Peak Paddle Performance Podcast

In today’s episode I sit down with the ever humble, focused, and driven Greg Barton, founder of Epic Kayaks (originally Epic Paddles)  and the most decorated US paddler in history.   Greg won Bronze in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics then  broke a 52 year drought for the US when he won back to back gold medals in the 1000 meter K1 and 1000 meter K2 disciplines in the 88 Seoul Olympics.   Never one to rest on his laurels, Greg came back 4 years later and took another Bronze in Barcelona at his final olympics in 1992   I’ve had the fortune of spending time with Greg on multiple occassions and even paddling in a tandem surf ski with him, but never knew all the details of his early beginning and his path to being the fastest paddler in the world.   It is quite an amazing story of focus, dedication, persistence, and humility.   Greg and I cover extensive ground in this 1 hour 40 minute discussion including, but certainly not limited to, the following: How a kid growing up on a pig farm in southern Michigan got i

Follow your passion and it will lead you to your purpose In this episode of Peak Paddle Performance we catch up with Dawid Mocke in Hood River just before he heads out to race the Gorge Downwind Championships.   This interview comes right  on the heels of a victory at the Canadian Surfski Championship where Dawid proved that despite having extensive life commitments, he still can still compete and win at the world class level.   Dawid is recognized by paddlers around the world as one of the most accomplished open ocean racers of all time, as well as a passionate teacher and entrepreneur.   In addition to winning races all over the world, Dawid runs a surfski school in Cape Town, SA and manages a rapidly growing brand of paddling products he hopes will transcend surfski and become go to products for all paddlers wanting to outfit themselves with proven gear for their next adventure, whatever that might be.   We ran short on time, so we didn’t go super deep in all the areas we could have covered,  but despit

Humility Makes the Ultimate Student, which in Turn Makes the Ultimate Coach Today’s podcast guest is Boyan Zlatarev from Tarifa.   One of the conditions for getting Boyan to come on the show was that I not embarrass him with flattery.   So with that, I will just say this…   Boyan’s  humility makes him the ultimate student.  He  approaches everything he does with an open mind and a mindset that there is always more to learn, this in turn,  is the magic ingredient that makes Boyan such an incredible coach.   This is the longest podcast I’ve recorded yet,  but it is packed with deep and thought provoking insights and analogies that are certain to improve your paddling experience and performance.    I know that it has fundamentally changed my approach to downwind paddling  and I’m now more excited than ever to get out in the waves, whatever kind of waves they might be   We cover a wide range of topics including   Boyan’s athletic career before surfski paddlingHow boyan got started in surfskiBoyan’s first

Denny Paull - Stronger than ever in his early 50s My guest on Episode 004 is Denny Paull.   Denny is a good friend and northern Michigan endurance sports legend.  In addition to being a devoted father, husband, and veterinarian, he is one of the most impressive masters class athletes I know.   Now in his early 50s Denny continues to dominate  xc ski, multi-sport, and paddling races.  He is a fierce competitor with razor sharp focus,  but also a dedicated student of technique in all of his pursuits.   In his early years Denny was a world class clydesdale runner,  running a 4:30 mile and 32 minute 10ks at his peak.   Denny doesn’t compete as much in pure running races anymore, but has been on the podium every year he has raced the M22 challenge with 2 overall victories, 3 2nd place finishes.   He also continues to place in the top 15 of the 50k birkie classic race,  often finishing neck and neck with guys half his age who train full time   In this podcast we cover:   The big discovery Denny made early o

In this episode we go deep with with world champion and surfski ambassador extraordinaire Sean Rice AKA Sean the Prawn For the past several years Sean has been owning the podium in all the biggest surfski races around the world with 3 consecutive wins at the US surfski championships, back to back wins at the Canadian surfski champs, an ICF World title in 2013, podium finishes at Molokai,  and now just recently a victory at the Euro Challenge in Spain.   And this is just a highlight, there have been many more podium finishes for Sean over the past few years. But for all of his success, Sean remains a very humble, simple, and down to earth guy who just loves spreading his passion for paddling In this episode we cover: The 2016 Word Tour that Sean and his fiance Emily have embarked onHow and where Sean got started paddlingThe major health transformation Sean made in his late teens going from 270 lbs to 190 lbsThe april fools day e-mail that became Sean’s breakthrough opportunity (hint: the beginning

In this Podcast, I interview Olympian and 12x Molokai World Champion Oscar Chalupsky.  Oscar is largely considered the greatest downwind paddler of all time. He has been competing at a world class level for 40 years and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.   In fact, Oscar is now chasing monster waves, the 24 hour Ocean distance World Record, and a 13th Molokai victory.  All the while,  embracing the fact that many of his competitors are half his age. Oscar realizes more and more that it is all about training and eating smarter to stay competitive in his 50s. We cover a wide range of topics including but certainly not limited to: How Oscar got started in paddlingPaddling cold water in the open Atlantic off the coast of Portugal  (hint-  Oscar embraces paddling in a wetsuit most importantly because it keeps him warm and safe, but also because it trains him for handling the heat and adds a little extra resistance.   Oscar's wetsuit of choice is the Quicksilver 3/2 with FN Lite Stretchy Neoprene)Chas

Welcome to the latest adventure at TC SURFSKI.   I’ve decided to launch a Podcast series centered around achieving Peak Paddle Performance.   I know many of us are on a constant journey to eek out that next bump in paddle performance,  whether it be catching more runs, improving your flat water time trial speeds,  or just getting across the line in front of your nemesis.   Regardless, the journey is what makes paddling so exciting and keeps us constantly searching for more   Forward stroke techniqueThe Zen of Downwind PaddlingWhat a day in the life of the world’s best looks likeOptimal strength and conditioning strategies and how they help us improveRace day strategiesFinding the optimal diet and nutrition strategy that works for youTaking advantage of the most effective, safe, and proven supplementsWhatever else our fascinating guests want to share….. In this first episode,  its all me as  I try to give a complete background on myself to set the stage for where I’m coming from and what my experiences