standup paddle Tag

28 Sep

Posted at 11:59h in 20 x 20, Behind the Scenes... by
27 Likes

Battle of the Paddle Painting by Drew Brophy 16 x 20 Sept 2013 20x20 SeriesFOR THE NEXT 20 DAYS, I’M CREATING 20 ORIGINAL ART PIECES that reflect my thought process and where my ideas originate from.    TODAY IS DAY 12!

I’m painting from the heart, just having fun with it.  You might love ’em, you might hate ’em, but either way, I hope they invoke a feeling for you.

(If you share my posts, please tag  #20×20 #drewbrophy #SurfArt #20Pieces20Days)

Today’s Painting is #12 of 20 in this #20×20 Series, titled THE BATTLE OF THE PADDLE,  16″ x 2o” on Canvas Board, medium Uni Poscas Paint Pens.

The “Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle” is the biggest standup paddle race in the world, held at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.  The event brings together so many great athletes and people who are stoked on the sport.

The first one was held in 2008, and I was commissioned by Rainbow Sandals to create the artwork for the poster, t-shirts and signage.

In 2009 Rainbow Sandals hired me to paint a Mural, live, onsite during the event.

I decided to paint this at the Battle of the Paddle event, right on the beach.

I can remember many years ago when I was first introduced to Standup paddleboarding, when Laird Hamilton brought it from Hawaii, I had visions of ancient Hawaiian warriors marauding each other’s islands.

Painting at the Battle of the Paddle Sept 2013 Drew Brophy in Dana Point

Painting onsite at Battle of the Paddle, for Inspiration

Their paddles doubled as weapons and after spending time surfing and exploring in Hawaii and Tahiti, I have come to understand the violent nature of these warriors and how they liked to hack the heads off of their adversaries.  It brings a whole new meaning to the “battle of the paddle”!   It makes me think that this event is way too civilized.

This painting is gnarly.  I think I’m going to make a t-shirt with the art!

Hope you like it,

Drew

 

This painting sold to Cathy P. in Ohio.  She’s been following my #20×20 Series from the beginning.  Thanks, Cathy, for your encouragement and support!

If you wanted this one but missed it, and you want to consider the next #20×20 painting, email info @ drew brophy dot com and we will put you on the “#20X20 PAINTING PREVIEW” list, in line for the next one.

WHEN EMAILING to BUY ANY OF MY ART, or to Commission me to paint one special, just for you:  email info @ drew brophy dot com with your  phone# and shipping address.

 

 

 

23 Sep

Posted at 21:05h in 20 x 20, Behind the Scenes... by
22 Likes

The Halibut Hole by Drew Brophy 9x12 painted during 20x20 challenge sept 23 2013FOR THE NEXT 20 DAYS, I’M CREATING 20 ORIGINAL ART PIECES that reflect my thought process and where my ideas originate from.  

I’m painting from the heart, just having fun with it.  You might love ’em, you might hate ’em, but either way, I hope they invoke a feeling for you.

(If you share my posts, please tag  #20×20 #drewbrophy #SurfArt)

Today’s Painting is the 7th of 20 in this #20×20 Series, titled THE HALIBUT HOLE,  9″ x 12″ on Canvas board, medium Paint Pens.

I’m having a lot of fun painting these every day.  Painting on a small canvas is helping me to create a simpler style.  Thanks to everyone who has been watching this process unfold.

I like the energy in this one!

The inspiration behind The Halibut Hole:

There’s a secret spot in San Clemente called The Halibut Hole.  Standup paddleboarders have been paddling out there and catching giant halibut.

The water was super clear today, it’s almost unfair, because you can see the halibut laying on the bottom, they’re so big.

Life is good in San Clemente!

Drew

This painting sold before it was finished, to N.P. in Orange County.

If you wanted this one but missed it, and you want to consider the next #20×20 painting, email info @ drew brophy dot com and we will put you on the “#20X20 PAINTING PREVIEW” list, in line for the next one.

WHEN EMAILING to BUY ONE OF THE #20X20 PAINTINGS:  email info @ drew brophy dot com immediately with your  phone#, shipping address preferred payment method (Paypal or credit card).  We will need payment within 4 hours of your email, or the painting goes to the next person in line.  Thanks!

 

15 Jul

Posted at 05:42h in Behind the Scenes..., Press by
27 Likes

Drew Brophy SUP Magazine Interview in print spring 2013Talk about your Grand Canyon trip:  “That was pretty much like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna learn to surf so I’ll paddle out at Pipeline.’  I was real naive.”

I was stoked to be interviewed by Will Taylor for SUP Magazine.  

My friend, photographer Jason Kenworthy, took the shot in my studio.   

(Note about the painting on the Standup Paddleboard in the photo:  it was commissioned by KEEN FOOTWEAR, and was inspired by my Standup journey across country last year – you can read about that here:  Adventures in America’s Back Country. )

In the interview I talk about how New Zealanders were friendly when they saw me SUP Surfing Raglan, my 225 mile SUP journey down the Colorado River, and how SUPPING saved me from small waves.

Here’s a short taste of the interview (to read the entire thing, check out the magazine):

HOW DID SUP FIND YOU?  I was in my late thirties and I couldn’t get motivated to surf all the time if the conditions were bad or there were no waves.   When the waves are small, I’m moody, and Ron House was like, “Why don’t you come standup?”  Immediately it was tremendous.  It gave me something to do when I couldn’t surf.

SO YOU WERE THERE AT THE START.  …Imagine in those early days, there’s nobody around, just Ron and I and a couple other guys.  You’re just riding these waves forever and you’re not even getting wet.  It just expanded my repertoire of surfing.

WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES HAVE GROWN OUT OF IT?  It has allowed me to get into other bodies of water, whether it be rivers or lakes.  I’m a water person…..

TALK ABOUT YOUR GRAND CANYON TRIP.  That was pretty much like, “Yeah, I’m gonna learn to surf so I’ll paddle out at Pipeline.”  I was real naive.

At that point we’d only heard of a few guys that had been on the Colorado with standup boards but they all only did pieces of it.  Nobody had done it all the way.

We did 225 miles, every bit of it.  It was super-humbling experience for me.  I saw some of the gnarliest, scariest things I’ve ever seen.  But we surfed the river, man.  Big laterals coming off and you bank off of them and come down and hit these pits and come up out of it and into the next one.

Art is my job but surfing is my passion. It’s a great magazine, please check it out online here: http://www.supthemag.com/

Life is Good,

Drew

 

17 Jul

Posted at 04:29h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes..., SURF SUP and Paint Tour by
42 Likes

Salmon River Run on a SUP!

I had heard a lot about the Salmon River from some of the crew that I paddled the Colorado River with last year.

So about a week into our three month Surf, SUP and Paint Tour, I planned a day to SUP the Salmon River.

Maria and the kids and I had been exploring Idaho for about four days before we got to Riggins, a town that calls itself “the Whitewater Capital of Idaho”.

Right next to Riggins is Lucile, where we set up camp for a few days. Lucile is a one street town where there’s no cell service but plenty of deer, bears and elk.  Our friend John is building a house there along the Salmon River and said we could camp on his property, though he was out of town traveling as well.

I had everything I needed to standup paddle the river except for one thing:  a life jacket. On the drive to Lucile I was telling Maria that we needed to find a place to buy one.  Then, a few minutes later, on a desolate road nestled between 10,000 foot peaks, I saw something lying in the middle of the road.  It was a brand new lifejacket! I turned the van around and picked it up.  Now, I had what I needed to SUP the Salmon:

  • A lifejacket and WRSI Whitewater helmet (‘cause if you fall and hit your head on the rocks, the party is over)
  • Riviera Paddle Surf inflatable paddleboard (brand new prototype)
  • Kialoa Paddle
  • Ocean & Earth’s “world’s strongest” Leash (if you lose your board on the river, it keeps going!)
  • Patagonia 2 mil full suit (realized later that I didn’t really need this – the water wasn’t as cold as I thought and I didn’t fall as much either)
  • Keen Gorge boots (this allowed me to jump off the board onto rocks without destroying my feet – this was the most important piece of safety equipment in my opinion)
  • Go Pro camera (make sure you know how to use it – I put it on the wrong setting and it didn’t get any pictures!)
  • Good attitude and a cool wife to take photos as you SUP on by!

I put into the river at Shorts Bar.  It’s a killer sandy beach where we spent the day trying out our new paddleboards in the river.  There’s a nice little eddy there that the kids could paddle around in.

Maria tracked me from the road in the Dream Machine and took pictures from the bank.  There are great lookouts at each rapid, so it was easy for her to pull over and get some photos as she watched me surf the rapids.

This time of year the river is running low and the rapids are minor, but enough to give you a good thrill.   The Riviera Inflatable Standup Paddle board was perfect for this river, since the water was low and there were a lot of sharp rocks that other boards would be damaged by.

The biggest rapid is called Time Zone – it’s right before the bridge at the far north end of Riggins. Time Zone is a long, snaking rapid with a ledge running down the right side.  The current zig zags back and forth, all the way down to the bridge. I stuck that rapid, swinging left to avoid the ledge.  I was pretty stoked – it’s been a year since I’ve run a rapid.

After Time Zone, there were about a dozen smaller rapids with a lot of space in between to rest.

This is big country out here!

Along the way I saw big horned sheep, deer and beautiful landscapes.  It was really peaceful being on the river alone.

It took me two hours to go 11 miles.  I ended at the boat ramp on John’s property in Lucile.  Dylan ran down and handed me a beer when I got out!

I wanted to do it again, but it was getting dark and the kids were hungry.  We were headed to Montana at 5 a.m. the next morning.  I’ll have to come back another time, but in the spring when the water is higher and the rapids are gnarlier!

I think any surfer or standup paddle enthusiast could do this run safely during the summer at this water level.  Spring would be more challenging.  If you were spending a few days up there, you could do the run a couple times a day and then drive further up river and do a longer run, where there are bigger rapids and killer standing waves.  I can’t wait to come back!

Life is good – Drew

See the Video, below:

05 Jul

Posted at 11:09h in Press by
24 Likes

Supping Lava Rapids, Colorado RiverFriday, July 6, 2012 – 6:30 p.m. – Drew Brophy will be interviewed on 1280 THE ZONE 97.5 Radio Station in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Show host Bob Grove will be asking Drew about his 225 Mile Standup Paddleboard expedition down the Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon.

If you are within listening range of the show, stay tuned for the giveaway!

Bob Grove will be giving away to a listener one pair of the newly released Aerial 7 Drew Brophy “DIY” Headphones to a caller.   These headphones retail for $100, so it’s a generous gift.

If you miss the interview, don’t fret – you can listen to it anytime online here:  Bob Grove Trail Mix Radio Show.

07 Jun

Posted at 11:20h in Press by
22 Likes

STANDUP Paddle Magazine Dec 2011 Issue featured Seth Warren’s Story onDrew and Seth’s 225 mile paddle down the Colorado River, and rapids, on paddle boards.  Seth and Drew were the first to ever standup paddle the entire 225 miles from Lee’s Ferry to Diamond Creek.

The magazine feature included six pages of story and amazing photos taken by Seth Warren.  Here’s some of the article: