11 year old Dylan pushing his dad Jason in the Chattajack31

 

The future of our sport is obviously bright, Izzy Gomez is the world champion on the Stand Up World Tour at the age of 14! But, I wanted to give some props to some young kids you may not know. It was so nice to see all the young talented paddlers this past weekend at the WPA Championships. Not only are these 17U paddlers competitive in their age group but many of these young guns are giving guy and girls in the 18-49 class a run. The WPA Championships was not the only big race going on in the SE this past weekend, there was also the Chattajack 31, a 31 mile race! Yes, it’s not a typo, and yes there were 17U paddlers that tackled the 31 mile course. The inspiration for me to write this post, was Dylan Geiger, an 11 year old paddler who I first met at our Flying Fish Spring Paddle Challenge. The second I met this young paddler I had instant respect for him and his ability. Dylan and his dad Jason tackled the Chattajack 31 on a tandem stand up, and after months of training together not only did they finish the 31 miles, but they finished 2nd overall for the SUP’s. What a huge accomplishment for this father and son team. I followed their story leading up to the race and Jason gives all the credit to Dylan, who continually pushed him through their training sessions. I can’t imagine the bond that this adventure has created between a father and son, let’s use them as inspiration to continue to grow this sport with young people. SUP is more then a watersport, it’s a lifestyle that benefits the heart and soul, just ask Jason and Dylan.

Simply put the new BOTE boards are sweeeeeeet! All the boards have been redesigned graphically and are now offered in 3 construction types. Along with the new graphics, BOTE has introduced a new race board, the Valhalla, a new surf SUP, the Jackalope, and a new inflatable fishing board, the Drift. These new boards fit perfectly into the already existing awesome BOTE lineup. Here is a quick breakdown of the different construction types.

First is the "Chainmail" which is a carbon innegra blend this is the strongest and lightest construction.

Second is the "Classic" this what most BOTE customers are use to, this is a fiberglass construction with the wood inlay, still very strong but has a bit of added weight.

Third construction is "Native" the boards have artistic paint themes, combined with a commingled fiberglass/innegra construction. This makes these boards not only beautiful but also lighter. 

We will have the new boards up online soon, in the mean time stop by our shop in Stuart, Florida and check them out.

Our new shop is as colorful as our customers are!!!  We have tripled our space by moving right next door.  We even have the same address.  We are filling the space with some awesome new products including Vestal watches, Santiki dresses, Howler Brothers, and even the sea blue Yeti coolers.

 

Fishing in Stuart Florida is my life, literally, I've been a light tackle and flyfishing guide for 15 years, but now since I've been fishing on my paddleboard in Stuart, FL it's like being a kid again. All new experiences and new levels of excitement. I hope you enjoy the video and please stop by my paddleboard shop Flying Fish Paddle Sports 4969 SE Dixie Hwy. Stuart, FL 34997. Much love to SUP fishing.

peace,

John