me from going in the ocean. My pace would slow as i managed the ocean conditions and it was more survival paddling than race paddling as i lowered my stance and used shorter, quicker strokes. After circling the last island, racers again had to deal with the same chop but stronger currents before hitting flatwater for the stretch home. The currents build by the second here so the longer your out the more current you have to deal with. I was the first SUP to hit the finish line with Beau coming in just under two minutes behind. I know Beau, a great competitor and top racer was pushing the pace and not knowing where he was behind me motivated to keep paddling hard. I really had to stay focused the whole race or i am sure i would have been in the water. I actually enjoyed the challenge of staying on the Javelin in the rough waters but a lot of speed is lost when you do not have the stability to drive hard. You can have a really fast board but if you cannot stand on it and race at speed then there is no point. The ocean usually does a great job finding the flaws in design on race board or any board or watercraft for that matter. These days choosing a race board that matches the ocean conditions is key. I completed the 6 mile course in just over 68 mintues.

With the race completed we all enjoyed the post race festivity's. Great job to all the racers and thanks to all the volunteers for putting the race on. There were a few other guys from Washington who i was hoping to meet but reports and pictures from the surf at Westport showed that they had an epic day as well. This was a fun race at a good time of the year since there are not many opportunities to get out and compete. Thanks to my partner Jen for coming down to support me and for taking pictures. I have been training at her studio ChallengeByChoice in Squamish. I have found a combination of the high intensity multi functional strength and conditioning classes, with paddle specific training and some yoga has kept me ready to go during the offseason, if you can call it that. I am also happy to report that i will be in board shorts this Friday when we head to Hawaii for Jen's Honolulu Marathon. We hope our timing is good and that there is a massive north shore swell so we can watch the Pipeline Master's and The Eddie, a dream of mine for a long time.

ROB CASEY PHOTOS
DECEPTION PASS DASH RESULTS

Sweet…..

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:18:00 GMT

Just love this section by JP Auclair from ALL.I.CAN……

JP Auclair Street Segment (from All.I.Can.) from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.

Traditional Harvesting

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:12:00 GMT

I am in Hartley Bay right now with Nicolas Teichrob , a talented photographer and filmmaker from the Sunshine Coast whose pictures you are now looking at. We are here doing some work for an upcoming coastal film project and I am carrying on my work with the SEAS program. We flew from Vancouver to Prince Rupert on Sunday and were fortunate to catch the daily scheduled float plane heading down to Hartley Bay. The chance's are usually 50/50 that the planes will fly during the winter months due to the severity of the coastal weather. By floatplane and helicopter i have made my way around most of the area but this flight took us west from Prince Rupert to the outer islands of Porcher and Banks, a first for me. I was excited as I have been looking at the outside beaches of Porcher for years. It's a place i have wanted to surf and paddle, drawn by it's remoteness and pristine, beautiful beaches perched on the edge of Hecate Straight. From the plane i could also see across to Haida Gwaii and to the southwest, Bonilla Island, the location of one of the highest recorded winds speeds in Canada at 143km/hr. The coast is so amazing that everytime i fly over it i seem to add more and more adventures and explorations to my tick list. I have come to the realization that i would need 10 lifetimes to explore out coastline. Below me, I was also looking at the northern route of the proposed oil tankers where they would make their way up between Banks and Pitt Island on their way across the malevolent Hecate Straight past the northern beaches of Haida Gwaii on their way to China. I still can't and don't want to picture it. From Porcher our flight path took us past the snow covered peaks of Banks, Pitt and Campania Island where we verred east past Fin Island and into Hartley Bay.

Two nights ago our timing was good as Nic and I had the opportunity to digg for cockles with Jason Bolton and Jonathon Reece. Cockles are a shellfish harvested at the lowest tides of the year and that has sustained the people of Hartley Bay for hundreds of years. I have been clam digging before but this was the first time that i have been out cockle digging. It was hard work raking through the cockle beds but after a couple of hours between the four of us we had eight, five gallon buckets before the tide quickly made its way back in. Thanks to Jason and Chris Bolton we were able to keep a couple of buckets for Cam and Eva. Usually you give some of your harvest to those who took you out but Jason said we could keep what we had to share. So as with tradition, i brought another bucket down to an elder, Helen Clifton. It is important to share traditional foods with those who cannot get out on the lands.

After bringing the cockles to Granny i sat down to listen to her share stories about the traditional way of life. Two hours can go by in the blink of an eye with Mrs. Clifton. We talked about "cracking cockles," a way of processing these hard shelled species and of how all the nasty weather comes in on the big tides. We discussed all of the best harvesting places in the area for both clams and cockles and of how the community sold bags of clams to build their first gymnasium. Mrs. Clifton discussed the best months for harvesting shellfish and how you can tell just by the color of them whether they were ready to eat or not. I was impressed with the sensitivity of these shellfish and how they can be different from beach to beach, even when those beaches were in close proximity to one another. And finally we chatted about how the sinking of the Queen of the North affected traditional harvesting for clams. The sinking did not allow the community to harvest clams from one of the best beds on the coast for three years due to the contamination from the diesel and heavy oils. It's always an education for me sitting with an elder and listening to the stories.

The same day prior to digging, and as i was out on my SUP with Nic, we watched another boat from the community come back with two moose to share. These moose were harvested in an incredible river system north of the village, a traditional area that has been used year after year. I have been to this river to hunt for moose and to fish but were not as fortunate as the hunters that had just returned. After congratulating them on their hunt, i felt that i was beaming knowing the fact that a number of traditional ways have not changed and that there is still a lot of food to harvest. It such a powerful way and normal way of life for the people of our coast. This way of life has to continue.

With the snow falling heavily as i write this i feel it's time to go outside.

Connections

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:29:00 GMT

https://vimeo.com/31703201

This film really resonates with me and makes me think of the work that i do with the First Nations kids on our coastline. It's an inspiring film with a great message. Another important reason to keep our coastlines fresh, wild and pristine for generations to come.

Paddle Canada Standup Surf Course

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:36:00 GMT

I just got back from a great weekend in Tofino, for the first Paddle Canada Standup Paddleboard Surf course. We had really good weather and some pretty good swell to do the course in. Most of the group including myself showed up to the beach house on South Chestermans's under a warm, fall sun. The small fishing village of Tofino and epicenter for west coast canadian surf was the ideal location to hold the course with great beginner beach breaks and good waves to be found. I made my first trip out here in 1999 to surf and it is still at the top of my list for favorite places to be. I was excited to be working with three other Paddle Canada Instructors, organizer and Deep Cove charger Mike Darbyshire, Canadian surf legend and Tofino local, Catherine Bruhwiler and Paddlesurfit brand manager Bodie Shandro. We had 10 people registered for the course from all over BC and it ended up being a really great group of people to work with and to share our experiences with.

Just prior to the course I managed to get out to surf South Chesterman's as there was a nice little south swell pushing in while Cox Bay was concentrating a 10 foot swell that grew as it hit the outer sandbanks. We would not be doing anything this weekend at Cox Bay. I brought a couple of RogueSUP boards including the 10'6″ Tesaro and the 9'8″ Katana, while Mike and Bodie filled out the quiver with Starboard's and Surftech's . I surfed in my 5/4/3 Xcel wetsuit with booties and no gloves.

Our evening session consisted of introductions, goals and expectations for the course. Afterwards we introduced an ocean decision making model including swell forecast, tides, weather, self assessment and a great map of the local beaches drawn from memory by Catherine indicating which beaches were best based on the surf and wind forecast. Catherine and her two brothers Sepp and Raph are canadian surfing legends and have really been one of the pioneering surf families responsible for showing Canadians the true potential of our west coast surf scene. Every Canadian surfer should have Jeremy Koreski's Numb and Shrink in their DVD quiver to watch the talent this family has. All three are sponsored surfers, surf school business owners and coastal adventurers. It was great having Catherine at the course and bringing a local surfers perspective to help the correct transition of paddle surfers into the waves. If your in Tofino and looking for a SUP lesson check out Catherine's Tofino Paddle Surf. After an informative evening session we outlined the following day and got the excited group ready for a fun two days.

We awoke to great conditions and our day began with a morning surf check at South and North Chesterman's with some Tofitian coffee's in hand. I could already tell that South was looking really good and that would be the spot for our day's lessons. After the surf check and discussion of objective hazards, and Bodie's warmup we suited up for Catherine's introduction to surfing. Before we were to give the students a paddle we all agreed it would be important that students understood how to "surf" vs paddle surf. Understanding how to catch waves and how to manage a big SUP board was the focus but it was also important to show students the origins of the sport and give them an important perspective. Much of the problems between paddle surfers and prone surfers comes from the lack of experience and etiquette in waves. It was our job to teach them the proper surf etiquette and teach them how to keep themselves safe and others around them safe. The prone paddling session was great and all students had success. We broke for lunch but the conditions were so good at south that i decided to stay out for another hour. During our afternoon session we used the favorable conditions to teach the paddle surfers how to safely get through the break and how to actually start catching waves in a standing position. After a couple of hours I saw ever person catch at least one good wave. For me watching someone catch a wave for the first time is like watching someone catch a big salmon for the first time, it really brings out my stoke and puts a huge smile on my face. I am pretty fortunate to do what I do and have the chance to facilitate cool experiences for people. You will never forget your first wave and like most great experiences they are enjoyed in the company of others. We surfed until the last light as an early setting sun sent us in to the warm fire at the beach house. With an evening debrief of the days events I surveyed the room and saw a lot of happy people.

A front came through during the evening and our morning surf check revealed bigger, messy conditions at South so we decided to head to Mackenzie beach to surf the gentler conditions and clear, glassy waters. The smaller surf allowed us to work our on turns, footwork, and bracing. We again had sunny conditions and it made the afternoon very enjoyable. Mackenzie Beach, is a great place for beginner paddle surfers to learn how to paddle and surf. Even without swell, its a great, safe place to explore with the family. As the afternoon progressed and the swell dropped we decided to call it a day as many of the participants had to head back home to catch the ferry for work on Monday. I stayed another night with Mike and hit the surf again the following morning.

Overall i thought the course was a huge success, we had a lot of fun and I felt that people were really successful. We gave people the tools to make good safe decisions before getting into the surf and really stressed the importance of surf etiquette. A question i get a lot of times in my standup paddelboard lessons when they see a sup board is "you can surf these things?" I always have to laugh because it just goes to show you that the masses of standup paddleboarders have only seen it on flatwater and it will continue that way here in Canada with all the lakes we have but let's not forget that these are surfboards. Surfing is the roots, the heritage of this sport, and in my opinion one of the funnest things you can do on these boards. You sure can Blame Laird for the reason i got into the sport. As an avid surfer since i came out west in 1999 i saw Laird paddlesurf on the dvd All Aboard the Crazy Train and that was it. Done correctly and safely, paddle surfing is something ever one should try. It's also important to make sure you take a good Intro to Standup Paddleboarding Lesson to learn the correct fundamentals of the forward stroke, turns and board control. Mountain Surf Adventures will be offering more Paddle Canada Coastal Surf courses in the near future. Thanks to Mike D for leading the organization of weekend, and to Bodie and Catherine, I enjoyed working(surfing) with you guys. A big congratulations to all the participants of the first Paddle Canada Coastal Surf Course.

Learn to Standup Paddle Surf

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:12:00 GMT

Paddle Canada SUP Surf Course
Date: November 4, 5, 6
Location: Chesterman Beach, Tofino, British Columbia
Price: $525 (includes accommodation)
Participants: 10 Max.
Instructors: Norm Hann, Mike Darbyshire, Bodie Shandro

Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce novice paddlers to Stand Up Surfing moderate surf conditions (<1.5m). Course ratio will be kept to a maximum of 1:4 to ensure safety and increase personal instruction time. The course will include land-based and water-based teaching sessions as well as video analysis during the evening. Topics covered during the course include but are not limited to: Surf Zone Safety, Surf Etiquette, Prone Surfing, Paddling out through the surf zone, Catching Waves, Understanding the surf zone, Paddling techniques, Surf turns, Tides.

Prerequisites:
Participants of the course should have taken the Advanced Flatwater SUP Course or have equivalent skill. Participants who have not taken the Advanced Flatwater course should be comfortable paddling in wind and choppy conditions and be comfortable moving on their board from parallel to surf stance. Skill assessments can be arranged prior to the course at the instructor's discretion.

Course Location:
The course takes place in Tofino, BC and will be run out of a house on Chesterman Beach. Chesterman Beach is an excellent location for this course as it provides a number of different surfing locations that will allow for a good progression from smaller sheltered waves to larger breaking waves. Accommodation is included in the price but does not include food or travel costs. Directions to the house can be provided upon registration.

Tentative Itinerary

Friday November 4th, 2011:
Afternoon: Participants arrive and check into the house any time after noon.
Evening: Introductions and Course objectives
Teaching sessions: Reading the Surf Zone, Tides and Currents, Intro Surf Techniques

Saturday November 5th, 2011:
Morning: Etiquette, Prone Surfing, Launching into waves, paddling in the whitewash
Afternoon: Catching Waves, Bracing
Evening: Video

Sunday November 6th, 2011:
Morning: Bottom turns, Angled take-off
Afternoon: Advanced turns, trim
Evening: Check out!

Registration
Registration will be run through Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre and interested participants should contact Mike at 604-929-2268. If you have any questions please contact Mike directly at 604-897-7608.

The Pacific Yellowfin

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:26:00 GMT

After the Mountain Surf Adventures GBR SUP Expedition, Jen and I drove back to Squamish and a day later i was on a Pacific Coastal flight back up to the central coast in Bella Bella to meet the boat Pacific Yellowfin and it's captain and crew for back to back trips. I had last guided with for captain Colin Griffinson and the boat in 2009 for the boats inaugural trip to the Greatbear Rainforest. It was great getting back to Bella Bella a day before the trip. I had a chance to visit Chris Williamson who is a woodworking teacher at the high school and who spearheaded the Bella Bella Wooden SUP project(see previous blog post). He talked about his upcoming plan to build more standup paddleboards starting in January with his new woodworking class. We also had dinner with Ian and Karen McAllister at Shearwater and did a bit of shopping at Rosie's, a cute little boutique shop that sells native jewellery, pottery and other unique coastal gifts.

We woke that morning and picked up the 6 guests for our 5 day trip from Bella Bella to Hartley Bay. The Pacific Yellowfin is a magnificent boat. The boat was built as a coastal freighter for the US Army during World War 2. She was painstakingly refit in 2003 and now boasts all the amenities of a luxury charter yacht while retaining her unique character. The boat was built in 1943 and is 114′ long, has a 30′ beam, with a wood hull construction and is powered by twin Atlas Imperial(Direct Reversing) engines. It can travel from BC to Japan without filling up, a result of the 18000 gal fuel capacity. The crew is talented. The boat is lead by Captain Colin Griffinson, the entertaining Irishman with a love for boats and a very competent seaman. Jack, the engineer on the boat is a former SeaSpan Chief Engineer and at 74 years of age has been working on boats since he was 15. Brilliant and funny, Jack has been on the boat for 8 years and keeps this 70 year old boat in tip top condition. The crew is filled out by boat steward, Sebastian, Butterfield and Robinson guide Dominique and super talented chef Milan.

With Canadian guests aboard we left Bella Bella and made out way around Driad Lighthouse and west through Seaforth Channel and out into a building swell in Milbanke Sound. It was good to be back on the boat. Our first night was spent anchored at the mouth of a mainland estuary and river. Hikes up the river revealed it choked with chum salmon with numerous Bald Eagles perched above eyeing the natural buffet. We were looking for bears but the evening hike did not reveal any of them although we did see numerous fish traps at low tide, obvious signs of traditional fall use by the Kitasoo people of Klemtu.

We woke after a restful sleep and hiked back up the river in a downpour but again, we were not successful in seeing any Grizzlies or Black Bears but just sitting quietly along a salmon stream in the fall is uplifting, reflective and meditative. We moved on and made out way into Fiordland Provincial Park. As the Yellowfin motored along we loaded the guests and got them into the tender to explore waterfalls and a stunning river system on Pooley Island. Floating up this salmon river on Pooley brought us an area where a wolf pack had pulled salmon out of the river at low tide and had fed for hours, most likely the previous night. It was an amazing site seeing all the salmon with just their heads eaten, the signature of a coastal wolf. A time lapse video would show the wolf pack eating just hours before our arrival. I counted at least 60 salmon that had been wolf killed. Seeing this made me want to spend a few days in this system looking and waiting for the pack to appear but with a dropping tide we had to make our way back out. Deep into Fiordland we went. Our path lead us to Kynoch Inlet where the Pacific Yellowfin was already anchored. I have to tell you that i have been to a lot of places on our beautiful coast and in the Greatbear Rainforest but Kynoch Inlet is the most spectacular place i have been to. The whole inlet is towered over by sheer granite monoliths that rise directly from the ocean with waterfalls, glaciers and mist draped rainforest's. At the head of the inlet is a rich river and estuary with a nearby lagoon that also hosts it's own river ecosystems. I was completely blown away by the beauty of the place. The rivers were choked with salmon and feeding birds. That evening in the fading light we saw our first Grizzly Bear, a young one, patrolling the low tide in search of salmon.

From there we headed north to the Khutze Inlet, another incredible fiord, past a resting group of harbour seals and under the watchful eyes of numerous Bald Eagles. Once on board our trip headed north to the protected anchorage and natural hotsprings of Bishop Bay.

We made one more stop at another grizzly river where we hiked through ancient forest along a well used bear trail. Being in grizzly territory certainly peaks all of your senses. My eyes were wide and hearing sharp as we followed grizzly tracks upriver that were made that morning before our arrival. One of the highlights for me was the deep impression of tracks we followed in the moss that had been made by the bears. Bears, in this case Grizzlies, will use the same trails year after year and will step in the exact same spot every time. The moss was depressed several inches and were at least 12 inches in length.

The following day was spent exploring the north east corner of Princess Royal Island, an area i know very well. As we waited for the tidal rapids in Cornwall Inlet to subside we followed two Humpback whales for an hour as they made their way along shorelines, stopping occasionally to bubble net feed. They did not seem to enjoy our presence so we moved on into the inlet where I took the group to visit ancient burial sites and the Raven Longhouse that was built in 2000. The inlet was again stunning and beautiful.

After lunch we met Marven Robinson, the Gitga'at bear viewing star of the documentary SPOIL and good friend, for our afternoon of bear viewing. After a 15 minute hike into the stands we were rewarded with an incredible afternoon of viewing. In the matter of two hours our group saw two different Spirit Bears, a black mom with two black cubs and at least three other black bears. After 12 years of bear viewing in this river it was one of the most memorable afternoons i have ever had. The guests were really excited and moved by the sight of such incredible animals fishing comfortably only feet away in their natural environment. Stellar Jay's and a frisky Marten made themselves known with the river as they also fed on the salmon, a keystone species which provides food for at least 200 species in the fall.

With a storm force wind forecasted for the next couple of days we made out way to the anchorage in Hartley Bay to wait out the storm. Over the next couple of days the Yellowfin was hit with 65 mile per hour gusts and the guests had to wait for an extra day to fly out. With our first set of guests safely on their way back to Vancouver we awaited our next set of guests to come into Hartley Bay and to the Pacific Yellowfin. The following four days would be spent with these guests much like the first, exploring the Greatbear Rainforest.

The Pacific Yellowfin is an incredible platform to explore from and a beautiful compliment to the Greatbear Rainforest. Thanks to Colin and the crew for two superb trips. I am already looking forward to more trips next season.

World Class Paddling: The Great Bear Rainforest

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:10:00 GMT

After a few days of packing gear, loading boards and buying food Jen and I departed for the 17-hour road trip to the northern coastal community of Prince Rupert. Clients would be meeting us there for our 2011 Greatbear Rainforest standup paddleboard expedition. This is the second year of running Mountain Surf Adventures commercial SUP expeditions up here. I have guided in this area for 12 years and my first SUP expedition took place in 2009 with Explore Magazine. Since then I completed the 2010 Standup4Greatbear Expedition , a paddle that took me 400km from Kitimat to Bella Bella to bring awareness to the threat of oil tankers on our coast. After overnighting in Smithers, my favorite northern community, and sleeping in the back of the Frontier under a tarp, we rolled into Prince Rupert early in the afternoon to meet the team.

By the time we got to Prince Rupert Sheila and John had already arrived by plane and were out exploring the area. Sheila Sovereign, from Vernon, is a very close friend of mine and is a great paddler and amazing person who has been at the forefront of SUP in the Okanagan. John Redpath, a soft spoken paddler, runner and video editor from Squamish has been training with Jen at her studio, Challenge By Choice , and has been knocking off running races, was well conditioned for the trip. Later that evening we were to meet my brother Brad, from Sudbury, who just celebrated his 40th birthday and was super stoked to be coming up. Personally I was really happy to have my little brother with me in a place that has been so important to me in my life. Also flying in was Jamie McVicar, from Canmore, now a GBR SUP veteran. Jamie, a Paddle Canada SUP Instructor was on our first commercial trip last year and has spent the past year exploring and pushing the sport on his new Surftech Bark Expedition that Kevin Obrien, from Kalavida Surf Shop lined him up with. It was great to have his experience and quick wit back with us this year. Our fifth client was Derek Nixon. "Nix" and I grew up together in Coniston, Ontario, usually with Brad tagging along. Nix was my first friend and at 3 years of age we were lacing skates up together and stealing pennies from local water fountains so we could buy Black Cat gum at Toni's Taxi. "Mr. SUP" as my brother likes to call him is an avid and passionate paddler who is also a certified Paddle Canada SUP Instructor. His generosity and care for those around him was a real pleasure for the team to have. Lastly, Aaron Teasdale, a talented freelance writer and photographer from Missoula, Montana had contacted me months ago about doing a feature for Sierra Magazine . Aaron had trained for the expedition on the rivers of Montana and had just completed a multiday bike trip with his family. He was excited to showcase an area he had heard much about and would help bring awareness to the issue of oil tankers on our coast. We had a fantastic paddling team but more importantly we had great people who were to make this week very enjoyable with lots of laughs.

Day 1: Hartley Bay

After a restful sleep at the Inn on the Harbour, and a coffee from Starbucks (sorry Judson, Cowpacchinos was not open) our group headed down to the Tsimshian Storm, a ferry that would take us down to Hartley Bay, and loaded up for the 4 hour ride down the Inside Passage. The forecast was not looking good for the first few days. A gale was forecasted with the strength of it hitting on Tuesday. There was a lot of rain packed into this system as well. With the ferry loaded we made out way into the Greatbear.

By the time we arrived in Hartley Bay the rain was torrential. Shortly after arriving and getting settled in to Cam and Eva's, we were out on the water with Cam harvesting Dungeness Crabs for dinner. The front end of the Gale hit while we were on the water and it felt more like The Deadliest Catch but it was all fun and everyone had smiles on their faces. We got more than enough crabs for the evening's traditional dinner of crabs and clam chowder. Crabs are just one species that Cam and his family harvest from the ocean. Cam said he usually harvests between 1200-1800 crabs a year for his community. The rain did not let up at all for the rest of the day but we were all stoked to be in Hartley Bay and sharing traditional stories with the Hill family.

Day 2: Stories from an Elder

We awoke to heavy rain but with this rain came the sustained gale force winds. We were supposed to be heading down to Cornwall Inlet today but the conditions would not allow us to travel far so we took advantage of the time. We went to visit matriarch and elder Helen Clifton who shared with our group what life was like growing up in the Hartley Bay, the importance of traditional foods and why we need to stop oil tankers and pipelines. We passed around ancient artifacts as the group sat enthralled listening to Helen, a natural storyteller and record keeper of traditions and culture. I always enjoy bringing friends, family and clients to meet with Granny. She is an inspiration and natural leader who opens her house to everyone and shares information freely which enlightens and educates those listening. After lunch and feeling a little restless Brad, Sheila, John and Jen portaged their boards up to the beautiful lake behind Hartley Bay for a paddle and Derek, Aaron and I headed out onto the ocean for a little surf training in the southerly gale. We ended the evening with another traditional dinner of smoked Sockeye, Black Cod and Seaweed. The Sockeye was from the Skeena River, the Black Cod from deep local waters and the Seaweed had been harvested off the low tide shores of Campania Island this past spring.

Day 3: Raven Territory

Although the rain was still heavy, the winds had dropped and that was the window we needed to load up Cam's boat, the March Madness, and head to Cornwall Inlet. No sooner had we gotten on the boat that we headed around Promise Island and saw two Humpbacks Whales. Humpbacks are large mammals that are 40 feet long and weigh 1 ton per foot. These whales were not just travelling but were in a feeding pattern. They were in the process of surrounding herring by a technique called bubble net feeding where they dive down in the water column and on the way up blow a ring of bubbles to coral the small fish. On the surface of the water you can see a perfect ring of bubbles form where shortly afterwards the whale or whales will come up with their mouths wide open taking in huge amounts of water and herring. This process can go on for hours, days and months. The rich North Pacific waters are the traditional feeding grounds of Humpback Whales and their numbers here have been increasing steadily every year. We watched the Humpbacks feed for twenty minutes and then made our way to Cornwall Inlet. By the time we landed inside Cornwall Inlet and had lunch the rain finally stopped. After it was all said and done I heard reports of the area receiving 180 mm's of rain over the last couple of days. Cornwall Inlet is just one of those magical places, it has power and spirit. We spent the afternoon paddling in Raven territory visiting culturally historical sites. With the clouds, mist and fog rising and moving through the inlet, Cornwall was as incredible as I have seen it. You cannot express how a place like this makes you feel, you have to experience it. A long fiord with towering granite walls funneled us to its headwaters. We made it to the back of the inlet and then explored a pristine salmon river looking for wolves and bears. Our night's accommodation was at Raven longhouse that was built in 2000 to prevent logging in the area. The opening of the longhouse by Gitga'at hereditary chief Johnny Clifton, David Suzuki and Robert Kennedy Jr was a watershed moment for me and helped guide my path with the Gitga'at people, the Greatbear Rainforest and goals for conservation of this incredible place.

Day 4: Call of the Wolves

Jen prepared a delicious breakfast for the group and afterwards we loaded up the Madness and drove to the mouth of the inlet where we dropped the boards and began our paddle down to Cameron Cove. We got our boards ready, and charted a course on top of an old traditional rock canoe slip site. This was an area the Gitga'at people used to pull up their large cedar canoes and wait for the tidal rapids to calm before entering the inlet to hunt and fish. As we were paddling away from Cornwall we heard one of the most haunting and powerful sounds in the forest. The wolves had begun their early morning calls and were not far away. We could only hear them under the heavy cloak of fog that was covering the northwest corner of Princess Royal Island. The area was well used by wolves. I had seen individuals many times and was even fortunate enough to see a wolf pack swimming across the inlet chasing a deer. Coastal wolves are a unique subspecies of wolves, genetically distinct from mainland wolves and well adapted to island life. These wolves are smaller and feed on salmon and seals, they use waterways to travel from island to island in search of food. In First Nations communities wolf culture and society are highly revered. They have a relationship linked through thousands of years of co-habitation. Ian McAllister's book The Last Wild Wolves will give you incredible insight into the lives of coastal wolves through his intimate 17 year study. Paddling past a misplaced, headless salmon confirmed the recent presence of wolves. We made our way to a small river where I had seen wolves before hoping the uplifting fog would reveal them but instead we hiked up the short salmon stream to a hidden set of falls with thousands of salmon pooled up below them. No signs of wolf or bears so we moved on for lunch. After lunch we loaded up again and travelled to a protected cove where we were to spend the next 3 nights at a Gitga'at watchman cabin in the heart of a prolific salmon stream with roaming white bears and coastal wolves. We dropped the boards off outside of the cove we headed in to the cabin and were greeted by a Black bear feeding on Sedge grass working his way into the salmon stream for some nighttime feeding. He was well fed and his belly hung close to the ground. We set up camp and hit the rack early for our paddle to the Cetacea Lab the following morning.

Day 5: The Fog Horn Humpback

A stunning morning greeted us on the coast and after enjoying a delicious blend of Standup4Greatbear coffee brewed by Lance, a member of last years GBR team, we set out for Cetacea Lab to visit Herman and Janey. On our way out of the harbour we had a humpback whale pass about 50 yards away from us as I charted a course through the fog. Before heading to cetacea lab we explored another salmon river on Gil Island for lunch. The Gitga'at people have used this river traditionally and proof was in the numerous CMT's (culturally modified trees) and ancient stone fish traps used to harvest salmon in the fall. We left the river and stroked to Herman and Janey's under flat calm, sunny and hot conditions. The Greatbear was serving up some stellar paddling conditions. I was overdressed in my Gore-Tex and rubber boots but Bradley was on with board shorts and a t-shirt. The weather in the Greatbear never fails to impress me with its weather range. It can go from rainy, cool and windy to fog to flat calm, blue skies and hot all in the same tide cycle. Cetacea Lab as usual was great. Herman and Janey and I have pretty much grown up together here in the Greatbear, although they are permanent residents here. They are both adopted into the Hartley bay band and have built a life here studying cetaceans. I always enjoying bringing guests by to see their work and to listen to the calls of Humpback and Orca recorded from their own hydrophones. The walls of the lab are covered in charts and tail identification photos. On our paddle back to the cabin we heard another fog horn, but without fog I was confused. I looked behind to see where the boat was but there was no boat. At that point I heard the loudest sound I have ever experienced in the Greatbear Rainforest. The sound, which was like a ship's fog horn echoed powerfully off the walls of the islands and fiords for miles and miles. Looking back again I could see a pod of 10 whales just south of Gil Island a few miles away from us. We realized that the sound was coming from the exhalation of one whale. I could not believe it. The fog horn I had heard early in the morning that I thought was a cruise ship in the fog was actually a humpback whale. I called Herman right away and he confirmed what we were hearing. It was another first in the Greatbear. It remains one of the memorable highlights of the trip. Paddling our way home with the setting sun at our backs, I secretly hoped we would encounter this pod tomorrow. Upon arriving to our campsite a quick hike into the estuary to look for wildlife revealed the black bear we had seen the day before working his way into the river to fish for the night. The evening ended with the rise of the full moon and the northern lights dancing above. Aaron took advantage of this rarity and got some amazing time lapse photo. After a full day we were all ready for a restful sleep.

Day 6: Riding Giants

An early morning in the estuary did not reveal any creatures, just the relentless, determination of spawning salmon and the many vocalizations of the Raven, Trickster and creator of the world. We put our day packs together, loaded our boards and caught the ebb current out of the harbour on our way to the Stellar Sea Lion rookery. 45 minutes in we spotted the big pod of Humpbacks on the east side of Ashdown Island. We moved quickly towards them as I tightened up our group. They were working together to bubble net feed as a group with all 10 whales organizing themselves into an interdependent team. Just as the group looked back a large whale surprised us came up 30 feet from John, and then another surfaced, and then another until all 10 humpbacks came up beside us. It was one of those rare moments in life. We were riding giants and it was a very heavy experience. Experiencing 400 tones of whale so close and without the safety of a boat, at eye level, will be an experience I will remember forever. This feeding pod would be our company for the rest of the day. We made it to Sea Lion Rock and shared the water with hundreds of sea mammals that come back to the rock every year and use it as a base camp to give birth and to feed. It's always thrilling to have 50 sea lions rush up on you trying to intimidate you, rolling and diving beneath your board. At close to 2000 pounds the big males are intimidating and are quite protective of their harems. From Sea Lion rock we ferried across a strong current to have lunch at Kiel, the traditional food harvesting spring camp of Hartley Bay. This is the location where the Gitga'at people have harvested seaweed and halibut for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. We ate lunch under a blazing sun as we watched the pod of Humpbacks, breaching and feeding from the midden beach. A quick paddle home using the back eddy of the current brought us to the cabin. That evening under the rise of the full moon we paddled into the forest to look for wildlife. The Ravens had gone silent and the estuary was quiet except for the running of salmon in the shallow water. It was 1 am before we made it back to the cabin after a unique experience of becoming nocturnal animals ourselves.

Day 7: Outflows and Fried Bread

Our last morning looking for bears and wolves without luck brought us back to the cabin to pack up for our trip back to Hartley Bay. We had a challenging boat ride back to Hartley Bay in a building and vicious northerly outflow wind. Cam's boat March Madness handled the water well but Aaron, Derek and Jamie had to pay the price up front. I should have travelled on the west side of Gill Island where the outflow winds would have been a lot less. Another lesson the Greatbear has provided for me. We were all happy to see the dock and made out way to Cam's parents house for fried bread, coffee and fruit. This has become a tradition for our trip and John Redpath set a new record by throwing down 10 pieces. He made Brad and I look light we were on a diet with his impressive display. The "Gitga'at donunts" did not have a chance with our hungry SUP crew. After thanking Lynne and Ernie we boarded the ferry to Prince Rupert. By the time we made it to Grenville Chanel most of us were horizontal, catching up on sleep and reminiscing about the incredible experiences of the past week.

From me, a special thanks to John, Brad, Derek, Jamie, Sheila and Aaron for committing to the trip and giving me the opportunity to guide you through the Greatbear Rainforest. Jen and i really enjoyed spending the week with you. From our group, thanks Cam, Eva, Max, Rachel, Morgan, Ernie and Lynne for sharing your home and traditional food with our group. Thanks to Helen Clifton for sharing your stories with us and thank you to the community of Hartley Bay for welcoming us into your community. Thanks to Herman and Janey for your time at Cetacea Lab and to Marvin Robinson for your guidance and support throughout the territory. Finally a big thank you to Jen for doing a great job on the food and coming up here to co guide with me. This is our 3rd GBR SUP Expedition together and it gets better every year.

Big thanks to Danny B from WhiskeyJack Paddles for the beautiful SUP paddles. Thanks to Joe from Ryders Sunglasses for the much needed polarized shades, love those Rockslides. Everyone on the trip thanks Lance and Cara for the huge supply of Standup4Greatbear Coffee from Galileo Coffee . To Gord from MEC thanks for the waterproof bags, tents and lifejacket. Amazing gear for the expedition and everyone asks about the waterproof bags. The coastal environment of the Greatbear Rainforest is one of the most best places for testing gear in the world. If it can last here it and keep you dry, it can last anywhere. Jen and i also got our gear ready by treating it with Nixwax products provided by Kelsey Hulse. Nikwax has an amazing line of waterproofing products that has really helped keep our wet weather gear ready for the rainforest. Finally thanks to everyone who has supported Standup4Greatbear this year. Your financial support has helped me complete the Standup4Greatbear Film which will be showcased this year and will be online soon.

For more information about the GBR SUP trips and to find out about next years dates email me at norm@mountainsurfadventures.com.

Round Bowen Challenge

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:45:00 GMT

Last Sunday i headed over to Bowen Island for the 34 KM Round Bowen Challenge . It's a very short ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay to Snug Harbour on Bowen. Jen and i SUPed over to Snug Harbour for breakfast and coffee one morning and then took the ferry back, which was free. You only pay one way. It's a fun little paddle and you just have to be aware of boat and ferry traffic and the westerlies that can build up out of the Straight of Georgia. Paddle it in the morning before the winds come up.

The Round Bowen Challenge traditionally has been a kayak race but this year Jen, Mike, Lee and Tim were competing in the relay and Kelvin Hummeny and i were going around solo. I thought this race would be great training for my Molokai to Oahu race at the end of July. Kelvin and crew took an earlier ferry and headed south around Bowen for their start. I took a later ferry closer to the beginning of the race and by that time the call was to head north around the island.

I brought over my 14′ Roy Vickers Rogue Raven board to test around the island. I love big distance ocean races and expeditions and the feeling of freedom it brings being on the water. We had great weather for the paddle and throughout the day. The first 50 minutes of paddling was pretty cruisey as i moved with the flooding current and a slight inflow breeze at my back. Bowen Island is located at the mouth of Howe Sound which is the starting point for the strong inflows that develop during daytime heating. By the time those inflow winds get to Squamish, the kiteboarders and windsurfers are having a great time riding the swells and powerful winds. I love these conditions for downwinding on my sup as well and the best place to start is in Porteau Cove.

As i rounded the east side of the island the current and wind both switched direction and i found myself paddling against a decent headwind for an 1.5 hours and against the current for 2 hours. Regardless i just paddled on taking the time to concentrate on my stroke and use the water along the shoreline to my advantage. The west side of the island can be pretty nasty with full exposure to the Straight of Georgia but today it was warm and flat. The quickest part of the race was heading back up north along Bowen and back to Snug Harbour. For the last hour and a bit i picked up the north current again and the nice inflow wind that was at my back again now but stronger. By the time i hit the dock in Snug Harbour my watch read 3:52 minutes. That was pretty much continuous paddling effort with about 500mls of water and 4 shot blocks. I felt pretty good afterwards and really enjoyed the salmon dinner they had waiting for us, man i was hungry. The Vickers board was great and a lot of fun to paddle. Congrats to all the racers but especially to my fellow SUPers, Kelvin, Jen, Tim, Lee and Mike.

I think this race in the future will be a great one for the SUP racers. I like it because it really tests your waterman skills of weather, wind, tides, currents and how to read all of those and how to use them to your advantage. The 34 k tests your physical abilities, training and paddling technique. I know i have been paddling with good technique because aside from some general muscle stiffness i have no joint or tendonitis problems which can occur over long distances and with poor technique.

I think i will head out for the MEC Big Chop race series this Thursday at Vanier Park for some more training. Race begins at 7:00pm.

See you on the water.

Kalamalka SUP Classic

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:11:00 GMT

This past weekend I went to the Kalamalka Classic hosted by Kevin and Michelle from Kalavida Surf Shop. It was an amazing weekend of SUP stoke. I arrived Friday night and ran a pre race skills clinic for some of the competitors on a flat calm beautiful evening on Kalamalka Lake. Saturday i raced in the short course and sprint race and Sunday we had 10 mile race across the lake. After all of this I was crowned the King of Kalamalka. Aside from the race it was amazing to spend time with so many great people. Saturday night was a highlight as i had the chance to share the first viewing of my new Standup4Greatbear Film documentary. The film received a standing ovation and the feedback i received was humbling. Taylor Fox who produced the film did an incredible job and i cannot wait to share this with everyone.

I also picked up my new Rogue Custom Roy Vickers Expedition board and people were floored by it's beauty. It had it's christening on the 10 mile race on Sunday. Thanks so much to Team Rogue and to Roy who created the design. Pictures and blog to come.

Below are the results from the weekend.

Hann and Augaitis Capture Kalamalka Crowns

Only one year ago, 18 people crossed the length of Kalamalka Lake and there was only one 'race' style board in the mix – that of Beau Whitehead of Bellingham, who won the event in a time of 1:49:12. This year, 61 athletes made the crossing with a full compliment of 12'6″ and 14′ race boards dominating the field. It was 'Classic' weekend no doubt with good competition, a great vibe and tons of SUP stoke to go around. The weekend featured three events; Short Course, 4x SUP Sprints and the 10-mile Kal Crossing. Norm Hann (Squamish) was crowned King of Kalamalka and Lina Augaitis (Vancouver) was crowned as the Queen of Kalamalka. Helene Urculu (Oliver) and Ed Fitch (Vancouver) earned the overall wins in the Recreational 'Weekend Warrior' classes. The event drew competitors from across Western Canada, Washington and California and was more than 3-times larger than last year's inaugural race.

Kalamalka Crossing – 61 competitors, 10 miles

Competitive Men – <12'6
1. Beau Whitehead, Bellingham WA – 1:49:05
2. Gary Parsons, Vancouver – 1:52:00
3. Stuart Robinson, Comox – 1:52:50
4. Kelvin Hummeny, Vancouver – 1:55:02
5. Wade Anderson, Vernon – 1:56:13
6. David Jinue, Vancouver – 1:58:00
7. Ken Rymer, Kelowna – 1:59:51
8. Barry O'Donohoe, Victoria – 2:00:01
9. Mike Hainault, Vernon – 2:03:15
10. Kim Doleszar, Vernon – 2:05:30

Competitive Men – 14′
1. David Hazenboom, Bellingham WA – 1:43:26
2. Norm Hann, Squamish – 1:44:36
3. Scott Lemon, Vernon – 1:45
4. Kimo Jandoc, Lyndon WA – 1:46:07
5. Mike Darbyshire, Vancouver – 1:47:10
6. Scott Siemens, Vernon – 1:48:20
7. Brad Clements, Vernon – 1:48:20
8. Dale Plant, Bellingham WA – 1:49
9. Yannik Michaud, Vancouver – 1:51:07
10. Warren Currie, Edmonton – 1:54:14

Competitive Women – <12'6
1. Lina Augaitis, Vancouver – 1:50:08
2. Jen Dillinger, Burnaby – 2:01:50
3. Kristin Thomas, California – 2:05:00
4. Tina Hoeben, Penticton – 2:06:15
5. Diana Mauriks, Squamish – 2:06:51
6. Sheila Sovereign, Vernon – 2:08:00

Recreational Men – <12'6
1. Mike Jodoin, Vernon – 2:04:38
2. Sandy McGee, Kelowna – 2:07:24
3. Pierre Goyette, Vernon – 2:13:22
4. Ed Fitch, Vancouver – 2:15:02
5. David Swirp, Calgary – 2:46:54

Short Course – 40 competitors

Competitive Men – <12'6
1. Norm Hann, Squamish
2. Stuart Robinson, Courtenay
3. Beau Whitehead, Bellingham WA
4. Mike Darbyshire, Vancouver
5. Gary Parsons, Vancouver
6. Kelvin Hummeny, Vancouver
7. Andrew Robinson, Comox
8. Scott Siemens, Vernon

Competitive Women – <12'6
1. Lina Augaitis, Vancouver
2. Kristin Thomas, California
3. Tina Hoeben, Penticton
4. Sheila Sovereign, Vernon
5. Diana Mauriks, Squamish
6. Jen Dillinger, Burnaby

SUP Sprints – Elimination Style

Competitive Men – Final
1. Norm Hann, Squamish
2. Kevin O'Brien, Vernon
3. Stuart Robinson, Courtenay
4. Cory Ferguson, Vernon

Competitive Women – Final
1. Lina Augaitis, Vancouver
2. Jen Dillinger, Vernon
3. Sheila Sovereign, Vernon
4. Diana Newson, Vernon

Recreational Men – Final
1. Reuben Smid, Coldstream
2. Rob McLoed, Calgary
3. Jonathan Bowers, Kamloops
4. Ed Fitch, Vancouver

Recreational Women – Final
1. Helene Urculu, Oliver
2. Jen Forbes, Chilliwack
3. Maureen McEwen, Vernon
4. Megan Kibyuk, Vernon

Bella Bella Paddleboard Project

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:19:00 GMT

After starting in Kitimat on May 8th, 2010 I finished my Standup4Greatbear expedition 11 days later on May 18th in the Heiltsuk community of Bella Bella. It was an amazing place to finish as I was greeted by hundreds of community members and youth. I remembered being really inspired by the students that showed up to support their coast holding signs and waving flags.

A few months later I was contacted by Chris Williamson, a wood working teacher at Bella Bella High School, who told me that he had suggested to the students that for their next project they build surfboards but he had emailed to tell me that after the expedition they wanted to build red and yellow cedar standup paddleboards. I was blown away, inspired and excited to hear that a teacher and a group of First Nation's youth would take on such a project. It is hard enough building one board but Chris and the class were determined to build not one but 12 boards and 12 wooden paddles to move them forward.

See the previous blog post from my visit to Bella Bella this past March to check out the students progress and the wooden paddleboards under construction. After that visit I vowed to make it back to Bella Bella to teach the students how to SUP and to officially launch the Bella Bella Paddleboard Project. The opportunity came up when Jess Housty, a youth leader from the QQS Society, contacted me about the Coastal Voices Festival they were organizing on May 20-22nd. This festival was about celebrating our coast and keeping tankers out of the Greatbear Rainforest by showcasing films and speakers related to the issue. I was invited to share the Standup4Greatbear Expedition which was great since it was the year anniversary of the trip and I hadn't been back to Bella Bella to share my presentation and say thanks.

A challenge I had though was that I had Quest University in Hartley Bay at the same time. After a few logistical changes and a boat from Pacific Wild I found myself traveling the inside passage for a 5 hour trip to Bella Bella. I passed a number of places that I visited on my trip and it brought back powerful memories. I made it to Bella Bella that evening for the launch of Frank Wolf's On the Line film documentary about his multi sport expedition with Todd McGowan from the Tar sands to Hartley Bay. I also had a sneak peak at the completed paddleboards, three of students boards were on display in the school's hallway for everyone to see. The boards were beaming.

Saturday morning was the launch day. The students showed up and transported their own boards down to the beach under the main pier in Bella Bella. Community members started to gather to support their youth. I was offering a Paddle Canada Introduction to Standup Paddleboarding course so the students would receive official certification. Safe ocean paddling and solid instruction was the focus but you could see the nervousness in the students eyes conveying they were fearful about falling in and not looking bad in front of the building crowd. They were game though and even before they stood up I told them how proud I was and how proud the community was of their huge accomplishment. The boards lined up on the beach looked stunning.

They are real works of art but were meant to be paddled on the ocean. Red Cedars are the tree of life for First Nations on the coast as they were used for everything from clothing, to longhouses to traditional canoes. Red Cedar was incorporated into every part of their life. Now these Red Cedar paddleboards were starting a new life on the ocean. We waxed the boards up like they used to do, and one by one we got the students on the board. Every time a student stood up the crowd cheered and horns were honked! Within minutes you could see the fear drop away, replaced with a sense of pride and confidence. I could barely contain them. Soon they were paddling away with that feeling you can only understand if you have stood up on water for the first time, but for these students it was more than that. This was freedom, this was exploration of their traditional territory, this was connection to their land. These youth come from a lineage of ocean going people. They are inherently waterman and you could see centuries of knowledge and skills awakening. It was incredible to watch and be a part of. Their smiles told me everything I needed to know.

After presenting the students with their Paddle Canada certifications I made my way back up the outer coast to meet the Quest students back in Gitga'at territory. It was an incredibly inspiring boat ride and again I passed places that I managed to get to on my paddleboard and it brought a smile to my face. It was a three and a half hour outer coast boat ride and I did not see another human being until I got to Hartley Bay's spring camp at Kiel. I saw a lot of wildlife making their way up the coast. I shared the waters with 5 Resident Killer Whales, the A36's, two Humpbacks and numerous Dall's Poirposes. As I arrived into Cameron Cove to meet the class a large black bear awaited me on the shoreline. I really felt the GreatBear Rainforest was welcoming me back.

Thanks to Ian and Karen at Pacific Wild and Jess Housty for supporting me on my trip to Bella Bella. Thanks to Frank Wolf, Ian McAllister and Mark Wunsch for taking pictures and filming and to Kevin OBrien at Kalavida Surf Shop for sending up leashes and wax to the students.

Thank you to the community of Bella Bella for their support and encouragement. And most of all thank you to Chris and the students for inspiring me and allowing me to feel very very proud. Check out the Bella Bella Woodshop Facebook Page to keep updated. Thanks to Kevin OBrien at Kalavida Surf Shop for sending up leashes and wax for keeping the students safe on their boards.

Congratulations, William Dixon Jr, Aki Tiitto, James Hall, Leanne Reid, Richard Wilson, David Applebaum, Louis Shaw, Kara Williamson, Chris Williamson.

On a side note, a couple of days later Diana Chan from Pacific Wild told me that a bunch of students were going by her front window on their paddleboards. I had to smile…..

Real Learning…Quest U travels to Gitga'at spring harvesting camp

Tue, 31 May 2011 07:05:00 GMT

The past two Septembers I have taken Quest University to Hartley Bay and into the Greatbear Rainforest for their ecology class. Led by instructor Nobi Suzuki, the ecology class focused on the incredible wildlife at that time of the year, the wild salmon runs, Humpback Whales and of course the search for the rare Spirit Bear. When you are in the Great Bear Rainforest you cannot separate the environment and the people and many of the students were captivated by culture of the Gitga'at people. My adopted community of Hartley Bay is an incredibly giving community and these unique classes experienced much more than what was written in a course description. Nobi approached me about coming up for a Culture and Tradition Class and I could not think of a better time than the month of May. At this time the coast comes alive and the Gitga'at people make their way down to their ancient fishing village, Kiel, to harvest some of their traditional foods like halibut and seaweed. So i met the group in Prince Rupert on the 16th for a 10 day sojourn down to Hartley Bay.

Our first few days were spent in the community talking with elders, understanding the language, sharing stories and participating in community feasts. The highlight was our trip with Cam Hill up to the Gitga'ats traditional village site in the Qual River Valley. Cam showed us the petroglyph site which holds over 200 hundred carved rocks. I spent one evening here on my SU4GB trip with Myron, Alex and Mick. Cam also took us to Old Town, their fall camp where they hunt moose and harvest chum and pink salmon. He also talked about man made island, an ingenious island built in the middle of a powerful river that at one point held 14 longhouses. Old stories surround this island as and area of ambush for warring tribes. The energy in this valley is palpable. Huge thanks to Cam for bringing us up there.

I then had to travel down the coast to Heiltsuk territory for the launch of the Bella Bella Standup Paddleboard project, but that deserves a blog on it's own.

After I returned from Bella Bella I met the class at the cabin in Cameron Cove which was to be our home for the next four nights. Cameron Cove and the river that pours into it is an area I have spent countless days and weeks in guiding people for King Pacific Lodge and on various expeditions. Most recently this is base camp for our Mountain Surf Adventures Greatbear SUP Expeditions. After getting settled in we visited friends, Hermann and Janey at Cetacea Lab on Gil Island where they talked to us about their research and study of Humpbacks, Fin and Killer Whales. Fascinating work by passionate and committed people dedicated to protecting this area as a whale sactuary.

The highlight of our whole trip awaited us the following two days as we became integrated into the camp life at Kiel. Kiel is a traditional fishing village of the Gitga'at people where during the month of May the elders and communities members travel south with the birth of spring to harvest halibut, seaweed, spring salmon and chitons. They have used these fishing villages and areas of harvest for centuries. Harvesting foods make them who they are, you cannot separate the people from the environment.

In all of my years in Hartley Bay I had never been down to Kiel at this time of the year to harvest with the people. The experience was priceless as was the food we harvested and ate. I was blown away by the generosity of the families who each had their own cabin and areas for drying seaweed and halibut.

The students picked seaweed alongside the community for two days, filling sacks with the ocean's gold. Groups of students were invited by fisherman on small boats to go out to hand pull halibut lines. In front of our eyes we watched the people harvest and process food from sun up to sun down. Everyone had a role and we seemed to blend well. It was an honor for us to be there. I was really proud of the Quest students as they not only helped harvest but spent precious hours with the young children at the camp playing old games, swimming, and just having fun. The youth will never forget conscious time spent with them, just like they never forgot the last Quest class that came up last September and taught them how to slack line. We were also fortunate to be at the camp at the same time as Nancy Turner who had brought a class up as well. Nancy is a world leading ethnobotanist and author and has spent countless hours working with many First Nations documenting their stories and traditional plant use. Coincidentally the Quest Students were reading her Earth's Blanket book and she took the time to sit down with the class to discuss here work.

On a personal note I was brought to a new level, and uplifted by immense feelings of inspiration and gratitude and another layer of love for our incredible coast and the people that live in harmony with it. Thanks to Jen Dickie for coming up to Hartley Bay to provide sea kayak training for the youth and for looking after Quest and sharing your knowledge while I was down in Bella Bella. Thanks go out to Belle, Tony and Ian Eaton, Danny and Mona Danes, Archie Dundas Jr and Nicole, Betty Lou Dundas, Jimmy, Annetta and the Robinson Family, Jen, Elliot and Derek Reece, and Alex Clifton for looking sharing your culture with us. Thanks to Marven for guiding us in Cameron Cove and for transportation. Thanks to Mick for helping with transportation as well. Big thanks to Mike Reid for his support throughout the week. A special thanks go to Cam, Eva, Brother Max, Sister's Ray and Morgan, Lynne and Ernie Hill for housing us, transporting us, teaching us and looking after us. You are my family and I am always proud to have people meet you as I feel that everyone who does are better for it. Granny, thanks for being such a great leader, we missed you in Kiel but we hope you like the seaweed we picked for you. And finally to the community for opening your arms to our class. As I write this we are on the ferry to Prince Rupert with a group of uplifted students ready to reflect and share their experiences from a powerful 10 days on the coast.

Travelling North with Arrival of Spring

Mon, 30 May 2011 06:15:00 GMT

With the arrival of spring on our coast it was time to travel north to Prince Rupert to meet Quest University and take them into the Greatbear Rainforest for their Culture and Tradition Class. It's an amazing time of the year to travel through BC as the leaves are coming out and things are coming back to life after a long winter.

Day 1 took me up to Smithers where I was really excited to see close friends, to share some SUP stoke and to do another Standup4Greatbear presentation. I stayed at Walter and Amy's beautiful farm just outside of town. Walter owns Raven Rescue , the top safety and rescue company in Canada, which offers all types of rescue and first aid courses. I first met Walter when we hired his company to come into Hartley Bay to do a Swiftwater Rescue course for the kids. Walter is a pro in every aspect and someone I admire greatly. The following day I woke up to blue bird skies and hit Kathlyn Lake under the incredible backdrop of Hudson Bay Mountain for an early morning SUP training session. I spent the day hanging out in Smithers, visiting Ali Howard at her new Natural Food Store. Ali, if your familiar, swam the length of the Skeena River(610kms) to keep Shell out of the Sacred Headwaters with her team. The Sacred Headwaters are the birthplace of three of the most powerful and spiritual rivers systems in BC, the Nass, Stikine and Skeena. Do yourself a favor and find her documentary, Awakening the Skeena.

Her teammate Brian Huntington of the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition phoned me out of the blue and offered to support me on my Standup4Greatbear Expedition. Brian is another amazing brother, and he committed to 400k of open ocean paddling and he had never even been in a sea kayak before. Talk about passion. I think you get the idea that there are some really amazing people in Smithers. That day I also met with Taylor Fox who is editing all of the video for my upcoming "Stand Up" film based on the SU4GB Expedition. I saw a rough edit and it is coming together nicely and I think people will be pretty stoked when they see it. It will premiere at the Kalmalka Classic in Vernon on June 19th. Taylor and I had a chance to enjoy a couple of delicious Plan B Pale Ales while editing, interviewing and working on the film. If your in Smithers stop by the Plan B microbrewery for some tasters. That night I headed to a fundraiser for Bulkley Valley Canoe and Kayak club and met Dave Wahl of Valhalla Pure. One of the reasons I was up here was to work with Dave and his staff in order to get them ready for the upcoming SUP season. Dave carries a great line of Surftech SUP's so if your in the market and anywhere around Smithers, stop in to say hi.

The following day I woke up, hit the Smithers Farmers market and then headed over to Valhalla for a product knowledge/demo session on SUP with Dave's staff. That afternoon, sponsored by Valhalla Pure, I did another SUP demo for community members on Kathlyn Lake. It was fun sharing the SUP stoke with the Smithers paddlers, Dave is building a great little community of SUPers up there.

That night we all went to the Aspen Lodge (highly recommended, great food and service, very cool wood building and Plan B on tap) for a Standup4Greatbear Presentation. I was really happy to have Brian Huntington there to share the show with me. All of the presentations I have done up to this point were on my own so sharing the evening with my fellow expedition partner was uplifting. That evening plans were made to surf Tatlow Falls the following morning. I awoke to yet another great morning and after a delicious breakfast with Ali and Greg we made our way to the river. These people are river people and it was great learning from them in an environment that I am not as comfortable with. With support and safety I finally made it onto the Tatlow wave on my SUP and had some great rides.

I didn't want to leave Smithers but I had to work my way west to Prince Rupert. I had one more stop along the way and that was to see Roy Vickers at his house in Hazelton, right on the Skeena River. I was there to thank him for creating the Standup4Greatbear crest and to deliver a couple of tshirts and some coffee.

Roy has been super supportive of Standup4Greatbear and it has been an honor to work with and learn from someone so knowledgable and respected. If you have never been to Hazelton or the Kispiox Valley, put it high on your to do list. It's one of the most stunning mountain and valley landscapes in BC with traditional culture and stories tied into it all. On a clear day that is……

Now it was onto Prince Rupert and the beginning of my 10 day journey into the Greatbear Rainforest and to the communities of Hartley Bay and Bella Bella with Quest University.

Paddling in Chop

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:36:00 GMT

I recently had someone ask me what's the most effective way to paddle in chop when the waves are hitting you from the side or from a quartering angle. Here was my response. I thought this may help other people when they find themselves in more challenging conditions.

Paddling in the chop can be challenging for sure but its one of the fun aspects of SUPing and allows you to gain confidence as a paddler.

Some Thoughts:
Going directly into the wind or chop is fairly straight forward and just requires some hard work but the board stays fairly stable.
Going with the wind and chop is call downwinding and is one of the funner aspects of the sport. Especially in bigger conditions. It's basically surfing and understanding how to catch waves and where to be on the board. A lot of footwork…..fun.

When the chop is on the side or on a back quarter it can be very challenging to stay upright. Certain boards handle the side chop better than others. Some tend to get tweaked pretty easy. Here are my suggestions for dealing with side chop.

Lets say the chop is coming from your starboard side(right):

1. BEND YOUR KNEES and lower your stance: by doing this you lower your center of gravity(good) and you get in more of an athletic, reflexive position and you are able to respond more effectively.
2. STAY LOOSE: Think of an airplane wing that has to deal with turbulence. If the wings were built stiff they would snap but an airplane wing is built to withstand huge amounts of turbulence and is responsive to that turbulence. Same as buildings and bridges that are built in earthquake zones, they are built to move and oscillate. STAY LOOSE. LOOSE HIPS FLOAT SHIPS. Have a beer, that usually takes the edge off!
3. If the side chop is on starboard side again open up the end of the board so the chop flows under. You will have to shift your weight to the left side so the right side of the board opens up and water flows under and doesn't catch. Its like going into a current with a kayak. You always open up the side of the boat that the current is flowing from.
4. Keep your paddle in the water. Always keep paddling…..your way more stable.
5. Increase speed if you can. More stable.

If it really gets too challenging just go to your knees, instantly more stable. Yes you will get more wet but thats the trade off.

Paddle with a leash as you do not want to get separated from your board.

See you on the water.

Rogue SUP: All Water Board Review

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:41:00 GMT

After a great time at the Icon Sports/Rogue SUP booth, and in the demo pool at the Vancouver Outdoor show I took home my 12' Rogue Hotrod All Water SUP. Aside from having great looks, which all Rogue SUP boards have I was more interested in its acclaimed All Water performance. This week I was going to test the board in flat-water, downwind and west coast surf conditions.

Flat-water

The specs on the Hotrod are 12' by 4.5" by 30" and my first test was a flat-water training session on Alice Lake in Squamish. This is where I do all of my lessons, fitness classes, and clinics with www.mountainsurfadventures.com and where I do most of my interval training.

The first thing I noticed was how sporty the 12' board felt under my feet. It seemed to be very responsive and due to the specs, did not feel bulky at all. It really didn't feel like a 12 footer and I was very impressed with how easily it glided for a planing hull. Rogue says that the board has a slightly concave nose with a double concave tail that helps move water effectively, which it seemed to do. Since I do most of my training here at the lake I keep track of how long it takes me to do a length from a specified point A to point B. In the past I have been using an 11' 6" training board. My times for 1 length were no better than 2:43. When I paddled the Rogue board my time dropped to 2:34 indicating I was more efficient even with a bit of a slight head wind. Yes it was a little longer but you could just feel that it was faster. Although people will not look to a planing hull to race with it's nice to know that it is an efficient board to paddle on a lake and a great board to train with. The tail and rails of the board felt pretty loose so it was easy to edge and pivot turn with. The board does not have a lot of rocker, which helped it to move efficiently forward. I really liked the deck pad as well. I did a number of on board core exercises so using this board as a fitness tool will keep people happy as well.

Downwind

A couple of days later Howe Sound was calling for the wind to blow 25-35 miles an hour from the south. Lance, Jen and I made our way down Brittania Beach and we launched from Lance's coffee shop, Galileo. I was pretty stoked since the wind had picked up as forecasted and was generating a decent downwind swell. We hopped on our boards and had to cut across the wind and the waves to get to the main part of the channel so we could straight line it into Squamish. The sportiness that I felt on the lake was even more pronounced in the ocean. The tail certainly was loose but I liked the feel. It seemed to be a bit more challenging for me than other boards I have been on in that length range. Once we headed downwind the board really took off. I was able to surf waves and the board brought a smile to my face as I dug into the building swell. Since the board does not have the thickness and width of other boards that length I had to really use my footwork to catch and surf the waves which would please intermediate to expert paddlers. I felt I was always working on the waves and engaged. It is not a board I would put a rookie on in a downwind situation but it is a board you can grow into and enjoy the performance with. I really had to concentrate on the board because due the leaner specs, waves at a quartering angle could really tweak you off the board if you were not careful. The board does not have a lot of rocker so short wavelengths could pearl it if you don't get on the back. I did find that water cleared off the nose of the board pretty well if the board started diving. Once the conditions eased a little I had both jen and lance try the board and both had really positive feedback. Lance had a big smile on his face and said after getting off his board, "this board really moves." You had to work a little bit more to get into the waves but once you did the performance on the wave was better than the bulkier, wider boards. Over long runs this responsiveness and less stability will contribute to more fatigue but for the hour I was on it I enjoyed the performance. The ocean can make any board feel pretty small so if you think you would like to downwind with this board either as a female or male I would go with the 12' length vs. the 11' length. I was happy with the Hotrod's downwind performance and outside of a14 footer this is the board I will use in future runs. I am still waiting to test a displacement hull in these conditions so i will have better feedback after this is accomplished.

Coastal Runs and Surfing

This past weekend I had a big smile on my face as I boarded the ferry to head over to Tofino. Tofino is one of my favorite places in the world and I was excited to test this board in the surf and on the rugged west coast. I took the board out the first evening I was there in waist to shoulder high conditions. I noticed immediately that the tail was pretty loose due to the single fin configuration. I also noticed immediately that due to the lack of rocker on this board it was easy to nosedive if you didn't get onto the back. It was pretty easy to pick up waves, a result of the length and ease of paddling design. The board was pretty fast on the wave and would get down the line quick and link up sections pretty easily. I did not have the bottom turning capability and on-wave performance but that is to be expected with the 12-foot length. I think surfing the 11' length or even the 10' length with the thruster set up for both would be the ticket. I am also really interested to test Rogue's surf specific sup's to see what their performance is like. There is a lot less fatigue on the big boards when waiting for the surf to come in or when there is surface chop. Smaller surf boards cause you to work a little harder while waiting and when getting into the waves but the on-wave performance is much better with the shorter length and thruster set up. I did replace the factory fin with a harder surf fin. Future Fin's Wave fin would be a great option for this board in the surf.

One of the great things about SUP on the coast is being able to paddle into a surf lineup or to a break from another area. I was staying Middle Beach lodge so I paddled around a couple of headlands and through open ocean conditions to get to the break at North Chesterman's. I felt confident on the Hotrod in the presence of strong currents and bigger swells. The board again seemed to handle these coastal conditions effectively and on my return trip I was able so surf some of the downwind swells. For bigger and nastier ocean conditions I would feel much more comfortable with a little bit more volume and length under my feet, most likely a 14 foot board…but then again surfing the 12 once I got to the break was worth it.

Over all I think the "All Water" moniker fits this board pretty well. It looks amazing, paddles the flats well for a planing hull, makes for an exciting and challenging downwind ride, surfs pretty good for a 12 footer and handles the bottom end of the open ocean scale. Stick a couple of EZ plugs on the front and you have a pretty good touring board as well. I will always have the one board that does everything well in my quiver. These boards are really effective if you live near the ocean and like paddling all the different conditions the ocean, lakes or rives can throw at you. If your looking for one board that can do everything pretty well the Rogue All Water or "All Waterman" is a great option.

Thanks to Rogue for their support and sponsorship. Check out www.roguesup.com for their whole line of SUP's. I am looking forward to more testing. Any questions about anything SUP or with board design feel free to email me at norm@mountainsurfadventures.com. See you on the water.

The Story of Roy Henry Vickers Standup4Greatbear Crest

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:07:00 GMT

This past week my friend and accomplished native artist Roy Vickers, presented me with a logo for Standup4Greatbear. I am not calling this a logo though, I am calling it a crest, since it has a story. I wanted to introduce the new Standup4Greatbear crest here to everyone and to tell you the story of how this crest came to be.

I have always admired and felt the connection to Roy's work and I first met him when I was employed as a guide at King Pacific Lodge in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. Roy and his friend Ray were invited guests and I had the opportunity to take them salmon fishing. We headed for the outer islands and into Kitkatla territory. You could see the pride on Roy's face as we entered the land where he spent a lot of time and youth. He talked about fishing with his father, sharing stories and experiences that provided inspiration for some of Roy's work. We had an incredible day on the water searching for salmon and halibut under warm, blue bird skies. We were also fortunate to see a superpod of Blackfish cruising the crystal clear waters in search of prey. As a result of his time at King Pacific Lodge and in the Great Bear Rainforest Roy created 3 limited edition prints, two of which I immediately purchased, King Pacific Lodge and King Pacific Sunset. King Pacific Sunset sold out immediately and both his pictures are visions imprinted in my mind over the years spent guiding at KPL. One, a look from the dock westwards to the lone eagle in the tree and the west coast sunset, and the other of the lodge itself, coming into the safe harbour after a long day on the water. After that season I visited Roy and his family at his beautiful home on the Skeena river. We spent the afternoon catching up and touring the stunning lands of the Hazelton area and Kispiox Valley.

I had seen Roy a few times since that season but it wasn't until I was driving to Prince Rupert for my Standup4Greatbear expedition last May that our paths would cross again. We were both in attendance for Ali Howard's Awakening the Skeena documentary in Hazelton. It was a packed house and after the film we had a chance to catch up as Roy wished our expedition luck. More than anyone he understood how important the Skeena watershed and waters of the Greatbear Rainforest were to keep healthy. Ali's expedition worked to keep Royal Dutch Shell out of the Sacred Headwaters and I was trying to keep oil tankers off our North Coast. Ali's expedition and my expedition had a common bond, Brian Huntington. Brian is an amazing man. He works for the Skeena Watershed Conservation coalition with Shannon McPhail. Their team supported Ali all 610kms and 28 days of her Skeena River swim from the headwaters far up in Northern BC to the coastal community of Prince Rupert. From there Brian called me up out of the blue to help with Standup4Greatbear. He traded in his holidays to support me by kayak(which was his first time in a sea kayak) on a 400km standup paddleboard expedition. He was, and has been an incredible teammate. Brian recently put together the trailer for our upcoming SU4GB documentary. Brian and Roy are good friends as well with connections that run deep.

On my 40th birthday last year my family gave me Roy's Winter Solstice 2007 painting. I have always loved this picture because it's one of Raph Bruweiler walking out into the surf in Tofino with snow falling. It reminds me of my love for surfing, Tofino, the west coast and for my connection to the ocean. Everytime I am in Tofino I stop by Roy's gallery and I make sure that I bring people who have never been to Tofino or the west coast into his gallery. Everything you need to know or feel about our coast, our province and our country hangs on those gallery walls.

After the Standup4greatbear expedition Roy and I kept in touch and he told me he was proud of the work I was doing. I kept thinking about asking Roy to do a logo for Standup4Greatbear. I couldn't think of anyone better who could represent what the expedition was about and what I was about through artwork. I finally gathered the courage to ask Roy and without hesitation he said yes. I was honored. Roy knew me well enough and the Great Bear Rainforest well enough to create a "crest" for Standup4GreatBear. He presented it to me last week and it took my breath away and brought forth strong emotions of pride and joy.

"Sa am Tsa Heightken," Roy always tells me…….You Stand Well.

To Roy, thank you. I am so proud of what you have created for me and for Standup4Greatbear. I know that this crest not only represents who I am and what I do but it will inspire all of those who see it and understand it's story and power.

Here is the crest and it's story.

The face in the center represents those who are willing to make a stand for our mother earth. "A gray mist on the seas face and a gray dawn breaking", is the reason for the choice of gray. The circle represents the cycle of life and the overlapping circles that continue through our lives. The spirit bear represents the natural world and reminds us that what we do to this world affects all life in this world. The tree represents life and the forest that depends on our actions. The bear tracks remind us of a life's journey and, in the grand scheme of things, it is short.
What we do makes a difference in the world, the tracks we leave can lead others to stand up for truth, beauty, and strength of our ancestors. This creation is inspired by Norman Hann and his choice to stand up for truth, strength and beauty.- Roy Henry Vickers

Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, and publisher and author of several successful books. He is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse. Roy has received many awards and honours for his art and community involvement. Among them are a hereditary chieftainship and several hereditary names he has received from Northwest Coast First Nations. In 1994, Maclean's magazine included Roy as the first artist ever in its Annual Honour Roll of Extraordinary Canadian Achievers. In 1998, the Province of British Columbia appointed Roy to the prestigious Order of B.C. and in 2003, Roy received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.

For more information please visit Roy's website at www.royhenryvickers.com
and become a fan of his facebook page .

Kick Ass Canadians

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:57:00 GMT

Not too long ago Amanda Sage contacted me to do an interview about my personal story for her website Kick Ass Canadians. A great friend, roommate and teammate of mine, Brad Rollo recommended my story to Amanda. I am honored to have been able to share my story on her site. Thanks Amanda and thanks Rollsy. Click here to see the interview.

PODCAST: Standup Paddle Radio Show

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 09:02:00 GMT

For those that missed the show this past Thursday online here is the podcast. A special thank you goes out to Leslie Kovolich, host of the show, for giving me the time to talk about Standup4Greatbear. Leslie and thousands of her listeners were affected by the BP spill and she was inspired about our Greatbear Rainforest and the work being done to keep oil tankers off our coastline. Thanks Leslie!

Click HERE for the podcast.

Standup4greatbear on the Standup Paddle Radio Show.

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:11:00 GMT

Thanks to Leslie Kovolich of the Standup Paddle Radio show. I will talking about Standup4greatbear and no tankers tomorrow March 3rd at 9am pacific time. You can click here and listen online. http://www.my30aradio.org/

Inspiration from the Bella Bella Workshop

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:25:00 GMT

I flew in yesterday to Bella Bella for some meetings to determine the direction for the Virtual Rainforest Initiative project. It is cold and clear in Bella Bella right now with a nice coating of snow on the coastal mountains. I was pretty excited today to come in to Chris Williamson's class to check out the wooden standup paddleboards they were making.

I completed my Standup4Greatbear expedition here in Heiltsuk territory last May and the students in Chris's class were inspired to each build a standup paddleboard so they could explore their local waters and traditional territory. I told Chris as soon as i had the chance i was coming down to meet him and the class. Kudos to Chris who took on the project of teaching his students how to build a wooden SUP. This is a huge task which Chris figures the students have already put in 120 hours of work each on their own boards. It is tough enough building one board but Chris is not only building his own board but guiding 12 other students to each build their own board. Really amazing and inspiring leadership by Chris with his class. The boards are made up of a combination of red cedar, yellow cedar and spruce. The students are glassing in the fins and some are getting really close to finishing the boards. I had a chance this morning to meet the class and talk to each student about their boards. The students are also building their own wood paddles which complement the boards beautifully. The students are also designing their own logo's to personalize each of their boards.

I will come back in May when the boards are done to do a Mountain Surf standup paddleboard clinic for the kids so they can get out in their own territory to explore, adventure and have fun safely. At one time large traditional cedar canoes were used here for transportation and food gathering. Now, the Heiltsuk youth will be traveling by SUP to carry on their tradition of paddling the oceans and rivers. With 13 new boards ready to be launched this spring Bella Bella has become the SUP paddling capital of the coast. I am so excited to get back here to paddle with Chris's class.

Thanks a lot to Ian MacAllister who came over this morning with me to get video footage of the students and boards to be used for my upcoming documentary, Stand Up.

Costa Rica

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:18:00 GMT

It has been on my list for awhile now to get down to Costa Rica to spend the days surfing from sun up to sun down so i met Jen in San Jose on the 4th. Jen had just place 2nd in a 6 day staged running race so she was ready for some R and R.

A look back at 2 Ten

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:59:00 GMT

I just wanted to wish everyone Happy New Year. I hope you have set your goals for 2011 and that your year is already looking bright. 2010 was an awesome year for me personally, for Mountain Surf Adventures and for my new initiative Standup4GreatBear. I am really looking forward to 2011. Here are a few things I was excited about in 2010.

Standup4GreatBear Expedition : As a recipient of the First Ascent: Be First Sponsorship I SUPed 400km from Kitimat to Bella Bella through four first nations communities highlighting traditional food harvesting territories and the wildlife of the GreatBear Rainforest. I was standing up to keep the proposed oil tankers off our coastline. The trip itself, the First Nations in the communities, school kids and those that supported across Canada really inspired me. Thank you to the communities for sharing your traditional food with our expedition. Big thanks to Skeena Watershed Conservation's "Bman" Brian Huntington and my sister Shannon who were by my side for the whole expedition. Thanks so much to everyone who supported my journey. Thanks to the watchman in each territory that showed me sacred places and traditional food harvesting sites, highlighting what's at risk. Thanks to Ian and Karen MacAllister of Pacific Wild for their support and guidance throughout the expedition and as leaders and mentors in the GreatBear Rainforest. Together we will keep the proposed Enbridge Pipeline and oil tankers off our coast. A special thank you to Miss Falconer's North Vancouver Class, Ashley Conley's Grade 8's, Ann Hills class in Terrace, the Rivard's, and the inspiring First Nation's youth in Kitamaat, Hartley Bay, Klemtu and Bella Bella. Thank you!!

Explore Magazine: The Mountain Surf Adventures SUP Exploratory trip to the GreatBear Rainforest was highlighted on the cover of the May issue of Explore Magazine. Writer Masa Takei and photographer Taylor Kennedy did an outstanding job on the project and highlighted the area and the people well. The GreatBear Rainforest is an incredible place to explore on SUP's.

SUP CANADA: MSA started offering SUP products in 2009 and in 2010 the sport has started to blow up in Canada. As a result of the Explore Magazine we ran our first commercial SUP expedition to the GreatBear Rainforest in August which was a huge success. Thanks to Diana, Lance, Jamie, Todd and Steph for coming up to experience the magic of the area. Our lessons, fitness classes and Standup4Coffee trips got a lot of people stoked for the sport. Thanks to the people of Squamish and the Sea to Sky Area for supporting my business. 2011 should be a massive year for SUP. Big Kudos to Kevin OBrien who started the first SUP Surf Shop, Kalavida , in the Okanagan and who hosts the best SUP race in Canada, The Kalamalka Classic . I had a blast at his race last June and shared good times with great people. Look for some big things from Kevy in 2011. Another guy who has been pushing the sport huge has been Bodie Shandro, the Surftech Distributor in Canada. Bodie sponsored me with my Surftech Joe Bark Expedition Board for the SU4GB trip. Bodie is a tireless worker, promoter and is super stoked on SUP in Canada. Not only that but he is a great competitor and SUP surfer. I am looking forward to working with both Kevy and Bodie to continue to promote the sport, push SUP exploration and introduce Canadians to the SUP stoke. Great job Taylor Fulde with your promotion of the sport at www.paddlesurf.ca Cheers to Warren Currie at Easy Rider and Bob Putnam at Deep cove for their SUP contributions. And a big cheers to all the paddleboarders who are out there enjoying the sport, having fun, sharing the stoke and being creative.

International League of Conservation Photographers: Christina Mittermeier of the ILCP and Ian MacAllister of Pacific Wild brought together some of the world's best conservation photographers to the Hartley Bay and the GreatBear Rainforest to help bring awareness to the threat of oil tankers on our coastline. I was fortunate to be a part of this successful project and help with guiding and logistics. I am always inspired by passionate people who are really good at what they do. It was a treat to work with award winning National Geographic Photographer Paul Nicklen as we worked together to find Spirit Bears and spawning salmon.

SUP Racing: My first SUP race was Kevin OBrien's Kalamalka Classic in the Okanagan, already a Canadian SUP classic. After the guiding season in the Great Bear was completed i headed down to California to race the 22 mile Lake Tahoe Fall Classic. After this warmup i met up with Bodie Shandro, Kev and the Canadian boys for the Battle of the Paddle at Dana Point California. Wow, what an event. I competed for Surftech in the Elite Race, the long distance race and the SUP relay. The SUP relay with Kevin H, Bodie and Lina was a lot of fun. So much stoke down there, so many legends and so many smiles. The highlight though, at the BOP, was the day before the races, SUP surfing at San Onofre with Bodie, Kevin O, Ian from Rogue, Ken and Geoff. I will never forget those waves and the fun times in the surf. Oh ya, i got a chance to share a wave with the pipe master himself, Gerry Lopez…that ruled.

So these were some of the highlights. I am happy to see that the No Tanker Campaign on our coast is gaining momentum. The government has underestimated the power of the people on the coast. Outstanding work and momentum has been built by Coastal First Nations, the ILCP, Pacific Wild, individual expeditions like Frank Wolfe's Walk the Line, Mike Reid's coastal kayak, SU4GB, the Pipedreams Project and all of the other organizations working hard to keep our coastline the way it is.

Thanks to my friends and family in Hartley Bay who support me and who give the shirts off their backs to anyone i bring into the community. You have provided me with inspiration and a drive to protect the area that i didn't think i had in me. Thanks for showing me the way.

Big thanks to my sponsors, Surftech, Ryders Eyewear, WhiskeyJack Paddles, Galileo Coffee, Pacific Wild, and all the supporters of Standup4GreatBear.

2011 will be another incredible year. I am fortunate to be healthy, to have amazing family and friends, and to be a Canadian. Thanks to my partner Jen who has supported me in everything that i do and is one who inspires me with her work ethic, character, drive and inspiration of others. Her new studio Challenge By Choice Performance Training Studio will be a huge success in 2011.

I will continue to explore, have fun, share experiences with others and lead a life of passion.

The New Year

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:11:00 GMT

Happy New Year!! Here is a 2010 update from Ian and Karen MacAllister of Pacific Wild.

Click Here.

"Paddle with Soul" WhiskeyJack Paddles

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 22:08:00 GMT

One day I went to the mail a found this beautiful postcard from WhiskeyJack Paddles , a company based in Montana but with inspiration from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, advertising their gorgeous wooden standup paddles. After perusing their great website I got in touch with owner Danny B who sent me a couple to try up here in Squamish. Visually, these paddles are stunning and growing up on the lakes and rivers of Northern Ontario these paddles initiated an emotional response because they brought me back to my early childhood days where i would spend all day on river in a canoe with my paddle searching for smallmouth bass and big pike. I also spent a lot of time on Lake Superior and teaching in Rainy Lake, near Quetico Provincial Park and as a gift I was given a Don Meany Original canoe paddle by a friend a number of years back. It's a paddle that i cherish and use sparingly. I connected immediately to Danny's paddles and the Boundary Waters area that borders North Western Ontario set deep in the Canadian Shield. Wood paddles are just so beautiful to look at and have the feeling only wood can provide. The craftsmanship in these WhiskeyJacks are second to none. I spend a huge amount of my time standup paddling the Greatbear Rainforest and Pacific Ocean. The Cedar tree is the tree of life on our coast and a tree that was used by the First Nations for virtually everything, from canoes, to longhouses, bentwood boxes, line and clothing. Seeing that the WhiskeyJack paddles were also partly made of cedar brought even more connection. I wish i had these paddles when Andy Lambrecht built me a red cedar SUP for my first trip to the Greatbear Rainforest in 2009. This paddle would have matched the board beautifully.

I received two paddles, the Bootlegger and the Tall Boy. I first took the Bootlegger out to the ocean to have a go with it for an hour or so. I had a hard time taking the blade out of the plastic…..it just looked too good but i was really excited to try it. The new lacquer smell made me smile. The paddle felt great in my hands and I especially like the anatomical T grip which fitted my palm perfectly. Of course the wood paddle was a little heavier than my carbon paddle but that's to be expected. What you give up in weight you get back in the connection to the land. Its all about the feel. I also liked the fact that it was providing a little bit better of a workout for me, a nice trainer tool as well. The wide blade moved my SUP through the water effectively and efficiently. This paddle will travel with me all the way to the Greatbear Rainforest this fall for my SUP expeditions on the north coast. A paddle like this needs to be taken places so that you can build some experiences into the wood and connect it back to the land. Wood paddles have stories and a life. I am really excited to take it back to Sudbury, Ontario this summer as I continue to introduce people to the sport. I will also have out with me on my evening SUP forays for late night walleye a few minutes away from my parents house.

I then took the Tall Boy out to the South Coast of Vancouver Island for a little sup surf sesh. The Tall Boy has a smaller blade so it was much better suited to the quick movements and aggressive paddling that surfing requires. I had a stunning day with small surf to test the paddle out and to test my new Surftech Infinity KukuHoe. Both pieces of equipment performed beautifully. I surfed for 6 hours straight and i really, really liked the Tall Boy. I was able to drive hard on it and it also braced well. I had no fatigue or soreness associated with the paddle and it sure did look good in the lineup. It makes me feel good to paddle with something that has sustainably come from the land and I know other people feel this way as there is a huge resurgence in wood products, especially in the standup and surf world.

Here is a short 15 second video of one wave with the Tall Boy.
Thanks to Eric and 1iopen Productions .

Thanks Danny B, for the great paddles and the nice touch of putting my name on each one. If your looking for an incredible gift for Christmas, one that will have meaning and will last forever, you gotta get one of these. It will be hard to give it as a gift since you will want one so bad yourself but SUP is about sharing……just get two.

A Message in a Bottle

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 03:01:00 GMT

As I write this from the school in Hartley Bay, Mr Hill has informed me that a bottle thrown overboard near Hartley Bay by my adopted sister Morgan has found its way to Sandspit, Haida Gwaii. Here is an interesting article from the Times Columnist in Victoria.

Squamish SUPing in November

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 01:57:00 GMT

Winter has arrived here in Sea to Sky Country but I have been able to carry on paddleboarding in the varied conditions here in the Sound. When SUP is your lifestyle its hard to put the boards away for the winter. I am still trying to get out every second day but yes its cold and not ideal but its something i just need to do. Looking at all my facebook friends down south is a little tough but I love my Canadian roots and we do what we have to do up here as the weather helps to forge our character…..and our paddling.

This past week we finally got some snow in Squamish and i took the opportunity with Jen and Sea to head up to Alice Lake for the last paddle up there this year. The ice is closing in on the lake and the gates closed today. It was fun paddling in the snowstorm and getting a few more laps in with Seana accompanying me on a few lengths.

Tomorrow i will look at paddling down the Squamish River to get a good look at the Bald Eagles which winter here. A hundreds have show up and the river is at a pretty low rate with most of the precipitation being locked up now as snow.

Standup4GreatBear Visits the Sunshine Coast

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 20:41:00 GMT

I will be heading to the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday November 16th to do a slide show presentation on the GreatBear Rainforest and my Standup4GreatBear Expedition this past May. I will be presenting at Pender Harbour High School at 7:30pm for the Pender Harbour District and Wildlife Society. If you are on the Sunshine Coast or want to take the short ferry over from the mainland come on over to experience the magic of the GreatBear Rainforest, the threats to this area and our coastline and to support the standup paddleboard expedition, Standup4GreatBear.

Wolf pack fishing in October, 2010

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 20:19:00 GMT

Wolf pack fishing in October, 2010.

We are Salmon People

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:34:00 GMT

A great speech by Alexandra Morton, "Salmon are Sacred," this past week at the 2009 Fraser River Sockeye Inquiry. Alexandra is a hero and has been working tirelessly on our coast to protect our wild salmon from fish farms.

ABC Nightline: Spirit Bears

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:14:00 GMT

This is the ABC Nightline segment that was done during the iLCP RAVE in Hartley Bay this past September. ABC obviously has a huge audience so it was great for our battle to keep oil tankers off our coast. Enjoy, there is some amazing Spirit Bear footage here in the rivers we visit. Our Mountain Surf Great Bear Expedition trips takes you to this incredible area to view Spirit Bears, enjoy amazing wildlife and experience the rich culture of the Gitga'at People.

Click here for ABC Nightline Special

iLCP GreatBear RAVE.

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:47:00 GMT

This is what the iLCP GreatBear RAVE was all about. All of these shots and videos were taken while in the GreatBear Rainforest over a two week period. Christina was also there when i arrived in Bella Bella for my Standup4Greatbear expedition this past May.

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE from iLCP on Vimeo .

Oil and the GreatBear Rainforest

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:40:00 GMT

Ian McAllister and his crew at Pacific Wild have put together this incredible video to show what's at risk with the tar sands and tankers. I had a chance to preview this film with Ian on his sailboat this fall during the iLCP Greatbear Rave and it was exciting and powerful to watch. Great job to Damien Gillis for his production. Enjoy. If you are interested in going to the GreatBear…….contact me.

Oil in Eden: The Battle to Protect Canada's Pacific Coast from Pacific Wild on Vimeo .

The 14′ Surftech Joe Bark Expedition Board Review

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:58:00 GMT

I have been asked by a number of people what i think about my Surftech Joe Bark Expedition board. I recently wrote a response to a fellow SUPer in So Cal so i thought i would copy my response here so others can see it.

I have also started to run commercial expeditions with Mountain Surf Adventures in the Great Rainforest and brought my Bark Expedition up for that and I could not keep people off the board. One gentleman upon returning home to Calgary bought one immediately. I was happy to have guests on it since it paddles so well and is so efficient yet stable. If i could have a fleet of these for my upcoming expeditions i would. The board has multiple attachment points for gear and comes with a handle on each rail that can also be taken off or moved to a different location on the board. The deck pad is comfortable on feet.

Lastly, this board and any Surftech Tuflight board is incredibly durable. This board has done a 400km expedition and an 8 day GreatBear Rainforest expedition, and numerous days trips along one of the most rugged and tough shorelines in the world. I have also had it on an open trailer for 3000km without a bag and it has gotten nailed by rocks and whatever else flies up off the road and it has held up amazingly well. Again i do not recommend this but i didn't have a board bag at the time. I am hoping i can refinish this board but for now it has "battle scars" on it and "experience." I love it. Now i waiting for some really big outflow conditions here in Howe Sound to really test the downwind capabilities.

I hope this helps people who are considering a Surftech Bark Expedition. If anyone is in Squamish or BC come on up for a test drive. See you on the water.

UPDATE: September 2011
For those who are reading this blog on the Bark Expedition, i thought i would give you a few updates. Not only did this board carry me along our coastline for the Standup4Greatbear Expedition but Bodie Shandro and i paddled it across the Molokai this past July. Although there are better boards out there to race Molokai with it was another example of the incredible versatility of this board. We crossed the channel on this board in 5hr 49 minutes. Since the Standup4Greatbear expeditions i have also completed two commercial expeditions with guests to the Greatbear Rainforest with my company Mountain Surf Adventures . Last September was the first and i bought JBX up there with me and clients spent more time on the board than i did and as a result, immediately after the expedition both clients went out and bought a Bark Expedition. As of two weeks ago as i write this i just completed the second commercial expedition and we had two Bark Expeditions and one Mickey Munoz Wateryder, basically a smaller version of the Bark. Needless to say the JBX is an amazing board for me and clients to paddle on in the Greatbear Rainforest as i need something efficient, durable, comfortable and something that can carry weight. Just more food for thought……norm

TedX talk by National Geographic Photographer Brian Skerry on the state of our oceans

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:16:00 GMT

TedX talk by National Geographic Photographer Brian Skerry on the state of our oceans.

Battle of the Paddle- Dana Point, California

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 07:20:00 GMT

After the Tahoe race and celebrating Jen's birthday in Santa Cruz i made my way down to Dana Point for the this year's Battle of the Paddle. I was super excited to be competing in, and experiencing the superbowl of SUP racing. I got there a couple of days early so I spent thursday in Laguna Beach where i hooked up with Canadian Surftech brand Manager Bodie Shandro. Bodie has an incredible stoke for Canadian SUP and we are both really excited to push this SUP stoke to everyone in the great white north. We were there for the grand opening and press conference at the beautiful SUP Company SUP shop owned by Jamie and Tommy Donnelly in Laguna Beach. The store sits above white sand beaches, turquoise waters and glassy surf and they were hosting a meet and greet in the afternoon and a party in evening. I had a chance to meet a lot of the top paddlers and waterman legends there like Chuck Patterson, EJ Ernie Johnson, Danny Ching, Jamie Mitchell, Sparky Anderson, and a highlight for sure was meeting Mr. Pipeline, Gerry Lopez. After the press conference Bodie and i headed to legendary break at San Onofre, Dogpatch was calling. Bodie and i spent a couple hours surfing the Bob Pearson Laird 11'0 and the 10′ Infinity.

The Legend, Mr. Pipeline

I was so stoked to be paddling in boardshorts on glassy waist to head high surf i could not keep the smile off my face. I was really impressed with the Infinity board since it was the first surf SUP i had rocked. I enjoyed the performance and speed down the line as we shared wave after wave. I even had a chance to share two waves with Gerry Lopez who was out in the lineup bringing his incredible stoke, experience and aloha to this historic break. Later that evening after a memorable session Bodie and I headed back to SUP Co for the evening beach side party in Laguna.

Post San Onofre Surf Sesh

The following day it was back in the water at San Onofre except this time we had a good Canadian crew in the lineup. Bodie and i were joined by Ian Nelson from Rogue Paddleboards , Jeff and Ken from the Okanagan and Kevin Obrien, owner of Kalavida Surf Shop . All were down to enjoy SOCAL and compete in the BOP. We shared some sweet waves and we all brought our Canadian passions to the line up. We had a few sideways looks from the locals when Ken started yelling "hurry hard(only a canadian would understand)," in order to motivate us to get into waves quicker. That evening after a great time in the water we all headed back to Dana Point for the party at the historical Hobie Surf Shop.

The Elite Race started at 10 in the morning and Bodie and I were both pretty excited to race. I was feeling a little sore and tired from two days surfing at San O and my back was a little stiff but i stoked to finally be racing the BOP. The best paddlers in the world were lined up on the beach along with hundreds of spectators and over 100 exhibitors. Everyone in the elite race paddles a 12 6 boards and Surftech provided me with a smokin Joe Bark Competitor. It was the first time i was on this board and it certainly was a challenge to not fall off in the chop and surf. The race takes you through the surf and around a series of buoys. It's quite technical. To do well you have to get out quick and be able to surf and turn on a dime. There was 120 competitors in the Elite Race and it's really something to see 120 guys and girls lined up on the beach ready to blast off. I debated wearing a leash and finally made the decision to wear a standard long leash. It was a mistake and i should have had a coil leash but i could not find one before the race began. The start was nuts. You have to experience it or see it to understand it. My long leash proved fatal for my start as my leash got stuck in someones paddle and it pulled me off my board in the first 50 feet of the race. In the time it took me to get on my board I was pulled off and a mass of people went by me. I had a smile on my face the whole time because it was something i had not experienced before. Any time lost is hard to make up. The first turn had at least 50 of us trying to make a sharp turn to head to the next buoy. We had to do 5 laps for a total of 5 miles through a course with crashing surf while trying to avoid others who had wiped out. At one point a competitor who went by me said, "That leash can't be helping you," not understanding what he was talking about i looked down to see my leash off of my calf and dragging in the water behind me. It was a super fun experience and i learned a lot. I placed 65th out of the 120 starters. Its called the Battle of the Paddle for a reason and there are so many variables in the race that it makes it super exciting. Danny Ching was incredible as he repeated as champion with Jamie Mitchell in second and young gun Slater Trout in third. These guys are amazing. I was blown away by how well the young guys paddle. Kids who are 15 and 16 are killing it out there. I said to Bodie earlier in the week that there are not too many opportunities in sport where you get a chance to compete against the best in the world. Paddling with Danny, Chuck, and Jamie is like teeing off with Tiger woods or playing one on one with Michael Jordan. To have that opportunity makes the BOP a very unique experience. Congratulations as well to another Surftech athlete, Candace Appleby who won the woman's elite. I also realized that if you really want to compete then you have to be on a strict training program just like you would for any elite competition. This fact excites me for the summer of 2011. Congrats to Bodie and Lina for throwing down in the Elite Category as well.

10 miler Start

After the elite race they had the open category which saw over 400 competitors paddling in 4 different categories. Bodie and i hoisted the Canadian flag and patrolled the beach supporting Ken, Jeff, Kevin, Ian and Kelvin. Stud paddler Kelvin, rocked it in the surfboard class placing second while the rest of the canadian crew had impressive performances and built on their SUP experience.

Sunday i competed in the 10 miler which was a little more civil. We raced from Doheny to the San Clemente pier and back Surftech gave me with a 14 foot Bark Dominator which took me to a 7th place finish in my category. Danny Ching won the unlimited class and took first place overall and Brandi Baksic won the female division.The funnest race of the whole weekend was our Team Canada relay race. There were 50 teams of 4 paddlers and our team consisted of myself, Kelvin, Bodie and Lina. Through the surf and around two buoys brought lots of carnage and a really fun time. We placed 20th and it was certainly the best time out there. Anything can happen in these races and usually do. I felt really proud to be representing Canadian SUP with these other fine paddlers.

I just wanted to personally thank Ken and Jeff who provided incredible support as board handlers for Bodie and i in the elite race and who always there supporting throughout the weekend during my 10 miler and the relay race. Thanks to Kevin from Kalavida Surf Shop and Ian from Rogue for their support and encouragement as well. I know they all wanted to do the relay and i know they will kill it next year. I am sure we will have a lot more than just one canadian relay team. One of the highlights of the weekend was watching Jeff and Kevin get some of their first waves at San O. The Canadian stoke and vibe throught the weekend was awesome and it was a real treat to share my weekend with this amazing crew. Thanks to Ty, Duke, Randy, JG and George from Surftech for the race boards and support. I feel very honored to be part of the Surftech Ohana. Thanks to Cathy Mills, the most amazing and supportive SOCal woman for letting me stay at her place in Irvine. And thanks to all those Canadians who supported our group from back home.

I know next year we are going to have a big Canadian crew heading down to the BOP. I also want to thank the fellas at Hinano for hooking us up with sweet sweet gear. Thanks to Bodie for his continued support and for being a Surftech brother. I really enjoy being a Surftech team rider and the future is bright. Time to start training for next year…….real training!!

Lake Tahoe Fall Classic

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 04:29:00 GMT

Thanks so much to Surftech and Duke for bringing the Lahui Kai for me to race on. A week later i would be racing against the board's namesake, Jamie Mitchell, at the Battle of the Paddle at Dana Point California.

Quest University Comes to the Great Bear Rainforest

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

This is the second year that I have brought the Quest University ecology class up to Hartley Bay. Quest is a private liberal arts and science school located in Squamish, B.C. This year we had 8 students come up from Squamish to experience the rainforest in September.

September 13: The morning we spent listening to elder and community leader Helen Clifton, talk about the traditional way of life and the history and culture of the Gitga'at people. I always make sure that the class has a chance to talk with Helen. She is an incredible speaker and always enriches the experience of being in Hartley Bay. The afternoon was spent with Chris Bolton who took some of the students on a survey of the Queen of the North site. The Queen of the North was a BC ferry that sunk in 2006 just outside of Hartley Bay and is still leaking fuel and oil. Chris monitors the site everyday. The community has already had one maritime disaster in their back yard and we are all working together to try to keep oil tankers off our coastline for the threat of future spills.

September 14th: I was away at the iLCP press conference in Vancouver so the morning was spent with Chris again who took the rest of the students out to the site. Principal and Hereditary Eagle Chief Ernie Hill took the afternoon to teach the students some of the traditional language of the Gitga'at people. The Smalyax language is still taught in the high school with hopes of the students carrying the language into the future.

September 15: Mickey Reece who works for the band as a watchman in his territory took all of the students on a full day whale survey throughout the Gitga'at Territory. It was a really amazing way for the students to see the vastness of the lands and count Humpback Whales. In all, the students counted 37 Humpback Whales and saw rookeries of Stellar Sea Lions. These are the traditional feeding grounds of the Humpbacks and they come up to this area to feed on herring, pilchard and krill.

September 17: Today we woke up to a stunning morning in the Greatbear. We had a relaxing morning and then went over to see Janey at the Cetacea Lab/Whale Point research station. Coincidentally, Magdalena who was on the first trip last year to the GreatBear was at the lab volunteering her time with Hermann and Janey. Caroline from Quest was up earlier in the year. Caroline and Magdelana both found it hard to not return to the rainforest after their experience last year and donate their time to help at the lab. The students were enriched listening to Janey and learning about cetacea life and some of the risks for these whales. They all had lots of questions and you could see the wheels turning in these dynamic students. Thanks so much to Janey for educating the students and sharing your amazing passion with us.

September 19th: Well we got up early again to see if we could see any bears or wolves again. This morning a big black bear came out and we got a chance to watch him feed on salmon. He had a pretty successful method of just belly flopping on a pool of salmon an then grabbing whatever salmon he had pinned against the river bottom. We made our way back to the cabin for a late breakfast before Mick came back to pick us up and take us back to Hartley Bay. The rest of the day was spent in the village talking with community members, checking out Justin Clifton's amazing hand carved jewellrey, playing with the students and taking in the last full day in Hartley Bay.

September 20th: After a great breakfast we headed over to the highschool to say good bye to everyone and to present Cam and the school with a picture from last years trip as a thank you to everyone. We hopped on the ferry at 1230 for our ride back to Rupert. Another really successful Quest trip in the Greatbear.

Thanks so much first of all to Cam and Eva, Rachel, Morgan and Brother Max who put all of us up at their place and provided so much incredible food and shared so much of their culture with us. Thanks to Helen Clifton, Lynne and Ernie Hill, James and Chris Clifton, Micky Reece, Richard Brown, Justin Clifton, Janey and of course Marven Robinson. Thanks again to the community for sharing your lives and enriching ours. Thanks as well to Nobi and the Quest students for coming up to the GreatBear Rainforest. I love sharing this world with those who are passionate and motivated. The area and the people are inspiring and i know you will find your own path and your own questions.

International League of Conservation Photogaphers: GreatBear RAVE

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:53:00 GMT

As soon as my GreatBear SUP trip ended I was immediately back to the GreatBear Rainforest and Hartley Bay to work with Ian McAllister from Pacific Wild and Christina Mittermeier, Executive Director of the International League of Conservation Photographers. The iLCP was bringing some of the worlds best photographers right here to Hartley Bay and the GreatBear to perform a RAVE(Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) of the area and its people to help bring awareness to the potential threat of oil tankers on our north coast. I first met Christina and National Geographic Photographer and Canadian, Paul Nicklen, in Bella Bella when I was finishing my last SUP strokes on my Standup4GreatBear Expedition. My role over the next couple of weeks was to work with Ian and to be the liaison between all of the photographers, media and the community of Hartley Bay. I also provided local knowledge and expertise of the area and the people, and accompanied some of the photographers into strategic shooting areas of the GreatBear. This RAVE was quite the undertaking with 9 photographers, numerous support staff, boats, planes, helicopters and media that included CTV, Global TV, and ABC Nightline. This iLCP Rave would bring international attention to this ridiculous proposal of Enbridge wanting to build a 1200km pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat, B.C. and then transport that oil on supertankers through one of the most special and magical areas in the world. I watched these photographers take mind-blowing images, working 14-16 hours a day. Most of us just shook our heads at what these pro's had captured. The whole project was very inspiring and as local Gitga'at Guide, friend and leader, Marvin Robinson re iterated, "we are not alone in our fight."

On September 13th, myself, Marvin, Ian, and pilot Julian McQueen flew from Hartley Bay to Vancouver for the press conference aboard his 1950's Widgeon(baby goose) for the September 14th iLCP press conference and gala evening. It was a stirring flight as we flew up ancient river valleys and outer island beaches as Ian talked about the many environmental battles he has waged over his 20 year career in the Great Bear, some won, others lost. Julian himself brought a powerful story to the project. Julian, like all of the photographers and boat drivers donated his time and plane to help the RAVE. Julian is a world-class guy. He owns a chain of hotels in Pensacola Florida and lost half his business overnight with the BP Gulf Spill. Florida has banned offshore drilling along their coast for fear of wiping out a billion dollar tourism industry but he was affected anyways in a spill 3 states away. He brought a perspective that not many people have and we were really happy to have him with us.

The morning press conference at VanCity Theatre was a huge success. I listened intently and proudly as Christina, Ian, Paul, Marvin and Gerald Amos spoke passionately and emotionally about what's at risk and the lengths they will go to put a stop to this. It was hard to keep a dry eye. This is real. The evening gala brought together environmentalits, Coastal First Nations, adventurers, photographers, media and those concerned. It was a lot of fun as the photographers had some of their incredible work from the past couple of weeks on display and silent auction for the over 350 people who were there. Again, there were amazing speeches while stunning wildlife and landscape images rolled in the background. The climax of the evening was a 5-minute video presentation created on short notice by iLCP team member, Jenny Nichols. I felt really good watching this and it is a must that you view this. I will post on this blog when I find it. I was fortunate to have bid on one of Thomas Peshack's images taken from the outer Anderson Islands, an area I visited on my Standup4GreatBear expedition. This will hang in my house for all to see as a memento and reminder of a Great time and a Great collection of people working hard to protect the Great Bear.

Click Here for an evening recap produced by Damien Gillis.

Global TV News

CTV News Part 1

Thanks to Ian and Karen McAllister from Pacific Wild for the chance to work on such a great project. Thanks to Christina for bringing her iLCP team, Trevor, Jenny Trip, Andy and Marshal to the coast. Thanks to the iLCP photographers, Paul Nicklen, Thomas Peshack, Florian Shultz, Joe Riis, Jack Dykinga, Daniel Beltra, Marven Robinson, Jason Sturgis and Ian McAllister. To the boat support, Lex on the Pacific Pioneer, Harry on Mi Alma, Jim and Tammy on the Tammy J, Ian on Habitat, Mike with KPL and the dynamic duo of Bruce Hill and Gerald Amos from the Headwaters Initiative and their boat the Suncrest. Thanks to Michael Uehara and King Pacific Lodge for accommodations, helicopter and boat support.

Also, congratulations to Frank Wolfe and Todd McGowan who recently completed their On the Line expedition. The arrived late one night in Harltey Bay while we were enjoying time on the Suncrest. Frank and Todd walked, biked and rafted the whole 1200km pipeline route and then paddled from Kitimat to Hartley Bay. They came back with incredulous stories. Stay tuned for their upcoming movie on the project.

Most importantly thank you to the community of Hartley Bay for opening your arms to us, for your patience, generosity, knowledge and sharing. You are not alone in your battle. Thank you for enriching all of our lives.

Just one of those days

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:47:00 GMT

Just one of those days.

GreatBear SUP Expedition

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:14:00 GMT

Last summer Explore Magazine covered our exploratory SUP trip to the GreatBear and so this year we brought 5 excited guests up to experience the coastal temperate rainforest. Joining us on our first commercial SUP expedition was Lance McClure, Diana Mauriks, Jamie McVicar, Todd Allen and his partner Stephanie with Jen co guiding and looking after food. Here is an itinerary for our trip our amazing trip.

August 23rd: Down to Hartley Bay
We all boarded the Tsimshian Storm ferry for our 4 hour ride down to our launching point of Hartley Bay. Hartley Bay is a Gitga'at First Nation community remotely located in Douglas Channel. The ferry left at 830am under rainy skies and many of our guests had a chance to talk with folks from Hartley Bay on our way down. Once in Hartley Bay we organized gear for the afternoon and toured around the town. I lined up a time just before our traditional dinner to sit down and talk with Helen Clifton, one of the matriarchs and great leaders of Hartley Bay. I always like to bring friends over to talk with "Granny." She incredibly knowledgable of Gitga'at culture and history and is a beautiful story teller. Granny told us all about the Gitga'at traditional ways of life, showed us historical pictures and shared priceless carvings and artifacts with us. I have always said that the people of this area bring depth to our expedition and just spending a little bit of time with Granny leaves people feeling blessed and enlightened.

From Granny's we headed over to Lynne and Ernie Hill's for dinner. Lynne and Ernie are family to me and it is one of the special experiences of this trip, to share a traditional dinner in their home. The meal was outstanding and there was so much food that even Lance tapped out and became quiet. Jodi and Mamma served a table full of smoke, candied and baked salmon, Dungeness crab, seaweed, and clams. Traditional food harvesting is still a vital component of Gitga'at life and we were very fortunate to have the Hill's share this valuable food resource with us. It's this food resource that is at risk from the potential of oil tanker traffic on our coast. Spending time with Granny and Hill's gave us a great sense of place for our week long standup expedition.

August 24th: The Beauty and Spirit of Cornwall Inlet

August 25th: Humpbacks and Whale Channel

August 26th: Sea Lion Rock and Kiel

After a comfortable sleep in we downed our rations of coffee and hopped on our boards and paddled out for our 2 hr SUP to Sea Lion rock. This exposed rock is covered by numerous Stellar Sea Lions. The large males are 3 times the size of a Grizzly Bear and very territorial. It was quite the experience seeing these boisterous beasts on the rock and swimming curiously around our boards. From sea lion rock had lunch at Kiel. Kiel is the spring harvesting camp of Hartley Bay. The whole community comes down to this small fishing village to harvest seaweed and catch halibut. They have been doing this for hundreds of years. At one time there would have been a number of these fishing camps throughout their territory and we enjoyed relaxing on the white shell beach and watching humpbacks swim by. After lunch we bumped in to Marvin Robinson, a Gitga'at guide and steward of the land. I have worked with Marvin for close to 10 years and he has probably seen and spent more time with Spirit Bears than any one in the world. From there is was back to our camp for well deserved dinner.

August 27th: Cetacea Lab and Whale Point

August 28th: Spirit Bear Cub

August 29th: Back to Hartley Bay
Our last morning at the cabin we packed up and waited for Chris to pick us up for our trip back to Hartley Bay. Lance and Todd left for an early morning paddle and we picked them up along the way. The sunrise was beautiful and the waters flat as we made our way back. Once in Hartley Bay we headed up to Lynne and Ernie's for breakfast before getting on the ferry to head back to Hartley Bay.

The trip exceeded my expectations and Jen and I were very fortunate to have had such and amazing group of people to paddle with all week. We had a lot of fun and lots of laughs all week. I will be in the Great Bear till the 20th. My next couple of weeks will be guiding and working with the Christina Mittermeier and Ian MacAllister with the International League of Conservation Photographers and the GreatBear RAVE. The RAVE will bring a collection of the world's best nature photographers to photo document the GreatBear in hopes of keeping the proposed oil pipeline and tankers off our coast.

on another note our paddling group and another boat in the harbour at the time were the only ones to see this white cub. Paul Nicklen, National Geographic photographer, who came down with Marvin that afternoon spent two days looking and they did not see it. Paul is doing a Nat Geo feature on the spirit bear and he said this is the one shot he is missing. We were really fortunate. I have also heard that two wolf pups were spotted in the area which means there is a wolf pack there. The wolf pack will push bears out of an area. I am surprised as well that the Black bear mom only had one cub. Maybe the other cub was killed by the wolves. It will be interesting to see if they show up again this month.

Outpost Lodge- Salmon Fishing Haida Gwaii

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:15:00 GMT

This week I am back up at the Outpost Lodge working for my good friend and Lodge Manager, Ken Beatty. The Outpost Lodge is remotely located on the west side of Graham Island.

Fishing the Outpost- Haida Gwaii

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:42:00 GMT

This week I am saltwater fishing in Haida Gwaii.

Sweet SUP Weekend: SUP2SNUG, Standup4coffee, Brittania Downwinder

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:38:00 GMT

SUP2SNUG

STANDUP4COFFEE

Friday morning began with another great standup4coffee run. We left under pretty flat conditions but as we made our way across the bay to Watts the wind was already starting to inflow which pointed to very strong inflow conditions throughout the day. The group paddled efficiently into the light winds and the water flattened out again once we got around Watts. We had groups of Harbour seals accompany us near the log sort. They must have been using the logs as an overnight pull out area. It was pretty flat all the way into the Bay at Brittania Beach but as we got a little closer the wind again began to blow from the south which ruffled up the water enough to keep us on our toes just before landing on the beach in front of Galileo Coffee Shop. Great to have new paddlers, Jessica, Jordan, Carla and Sara out with the sup4coffee team. By the time we shuttled everyone back to the cars the inflow wind was howling. An impressive change in conditions. Thanks again to the group for another fun friday morning. Our next Standup4coffee run will be Friday July 27th. Send me an email to confirm your spot and board.

BRITTANIA DOWNWINDER
This past Thursday Lance and I waited for the inflow winds to blow hard so we could do a downwinder from Brittania to Squamish. That morning Lance and i did the morning commute to the coffee shop so we were coming full circle today. We ended up leaving around 2pm in the heat of the day. Our most challenging section was the water from Brittania Beach to the main section of the sound. With the huge fetch the wind had blown the sea state up and the waves rebounded against the rock wall providing some challenging conditions. Having a strong wind and rebounding unpredictable waves is the ultimate in balance training for the body. Once we got out of the bay and had the wind at our backs I enjoyed some pretty fun rides on the Surftech Joe Bark Expedition Board. That board really rocks in downwind conditions, you can link up waves. I am excited to get into bigger conditions and really see how the board can handle. Lance was rockin his Jimmy Styks 11 6. It was a steep learning curve for Lance but he is a trooper and worked hard to find his groove. Once we got past Watts Point heading to Nexxen there was a bit of a wind lull until we got a little further into the bay. THe wind blows hard off the western wall of the sound almost blowing directly east from Woodfiber. Again, we had the wind and chop at our sides and this made it hard to straighten out going to Nexxen. I managed to find an area that had a good opposing current which built up the swell to a point where i was almost able to throw in a bit of a bottom turn on the 14 foot bark. It would have been easier to get out a Darrell Bay but we worked back to Nexxen. Great afternoon of paddling with Lance. I have my eye on paddling the downwind from Horseshoe to Squamish(32 miles) but that will have to wait till i get back from saltwater fishing in Haida Gwaii.

Another Great Standup4Coffee

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:09:00 GMT

Well the Standup4Coffee SUP run from Squamish to Brittania for coffee at Galileo sure has been getting popular. We had another good crew hop on board this past Friday. New to the SUP crew were Monte Thompson, Diana Mauriks, Alison Wald, Todd MacAllen and Peter Fritz, with Squamish SUP Crew regulars, Lance McClure, Ron Ens, Carla Fuhr, Rich Rawling, and Nichole Murray. Again we had really good conditions but this time we had a little bit of an outflow wind combined with a pretty strong current coming from the meltwaters of the Squamish. So with a dropping tide we moved along efficiently and as we got around Watts Point heading into Brittania the current eddied back on us. That, combined with the outflow chop provided slightly more challenging conditions to practice standing on our SUP's. Some like Longboard Lance took advantage and surfed the outflow chop while others like Pirate Pete went into discussions with Laird.

It took our group an hour and forty minutes to hit the beach in Brittania. We could smell the coffee coming from Galileo so we portaged our SUP's across Hiway 99(most dangerous part of the trip) and spent the next 30 minutes, chillin like Bob Dylan with our morning brew……..great people, great morning. Thanks everyone for a wicked start to the weekend.

Another Great Standup4Coffee

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Morning Commute- Squamish Style

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:46:00 GMT

The Morning Commute- Squamish Style.

The Morning Commute- Squamish Style

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Experience unique ocean adventures in Squamish. Join us for transformative trips that connect you to nature. Contact us to plan your journey!

Gabby and Laird Hamilton Reflect on the BP Disaster

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:11:00 GMT

Gabby and Laird Reflect