DOUG ELLIS TOP 10 LIST

Hey guys,

Our good friend Doug Ellis who is a sponsored pro racer on the east coast made a list of the top 10 things he learned from his west coast trip a few weeks ago. For those of you that came to our 1st Pro Race clinic a few weeks ago you were privileged enough to meet and learn from Doug. Not only is he CRAZY fast but he is extremely humble and fun to be around. We will have another clinic with Doug this spring so keep an eye out. After going to the clinic I realized how much Technique and training really goes into racing. All comes down to "THE ENGINE" (paddler)

"Ten Things I Learned from Hennesseys and the Battle of the Paddle

10) Drafting happens. Hate it, love it, but when a train of 6 guys pass you effortlessly nose-to-tail and your top 10 finish is now looking more like top 20, trust me- you'll think about hopping on the caboose. Cyclists. Marathoners. Sailors. Paddlers. Hell, even seagulls have figured it out.

9) The teenage phenoms (think Slater, Connor, Kai, Zane, etc) do things on SUP boards that are mind blowing. That being said, watching the uber-grom division made me realize that there will be strides made in the sport of SUP in the next 10 and 20 years that are nothing less than incomprehensible today. We are already the old school.

8) Pull hard. Pull often. If you pull harder and more often that the next guy, more often than not, you win.

7) Girls beat a lot of really fast boys and its going to keep happening, more often. When Candace, Heather, Karen, Jenny, etc come by you, cheer them on and appreciate the strength and ability of these talented women.

6) Chuck Patterson is huge. He has the ability to pass you and make you forget to keep paddling as he pulls by you and you realize that his arms are the size of your waist

5) The humility and aloha/pura vida/whatever name you call it by, in the SUP community is an overwhelming pleasure to be around, from the top pros to the first time novice. This is the reason our sport will continue to enjoy exponential growth.

4) Danny Ching’s paddle stroke is like Michael Phelps swim stroke- painfully efficient and mesmerizing to watch. He could paddle a door and still beat me.

3) I still cant figure out where Connor Baxter’s power comes from, and I will still fall in 9 out of 10 times when I try to emulate his stroke.

2) Paddling is like triathlon in that some people will relentlessly research, demo, and spend exorbitant amounts of time and money in a never-ending quest for the lightest, fastest, newest tech boards in an effort to buy speed. Others will spend that time on the water paddling. The engine beats the board.

1) If the old adage is true that the East Coast lags a few years behind the West when it comes to water sports, we have a hell of a bright future ahead."

Thanks Doug
Sup Annapolis