August 31, 2010

We first paddled both the Bark and Hobie race boards last fall in California. Both boards blew us away. After a full summer of paddling these SUPs we have come to know them quite well. We have tested in flatwater, chop and light downwind conditions.  ...
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August 13, 2010

The Amundson Aquaglide line of stand up paddle boards have been a staple in our beginner quiver. They are well designed and affordable. That is why we were psyched to hear that Amundson had a more advanced board in the works for flatwater, down ...
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August 12, 2010

We caught up with the one and only Joe Bark at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, UT last week. Joe was happy to show off the new Surftech Dominator 14’ race board. Joe calls this the big brother to the Surftech Competitor 12’6”. In Joe’s o ...
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August 9, 2010

This summer we have seen SUP races start to take root in the Midwest. We kicked it off with our Paddle for the Polar Bears/Naish race series, and now more events are starting to pop up all over.

One of the most interesting races was th ...
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July 26, 2010

We love the Naish Glide series. The 14' has been our weapon of choice when doing downwinders, so we were thrilled to find out that Naish would be releasing a new 12'6" class race board. While Paddle Board Specialists owner Gary Stone was at the ...
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July 15, 2010

There are a lot of beginner/all water boards on the market these days. There is one series that we have really taken to. It’s the Amundson Series from Aquaglide. These boards can take a pounding, we know because we have taught countless beginne ...
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July 15, 2010

Come and check out the first ever Stand Up Paddle division in the Paddle and Portage(http://www.paddleandportage.org/node/329). This has to be one of the most unique paddle races in the country. Paddlers start at James Madison Park do a 1.5 mil ...
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July 8, 2010

Join us this Tuesday July 13th from 4-8 pm as we welcome the 2010 Surftech Stand Up Paddle Demo tour to our very own Lake Wingra. We will be on hand along with Surftech team members and reps from Surftech. There will be instructors offering fre ...
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June 30, 2010

StandUp Paddle board shapes have moved far beyond simply increasing the dimensions and volume of surfboards. Shapers are fine-tuning paddling characteristics to increase tracking, glide and stability. There is a category of boards that still hold on  ...
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June 21, 2010

15 year-old Connor Baxter of Maui Hawaii, had a great weekend at Battle of the Paddle Hawaii. Connor took 8th place in the Elite Race on Saturday. And if that wasn’t enough, Connor took 3rd in the distance race on Sunday. We have known Connor and his ...
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June 11, 2010

Now that summer is finally here, our Wisconsin waters are primed for paddling. This week we started our morning training paddles. Our plan is to meet on Wednesday mornings for a group paddle. Many of us already solo paddle daily or every other day, b ...
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June 9, 2010

Last Sunday was the first of our six Paddle for the Polar Bears events, and the our first official read more

June 7, 2010

We've seen so many new boards come through our shop in the last month. It is amazing to see all the innovation and new ideas being put into board design. Two boards that have really caught our eyes are the read more

June 1, 2010

Paddleboard Specialists is proud to be hosting the Naish Stand Up Paddling race series. Our local Madison races are part of a national series taking place in 22 U.S. cities. The top 3 men and women in each city will go head to head on September 27th  ...
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May 28, 2010

PaddleBoard Specialists will be hosting a women's paddleboarding club every Thursday beginning June 24th through August 27th (except July 1st) on beautiful Lake Wingra. The club will meet at 5:30 at Wingra ...
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May 25, 2010

In the last week we have had two clinics at Lake Wingra in Madison, WI. Conditions were not ideal for first-timers with the winds sweeping across the lake. Wind aside, we taught over 50 new paddlers and not one person got wet. Well, one 6-year  ...
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May 19, 2010

Imagine yourself holding your hand out of a car window on a nice warm day. If you turn your hand perpendicular to the ground, you slice through the wind. This is similar to a displacement hull. If you turn it parallel to the ground the wind lifts you ...
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May 14, 2010

Madison is ripe for a huge stand up boom, and we are ready. Our showroom is stocked with boards, paddles, and all gear you need to get on the water. Our sales staff lives our motto of “passion, knowledge and service”. We are here to get you outfitted ...
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May 11, 2010

Ok . . . so it’s not the Maliko Gulch. But as Jerry Lopez says, “Surf is Where You Find It”, and we've found it in our own back yard. Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin to be exact. When 35 mph gusts have cleared our 9,740 acre lake of recreation ...
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May 7, 2010

We were very excited to finally get out and paddle Tahoe SUP’s Zephyr and Bliss. First off, we have to say how gorgeous these boards are. The finishing, graphics, and colors make these boards stand out from the crowd. The stunning bamboo decks compli ...
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May 3, 2010

Now that summer is right around the corner, we're starting to see many more paddlers on the water. Our line of Stand Up Paddle Boards and paddles is second to none in the Midwest ...
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April 30, 2010

Ahhhh ..... youth. We caught up with the Starboard’s SUP phenom Zane Schweitzer in Maui. In this clip Zane talks about the Santa Cruz Shootout. It gives us a great feeling to know that so many young folks are taking to the sport. But at our age it al ...
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April 27, 2010

In our second clip from our interview with Starboard’s Svein Rasmussen, we hear about the full racing lineup from Starboard. Svein describes how Starboard’s long standing history in windsurf racing is being directly applied to the designs of their SU ...
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April 26, 2010

We caught up with Starboard’s Svein Rasmussen on our recent trip to Maui. Sven talks up some highlights in the Starboard SUP quiver including the Big Easy, Whopper, Blend and Drive.

We have started many beginners on our demo Big Easy. It i ...
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April 20, 2010

PaddleBoard Specialists very own Gary Stone was featured on the Stand Up Paddle Radio show on April 15th. Gary talked with hosts Jeff Archer and Leslie Kolovich about the paddling scene in Madison, WI and his recent paddling trip to Maui. They also i ...
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April 16, 2010

While we were in Maui earlier this month we had many opportunities to see some new developments in Stand Up Paddle boards. One of our big surprises was being able to talk with Dave of Naish’s R&D department about the new read more

April 13, 2010

The rise of stand up paddling definitely owes some gratitude to Laird Hamilton. It also might owe a little something to this board. It will go down in history ...
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April 9, 2010

When we headed west last fall we were super stoked for the opportunity to get some good waves. While visiting with Surftech’s Ty Zulim, he made us an offer we couldn’t ...
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April 6, 2010

“If you are looking for a board to go have fun, take the kids out on, to have on the boat, or have at the lake without breaking the bank, this is the board for you.” – Ty Zulim

We think that about says it all. Plus the read more

April 2, 2010

We took the Nomad for a test paddle when we visited with Brian last fall. This board was one of the biggest surprises of our trip out west. It is perfect for our local lakes and rivers. It is stable, well tracking and quick. The tie downs make it a g ...
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March 30, 2010

We visited with Mark Johnson at the Hobie factory last fall. Mark was kind enough to talk us through the entire Hobie SUP line. In this interview, Mark describe ...
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March 26, 2010

Last fall we paid a visit to Hobie’s Stand Up Paddle division. Lead shaper and craftsman, Mark Johnson was a great host. He gave us a full tour of the Hobie sha ...
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March 23, 2010

We are super stoked to announce that our summer challenge series will not only help spread Standup Paddleboarding to the Midwest, but it will help a great cause too.

Our Paddleboard Specialists SUP Challenge has been named “Paddle for the P ...
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March 19, 2010

The weather is warming up and our warehouse is filling up. We just received a huge shipment of stand up paddleboards and more are on the way. This week we received our 2010 St ...
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March 16, 2010

Paddleboard Specialists recently had our first chance to fully examine the Quickblade Kanaha. Right away we noticed how silky smooth this paddle pulls through the water. There is a light feeling to it.  ...
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March 12, 2010

We are super excited to announce that Paddleboard Specialists is hosting The StandUp Paddle Challenge series on our home waters of Madison, WI this summer. Sponsors include Wingra boats, read more

March 10, 2010

On Saturday a couple of us decided to head out to the Cherokee Marsh, just blocks from our shop. We were out testing some new adjustable stand up paddles, from Quic ...
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March 5, 2010

Here at PaddleBoard Specialists we know that a good board is only half of the equation when it comes to stand up paddling. The right paddle can make all the difference in comfort and confidence on the water. We also know that the most expensive paddl ...
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March 3, 2010

Twenty yards to the west little Olympic hopefuls played pond hockey, while to the east fishing shanties dotted the white abyss. We on the other hand had our eyes pointed towards warmer pursuits. Spring is at the tip of our tongues. We could not wait  ...
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March 1, 2010

In November, we had the opportunity to talk with Joe Bark in his shaping room. Joe and his entire staff were very welcoming and gave us a great insight into their boards and how they are made. Joe was also kind enough to take us out for a test paddle ...
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February 23, 2010

Here at Paddleboard Specialists we can’t imagine what a bummer it would be to receive a board that you purchased, only to find that it was damaged during shipping. That's why we've adopted the same technique that we have used in our windsurf business ...
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February 19, 2010

April 24, 2010 will be the first annual Hovie SUP Paddle Festival. Classes will include a 9.5 mile SUP elite race, a 4.5 mile SUP race, a SUP Match, tandem and dog race. All Proceeds will Benefit the Newport Aquatic Center Junior Program

Detai ...
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February 16, 2010

Last fall we had a great paddle with Brian Hovnanian of Hovie SUP in Newport Harbor. We are particularly smitten by his Nomad model. It is a great option for exploring our lakes and rivers. With Bria ...
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February 5, 2010

Last summer I taught about 50 people how to stand up paddle. Two of them had some balance issues. If I gave them a paddle with a dihedral shape blade, they could pull it through the water much more evenly and consistently without any flutter, which r ...
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February 2, 2010

We've spent the last couple of months making sure we have the perfect quiver of boards, paddles and accessories to meet the needs of every paddler. From beginners and families to hardcore racers and wave junkies we’ve got the right prescription t ...
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February 2, 2010

When we visited Joe Bark in November we knew we were in for a special treat. Joe radiates enthusiasm for paddling. His down to earth demeanor and unbelievable craftsmanship make him a perfect fit for the Specialists. And when we were able to paddle t ...
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February 2, 2010

Last summer we took several trips down the Wisconsin River. The stretch just west of our shop is a hidden gem in the Midwest. Below the dam that forms Lake Wisconsin is a section from Sauk City all the way to the Mississippi. Most of it is undevelope ...
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