Paddle Board News

YOLO Board seaside celebration & paddleboard race Sept 16 

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 9 August, 2009 : - - YOLO Board LLC announces details of the YOLO Board Seaside Celebration on Saturday, September 19th in Seaside, FL.  The celebration planned includes a fun-filled day on the water with morning paddleboard races, stand-up paddling demos, YOLO Yak fishing guide demos, silent auction, a YOLO Yak giveaway, and a concert from the popular Gulf coast group HERITAGE. 

Proceeds from the events will benefit both Holly Burke, an 18-year-old Destin resident suffering from clear cell sarcoma, a rare aggressive melanoma, and 28-year-old South Walton resident Jason Thompson, who is fighting a rare form of leukemia.  YOLO Board and Seaside are encouraging everyone to come out and ‘stand up’ in support of Holly and Jason.  The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

“The idea for the YOLO Board Seaside Celebration came about from the community searching for avenues to support these two young people, and our wish is to bring everyone together in honor of their courageous fights against their disease,” explained Adam Shiland, Event Producer for Seaside. 

“We feel that the YOLO lifestyle and mantra of ‘You Only Live Once’ captures the spirit of all things Seaside, and hope that everyone will come out for an enjoyable day on the water followed by what is sure to be a fantastic concert from HERITAGE.” The event kicks off with a series of paddleboard races in the Gulf of Mexico from 8:00am-1:00pm. 

The featured race of the event is the adult’s 3-mile race, which grants the 1st place winners of the men’s and women’s division a brand new 12’ Original YOLO board valued at $1,495.00.  Additional races include an adult time trial course and two children’s time trial courses (divisions include ages 8-12 and ages 12-16).  Time trial courses will be set according to water conditions. 

Adult race entry fees are $35 per person and the children’s entry fee is $20 per person.  Rental boards will be available for participants who don’t own a board.  Trophies and prizes will be awarded to finalists in all divisions. Tickets for the YOLO Yak Giveaway will be $5 per ticket (or $20 for 5 tickets) and are currently available for purchase by visiting select participating Seaside merchants or the YOLO Board retail warehouse location at 820 Hwy 393 N in Santa Rosa Beach.

100% of proceeds from the Yak Giveaway go directly to the charities for Holly and Jason.  Additional information regarding Holly and Jason can be found at their respective websites shredoutcancer.com and kickingitforjason.com. There is no limit to how many tickets can be purchased per person and the winner does not have to be present at the drawing on September 19th. 

Launched earlier this year, the YOLO Yak retails for $995.00 and is the industry’s first ever hybrid stand-up paddleboard/kayak. HERITAGE will perform a concert from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in the Seaside Amphitheatre as part of the YOLO Board Seaside Celebration.  Formed in 2007 in Okaloosa County, HERITAGE is comprised of seven members of varying ethnic backgrounds and influences creating a dynamic musical genre. 

Typically categorized as a pop/reggae band, their influences span anywhere from Bob Marley to 311 to Ben Harper to the Cure.  HERITAGE has been performing all over the Gulf Coast to great reception and provides a laid back vibe the whole family can enjoy.

“This event supports a cause close to my heart as Holly is a neighbor of mine and we’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow up into a lovely young woman.  Jason has contributed to our community in so many ways—particularly as a volunteer children’s soccer coach for the area league,” added Jeff Archer, co-founder of YOLO Board LLC. 

“We are excited to be able to organize an event in their honor, and hope that everyone will come out to celebrate with us on this special day in Seaside.” Sponsors are still needed for the YOLO Board Seaside Celebration in order to ensure a successful event, including donated items for the silent auction. 

Current sponsors include YOLO Board LLC, The Merchants of Seaside, Kialoa, Copy Systems, Modus Photography, I Will Design For Food and M Public Relations. 

About SEASIDE
The Town of Seaside is a gulf front community located on Scenic Highway 30A between Destin and Panama City Beach, Florida. Founded in 1981, this renowned New Urbanist town is the flagship cultural center of The Beaches of South Walton. Seaside has over 400 homes and cottage rentals, and more than 50 specialty retail shops and restaurants.

Seaside’s thriving town center includes civic, cultural and educational institutions; a public charter school, an inter-faith chapel, a repertory theater and The Seaside Institute. Parks, a swim and tennis club, and an amphitheatre provide year-round recreation and entertainment. The Seaside Amphitheater provides a wonderful venue for recreation and hosts numerous events throughout the calendar year.

About YOLO Board
Founded by business partners Tom Losee and Jeff Archer in 2006, YOLO Board LLC is a locally owned hybrid-style stand-up paddle board (SUP) company based in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.  Aptly named for the mantra, “You Only Live Once,” the company has quickly gained the reputation along the Emerald Coast and beyond as the custom paddleboard of choice garnering widespread attention from the media including:

Garden & Gun, Standup surf & sail Journal, Florida Travel + Life, Memphis Magazine, Thicket Magazine, Palm Beach Illustrated, and MotorBoating Magazine, to name few.  The company manufactures four types of boards: the “Original YOLO,” “YOLO Express,” “YOLO Explorer” and the recently debuted “YOLO Yak,” as seen on The Weather Channel.  Rentals, lessons, corporate and team building packages and a complete array of YOLO accessories are available.

www.YOLOBoard.com

What's your take on this?
Post your thoughts: SV Forum

New Survey: Map Surfing’s future 

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! B2B News ASBE-Surf   |  Receive News-Alerts

Madra Medina-McDonald

SUP - Surfersvillage