On Downwinding: You’re Not Surfing
Most paddlers learn to think about downwind paddling in terms of waves. You catch a wave, you ride the wave, and you look for the next wave. Wash, rinse, repeat. That model works well enough [...]
On Training: Stress and Adaptation
Nothing in training happens without stress. In the absence of a stressor, our system remains exactly as it is. But stress alone is not improvement, and in an ocean environment, misunderstanding that difference is one [...]
On Racing: Starting Right
Most races are decided long before the first buoy or the first run. They begin in the final minutes before the start, when paddlers are already spending physical, mental, and emotional energy, whether they realize [...]

Blackburn Challenge to host 2026 National Championships
The American Canoe Association has selected the Cape Ann Rowing Club's Blackburn Challenge as the host venue for the 2026 USA Canoe Ocean Racing National Championships, placing one of America’s most iconic open-water races at [...]

USA Surfski Paddlers @ 2025 ICF COR World Championships
The 2025 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing (COR) World Championships were held in Durban, South Africa this past October. Worlds is the pinnacle international competition for surfski paddlers all over the world, in addition to World Cups [...]
Latest News
On Downwinding: You’re Not Surfing
Most paddlers learn to think about downwind paddling in terms of waves. You catch a wave, you ride the wave, and you look for the next wave. Wash, rinse, repeat. That model works well enough at first, but it starts to fall apart as conditions get more complex. Many of us [...]
On Training: Stress and Adaptation
Nothing in training happens without stress. In the absence of a stressor, our system remains exactly as it is. But stress alone is not improvement, and in an ocean environment, misunderstanding that difference is one of the most common ways capable paddlers stall or break down. Stress is simply load applied [...]
On Racing: Starting Right
Most races are decided long before the first buoy or the first run. They begin in the final minutes before the start, when paddlers are already spending physical, mental, and emotional energy, whether they realize it or not. The start line is not a pause before the race. It is the [...]
Giant Fish Closing, Offering 75% Archive Sale
A letter from Scott Darling, founder of our community's much-loved brand, Giant Fish, states: A CLOSING NOTE As we begin 2026, I’ve found myself slowing down and thinking about what really mattered along the way. Not the plans or the outcomes, but the people—the conversations, the notes that landed at the [...]
Blackburn Challenge to host 2026 National Championships
The American Canoe Association has selected the Cape Ann Rowing Club's Blackburn Challenge as the host venue for the 2026 USA Canoe Ocean Racing National Championships, placing one of America’s most iconic open-water races at the center of next year’s ocean racing calendar. Long known as the “Boston Marathon” of open-water [...]
USA Surfski Paddlers @ 2025 ICF COR World Championships
The 2025 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing (COR) World Championships were held in Durban, South Africa this past October. Worlds is the pinnacle international competition for surfski paddlers all over the world, in addition to World Cups and (for us) Pan American Continental Championships. The venues for these international competitions are fantastic -- [...]
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Think 6 in 6 Seconds
https://youtu.be/66VS_hmoi5Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMtzltHRJqk Chris and I taking pics and messing around with our cameras.
Stellar Double (SE2) 1st Impression
Maiden Voyage I am not sure who was more excited me or Tim(my training partner) over the arrival of the new Stellar double(SE2). The SE2 is just one of the new models coming out for Stellar this year. My previous experience in doubles was demoing two popular models [...]
Think Zen Surfski Review
Update June 2019. Since my January post about the Zen I have much more bucket time. I even raced the Zen in the June 2019, Ride the Bull Race on a 20 mph day in mixed conditions that included some downwind, quarter beam seas at 25mph, mega big boat chop, [...]
Think Jet, Right Sized
Last week I got to try the pint-size Think Jet. It comes in at 17ft by 19 inches and accommodates 80 lbs to 165 lbs. While I am clearly over the weight limit, I took it for a 30-minute paddle yesterday to get a feel for it. It is designed [...]
Surfski Comparison Chart is Now Updated!
Check out the Comparison Chart with the numbers assigned to each ski along with the comparison Grid to get an overall visual on the relative speed vs stability. For example you can see that I rated the SR as the most stable since it at the top of the chart [...]










