BOARDWORKS SURF BLOG: April 2012

Anthony Vela

1st Quarter Update

This year started off the year with launching a business. Candice Appleby and I started Performance Paddling, offering SUP Racing Clinics, Kids Camps, Corporate Team Building Event, and Private Coaching around the world. We also started the Performance Paddling Competition Team which is a group of dedicated stand up paddlers from around the country ages 8-15. Kids came from Florida, Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, and Santa Barbara, and Orange County to attend the first ever Elite Youth SUP Racing Clinic at Dana Point, CA. With the help of Quickblade's Jim Terrell and good friend Dick DeBoer these twelve advanced paddlers enjoyed not only receiving racing tips, but also sharing a fun day on the water with other kids of their same ability. The next day we were blessed with a perfect day of surfing at San Onofre Beach and shared two to four foot waves and eighty degree weather in January!

Then off to Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida for two days. Drove to Cocoa Beach to give a Performance Paddling SUP Racing Clinic. Drove back to Orlando to arrange transportation for my 12'6" M&M racing board. Flew to Miami, gave a Kids Camp where we took 20 kids (and their "Big") from the Big Brother Big Sisters of Miami. Then finished 3rd behind Danny Ching and Jamie Mitchell in the Orange Bowl Paddle Championships. Three cities in four days, I was stoked with the hard-earned third.

La Ventana, Baja was the next stop. While there Performance Paddling gave a SUP Racing Clinic, as well as a Kids Camp. We had fifteen kids from a local school and it was my first attempt giving most of the clinic in Spanish. I'd give myself a B-. I also won all three races that I entered. For winning I was awarded with a brand new board and paddle, which I auctioned off helping raise another $600 for the local schools. Performance Paddling also donated all money earned from the SUP Racing Clinic to help increase the total money raised through the weekend to over $24,000! It's fun to participate in races that actually give back to the local community.

The last weekend in my action packed January was a local race in San Diego where I finished second to Danny Ching in a deep field of 14' SUP racers. After a full Saturday, Sunday I did a SUP Racing Clinic in Marina Del Rey. The demand was so high we opened an additional ten spots to have a fun clinic with thirty eager sup racers. For the occasion Performance Paddling added two instructors, grom SUP stars Matt Becker and Tucker Ingalls.

February was a fun month of surfing. I had the opportunity to travel to Taiwan with CD Kinley, Slater Trout, Dave Boehne, and Candice Appleby. SUP the Mag was covering the trip and will be featured in their summer issue. There will also be a video download from the trip that will be available to anyone for free. From Taiwan to LA to Oahu for the 34th Annual Buffalo 's Big Board Surfing Classic at Makaha Beach. While there I competed in six different events and made semi-final in the open surfing and SUPsquatch events. Also surfed and SUP surfed several spots on the north shore. The highlight would have to be a sizable day SUP surfing Chun's Reef, but ended the session paddling over to Jocko's and caught some big, powerful lefts. Just thinking back on that session makes me smile, my best session of the winter.

It was nice to return to Sayulita, Mexico. Such a beautiful little town with beautiful people. On Friday, the day before the event started the waves were pumping. What a pleasure to watch the young kids ripping the over head waves. Riggs Napoleon, Kai, Lenny, Matt Becker, Zane Schweitzer, Sean Poynter, Vanina Walsh and local favorite Fernando Stalla were all displaying the present and future of SUP surfing. Unfortunately, the waves backed off and I didn't have a good result in SUP surfing or the races, but I enjoyed spending time with friends. Performance Paddling also gave a SUP Racing Clinic and was honored to have Fernando Stalla attend.

Getting a chance to SUP surf Steamer Lane is Santa Cruz with three other surfers is too good an opportunity to miss. I packed in a quick trip to Santa Cruz for the Surftech Shootout and Duel-a-thalon. Waves were consistently three to four feet overhead and I was stoked to make it through rounds just to have the opportunity to surf again. I made the final in the SUP Surfing and ended up third in the contest, and I won the SUP race. After the surfing final I quickly made my way to the airport to fly back to LAX to make my 11:30pm flight to Australia.

The Australian Longboard Surfing Open took place at Kingscliff Beach, New South Wales. It was a 5-day event packed with events such as: Pro Longboard, Amateur Longboard, Pro SUP Surfing, Amateur SUP Surfing, Retro Board, Old Mal Boards, Women's Amateur Longboard, Women's Pro Longboard, Women's SUP Surfing, and a SUP Race. I competed in the Amateur Longboard and Pro SUP Surfing making the semi-finals of both divisions. There were surfers from all over the world competing. Each amateur division had a random name draw with the winner receiving a new board, I won the board for the amateur longboard division and donated the board to the Kingscliff Boardriders Club as a way of saying thanks for giving up their break for five days. Looking forward to going back next year and making some finals.

Now I am back in San Clemente getting ready for the Carolina Cup. I also have events in Hawaii, Colorado, California, and possibly Virginia. Thanks to everyone for all of the positive support and helping me live my dream.

Please help me promote my facebook fan page: facebook.com/avsup

I also have my personal website up and running: AnthonyVelaSUP.com

Also check out Performance Paddling's website: performancepaddling.com

and facebook pages: facebook.com/performancepaddling

Thanks for your continued support.

Aloha,

Anthony