Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => SUP General => Topic started by: RL on January 25, 2020, 05:24:35 PM
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What happened to SUP Sports? I bought my first board from Wardog and really enjoyed the whole experience back in 2009. Still stoked today.
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Looks like they quietly went the way of the dodo bird. Click in the link and a Mahalo.
They are no more. https://supsports.com/ Sad too. I really liked the shop.
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Trying to dig but it seems any evidence of their existence is pretty much gone.
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Where ever they may be, I wish Wardog and Miss Wardog happy trails and a big Mahalo for all the years of stoke.
We are not getting any younger ;)
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The wayback machine website has content archived back to mid 2019.
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The wayback machine website has content archived back to mid 2019.
Do you have a link to the website?
I really like my custom One World and custom Hammer WarDog (Warren) designed for me.
Since I'm a stickler for details; no matter how small, when Warren called me on his personal cell phone concerning my Hammer, he forgot to mask his private phone number and I still have it.
I promised him at that time I would never call him on his personal private cell phone number since he doesn't give it out and I have kept my word to him.
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Here u go.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180701170052/http://supsports.com/
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Here u go.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180701170052/http://supsports.com/
Thanks for providing the link. I'll bookmark it for future reference.
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Here is the retirement announcement from Wardog posted early December 2019...
2020 Vision
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu
Aloha...
After more than 20 years in the watersports industry, Deb and I have decided to retire from the day to day, nuts and bolts operations of our brick and mortar retail business at 121 Santa Barbara St., in the Funk Zone here in Santa Barbara, at the end of this year.
Going into 2020, we are very much L@@King forward to the freedom and flexibility to be more geographically independent...and, since WARDOG ® Designs utilizes digital technology and CAD software...etc...we will still be able to help facilitate making Made in USA custom SUP dreams come true for clients around the globe...along with custom fins, pads, paddles, bags, and other SUP and watersports accessories...etc...
While taking time to expand our universe with new and exciting challenges and opportunities...pursuing our love of travel and camping...hobbies of windsurfing, foiling, standup paddling, SUP surfing, horses, photography/video...etc...spending much more time paddling with our Chocolate Labs, Miranda Anne and Bella Luna...and, to fit in some more volunteerism...giving back and paying it forward...
It’s been a good long ride...many miles of smiles...heaps of grins and giggles...more fun than a chimpanzee in a banana cream pie factory...so, we would like to warmly thank the scores of great folks that have shown support for a "mom and pop" boutique small business SUP shop in the big box and cheapo online era...MAHALOS!
You all have been very good to us at our sun bleached, palm-lined, beach hut...and, it gives us a "warm fuzzy" to know that in return, we have helped make 1000's of our great customers Stoked For Life ®...
Pursuit of our passions...enjoying life and helping others enjoy healthy lifestyle watersports...including many multi-generational families, has definitely brought us great joy over the last several decades...mahalo nui loa for being part of our ohana...
As members on the younger end of the "OK, Boomer" generation spectrum...(who'd have thought?!?!...;-), we are entering this next phase of our lives with a passionate pursuit of “the road less traveled”...or perhaps, "the road not taken"...that inspired Robert Frost...and, many other intrepid travelers of this great water planet before us...because, you can't step twice on the same piece of water...trees do fall in the forest without anyone listening...
When we started SurfingSports in 1999...Carlos Santana had released the timeless "Smooth"...one of our all time favorite artists...just classic...we tried to see him in concert every year since college where Carlos chose Deb to keep the "evil spirits" off of his guitar in Redwood Bowl...true story...check out the concert DVD of that album, if interested in live music like we are...
The US Senate had acquitted Bill Clinton after his impeachment...Trump was a registered Independent, 2 years before registering as a Democrat...Columbine Tragedy happened...George W. Bush announced that he would be a presidential candidate in 2000...Y2K hype had everyone paranoid that the end of the world was near...the 3 day concert Woodstock 99 barely took place in New York 30 years after the original...apparently, missing a whole lot of the "love and peace" special sauce and mojo...;-)
Closer to home, we have been blessed to enjoy the life spans of many great dogs...Mole'...Mocha Fudge...Neslie...Anna Mae...Molly Claire...and, now Miranda Anne and Bella Luna...for perspective, we utilize our canine relationships to mark time...
Hard to believe that it's already been two years since Deb and I survived the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting...(R.I.P. 59 angels)...then came the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide...and, now it's been over a year since we lost our water brothers Mike Colee and John Lawrence...my how time flies...
The Labor Day Conception dive boat fire out at Santa Cruz Island that killed 34 adventurous souls in their sleep (R.I.P.), while enjoying one of the most beautiful areas on the planet, was a further reminder that every day that you wake up is a blessing...more importantly, the biggest takeaway from this reality check experience, is that life is fragile...live every day like it's going to be your last...because, one day you'll be right...IOW, every day is a gift that comes with no assumption of another...the road doesn’t go on forever...
Gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, said it better than we ever could:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
Come on in and check out the killer deals being made...our staff and ohana will definitely help put some stoke in your stroke!
PS. the store closed on 31st December by the looks of it.
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A good run in a difficult business!
Congratulations on a graceful exit to a road lessor traveled..... enjoy the ride :)
Back in early SUP days, I always appreciated Wardogs website....
it was one of the only places that had similar pictures of each brand and model, so I could do head to head comparisons of different boards.
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hope wardog posts here as an ordinary mortal---because he's a hella human.......
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Thank you PT for posting this, very much appreciate it! As one of the many customers who made the trip to the “sun bleached beach hut” in the very cool “funk zone” of Santa Barbara (actually a few times) the experience with Wardog, Deb, and their labs was always fun and memorable. In 2009 they were a Starboard dealer and I had identified the “Big Easy as a perfect first board because of the construction (I hate boards that ding easily) and at 6’6” felt the 12x32 dimensions would be perfect. So despite living in the SUP Mecca of Capistrano Beach we made the trek to Santa Barbara and it turned out to be a great decision. The boards were perfect for all types of padding and tough as nails, still have it today and SUP Sports was a one of a kind experience.
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After reading the retirement announcement, what caught my eye was this quote from WarDog in the letter which says:
Going into 2020, we are very much L@@King forward to the freedom and flexibility to be more geographically independent...and, since WARDOG ® Designs utilizes digital technology and CAD software...etc...we will still be able to help facilitate making Made in USA custom SUP dreams come true for clients around the globe...along with custom fins, pads, paddles, bags, and other SUP and watersports accessories...etc...
I wonder if this means WarDog might still be making his boards, although on a smaller scale, sometime later on down the road so to speak.
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Night Wing, I know the folks who cut and glassed (built) that board. I’m sure you could contact them and they’d get you a cut and glass it. (And pay WD for his design as well.)
In the modern age, shapers don’t retire, they just market less.
I too would love to hear from WD. I always enjoyed his knowledge. Getting to hear it without the marketing inserted would be really great. (I mean that in the best way, but of course he could only speak of his brand or what he sold when he was selling.)
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Night Wing, I know the folks who cut and glassed (built) that board. I’m sure you could contact them and they’d get you a cut and glass it. (And pay WD for his design as well.)
I really like my 5 fin box One World. I call it my "mini gun" since it is only 11'1" in length.
If you don't mind and I hope I wouldn't be stepping on anyone's toes, could you provide me with the company name, address and phone number to the people who cut and glassed WarDog's boards? And I do hope if they would be willing to do a job like this, they would pay WarDog for his design.
You can send the info to me in a private message. And the info would be much appreciated by me.
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Bummer to see Wardog go.....I'm sure Admin isnt too upset with his 20 picture responses ;D ;D
He was a great poster and provider of advice to experienced guys and newbies alike. Alas. SUP has certainly thinned, especially sup surfing. and those with the right conditions have now moved to foiling.
Bummer- I had hoped to one day get to CA to visit his shop.
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Info sent. I know E-Tech was glassing at the end and they have a CNC now. (Note for all you LA area guys who want blanks cut.)
I’ll see about grabbing the info for the Ventura guys but I love Ry’s eco-boards.
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Bummer to see Wardog go.....I'm sure Admin isnt too upset with his 20 picture responses ;D ;D
He was a great poster and provider of advice to experienced guys and newbies alike. Alas. SUP has certainly thinned, especially sup surfing. and those with the right conditions have now moved to foiling.
Bummer- I had hoped to one day get to CA to visit his shop.
To say he was a self promoter and a thread stealer would be an understatement , but Wardog did offer much helpful information and plenty of photos to back it up. Sorry to see an early SUP ambassador ride into the sunset
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He didn’t die guys lol.
He’s out livin it up on the road with his wife! I’m stoked for anyone who retires. :) ;D
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Wardog turned me on to SUP before it had a name. We had known each other for years, as Wardog had been selling windsurfing gear out of his garage, and I had bought windsurf boards from him in the past. At the time most of the SoCal windsurfers I knew were into wave riding, and equipment that worked in waves with our typically light winds was always of interest. One day Warren called me to tell me about a revolutionary long board windsurfer that he was developing with Sean Ordonez. In addition to being a light air windsurfing wave board it could also be paddled without the sail, he told me, as an afterthought! That's how I ordered one of the original "Big Red" SOS boards, from the first batch. I did wave sail the board a few times, and I have sailed other SUP boards, but that aspect of the sport seems not to have really caught on. However I have been paddling ever since!
No question that Wardog was there at the earliest stages of SUP on the mainland, and he did a lot to make it grow.
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Info sent. I know E-Tech was glassing at the end and they have a CNC now. (Note for all you LA area guys who want blanks cut.)
I’ll see about grabbing the info for the Ventura guys but I love Ry’s eco-boards.
Thank you for your time and effort in providing me the info I requested in the private message you sent me. The info is "much appreciated".
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Even though my office is less than half a mile from SUPSports, I had to avoid going there too much because too much looking always led to buying. I went down to see Wardog and Deb while they were packing up and ended up coming away with a great deal on one of his demo boards--and it basically ended up being free by the time he got done throwing in fins, a deckpad and a closet full of Tshirts and sweatshirts.
As he posted in his announcement. He's doing well and excited to be freed up from the going concern of having a shop. Retail is cutthroat everywhere and Santa Barbara doesn't make it easier with what one pays for space. What's been posted here is correct, he'd be very happy to design a custom board. I suspect his e-mail still works or you can probably get a hold of him through Ray Lucke down in Camarilo as he was doing most of his fabs. https://www.backninesurfboards.com/ (https://www.backninesurfboards.com/)
I'm one of many people who got turned on to SUP thanks to him. When I think about what paddling has become for me, can't really put into words how grateful I am.
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I'm really enjoying this topic thread.
Like I said before, I've got Warren's personal private phone number when he forgot to mask it when he called me one time with my custom order for my Hammer. Not the phone number at his former shop in Santa Barbara. All the other times when Warren called me, the ID on the telephone from him was, "Unknown Number".
I really don't what to call him using his private number. If I would purchase another custom One World, at least I've got two people who I can go through to get in touch with WarDog (Warren) by going through Earth Technologies and Backnine Surf Factory.
WarDog made two production made One World's in 11'1" length. Their specifications were:
11'1" x 30" x 5" @ 200 Liters, 3 fin Futures boxes, 1 vent plug.
11'1" x 32" x 5" @ 215 Liters, 3 fin Futures boxes, 1 vent plug.
Since Warren is retired now, I'd pay him up front to design another custom One World for me with these specifications which would be:
11'1" x 32" x (unknown thickness) @ 200 Liters with 5 Futures fin boxes, 2 vent plugs, 1 offset BP (Blue Planet) Sup Grip Handle, thinned out rails (60/40 if possible), 2 leash plugs, blonde bamboo deck top, but not on bottom; with Ballis Tech glass. Rails would be a nice fire engine red color.
Right now, I'm only kicking this around in my head
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Back Nine was the other name I was looking for. Thanks man. They would also have those files and did those boards for way longer than e-tech.
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Thank you wardog for the sup stoke. My first board purchase was from sup sports and I am forever grateful. Still sup surf when there is no crowd.
Mark
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Good for you Warren.
Enjoy.
You're a good dude.
I got a One World and paddle from him a few years back. It was one of his paddles.
It broke not long after and I sent him an email letting him know how it broke.
His Scooby Doo response made me laugh out loud when I read it and I had to admit that it sure sounded like my fault and it sure did not seem like an issue with the paddle.
No problem, no issue, shit happens...……end of story I thought.
3-4 months later in the middle of winter and out of nowhere a paddle blade shows up in the mail so I can fix the paddle. Still using it....
Never pulled the trigger on a custom Hammer. Still want one but when I was finally ready to do it I wanted a board the next week and not the next month so it didn't happen.
Looking back a few weeks later, I'm not particularly fond of the board I got and really wish I would have done it.
Still hold out hope I can get one...….we'll see.....
Have to post something in the sunset thread sometime with thoughts his way.....
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Wardog's boards were a gateway for my buddies to move towards more performance-oriented shapes. I never met him in person, but spent an hour in his store a few+ years ago with a couple of his guys. It was a cool space with a super cool vibe.
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Any veterans here from the old Usenet News group rec.windsurfing?
"wreckdot" was an early internet bulletin board for windsurfing enthusiasts...it was an old-fashioned version of this "modern" forum version catering to Stand Up Paddle enthusiasts. I recall Wardog's avid participation in that forum, and his promotion / ambassadorship of windsurfing, which of course we all loved. Manytimes I didn't agree with his positions on a variety of subjects, however, I did respect his unfettered approach to forum participation, and his dedication and passion for the sport of windsurfing.
His passion for windsurfing certainly carried over to his very early embrace of SUP. I regularly followed his SUPSports.com web blog to get the latest updates on developments of our new watersport. His stoke helped breed my own resurgence of enjoying surfing more than windsurfing - in the form of a SUP Surf Board and a paddle.
I wish the best for Wardog and his spouse...I trust they now will both get to spend a lot more time on the water, enjoying the fruits of their labor, helping others to get more stoke in their lives. THANKS Wardog, for the dedication of your livelihood to two of my own personal passions - Windsurfing and SUP Surfing! I hope to see you on the water sometime soon, when I myself can retire to a daily schedule of showing up at my favorite surf breaks instead of a workplace.
MAX
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I swore by his board bags, but not his boards. I bought a performance short board and HATED it...worst board I ever owned..heavy, corky and slow...sold it asap.
When I told him so, he blamed me and my surf ability which made me laugh.
That guy could not take nor accept criticism..
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I remember RECDOT windsurfing met alot of good friends there.
WARDOG was very active and opinionated there too.
This biz isn't easy (had our best year last year)but its still alot of fun.
JimK
Extreme Windsurfing
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I swore by his board bags, but not his boards. I bought a performance short board and HATED it...worst board I ever owned..heavy, corky and slow...sold it asap.
When I told him so, he blamed me and my surf ability which made me laugh.
That guy could not take nor accept criticism..
As I’ve said before elsewhere- lurked here for a long time. Always enjoyed the wardog banter - especially how at the end of it he would throw in the - mahalos
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Wow so he closed his shop. I always liked his philosophy on design it is similar to mine in some respects and different in others. His surf knowledge was pretty int. I am glad that the last board I got was a custom hammer from him
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I bought my Kona windsurfer from him. Great board! Sad to see him go.
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They were pretty much family to ours. We'd bought 6 boards from them and another two used boards that originated from them. They really treated us well, as did their entire staff. I still ride my Mahalo and Stoke all the time... when not Quarantined... I've got crappy repairs down now so I should keep my old boards limping along until a catastrophic failure happens.
You look back to January, and think "Wow, what a smart/lucky/blessed decision to close shop then before a worldwide pandemic does it for you." We all could see the numbers of SUP Surfers drop in the local line ups. Economics, interest, retirement possibilities and the flu, the 4 horsemen of the SUPocalypse.
As far as getting another board from their shapers and glassers, I'm guessing Ray Lucke or Ry Harris would be happy to help out. Wardog hinted that he will eventually offer some form of online ordering when his retirement life settles down.
Wishing him and his crew all the best.