We have a fun little weekly contest over on our Facebook fan page. Every week we post a different mysto wave and it’s your job to guess the location. Steamer Lane? Blacks? Indo? Bells Beach? Be the first to guess the wave, and you win a limited edition six-pak of Surf Stronger decals. We recently got a batch of terrific photos from master photographer, David Pu’u, that we’ll feature. Check out wave of the week #10. Can you name it?
A sweet right hander -- somewhere warm and tropical.
Looks like a slow week of surf here in California and not much swell on the immediate horizon. No worries though — that is why we made our surf fitness workout videos. In addition to our training videoss, here are a few extra ideas for the Spring. Mix up your current routine and try a few of these while the waves are small.
Pull-Ups
The equalizer of exercises. If you keep your weight healthy and your fitness up, you should be able to knock out three sets of 8-10 reps. Hit you local park and get after it.
Stand Up Paddling (SUP)
Love it or hate it, you have to admit, this is a great workout activity. In the average SUP session, you work on balance, endurance, and core strength, all of which directly benefit your surfing. And, there is the added benefit of getting out on the water — a much nicer setting than your average gym. One of our Surf Stronger athletes is paddling not one, not two, but ALL channels of the Hawaiian Islands in the Destination 3 Degrees adventure. Now if that doesn’t get you motivated to get out there, then I don’t know what will.
Indo Boarding
15 minutes on an Indo Board will make you a better surfer. We get “Indo it” nearly every day. Once you are beyond the basics, grab a partner and do squats with a chest pass. An 8-12 pound medicine ball works great.
Skating
The original cross training program for surfers. Skating is not only a great activity when the waves are flat, it’s a great commute activity too. We cruise our longboard skates to the grocery store, for beer runs, and the local parking lots at sunset. The long days are great for getting out and carving some pavement.
Swimming
Open water season is upon us! Coach Todd hit the ocean this weekend in Santa Barbara. I prefer the pools until the ocean warms up a bit more. Either way, get in the water and work and keep your paddling muscles ready for your next session. Check out this swim workout that targets all of the energy systems used in surfing.
Stay fit and we’ll see you out there.
Program Director
Scott Adams, CSCS, CES
Balance, core, endurance training all in one.
Indo board training -- great balance training for surfing. (Photo: Nikki Brooks)
Open water swimming is here!
Skating - the original cross training sport of surfing..
Surf Stronger athlete, Morgan Hoesterey, along with Jenny Kalmbach, have begun, Destination 3 Degrees, a bold adventure paddle across the Hawaiian islands. The paddle will take them through the Hawaiian islands, cross three degrees of latitude, over 200 nautical miles and across nine legendary open-ocean channels. Their goal is to raise awareness and funds for the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, which works to identify and understand the impact of plastics contamination in our oceans and on marine life and the human food chain.
We met Morgan back in December and soon after, Coach Scott, had her on a cross training plan to prepare for the adventure. So far the expedition is off to a great start! The amazing paddling duo recently penned a great article on how to best train for Stand Up Paddling. There’s obviously some cross over between stand up paddling and surfing and the article has some great tips. Check it at Outside Online.
For more on their adventure, and to follow it online, see, Destination 3 Degrees.
Best wishes for the rest of the paddle!
Cross training leading up to the adventure paddle.
Just back from Sacred Craft in Ventura, California. What a great show and scene. The show promised “the widest category range of surfboard designs ever assembled” and boy did it deliver! Heaps of beautiful surfboards — from historical 1940’s boards that were surfed at Rincon back in the day, to modern short boards, hulls, eggs, long boards — you name it.
The show is really focused on hand shaped, custom boards and as such, many shapers were on hand and were happily discussing board design with stoked attendees. Another interesting part of the show was the “Tribute to the Masters Shape-off” honoring legendary Santa Barbara shaper, Renny Yater. The shape-off featured six shapers (Todd Proctor, Wayne Rich, Matt Moore, Michel Junod, Nick Palandrani, Dennis Ryder) replicating a classic Yater Spoon. The shapers did their thing on the show room floor in a hermetically sealed shaping bay(!) while attendees could watch them shape in real time. The shaper who most closely replicated the classic spoon won $1,000.
Expo Director, Scott Bass, summed up the show best, stating “It is not fair and quite frankly rather impossible to pigeon-hole the exhibitors into any one category,” said Expo Director Scott Bass. “Really the only category on display at Sacred Craft is passion; a passion that manifests itself as a cornucopia of surf design ideas with limitless synergy.”
If you ever get the chance to check out Sacred Craft, do it, you won’t be disappointed.
Hulls seemed to be popular at the show. Here are some sweet Andreini hull surfboards.
Glenn Gravett painting on the show floor. Turned out great!
Boards from the 1940s.
Check out this Michel Junod single fin. Beautiful.
Veteran shapers Ward Coffey and Lauren Yater hanging at Sacred Craft. Some nice Michel Junod boards in the background.
Meeting Gerry Lopez AKA "Mr. Pipline". Super cool, super chill, just like you'd expect.
"Eco" or "Green" boards were not prevalent, but this exhibitor showed off 100% recyclable foam blanks.
Live shaping on display in the middle of the expo hall.
Buy a TRX, Get Free Surf Stronger TRX DVD
Just in time for Summer, we’ve got an awesome TRX offer: Buy a TRX Trainer through this link, and score a FREE Surf Stronger TRX DVD (a $29.95 value) featuring pro surfer, Holly Beck. The TRX trainer is an awesome, portable (weighs just 1.9 lbs.), training tool that you can take anywhere, and the Surf Stronger TRX workout video was recently rated one of the most popular items by the TRX community. Buy a TRX and get the DVD absolutely free. (Offer good through June 30, 2010 or while supplies last.) To claim your free DVD, simply e-mail us your TRX receipt to info@surfstronger.com.
Need more? See our Top 5 Reasons to Train with TRX for Maximum Surf Fitness.
The Surf Stronger TRX Workout trailer from Surf Stronger on Vimeo.