Santa Monica -- The world famous Santa Monica Pier and Honolua Surf Co. will kick off the summer of 2012 with the 3rd annual Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race & Ocean Festival, featuring paddleboard races, ocean swim events, dory competitions, hula dance groups, live music and a surfing, lifeguard and paddleboard history exhibition.

The all day event takes place Saturday, June 9, 2012 and is a benefit for Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay and its public marine education facility, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Heal the Bay will receive a portion of net proceeds from the event.

Stand Up World Tour Patron and one of the world's leading Stand Up Paddleboard brands Starboard have stepped up to partner with the Sunset Beach Pro for 2012, punctuating the start of another exciting year for the Stand Up World Tour.

Representing the brand at this now iconic event on Oahu's infamous North Shore will be the on form Zane Schweitzer from Maui, Sean Poynter from the mainland, also finding great form through the second half of 2011 and the people's favorite from Australia, Big Wave Dave Muir.

Also joining these standouts will be Tama Audibert from Tahiti and wildcard here at Sunset looking to assert his presence on the Stand Up World Tour in 2012, young Connor Baxter from Maui. See more about Starboard at www.star-board.com

Dec. 21, 2011, Victoria, BC – Giving whiskey- and nature-loving paddlers something to look forward to, the team at Ocean River Adventures has just announced six new lessons and tours for 2012, ranging from kayaking Scotland’s Inner Hebrides to stand up paddleboarding the Gulf Islands.  

“This industry is one that moves quickly – we have to constantly think ahead, offering our clients new places to discover and sports to try,” said Brian Henry, founder and owner of Ocean River Adventures, a Victoria, BC-based company that specializes in on-the-water paddling and exploration excursions and lessons. “Our 2012 season is packed with awesome on-the-water adventures, including six new tours and lessons: join us for an eight-day tour of the beautiful Scottish Hebrides or learn how to SUP, stand up paddleboard – a new sport that’s slowly taking the world by storm.”

Photo Credit: Mariah Sievers Photography 

A water world dreamland of turquoise and deep rich royal blue. I wondered if it was the jet lag or a waking dream. I had just traveled half way around the world and leap backwards through the dateline but there was one thing I knew for sure: I just arrived at one of the last great paradise island chains on earth, the Maldives. I was here for an epic four day event at the Six Senses Resort on Laamu Atoll that my company Positive H2O collaborated with others to create. Taking one look around at the stunning setting I just knew it was going to be good!

With the opportunity to windsurf the world there is no greater stoke for me than finding the perfect peeling wave and epic sailing conditions in a beautiful location. But more and more my attention is drawn to the disturbing amount of petrochemicals and plastics polluting the ocean. A couple years ago I started asking myself: How can I help keep the ocean and shoreline clean? What can I do as a pro-windsurfer to influence others to focus on clean water issues and take action? These questions rattled around in my head and out of this an idea was born; to join other pro-watermen who also felt the desire to raise awareness for clean water issues. Levi Siver, Keith Teboul, Pascal Bronnimann and I formed +H2O, a company dedicated to promoting water awareness ranging from global access to clean water, local beach clean ups or connecting corporations with non-profits that focus on water conservation and sanitation.