Monday, December 6, 2010

Paddle Report: Ron House - Spreading the Stoke


It's the people in our sport who make it so special. Almost everybody is super cool- even the heavy hitters are accessible, humble and stoked to get you out and paddling! Here's a write up my friend Glenn threw together after a memorable session he had out here in California. If you are new to the sport and haven't heard of Ron House or his contribution to stand up paddle- you need to hit the books. Ron House was one of the pioneering stand up board shapers here on the west coast. He built some of Laird's earliest boards and is still posted up in San Clemente mowing foam, shaping masterpieces and ripping the Dog Patch on his custom stand up boards.

Ron House  -  Spreading the Stoke
 by Glenn Bunting

What to do . . .

Your job keeps you away from home and out of the water way too much, and you’re hooked like a grom on stand up paddle surfing.  On occasion you have the opportunity to squeeze in a free day or weekend when working in Southern California, but your gear is 3000 miles away.  What to do?

  1. Call John Ashley – hands down my Southern California go-to guy for all things SUP.  John has family obligations?  Darn.

  1. Rent a SUP in Malibu?  Tried it a couple of times, but if the waves are decent and you want to surf rather than just paddle, it’ll almost certainly be more fun to rent a prone board and avoid the heavy vibe associated with paddle surfing the Point. 

  1. Throw yourself on the mercy of a legendary California shaper and ask for a demo?  Hey, come to think of it  -  I love my Ron House single fin; it loves me back; therefore, Ron House and I are practically family – right?       

So with that family connection in mind, I contacted Ron and asked if he might have a demo available for one of his SUP performance shapes. 

Jackpot!  Sight unseen, Ron suggested I come to his San Clemente home where he would loan me his PERSONAL custom standup board.   A VERY sweet board - 9’6” X 28 ½ X 3 7/8  –  thruster setup.   

“Need a paddle – no problem, take mine.  Straps for the car – here you go.  Oh, and why don’t you take my annual pass to save the $15 entrance fee at San Onofre.”    

Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed by Ron’s generosity and kindness!  

Ron House  -  master craftsman & shaper, surfer AND all-around class act

P.S.  As you would expect, Ron’s 9’6” absolutely RIPS!  

1 comment:

Chad said...

Where's the pictures? Sweet story! Love to here that even the well known guys are still down to earth.