Yolo News, Paddle Boarding Surf Information Events, Announcements

YOLO News and Information

YOLO Board Standup Paddle Race Standings

Friday, September 5, 2008
Come join us for the final race on September 18 - 6PM at Bud n Alleys in Seaside!!

After the fourth stand up paddleboard race held in HarborWalk Village, Destin FL,

the standings are as follows:

Men's Division:

Aqua Surf Shop - 38 pts. Yolo Men -34 pts. RYNO - 24 pts. Surfrider - 15 pts. Sunset Beach Services - 14 pts. Destin Health & Fitness Club - 12 pts. ROV - 8 pts. Kitty Hawk Kites -
7 pts. Amavida - 4 pts.


Women's Division:

YOLO Women - 34 pts. Walton Wahines - 27 pts. YOLO litas - 24 pts. Kitty Hawk Kites - 23 pts. WaterBabes - 15 pts.

YOLOlitas and Aqua Men take race!!!

Friday, August 29, 2008













Destin's HarborWalk Village was an amazing setting for the 4th race in the YOLOboard StandUp Paddle Race Series. Spectators lined the wharf to watch the competition. Team YOLOlita took the women's division, and Team Aqua Surf Shop won again in the men's division.

The paddlers braved the outgoing tide and at the turn-around on the north side of the Destin bridge, it was a swift paddle back-- riding the current back to the finish line. Special thanks to Ric Bos of HarborWalk Village for hosting the event. Be sure to catch the next race on Sept. 18 at Bud n Alley's, Seaside , FL.

YOLO listed as best TOY!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Garden and Gun Magazine featured


YOLO BOARD


as "Best Toy of the New South" in their Sept./Oct '08 issue.


"YOLO Original Stand-up Paddle Board"


The paddle-surfing wave is sweeping up everyone from beach-going families to hard-core flats anglers. These hybrid-ized surfboards allow riders to stand upright while using a long single paddle to glide across the water's surface.


"Pretty much anyone can do it," says John Denney, co-owner of East Coast Paddle Surfing in Jupiter, Florida. "But the feeling is just unbelievable!" The 12-foot-by-31-inch YOLO(You Only Live Once) board is an excellent choice for a stable, all-around model, whether you're looking to shred frothy waves or simply take in the view while "walking" on top of a glassy inshore creek."


-Garden and Gun Magazine, Page 74, Sept./Oct. 2008 issue



Another local "best" listed in this issue of Golf & Garden is Watersound Beach's Origins Golf Course, which was designed by Davis Love III and his company, Love Golf Design.

Yolo Women and Aqua Surf Men win 3rd race in Series

Friday, August 15, 2008




Aqua Surf Shop and YOLO Women win Third Race in YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series Race Event on August 14th.

Next Race Slated for Thursday, August 28th on Destin Harbor at HarborWalk Village.
YOLO Board successfully hosted their third race in the YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series at 6 pm on Western Lake in WaterColor on Thursday, August 14, 2008 with Teams Aqua Surf Shop and YOLO Women taking first place. The Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.-based paddleboard company received another big turnout with a total of 13 participating teams and over 150 spectators gracing the Western Lake Bridge and nearby BoatHouse facility and docks.

After the race, paddlers and spectators were treated to a post-race celebration by race participants and sponsors Dan & Sally Bailey, proprietors of Amavida Coffee, at their cafe in Seaside. Delicious, healthy fare by neighboring Seaside merchant Jennifer Kuntz of Raw & Juicy was served as well as a choice selection of Amavida Coffee's organic beer and wine.

Participating teams in the August 14th race included:

Ladies/Jrs
1. YOLO Women
2. Jr. Lifeguards
3. Walton Wahinis
4. YOLOlitas
5. WaterBabes
6. Kitty Hawk Kites Women
Mens
1. Aqua Surf Shop
2. YOLO Men
3. RYNO
4. Surfrider
5. Sunset Beach Services
6. Amavida Coffee
7. Kitty Hawk Kites Men

The teams will continue on and compete in the fourth race slated for Thursday, August 28th at 6 pm in the Destin Harbor at HarborWalk Village as they vie for the champion title "YOLO Board Cup Series." The race series will culminate on Thursday, September 18th with the final race scheduled to take place in the Gulf behind Bud & Alley's in Seaside. Owner Dave Rauschkolb has offered up his celebrated Seaside landmark as the venue to host the awards ceremony and after party.

Sponsors of the 2008 YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series include: Co-sponsors-Kialoa, Destin Real Estate Company, Destin Health & Fitness Club, Sun Landscape, VIE Magazine, Billabong Grand Boulevard, Wachovia Securities, Smoothie King and Copy Systems. Buoy sponsors-Amavida Coffee, Aqua Surf Shop, Lovelace Interiors and SoWal.com.

The YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series is free and open to the public. For the latest up-to-date info on the race series including race locations, visit http://www.yoloboard.com/ or call 850.622.5760.

YOLO Men and YOLO Women win 2nd race in series

Saturday, August 2, 2008


Team YOLO Men & Team YOLO Women Win Second Race in YOLO Race Series!!
Next Race Slated for Thursday, August 14th on Western Lake (WaterColor BoatHouse Access)

Although the location changed the day before due to impending surf conditions in the Gulf of Mexico, the second race in the YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series went off without a hitch on Thursday, July 31, 2008, at 6 pm on Oyster Lake with Team YOLO Men and Team YOLO Women paddling their way into first place. Previous first place winners Aqua Surf Shop came in second followed closely by Team RYNO in third. A total of eight men's teams and five women's teams competed along with the newly formed Team Jr. Lifeguards.

While Thursday’s forecast called for scattered thunderstorms and a 60%chance of rain, by race time the skies had parted and spectators enjoyed the comfort of a cool yet strong headwind which proved to be a fun challenge for the paddlers in the water. By mid-race many spectators were seen parking theirs cars along Hwy 30A to stop and enjoy the festivities.

Participating teams in Thursday's YOLO Race Series included:

Ladies/Jrs
1. YOLO Women
2. Jr. Lifeguards
3. YOLOlitas
4. Kitty Hawk Kites Women
5. Walton Wahinis
6. WaterBabes

Mens
1. YOLO Men
2. Aqua Surf Shop
3. RYNO
4. Sunset Beach Services
5. Surfrider
6. Destin Health and Fitness Club
7. Kitty Hawk Kites Men
8. Amavida

The teams will continue on to compete in the third race slated for Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 6 pm at WaterColor on Western Lake as they vie for the champion title "YOLO Board Cup Series" to be awarded after the final race on September 18th. Remaining race dates (weather permitting) are: August 14th, August 28th & September 18th.

A huge thank you to our generous sponsors!

Co-sponsors:
KIALOA, DESTIN REAL ESTATE COMPANY, DESTIN HEALTH & FITNESS CLUB, SUN LANDSCAPE, VIE MAGAZINE, BILLABONG GRAND BOULEVARD , WACHOVIA SECURITIES, SMOOTHIE KING & COPY SYSTEMS
Buoy sponsors:
AMAVIDA COFFEE, AQUA SURF SHOP, LOVELACE INTERIORS & SOWAL.COM

A very special thank you goes out to Copy Systems in Santa Rosa Beach for handling all of our printing needs and emcee Mike Sturdivant of Blue Mountain Surf who does an awesome job of keeping the crowd entertained.

The YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series is free and open to the public.

Gary Wise to represent YOLO in Molokai Race

Thursday, July 24, 2008


Team YOLO Board to Compete at 12th Annual QuiksilverEdition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race.
South Walton Fire District Beach Safety Director Gary Wise qualifies as the only waterman from the state of Florida and East Coast to compete in the international paddleboard race.

Santa Rosa Beach, FL (July 16, 2008)-Locally-adopted Australian-born waterman, Gary Wise, South Walton Fire District Beach Safety Director, will compete in the famous 12th Annual QuiksilverEdition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race on Sunday, July 27, 2008, representing Team YOLO Board. YOLO Board is a hybrid-style stand-up paddle board company based in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. This will mark Wise"s first time competing in the internationally-celebrated long distance paddleboarding competition known simply as "Molokai."

"I have competed in many races in my day but none compare to the magnitude of Molokai," said Gary Wise, South Walton Beach Safety Division Chief. "Unlike other long-distance paddleboard races, Molokai includes a challenging downwind course that serves as the ultimate endurance test. Most recently having won the masters division in the International Lifesaving World Surfboat Championship - a race which only lasts approximately six minutes - training for a race that lasts seven hours presents a lot of unique challenges."

The legendary race consists of a grueling 32-mile rough water race across the Kaiwi Channel that separates the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu, from Kaluakoi to Koko Head. Competing in the stand-up paddleboard solo rudderless division, Wise is the only male participant in the state of Florida and East Coast that qualified to compete among the roster of over 135 of the world's best men and women paddleboard and stand-up paddler racers. Cynthia Aguilera, a pro lifeguard from Miami Beach Patrol, is the only female participant who qualified from the state of Florida and East Coast.

"We are beyond excited that Gary will be representing Team YOLO Board at this year's Molokai race," said Jeff Archer, co-founder of YOLO Board LLC. "In addition to Gary achieving so much as a celebrated waterman, he also continues to be the driving force behind establishing the life guard safety program in South Walton. We couldn't be more proud to have someone of his caliber representing Team YOLO Board."

According to the Molokai race website, competitors in a variety of classes including unlimited and stock paddleboards, as well as solo and relay stand-up paddling, must fight their way across one of the roughest channel crossings in the Islands, literally surfing their way down consecutive open ocean swells in the attempt to reach Oahu. Once along its rugged coast paddlers are met with capricious head winds and side currents that make the last few miles to Maunalua Bay a grueling test of sheer will and muscle. For serious competitors only, this year's field will include six-time champion Jaime Mitchell, stand-up stand out Bonga Perkins and the 2007 women's unlimited winner Shakira Westdorp from Australia, who just barely touched out rival Kanesa Duncan of Oahu.

Molokai will mark the fourth paddleboard race that Wise has competed in on behalf of Team YOLO Board. Among Wise's numerous accolades he has garnered to date, his most recent wins on behalf of Team YOLO Board included placing first in the:

East Coast 12-mile Paddleboard Championship around Key West, June 2008.
Florida State 7-mile Paddleboard Champion in Cocoa Beach, Fla., March 2008.
East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame Museum 22-mile Waterman Challenge, Stand up Paddleboard division in Cocoa Beach, Fla., October 2007.
To learn more about the 12th Annual QuiksilverEdition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race, visit
www.quiksilveredition.com/molokai.aspx.

Aqua Surf Shop wins 1st Race in YOLO Series!! -Next Race Thursday July 31, OYSTER LAKE

Tuesday, July 8, 2008







































With the generous support of our sponsors, paddlers, volunteers and wonderful spectators, we successfully hosted our first race in the YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series at 6 pm on Oyster Lake in Santa Rosa Beach on Thursday, July 17, 2008. We had a great turnout with a total of 10 participating teams and at least 150 attendees. The two-hour long event closed with a spectacular sunset over Oyster Lake and many smiling faces with people already buzzing with conversation about the next race.

Congratulations to the winning teams!
1st place Team AQUA SURF SHOP
2nd place Team YOLO MEN
3rd place Team RYNO

Participating teams included:
Team DESTIN HEALTH & FITNESS CLUB, Team AQUA SURF SHOP, Team ROV, Team RYNO, Team SURFRIDER, Team SUNSET BEACH SERVICES, Team KITTY HAWK KITES, and Team WALTON WAHINIS, Team YOLO WOMEN, Team YOLO MEN.

The teams will continue on to compete in the second race slated for Thursday, July 31st as they vie for the champion title "YOLO Board Cup Series" to be awarded after the final race on September 18th. Race locations are: July 31, Oyster Lake, Santa Rosa Beach; Aug. 14, Watercolor Boathouse; Aug 28, HarborWalk Village, Destin Harbor; Sept. 18, Bud & Alley's, Seaside, FL.

A very special thank you goes out to Copy Systems in Santa Rosa Beach for handling all of our printing needs and emcee Mike Sturdivant of Blue Mountain Surf who did an awesome job of keeping the crowd entertained. .

The YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series is free and open to the public for spectators.
Thank you again to everyone for their support and look forward to the next race. YOLO!


Check out more photos in the MY YOLO section of our website.

A HUGE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

VIE Magazine features YOLO

Monday, July 7, 2008

The premier edition of the Emerald Coast's
newest magazine, VIE, included YOLO Board
as one of its feature articles.
Published by Lisa Burwell, Vie Magazine is unique in that its primary focus is on human interest stories celebrating the "people and places" of our Northwest Florida region, specifically from Pensacola to Apalachicola.

International Surf Day Event Success

Monday, June 23, 2008





International Surf Day event held last Friday at Pompano Joes in Miramar Beach, FL was a huge success! Lots of money was raised for the Surfrider Foundation to benefit our waters. Yolo Board was on hand for demos- Lots of paddlers braved the choppy waters of the Gulf. Great music, food, and a bonfire made the event one to remember. Congrats to the Panhandle Chapter of Surfrider Foundation members- Mike, Jack, Bobby and Madra on an awesome event.
Photo credit: Romona Robbins
Check out this video of the event shot by Ric Eddins, DreamingofDestin.com http://www.dreamingofdestin.com/?page=9&vid=3&cat=s

YOLO featured in The Seaside Times

Friday, June 20, 2008



Local Tom Losee paddles out into the emerald green in search of a wave on his patented YOLO board. You Only Live Once is a company he and partner, Jeff Archer, created. If you've always dreamed of catching a wave, but have been nervous to try, head over to ONO Surf Shop for private or group lessons.


The Town of Seaside is a gulf front community located in The Beaches of South Walton on Scenic Highway 30A between Destin and Panama City Beach . Founded in 1981, by Robert and Daryl Davis, Seaside is the much-heralded birthplace of The New Urbanism movement, which is based on rediscovered traditional town planning principles. Situated on 80 acres, Seaside is a pedestrian-scaled beach town with 423 residences and 42 specialty retail shops and 12 restaurants and eateries. The town is designed so that life's daily needs are accessible within a short stroll or bicycle ride. Seaside's thriving downtown includes civic, cultural and educational institutions; a public charter school, an inter-faith chapel a repertory theater and The Seaside Institute. Parks, a swim and tennis club, and an amphitheatre provide year-round recreation and entertainment

International Surf Day Celebration

Tuesday, June 17, 2008





Friday June 20--International Surfing Day

celebration. A family-friendly event on the beach behind Pompano Joe's in Miramar Beach from 6 pm-till. The event will include a paddle out, raffle prizes, silent auction, live music, food and a bonfire. Guests are encouraged to bring their own beverages.

Stand-Up Paddle Race was a huge hit!




Surfrider put on an awesome event last Friday at Oyster Lake.

YOLO Boards were everywhere, and the competition was fierce and fun!

Spectators lined the bridge to watch 8 teams compete in individual and team contests.

Come out to Pompano Joes in Miramar Beach this Friday for the awards ceremony!!
Check out more photos at Dave Meadows' (Sunset Beach Services) website:

Stand-Up Paddleboard RACE at Oyster Lake FRI June 13

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Friday, June 13th at 6pm there will be excitement for paddlers and spectators alike, as several teams comprised of surf shop, lifeguard, and other beach business crews duke it out for top honors. Ma-Ocean will be the big winner as teams will also try to improve their times by offering up donations. Each dollar raised will shave a second off the clock! The donations will help the Surfrider Foundation keep our oceans clean and accessible for everyone! http://www.surfrider.org/
Four person teams will paddle a team SUP board in a total of eight laps around the lake, handing off the board to a team mate every two laps. The board exchanges will surely be fun to watch!
The event will be held on a beautiful coastal dune lake and in full view of passers by along scenic 30-A. Watch this page for event details as the race day draws closer.
Yolo Board has offered to provide SUP boards for all teams…allowing for head to head one design competition! Also, if you have always wanted to try paddle boarding come out for a free demo before the race, 5-6pm!
As of 6/3/08 the following teams are slated to participate:
Team Brah Ha Surf Shop
Team SWFD Lifeguards (two teams, Ladies and Men’s)
Team Aqua Surf Shop
Team Surfrider
Team YOLO Board
Team R.Y.N.O.
Team Surf & Skim
Awards:Presented on International Surfing Day, Friday June 20th, 7pm Pompano Joe’s (Team donations will be accepted until 6:30pm)
Team Champion (overall time after adjustment of 1 second per every $1 in donations)Best Individual Leg (2 lap straight time, no adjustment)
UPDATE: New location!!!
Great news! The Paddle Board Race is drawing lots of interest. We have several more teams planning to compete. Allen Lake will not be big enough to hold us all! The event will be moved to Oyster Lake with better access and more parking. Parking is located along 30-A, at the beach access, and on the North side of Lake Causeway. (Do not block bike path or private drives
.