What is New at Stellar for 2013?

Mike Herbert(former US Olympian), Reid Hyle and Borys Markin will represent Stellar Surf skis in the upcoming race season. Borys and Reid will be paddling the SES Ultra that is specifically designed for the small to mid weight paddler.Mike will be paddling a SEL Ultra upgrading from his SE from previous years.

Mike Herbert

This will be Reid's second year representing the Stellar brand. Both Reid and Borys are highly regarded K1 and surf ski paddlers. Mike needs no introduction competing in the 88,92, 96 Olympics. Reid and Borys will be doing the major surf ski races including the Surf ski Championships in San Francisco including the doubles race on Sunday in the newest Stellar Double. They also will be competing in the Blackburn Challenge and the East Coast Championships(Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race). Borys who lives in New Jersey will be racing in most of the local races in the Northeast.

Dave Thomas(Stellar designer,standing) Reid Hyle(kneeling), Rob Mirlenbrink(forground)

Borys Markin

Stellars is sponsoring the SurfskiRacing.com Race Series for the third year now. Stellars is also sponsoring the US Surfski Championships and the East Coast Surfski Championships. Last year Stellar was a major sponsor of the Molokai World Championship.

The new Apex K1 designed by Dave Thomas and Ed Hoffmeister of Stellar Surfskis and Kayaks will be out this spring. It is already in the hands of a few top paddlers in the US and Australia including Australian Matt O'Garey of Wet Fitness. http://www.wetfitness.com.au/ Matt who placed 16th in the 2012 Molokai in his SES Ultra will be headed back this year along with top local paddler Francisco Urena and Richard Germain of Canada. Both Francisco and Richard will be in Stellars.

Richard Germain 2012 Molokai

Matt O'Garey of Wet Fitness

Matt O'Garey of Wet Fitness in New Apex

Francisco Urena headed to Molokai 2013

For this years Blackburn I will be paddling a new SE2 that has more volume, and two venturi drains, that are an improvement over the first generation SE2.Tim Dwyer, my training partner, are looking forward to racing the SE2. For the last two years Tim has raced a double ski at the Blackburn, one of those years, 2011, Tim and North Shore paddler Mike Tracy paddled a Stellar tandem to break the record at that time.

This winter I have been using the 9 inch rudder on my SES Ultra for increased stability. It makes a big difference without sacrificing too much speed in true ocean conditions. I clocked an average speed of 8.3mph several weeks ago for just over a mile while racing Tim during an interval session on Narragansett Bay. It was a jobbly day but no fear with the 9 inch! I will use the 4,8,9 inch this season depending on conditions.The 2013 skis will have new improved rudder lines. I switched out the lines on my personal 2011 SEL ultra, and both my 2012 SES Ultra and 2010 SES Excel.

Wesley Newport Bridge Interval by wesley14 at Garmin Connect (1) - Details

The spring containers arrive in a few weeks and then will be shipped to nation wide to all the Stellar dealers and kayak shops across the country. I have a number of boats on this container. My stock of boats can be found on the link on the Classified section of SurfskiRacing.com. Thanks to living in Rhode Island, there is no sales tax on boat sales so that is a savings of a few hundred dollars if you purchase you boat from me. With the Stellar distribution center located in Northfield, Massachusetts, I can pick up special orders of skis if I don't have what you need in my current inventory.

Visit Wesley’s Garage Sale for the latest Stellar Inventory and Boats on Order

1st Attempt with my New Camera!!

I got a new video camera for paddling. This is my first foray into on water videos. My camera angle is off on both front and back lens however the quality of video and audio is fine I think. More importantly is that it was is so user friendly and easy. I need to settle in on a video editing software in the next week but after that I should have some nice video's especially of the races and the rough water training paddles so stay tuned!!!

Mike Herbert, US Olympian joins Stellar Team

Mike Herbert, former US Olympian has been paddling a SE Excel for the past 3 years but now is paddling the SEL Ultra as seen here on the Arkansas River.

Double the Fun in a Stellar Double

Stellar Double S2E

Doubles offer an excellent choice for another alternative to surf ski paddling. What do you need to have an enjoyable experience with a double?

1. Adequate Storage. At 24 feet long most garages will not hold a double so plan accordingly.
2. Training Partner. Remember the paddler in the back needs to match the front paddler's stroke for the boat to run more efficiently. If both of you have good strokes and are skilled enough to modify your stroke slightly to match your training partner and vice versa than all the better. Also helps greatly if your partner has similar skills(stability) as you do but you can manage otherwise provided you have one of the more stable doubles like the Stellar. 
3. I have found the tempo is often higher in a double. So from a workout perspective a double is awesome. So you don't feel like you are taking away anything from your single workout.
4. The Fun Factor. Nice to chat and share the experience of the paddle, training, and race with a training partner. 

S2E, Stable, Fast, Light, Quality Built

Wesley w/new S2E Excel(39lbs)

Wesley/Chris 3rd Place in Stellar S2E at Great Stone Dam Race

Stellar Rep and Dealer

As of December 1st,  I will  have a full compliment of boats for sale as well as Demos.  You can contact me at stellarsurfski@gmail.com  to schedule an appointment after 5pm or on the weekends.

Some Highlights of Stellar in 2012

1. Stellar Launches innovative18S surfski with hatches and bulkheads.
2. Stellar is Major sponsor of Molokai World Championships.
3. Stellar sponsored paddlers Tim Altman(SEL) and Matt O'Garey(SES) place 10th and 16th.
4. Richard Germain of Canada, 4x finisher of Molokai paddles SEL to personal PR with no capsizes.
5. Reid Hyle breaks Blackburn Record in SES along with Dorian Walters and Borys Markin.
6. Reid Hyle places 18th in Surfski Champs in SES ultra.
7. Massachusetts paddler Francisco Urena ties for 2nd place in the SurfskiRacing.com race series in his SE Ultra.
8. Wesley Echols places 12th in time of 2:53 in SEL ultra at Blackburn Challenge.
9. Dana Gaines wins his class in 18S excel after paddling for first time the day before race!
10. Dana Gaines circumnavigates Martha Vineyard in 18S, 55 miles. 
11. Joe Zellner, endurance paddlers breaks record at Dakota 72 mile race in 18R. Joe wins at Missouri 340, and Phatwater Challenge 42 miles.
12. Traverse City Surfski opens in Traverse City, Michigan.
13. Naples Kayak Shop pick up Stellar.
14. Durbin, South African Richard Philips picks up Stellar Line. 
15. Australian Sean Smith, "Fat Paddler" has great season paddling Stellar SR.
16. Chris Chappell of SurfskiRacing.com has two excellent races in his SR ultra at L2L and Maine Downwind Race. 
17. Chris Hipgrave joins Stellar Team.
18. Joe Shaw in his second season in SES places 5th in SurfskiRacing.com Race Series.
19. Stellar introduces Apex K1 via Facebook proving they can not only design surfskis, kayaks, and now K1's. 

Stellar Kayaks & Surf Skis Promo 2012

Stellar Paddlers at the Molokai, Congratulations

Congratulations to Tim Altman(SEL) 10th and Matt O'Garey(SES) 16th of Australia paddling Stellar skis. Also congrats to Dylan Thomas and Grant Korgan who paddled the Stellar SE2. Grant is paralized from waist down so even a more amazing feat of perservance. Richard Germain from Quebec, Canada also paddled a SEL. So overall it was an excellent showing for Stellar between sponsoring the race and have a great diverse group of paddlers utilizing Stellar's diverse group of skis, something for everyone.

Reid Hyle Wins At Jacksonville

Below is Reid Summary of the River City Challenge May 5th in Jacksonville, Florida

Reid Hyle Stellar Sponsored Paddler 

I did the "River City Challenge" in Jacksonville on May 5th.  It was the first year for the race.  Good event with a fair turnout.  Maybe next year the turnout will be bigger.  They are really putting a lot of energy into this event with entertainment and such.  There should be a promotional video with footage from the race coming out.  

The course was on the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville; out against the incoming tide, turn anti-clockwise around Exchange Island, and return with the tide. The organizer expected everyone to hug the south shore on the way out to avoid having to cross the main current which was running at 3-4 mph in the narrow section near the start.  But hugging the south bank was not required. The actual course was the fastest out to Exchange Island and back. I opted to ferry across to the north shore immediately after the Main Street Bridge and try to find eddies there and then ferry back across to make the turn around the island since that route was much shorter than one following the south shore.

The main trick was selecting the correct ferry angles, especially the second ferry as the river is almost 1km wide at that point.  Even though this was a river course, a ski was a much better option than a K1.  It was a lot easier getting the SES in and out of strong turbulent eddies around the docks and moored tug boats along the north shore plus it is all sea wall so the waves were chaotic at times.  I did catch some runners from wakes bouncing along the seawall, wakes that would have possibly swamped a k1. 

I managed a pace similar to what I might do in a k1 in flatwater. My route was 11.25 km and it took 49:53.  I'm really happy with sub-4:30 per km as an average pace on a circuit course, especially considering that it was quite warm and that I crossed the river twice on the up-current leg.  

http://www.rivercitychallenge.org/
http://rivercitychallenge.smugmug.com/

Reid Hyle, Rob Mirlenbrink, Andy Gerber at Shark Bite Challenge

Stellar sponsored paddler Reid Hyle broke his own record by setting a new course record at the Shark Bite Race put on by Rob and Karen Mirlenbrink.  Andy Gerber, a longtime paddler on the Florida, had a good race! Photos by 1440 photography.

Stellar Small Wing

Newly Modified Stellar Paddle
-All Carbon, very light
-Not much twist so very user friendly
-Cam lock connector, so ultra secure, and on water adjustment in seconds.
-Oval tapered shaft.
-Size blade appropiate for most paddlers.
-10 Centimeter overall adjustments

Sakonnet River, Portsmouth, RI

This is my home training grounds, McCorrie Point Beach on the Sakonnet River. Take a right and paddle 6 miles and you will be in the Ocean but before you get there, the River gets wider and wider (3 miles) with tide, current, swells, refractory waves that make it a wonderful place to train. Today it is flat!

Take a left and paddle 3 miles up River and the water gets flatter until you reach the Sakonnet River Bridge where there is more current than any other place in Rhode Island. Remember Rhode Island is the Ocean State!!

Newest Stellar: 18R, Next Generation Performance Sea Kayak

I paddled the brilliantly designed 18R for the 1st time last week for 10.8 miles on one of my time trial courses. My last 5.5 miles downwind and with current was at 7.026 mph. That is screaming fast in a sea kayak and an excellent time even compared to some of my skis on this course. I have done this course 243 times mostly in skis. This was after paddling upwind for 5.5 miles. I was at 84% of Heart Rate for the entire 11 miles. This was my first time in a sea kayak for over a year so as I get it dialed in I will be even faster. For the New England paddlers that want to break 3 hours in the Blackburn and not be in a ski, this maybe your best option. More to come. Exciting! Further time trials will tell, but I believe this will be the fastest performance sea kayak on the market. This boat is the Excel layup(32lbs). More to come!

The Fat Paddler on the SR

See the below link on the Fat Paddlers comments on the Stellar SR.

http://slipstreamsurf.com.au/

2011 In Review, Boats for Everyone! Yeah!

The past two years have been exciting for Stellar and the surfski market as a whole. In 2011 Stellar introduced the SR, probably the most stable intermediate surfski on the market with excellent speed in this "intermediate" class of skis. Now with the introduction of 17-18ft "beginner" skis from Epic and Think, more skis are available for truly every person out there. With an aging kayak market at least here in the USA, getting more crossover paddlers into more stable skis is better. Once they get into a stable ski, they can then choose to move up in class of skis, purchase a better fitting ski, etc.

2011 also welcomed many new manufacturers of skis primarly in the European market, while other established surfski makers(Fenn) added the Swordfish to there line bridging the gap between the XT models and the Mako models. Stellar added the SE2 double for 2011 which has proved to be almost as fast as the top end doubles but way more stable. Stellar also introduced the SEL which has incredible speed, is extremely stable, and low volume that fit almost everyone. I expect this model to be a top seller once more paddlers try it. Stellar introduced it a few months ago and it is just now paddlers across the world are getting their hands on it. This continues the Stellar theme of fast boats with best in class stability.

With the ease of social networks, blogging, websites, etc, it is easier for paddlers to get various opinions on skis. The trick like any research is to tease out what is useful and what is not from different sources that you trust. The tried and true method of demo as many skis as possible is the best way to go. Decide on what your goals are in paddling a ski, what type of water you primarily paddle in so you can decide on the stability of the ski, frequency of paddling, cost, and quality of the boats. If you can answer this questions truthfully with all the info you have at your disposal then you are well on your way to getting a ski/skis that you can enjoy.

SEL+Training+Technique=PR

Phil Capel in his SEL at 2011 Phatwater Challenge on Mississippi River.

On Tuesday, November 22, I had an all time PR for my 11 mile course from Mccorrie Point to 3^rd Rock in my Stellar SEL Excel. This is the Sakonnet River Race Course that I host, just a mile shorter. I have done this course 82 times since 2002. My previous record was in my SES Excel February 5, 2011. Today I broke that record by a minute. My average pace was 9.11(minutes per mile) with a HR avg of 140. I have only used the 4 inch rudder with the SEL since I have had it. This PR is significant for several reasons:

1. Winter paddling requires extra gear so I have an extra 10 lbs of stuff: drysuit, pogies, extra hat, phone, epirb, muckluk boots.

2. Cold water is more sticky than warm summer water so times could be slower though not today.

3. Today was very flat. Previously I would have said my SES’s were faster on a day like today but my times(races, PR’s) have not supported this over the past six months. The SEL’s stability lets me lengthen my paddle by a centimeter getting a longer catch and I can solely focus paddling technique,leg drive and not stability.

4. One notable obvious difference between the SES and the SEL is the longer length of the SEL allows it to track like a rail, so not much correction in the steering to counter stability. Just point it and go. Go Fast!!

5. Training: Nothing happens without training! Last week, I just started my erg training(concept 2) in preps for the World Indoor Championships in Boston in February. I believe this training is already paying dividends. My previous PR for this course was in February 2011 as mentioned, was just 2 weeks before the World Championships a year ago. On another training note, I ran a 5 mile road race on Thanksgiving Day with virtually no running training time and did well. So the paddling/erg training is paying dividends when I want to cross train.

6. Lastly, I have been working on my technique during the off season as Ben Lawry has suggested to me for the past few years: My catch on my right side was slightly shorter than my left and on my left side I have been working on a cleaner exit.

So this confirms for me again that the SEL has the top end speed over distance of the any other high performance ski on the market due to its perfect combination of stability and speed. Looking forward to my Ultra SEL in a few months!!!

SES Looks at Newport Bridge

Robin Francis just bought this SES Advantage. She upgraded from a V10 Sport Ultra since the SES fits her small frame, 5ft 3, perfectly. Another happy Stellar Customer.

SEL Full Review

See my full review of SEL on SurfskiRacing.com

Stellar Ski Performances on East Coast

1st in Snow Row, Wesley Echols, SES Excel

6th in Snow Row, Chris Chappell, SE

4th in Essex, Wesley Echols, SES Ultra

2nd in Sakonnet, Wesley Echols, SES Ultra

5th in Sakonnet, Chris Chappell, SE Ultra

1st inBlackburn, Mike Tracy/Tim Dwyer, SE2 Course Record, 2:38:00

3rd in Blackburn,Barend Spies, SES Excel, 2:43:03

7th in Blackburn, Wesley Echols, SES Ultra, 2:49:55

8th in Blackburn, Francisco Urena, SE Excel

10th in Blackburn, Chris Chappell, SE Ultra

2nd in Double Beaver,Wesley Echols, SES Excel

11th in Double Beaver, Chris Chappell, SR Excel

3rd in Nahant, Francisco Urena, SE Excel

5th in Nahant, Wesley Echols, SES Ultra

10th in Nahant, Chris Chappell, SE Ultra

2nd in East Coast Surfski Champs, Reid Hyle, SES Ultra

7th in East Coast Surfski champs, Francisco Urena, SE Excel

8th in East Coast Surski Champs, Rob Mirlenbrink, SES excel

11th in East Coast Surfski champs, Wesley Echols, SES ultra

5th in LightHouse to lighthouse, Wesley Echols, SEL Excel

1st in Marblehead Rotary Race, Francisco Urena, SE Excel

This is a tabulation of most of the performances in the North East. As you can see both the SES, SE2, and SE are as competitive as any other ski as far as speed but what sets them apart is they are the most stable. The ability to have great speed with amazing stability is what Stellar skis are all about. They also have some of the best built quality in the world. The Ultra Carbon is the best construction of a ski in the world using a high grade pre preg unidirectional carbon that Wintech Rowing Shells has been using since 2000. Both Stellar and Wintech are built at the Flying Eagle Factory.

Stellar's Excellent Showing at Blackburn 2011

Tim Dwyer and Mike Tracy shattered the doubles record in an SE2 excel in a time of 2hours and 38 minutes on a day that was tailored made for records: flat, overcast, favorable tides. The previous record was 2:46. These guys I know well and are excellent paddlers and made sure they got the boat set up properly and trained in it. To be successful in a double you have to be in synch with each other in balance,stroke, and mentality. Both are incredible rough water padders and are in the top 7 of almost every race they do here in the Northeast. The SE2 is a wonderful double with the combination of speed, lightness, low gunwales, and stability that almost any paddler can benefit from, certainly two skilled paddlers like Mike and Tim.

Of the top 10 finishers, 4 boats were Stellars including the SES and SE. Not bad for Stellar only being out for 18 months. Also if you look further down in the standings 2 SR's were finishers also. Because I know all these paddlers well, I know what they have in common and why the Stellar boats worked for them. Francisco and Chris both big guys who have only been paddling a few short years so the combination of fit and stability of the SE allowed them to make transition to surfskis more easily than some other brands. Chris Sherwood was able to transition from a sea kayak to the ultra stable SR in just a 2 months because of the same reason, stability. The stability runs throughout the line of the Stellar Brand. Barend Spies a top paddler in any boat confirmed what we have known for a year now, that the SES has great speed with stability for the shorter, lighter paddler. So within the Stellar brand there is a ski for all sizes and skill level. The only model not represented was the SEL(low volume SE).