STAND UP PADDLING with Mark Jackson
Our regular Stand Up Paddling (SUP) contributor is the energetic Mark Jackson, North Shore native and owner of Stand Up South Pacific Ltd. After 25 years competing and teaching in Hawaii, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, Mark Jackson has brought Standup South Pacific to New Zealand. As a water sports instructor he has taught for many well known sports stars and celebrities.
Our’tearoa
Another day at the office and an international board meeting between Stand Up South Pacific Ltd and Hawaiian Island Surf Inc. The Agenda – To discuss a float plan for supplementary income to offset liquidation in the wake of supposition over P&L ratios & ROI forecasts being overinflated by the CFO. Hangloose translation – Taking my mates from Hawaii (Karl & Laurie), who run a surf store in Maui, for a paddle off Taka beach. Chin-wagging about how to pay for all the beer, whether to hit Ahipara or Raglan as the next stop on a budgeted SUP Surfari and if it’s better to enter the SUP surf contest at Omaha or the SUP National Championships at Kohimaramara.
It’s a job, somebody’s gotta do it and I’m glad it’s me! These board meetings are fun. Business acronyms like…CFO/CEO/MSRP/P&L and ROI translate to Chief Fun Officer – A Cruiser Enjoying the Ocean! Mark’s SUP Relaxation Principal – Paddle and leisure and that folks is your ROI. Return on investment and your Relaxing Ocean Initiative!
Carl Rolfing and Laurie Potish are ocean adventure capitalists from Maui who’ve travelled down under to experience OUR’tearoa. So far they’ve scored an April apparition glass calm SUP cruise in the channel, small waves (by Hawaiian standards) at Ahipara, a kite surf session at Raglan and this weekend they’ll truck off down to Whangamata to meet with www.surfsup.co.nz owner Pete Murray to grab the Rastafarian experience of “get up stand up, stand up for your rights”. I’m certain they’ll also drop into some wicked lefts off Whanga Bar before jetting back to Maui.
Carl and Laurie are baby boomer generation throw backs that “BOOM” like Pebbles and Bam Bam. They understand that we are here for a good time, not a long time, that life ain’t a dress rehearsal but an Indian gift ya gotta give back. Like many salt water junkies they took to Stand Up like ducks to water then flew south for the winter!
Stand Up South Pacific Ltd was born in Hawaii and the urge to return is superlatively strong. This “South Pacific” of ours is fast becoming a Stand Up Paddle travel destination hot spot, and it’s our Takapuna Beach that offers the first impression.
Local surfer Jeremy Shanahan, owner operator of United Travel Takapuna (www.unitedtakapuna.co.nz) is the man to see if you wanna create your own “Tales of the South Pacific”. Already he caters to surfers travelling to Namotu and Tavarua Fiji. As well as Rarotonga, Samoa, and Haatafu Tonga through Island Holidays Ltd (www.islandholidays.co.nz).
I like to think that more and more of us are striving to live by the James A Michener’s quote – “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both.”
We hope you decide to contact us at www.standupsouthpacific.com to get your Stand Up experience, Phone 0220 PADDLE 0220 72 33 53, Mark Jackson. To create your own “Tale of the South Pacific” contact jeremys@unitedtravel.co.nz 09 486 1625. Between the two of us we’ll get you on board.
If you would like some Stand Up Paddle lessons, or just have a one hour fun paddle, all equipment included with a free intro lesson, just look for our Stand Up South Pacific Flags right in front of the Takapuna Boating Club. Alternatively, call Mark Jackson on 0220 PADDLE 0220 72 33 53, or get online www.standupsouthpacific.co.nz
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