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Carl Delica started stand up paddle racing after a serious accident which left him unable to walk for two months. He saw SUP as an accessible sport even though he had trouble bending his knee. Carl was also hooked with the calmness of the water and how hard competitive sup is. “I’m thankful for SUP as it came into my life when I couldn’t do much else.”

Skyler Palmer is an accomplished sailor, technical rescue fireman with Tacoma Fire Department, and race director for the Ballard Elks Paddle Club in Seattle. Skyler talks about safety on the water, and life in general, and the delicate balance of risk and adventure in the sport of stand up paddle racing and the importance of being prepared.

Brown was born in American Samoa, and is very proud of his Polynesian roots. “The sense of pride and humility overwhelms me every time my paddle enters the water. I’m always in awe with the thought of my ancestors exploring Oceania not knowing when they’ll reach the next land mass.” A professional Rugby player; his sport, culture, and family instilled a deep sense of community and respect that make Brown one of... Read More

Tenar Hall is a collector of safety–what she knows, and practices on the water has been picked up over the years, and implemented on each trip on the open water. When Tenar was separated from her Surf Ski off the cost of Orcas Island, not only did what she pick up over the years save her life, but indeed the collective group of people responsible were there with her in the frigid... Read More

Jeremiah Bonsmith is a true brother and friend of the +206, and one of the original racers from the club’s beginning almost a decade ago. Jeremiah has been there for many over the years, and reciprocated through his own vulnerability. Jeremiah is an Engineer at Boeing, an epic Father and Husband, and friend to many on an off the water. Jeremiah talks about SUP Racing, Fatherhood, and the Pandemic which has changed... Read More

Lindsey Virdeh was forever changed by the Pandemic and found love and acceptance in the sport of stand up paddle boarding. She is a Mother, Wife, and Instructor in Clean Energy Technology at Shoreline Community College in Washington State. Paddling provided Lindsey both the calming solitude she needed during the pandemic and allowed her to spend time with her friends during the quarantine. She also learned to love herself for exactly who... Read More

Harry Oesterreicher is a man who gives back–giving his kidney to a dear friend, founding member of the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Foundation, and volunteer at Washington Water Trails, and the Ballard Elks Paddle Club.  Harry discusses how important friendship is across a variety of groups and clubs, Stand Up Paddle Racing, and what it’s like to give a kidney to a dear friend.

Levi Goltz came into stand up paddle racing from a lifetime of sports as a gymnast, ultra marathon runner, and Soccer player. Levi talks about his entry into SUP racing, early family life, and a behind the scenes look at the world of computer programming.

Nick Papa has a heart of gold and everything about him spells success on and off the race course. He is a gentleman and well-spoken, but his brute force and focus brought him to the front of the Seattle SUP racing scene.  Nick talks about the other racers in the Seattle area that mentored him early on and what he has learned in a short time.  In addition Nick talks about his... Read More

Fiona Wylde is a product of Hood River and the Columbia Gorge–friends and family, the Jet Team, and the rugged and unforgiving Columbia River all have shaped and tempered her into the competitive and kind person she is today.  Fiona talks about those early years and the people, places, and events that forged who she is and how she is paying it forward to others in the sport. Fiona is one of... Read More

Reading Kaliko Kahoonei’s blog, you find an individual who cares deeply about the sport of SUP and is worried about its future.  We talk with him about a recent post “The SUP Industry Exposed” and the quick deterioration of SUP racing, especially the Pacific Paddle Games in California which Kaliko has attended the last four years.  Kaliko also discusses the business of SUP in general and gives vivid details of a regional... Read More

Christian Oliver has always been drawn to the water.  Growing up in the South, his family would take vacations to Florida, where he fell in love with the ocean. Christian’s dad built cedar strip wood canoes out of the garage and has great memories canoeing with the family in Tennessee.  Christian majored in Industrial Design in college and channeled his love for the water in designing boats and now works for a... Read More

Spencer Lazzar was early on the scene of stand up paddle racing–Inspired by a video of Laird Hamilton on a SUP, he though, might I be able to surf my local lake on one of these boards?  The search was on for a stand up board in these very early days of SUP.  Spencer and a friend traveled several hours away to the foreign city of Hood River, one of the few places... Read More

Flying around Washington State in old Russian helicopters purchased by the Government for one dollar, Jim Jarvie served as a forest firefighter helping mop-up fires that ravaged the area. Jim’s passion for freighter wake surfing and saltwater came from a dear Mother who loved the Ocean and immersed her children in it! A “Rosie the Riveter” in WWII, Jim’s Mother served our country with pride along with Jim’s Dad who fought in the... Read More

Jen’s interest in science and psychology of health began after an accident left her father paraplegic.  This situation piqued her curiosity about causes and cures for chronic pain and illness. Being an athlete, she was interested in what it took to function at a high level of performance and ultimately created a stand up paddle race training program based on Physiology and Biomechanics, Muscular and  Egoscue Exercise Therapy.  Jen’s lifetime study of Biomechanics... Read More

Marc, Zach, and Darrell are epic men from the South preaching the word of Mental Toughness in all that they do. “We never quit” Join us at the Columbia Gorge Downwind Challenge in Hood River, Oregon were we met with this extraordinary team who drove over 2000 miles to compete in the downwind and course races. Father and Son, business partners, and good friends—Marc and Zach Rounsaville talk mental toughness that Zach... Read More

An epic stand up paddle racer with no forearms, a Fireman, a beloved young man, a stoked racer from Tahiti, and a trio of stoked men from the South who drove over two thousand miles to race in the Gorge.  These are the people of stand up paddle racing.  Join us live during the 2017 Columbia Gorge Downwind Challenge to hear their stories.  This episode promises to deliver unlimited stoke from the... Read More

Chris Hawkins piloted a 27 foot sailboat as a kid and went on to crew on a 40 foot Newport in his early twenties. A 6th generation Bitterroot Valley, Montana Native and avid outdoorsman, Chris was still lost at sea until he found Stand Up Paddle Racing. A man of two worlds—Spokane, Washington and Bitterroot Valley, Montana, Chris talks about his family life and parents who embraced and shared the outdoors, the... Read More

Billy Kaczynski is a product of the crucible of life and made it out the other side an epic musician and super stoked guy.  Billy talks about growing up in Hawaii, bodyboarding, music, and leaving Hawaii for California at the age of 15 with the help of a friend.  Life is a crucible, and Billy tells his compelling story of hope, stoke for life, and his love for Puerto Rico and the... Read More