Canada is quickly becoming a hot market for Stand Up and the latest entry into the scene is Rogue SUP from San Clemente, CA.  Their ‘All-Water’ boards feature a variety of appealing graphics and they’re great on lakes and rivers and perform well in head-high surf.  For 2011, Rogue has expanded their quiver to feature a line of racing and touring boards including a ‘Canadian specific’ design on their new ‘Drifter’ touring model.  Their 12’6 Race Board dubbed the ‘Outlaw’ (Carbon Inlay) is expected to weight in at around 24lbs…

Here’s a preview of Rogue’s 2011 offerings….

WHAT’S GOOD FOR FLATWATER (LAKES, RIVERS, ETC)

All-Waters -Knowing that most people who enter the sport look for something that has decent glide on flatwater (or surf if you’re on the coast or a wavy-lake) and good looks, Rogue has cornered that part of the market with their impressive line of graphic-dripped All-Water boards.  Notably the first SUP company to veer away from centered logos and traditional longboard lines, Rogue has been the innovator and one look at their boards will tell the story.  The best part is they back it up with industry-leading construction all at a reasonable price.  Available in 10′, 11′ and 12′ lengths.

The Drifter (11’3″ x 29.6″ x 6) - Built to suit paddlers who want the speed and glide of a displacement style hull (think Canoe) yet portable enough for anyone to load without a struggle. It includes built-in tie-downs for packing gear on the front and back. With several colour options, Rogue went a step further and designed a rugged forest graphic to capture the feel of the Northwest – The Rogue Drifter – Available only in Canada!

The Grom – A race/touring board for the younguns!  As the sport continues to attract more interest, there is no doubt that SUP will become a huge hit with the younger paddlers.  Enter ‘The Grom’ – A 9’6″ race-style board for kids under 100lbs.  Although the price might be an initial scare, this could be the surprise hit of the year.

Tesoro’s - Looking for a stable board for both flatwater and surf? The Tesoro line offers up both and although they’ve kept the look on the conservative side, the extra width makes them attractive to newbies and intermediate paddlers.

Outlaw (12’6) and Indy (14′) – Coming off yet another successful test at the 2010 Battle of the Paddle,  they have finally put their race boards into production and they rank among the flashiest on the market.  At around 24lbs., the 12’6 x 28″ x 7″ stock-class ‘Outlaw’ is a  dialed production board with carbon inlay it’s bigger brother, the Indy is the 14′ version and expected to be a stealth flatwater flyer.

Designs for Women – Something that has been missing in SUP and Rogue nailed it with three graphic designs on the All-Waters (Honu, Tropical and Mystical), a pink Tesoro, and the 11’3 ‘Diva’ Drifter.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS:

• More into surfing?  – Try the 9’9″ Folsom SUP Surf board
• How about a paddle without the high price tag?

MORE LINKS:

• • • • Rogue SUP Website
    • Review of the All-Water on mylocallineup.com
    • Canadian Contact: Ian Nelson – iannelsonagency@gmail.com