85 Degrees, Blue Sky, Warm water and we got to go for a morning paddle.  The dolphins were playing outside the break, so I took the new 2013 Speeder out to check them out.  The new speeder is fast and smooth.  As I came in I decided to see how the speeder did in the small fun waves and I had a blast.  So easy to catch the bumps!

A two week boat trip in Eastern Indo sounded like the perfect time to test Dave’s new wave designs, so I grabbed a Fluid 9’1” and headed out.

Over the course of two weeks I got to “test” the board in waves from knee high to double overhead bombs. Some of the waves were super playful slow peelers and others fast race track,beat the closeout, type of breaks.

Dave’s new design, the Fluid, performed flawlessly in all conditions. The board is super easy to get on the waves, fast and responsive once on the waves, and stable at all speeds.

At most of the breaks we could not get the dingy in the right position for pictures. Though, on two days at an unnamed spot, the waves were peeling around a super shallow reef into deep water so the dingy was able to sit on the shoulder and take some nice shots.

The new Fluid is a winner!

Look for Fluids and other 2013 boards arriving at your local shops in January

Aloha,
Gregg

A little video by our friends, Loch and Sonni, of Dave testing his shapes last winter. Can’t wait to give these new shapes a try. Look for them this fall at your local Imagine dealer…..

The appointment of Dave Kalama signifies the company’s new direction since it was acquired by The Pryde Group last January, and its overall strategy to be a leader in the stand up paddle industry. Kalama is known for popularizing big wave, tow-in surfing, hydrofoil surfing and stand up paddle surfing, and brings knowledge and insight of the industry to a new age at Imagine Surf.

“It has always been our mission to be a leader in stand up paddling,” explained Gregg Chisolm, President at Imagine Surf. “Dave popularized stand up paddling and made it possible for all of us to enjoy this great sport. He is an innovator in the true sense, and it will be an honor to work with him toward our goal of achieving innovation in our products and growing the sport of stand up paddling globally.”

Dave Kalama is a Hawaiian waterman who comes from a lineage of surfing champions. He began as a world champion windsurfer and has evolved into one of the premiere big‐wave riders of our time and one of the pioneers of tow‐in surfing and most recently, stand up paddle surfing and racing. Dave along with friend and fellow waterman Laird Hamilton, re-introduced the ancient Hawaiian sport of stand up paddling to the public in the mid-1990s. In 2005, he launched KALAMA KAMPS (www.kalamakamp.com), a customized, one‐on‐one training program that embodies Dave’s training regimen. “It’s a way for people to experience an authentic waterman’s lifestyle,” Kalama said. Dave also shares content on his blog (www.davidkalama.com), writing about “A Waterman’s Journal: Adventures in Stand Up Paddling, Surfing, Ocean Voyaging, and Life.” He is also a contributing writer for Grind Media’s SUP Magazine (www.supthemag.com).

Since his early days in big wave, tow-surf, windsurfing and especially in stand up paddling, Dave has constantly worked with the top shapers in the world to design the highest performance and quality boards. Dave’s been designing and shaping his own boards for the past few years, and is excited to expand it into a full line.

“It is important to me to team up with a company that not only shares my philosophy, ethics and authenticity, but also my goal of designing high performance and accessible equipment,” explained Kalama. “With support from Imagine I will have access to resources that I can use to develop and experiment with new designs, construction methods and all of the elements that go into designing innovative boards that are performance driven,  easy to ride and fun.”

In 2013, Imagine will debut the first of the Kalama-designed boards. Both boards will be available in two sizes. Stand up paddle surfing enthusiasts and action sports retailers will get a sneak preview of both boards at next month’s Outdoor Retailer Expo in Salt Lake City, UT.

ABOUT IMAGINE SURF

Innovative designs and superior construction techniques have made Imagine Surf grow from a small, pioneering company that began in 2004 into one of the leading stand up brands in the world today. The company is a division of The Pryde Group (www.prydegroup.com), a watersports group whose focus is on producing high-performance products with premium quality. From entry-level beginner surfing SUPs to the fastest race boards in the world, Imagine Surf has put together an international distribution network second to none, so no matter where you are, you too can get one. For more information about Imagine Surf, please visit (www.imaginesurf.com).

*****

The Big Boss goes for his first paddle. Neil Pryde who runs the Pryde Group, Imagine Surf’s parent company, goes for his first Stand Up Paddle ever. He is 73 years young and jumped right on for first paddle. Board of Choice, an Imagine Surfer of course…….

Click here to view the embedded video.

Francois, our Imagine Surf Paddle Board distributor in Tahiti, just sent us these amazing photos taken on his latest outing. Actually, he stressed that EVERY outing is just like this… which just makes us jealous. These are some great photos, and it’s a pleasure to share them with you.

Questions about Paddle board Sprinters in Tahiti?
Visit our contact page and drop us a line.

Shortboarding Stand up style! Mo Freitas, the unbelievable athlete from Hawaii just keeps pushing and pushing, and today he sent us these photos from his recent stand up session at Jocco’s on Hawaii’s north shore. What can I say – the guy can surf.

Questions about Shortboarding SUP style?
Visit our contact page and drop us a line.

This is the season when we start really prototyping for the following years toys, and everyone here at Imagine is involved in some way or another. Our up and coming pro rider Mo Freitas has been bouncing ideas back and forth with us and this board is the result of these ideas. Will it ever be an Imagine production board, or just remain one of those cool, amazing and out there shapes? Who knows… but it’s sure fun testing all this, and you can be sure that just like motorcar racing that generates performance cars for track, there will certainly be elements of this that will find their way into our production boards of the future.

Questions about SUP Prototypes and ideas?
Visit our contact page and drop us a line.