Can you believe it is finally over? 2009 was a really strange year for me and everyone involved with this site. Circumstances in 2009 have been awful – loss of our niece to cancer in November, my “day job ” (which funds this site) going away, my wife and I moving from our lovely condo hoping to break even, really – things have been just ridiculous, one thing after another. Then it hit me. How on earth did I manage to get through it all without falling apart, breaking down or being overwhelmed – well, not that is not exactly true. There have been some days of “oh crap, what else could possibly be next?”. It is then that I reflected on the amazing support network that has come into being this past year. 2009 was the year of relationships- new ones, and some that ended.
If there is one thing that our sport can do it is bring people together. At the first battle of the paddle, I interviewed Mickey Munoz who said “it is like a tribe, a brotherhood. Like when we first started surfing”. And I can tell you, that for me this is so true. Prior to my niece passing, I did a shoot with Chuck Patterson. It was the first time I had met him and we spent two days shooting some central coast surf stuff. A month later sitting in Children’s Hospital Orange County, I got a call from Chuck just sending his condolences. That meant a lot to me. He was not the only one. My phone, email and facebook were blowing up with messages from friends in our community. Nate Burgoyne, Morgan Hoesterey, Eric Akiskalian and others were checking up on me regularly, and I just appreciate the time and ministration of these new friends to me and my family during such an awful time. As a friend once told me, “I am not strong, just well supported”. Thank you stand up paddle friends, for supporting not just me, but my family during that time.
In 2010, there is going to be a lot of activity at Stand Up Project. First thing to come out in about two weeks will be the NY SEA Paddle video. There will be three versions – one for the site, one trailer and a long form for the DVD release in March. Following that – a GORGEOUS session video with Chuck Patterson in Ventura on the last day of summer. It is really an amazing set of footage. Also with Chuck, we took a tour of the Hobie factory – see some works in progress with the Hobie guys. Then by month end, Kainoa McGee + Pipeline – enough said. It is awesome. Kainoa is one of those all around watermen, super nice guy, really amazing story and really an inspiration to me. March will bring us the Molokai Challenge with Morgan, Battle of the Paddle 2009 (over 12 hours of footage to turn into 10 minutes!), plus some new profiles that we are shooting now.
The other thing coming in 2010 (and why the site has been dormant the past 60 days) is The Stand Up Project DVD series. First edition will be out mid January. Soul Surf also just released Jack Gillen’s Wave Chi DVD and we jumped into pre-production on another SUP fitness DVD. Soul Surf has been REALLY busy so being a one man show, I have been slacking up posting new behind the scenes content here.
2010 will also see Soul Surf go on it’s first all out SUP expedition for a documentary shoot. The people and location are in tight secrecy now. But in the coming months, there will be some press about it. It is a historic undertaking and will be seriously epic.
We are ALWAYS looking for people to profile, so if you want to have your “SUP Story” told, drop me a note. chris@soulsurfmedia.com.
Thanks for your support this year and I look forward to a happy and productive 2010
Chris Aguilar
Executive producer, The Stand Up Project