Paddlers approach their mark just south of the Newport Bridge in the first Newport SUP Cup, presented by Coastal Urge on Saturday (Photo by Tom Shevlin)

NEWPORT, R.I. – More than 90 participants took to the water on Saturday for Newport’s first ever SUP Cup (that’s “stand up paddleboard” for those who missed our preview story last week).

With brilliant blue skies overhead and temperatures in the low to mid 80s, you couldn’t have ordered up a better day.

Continue Reading at www.Newport-Now.com

“NEWPORT, R.I.  - You’re probably asking yourself what the heck is a SUP Cup? It’s a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) race that is taking place on Saturday, Aug. 28, at King Park. Get there at 8:15 a.m. for a pre-race meeting, and get ready to paddle for the 9 a.m. start!

The course will begin and end at King Park in Newport.  The six mile Elite Division will paddle from King Park to Goat Island and complete two laps around the island before returning to King Park.  The three mile Recreational Division will follow the same path with only one lap around Goat Island.

Paddlers will be competing for a $1,000 cash purse in the Elite Division and over $3,000 in prizes in the Recreational Division.  There will also be a Pre-Race Banquet at 7 p.m. on Friday night, Aug. 27, featuring a special presentation.  The banquet also provides racers with an opportunity to meet fellow paddlers while enjoying a delicious southern-styled pig pickin’ as well as art exhibits and live music at the Newport Shipyard.”

Continue Reading at www.Newport-Now.com

HIGH POINT – Tyler Hustrulid may be a relative newcomer to stand-up paddle boarding, but about six weeks from now, he’ll find himself trying to survive a paddling marathon.

Hustrulid, a 29-year-old High Point native who splits his time between High Point and Wilmington, plans to participate in the 4th Annual Surfers’ Environmental Alliance SEA Paddle NYC, a 28-mile charity paddle around Manhattan.

Scheduled for Aug. 13 on New York’s Hudson River, the event is a fundraiser for eight autism charities and for the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance, a nonprofit organization that fights to protect coastal waterways and habitats.

“I’ve never paddled 28 miles in one day before,” Hustrulid says, explaining that the most he’s ever paddled in a day is more like eight or nine miles. “This will be like a marathon.”

Stand-up paddle boarding is an increasingly popular water sport that’s kind of a cross between surfing and kayaking. The paddler stands on a board similar to a surfboard – though longer and heavier, to provide more stability – and paddles with a single long paddle.

Growing up, Hustrulid did a lot of boating and sailing – and he was a summer camp counselor at Camp Seagull on the Neuse River – but he only took up stand-up paddle boarding about nine months ago in Wilmington, where he now teaches others how to do it.

“I think people would be surprised at how easy it is to do,” Hustrulid says. “It requires a little balance and some fitness. This summer I’ve probably taught a hundred people of all ages, sizes and abilities. It’s not difficult to get up and get going, but it does take some practice to become proficient at it or to compete or go long distances.”

Hustrulid says he’s been doing “lots of paddling and running” to train for the event in August.

“I’m also going to be climbing Mount Rainier in July, so I already had a training regimen going on,” he says. “I found out about this event, and I thought it would be another fun adventure to have.”

Approximately 250 paddlers are expected to participate in the event, and the fundraising goal is $300,000, according to organizers.

Paddlers are required to raise a minimum of $1,000 to participate, and Hustrulid had raised $400 as of Friday afternoon. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so online, where he has established a fundraising page.

“At the end of the day, while this is going to be a fun event, it has a big purpose behind it – raising funds for autism – and I’m proud to be a part of that,” he says.

Standup paddleboard. Try it once and you'll want one of your own.

This is the fifth installment of our 2010 Adventure Series, featuring a first-person account of a variety of expeditions and adventures on Bald Head Island.

Standup paddleboarding fever has hit Bald Head Island and I’ve got it bad. A couple of weeks ago a friend and I went paddleboarding with Coastal Urge and the always awesome Millie Holloman Photography to write and photograph a story for next year’s haven magazine.

I can’t give too much away (you’ll need to wait for the magazine to come out) but following are a few pictures and some quick facts to whet your appetite. If you can’t wait until the next haven to learn more about standup paddleboarding, see the folks at Coastal Urge for a lesson and board rentals. And while you’re out there, see if you can find me – I’ll be the Adventure Blogger paddling around the island.

1. Standup paddleboarding is more commonly known by its acronym – SUP.

2. You can paddleboard on the marsh or the ocean.

3. Wear a wide brimmed hat to protect your neck and ears from the sun. A long sleeved rash guard is a good idea too.

4. Bring plenty of waterproof/sweatproof sunblock and apply it everywhere – the sun’s reflection off the water will burn.

5. SUP rentals are $60 a day or $250 a week through Coastal Urge. A two-hour guided SUP tour of the marsh is $60. Check out the Coastal Urge site for more info.

Brent Holloman checks the settings on his camera before shooting the Adventure Blogger, left, and sidekick Rory, right, in the beautiful evening light.

6. Learning to get up was easier than I thought, but mastering the standing part takes a little more time.

7. I fell in the ocean. A lot.

8. Once you’re confident enough, bring a small digital camera in a waterproof bag for some memorable vacation snapshots.

9. Because you’re standing, the view of the marsh is remarkable.

10. Be prepared to come home wanting a paddleboard of your own.

Call her the Adventure Photographer because Millie Holloman dove into the marsh without hesitation to capture some amazing images.

“Coastal Urge will be offering SUP (standup paddleboarding) Demo Days on July 3 and 4. Meet at the Coastal Urge Boardroom (86 Keelson Row) to experience standup paddleboarding, the fastest growing water sport in the world. One of Coastal Urge’s coaches will be on hand to teach all the basics. No charge. For more experienced paddleboarders, join the SUP Race Club on Thursday, July 1 at 5 p.m. $20 per person includes board and paddle rental. Call 1-800-383-4443 for more information.”

Continue reading at The Island Times.

Photo by Jason Frye

Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial summer kick off – found Deep Point Ferry Terminal busy, the ferry packed with eager vacationers and the island abuzz with anticipation for the season to come. The weather on Friday afternoon was perfect on Bald Head Island for starting a long, relaxing weekend and for a good, old-fashioned kite flying. Coastal Urge, the newest retail outlet and adventure outfitter on the island, set up an array of kites on East Beach and a couple of dozen people, including me, your intrepid Adventure Blogger, tried their hand at flying a kite.

This is the part where I make a confession: Up until this weekend I had never flown a kite.

I know what you’re thinking: How can a 32-year-old man have missed out on the simple pleasures of flying a kite? Two reasons: 1) I grew up in West Virginia where we have too many trees and not enough wind to fly a kite, and, 2) I thought it looked boring. So I’ll set the record straight: it’s fun; it’s a lot of fun.

Continue reading this article at The Island Times blog.

Coastal Urge coming to Bald Head Island. Photo by Tyler Hustrulid

“Coastal Urge, with its original – and up until now only – shop at Landfall Center, offers active apparel, gear rental and tours. The Bald Head retail store is at 12-B Maritime Way near the grocery store, while the harbor location at 86 Keelson Row serves as the headquarters for rentals, tours and lessons. Learn stand-up paddleboarding or take a guided or self-guided excursion.”

Continue reading over at Star News Online

Excerpt from The Island Times by Lauren Frye

Coastal Urge, an active coastal lifestyle store with a location in Wilmington, NC, will be bringing their unique blend of active apparel and gear rental and tours to Bald Head Island.

Set to open May 19, Coastal Urge will have two location on the island. The retail store, which will feature outdoor apparel, gear and accessories, will be located at 12-B Maritime Way in Crew’s Quarters near the Woods Gallery. Coastal Urge’s Harbour location, also known as “the Boardroom,” can be found at 86 Keelson Row and will be the headquarters for rentals, tours and lessons.

Click here to continue reading at The Island Times

Paddleboarders race during the Blockade Runner Biathlon in March. Photo by Tyler Hustrulid.

Excerpt from Star News.  Article by Amy Holt

It looks awkward. A person standing on a narrow board in the middle of the waterway.  Balancing and paddling at the same time. Waves rolling by.

But addicts to one of the area’s newest water sports, standup paddleboarding, assure all skeptics that it’s so easy, anyone can do it.  Jeoffrey Nathan, co-owner of Coastal Urge, will even guarantee that you won’t get wet during one of his demos.  The demos are free, but the sentiment is there anyway.

Another shop in town, Hook, Line & Paddle, specializes in fishing from stand-up paddleboards.

“Anybody can do it,” Nathan said. “There’s no barrier to entry like surfing or kiteboarding or sailing because you don’t need to know anything. Pretty much, you just need to know how to swim if you fall off. Just a little bit of common sense and balance, and anyone can do it. Anyone from 80 to 6 years old can just get on it and go.”

The boards at Coastal Urge go anywhere from $900 to $2,000 and come in several different styles. The most popular type is designed for paddling in surf or flatwater.

These are the types you’ll commonly see in local marshes and waterways. The riders look reminiscent of Egyptians poling a reed boat down the Nile. Sometimes a child or dog will be sitting contentedly on the nose watching the world go by.

“It’s such a great way for people to get out and explore the natural waterway and what we have in our backyard. A lot of people don’t even know what exists out there,” Nathan said. “And you can actually see out into the marsh, whereas if you’re in a kayak you cannot see over the reeds.”

Click here to continue reading at Star News Online.

Coastal Urge’s 2nd Annual Intracoastal SUP Cup is happening this Saturday!  For details and registration, you can read all about the event here.

Just two years ago Jeoffrey Nathan and his wife Catherine decided to open a new kind of retail store reflecting their active, coastal life style. Their business, Coastal Urge, has done very well even in the tough economy and has continued to grow throughout the period. With the current resurgence in the economy they feel this new year will be better than ever.

The store carries lines such as Patagonia (customers occasionally mistake them for a Patagonia store), Quiksilver Edition, North Face, Prana as well as high end women’s swimwear and a range of Stand Up Paddle boards. Although they aren’t strictly a SUP store they do cater a lot to this sport with Stearns life jackets, Da Kine bags and apparel designed for SUP including Victory Koredry. Since much of their products are technical they fall into the category of “must haves” at least for those who are committed to water sports according to Jeoffrey. The store even offers baby strollers specifically designed for the beach with big sand tires as well as Beach Cruisers.

A big part of their success was attributed to a strong marketing program including the SUP races organized by Coastal Urge for which Victory helps provide loosefit Koredry shirts as race jerseys. These races have attracted contestants from as far away as Hawaii and some of the top competitors in the world (Chuck Patterson will be at this weekends second annual Cold Stroke). They have also received major press coverage for the events including extensive TV coverage reaching millions of households.

Other successful marketing has ranged from billboards at the local airport to their own boat that cruises around the area with a crew of local women wearing the swimwear they carry.

Victory Koredry has been a good fit for their clientele of water sports enthusiasts and they have sold through the long sleeve Koredry shirts and have had many repeat customers who have returned to buy second shirts for themselves or as gifts.

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