StandUP Paddle Planet

JORDANELLE STATE PARK Laird Hamilton doesn't mind looking stupid.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: Laird Hamilton – Monday 11.17.08 Today, were droppin’ into the big ones with the Waterman of all watermen, legendary big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Plus Gerry Lopez, Chris Malloy and hundreds of surfers hit New York City for a Stand-up Paddle Race for Autism Awareness. Also, today’s guest Laird Hamilton and other surfers and celebrities show us how the Oceana Foundation can help save our precious oceans. Laird Hamilton’s sponsors include: Wonderwall, Oxbow and Stand

Laird Hamilton is one of those rare living legends, larger than life, although he often appears as a mere spec on some of the waves he rides in his backyard at Jaws off Maui. He pioneered the sport of tow-surfing, utilizing jet skis to streak aboard mountainous peaks. More recently, he modernized stand-up paddle-surfing and not long ago paddled the length of the Hawaiian island chain — standing up, in daylight, darkness and on rough seas. Now Hamilton has written a book, his first, appropri

Surfing legend Laird Hamilton is going back to the roots of his sport by teaching and practicing standup paddle surfing. Sandra Hughes reports.

Stand-up paddling, a variation of surfing in which you stand on a board and propel with a paddle almost like a kayak, is taking beaches by storm, largely due to its endorsement by Hamilton. The sport stands to change ocean recreation, much as snowboards changed the ski slopes.