Mission accomplished! Dean board now up for bids!

Hunt Summerford did it! He paddled 160+ miles in 5 days to raise money for the Susan B. Komen Foundation & Paddle For The Cure to honor his mom, a cancer survivor. Along with many of his friends and family, we greeted Hunt at the Charleston Maritime Center late Sunday afternoon as he paddled in.



Dean Watersports donated a 14' LDR SUP for Hunt's journey. The board will be auctioned off on Thursday, Sept 22, 2011, with proceeds going towards breast cancer research. Because this board retails for $2500, we're hoping to get at least $2000 to help Hunt with his crusade. We are currently taking bids so if you're interested, please email misty@deanwatersports.com and make us an offer! Proceeds will go to the Susan B. Komen Foundation.
misty@deanwatersports.com
Dean Watersports: (843) 795-8000



Hunt Summerford makes his way to the docks and hugs his mom, a breast cancer survivor. To read Hunt's entire story or to make a donation, please visit:
http://bit.ly/n8dwb5

Also pictured, Hunt with his mom, dad, Dean Johnson, and the 14' LDR SUP that will go to one lucky bidder this week!

CONGRATS TO YOU, HUNT! What an inspiration. To see all photos taken at Hunt's homecoming, please visit:
http://on.fb.me/pysYgj

Paddle For The Cure

Today, Hunt Summerford embarks on a 160+ mile journey from Columbia to Charleston, SC to raise awareness for breast cancer. And everyone we know has been affected by cancer in some way, so Dean Watersports wanted to get involved by donating a 14' SUP for the trek. Please keep Hunt in your thoughts and prayers as he braves the rivers, wildlife (there are gators!), and mother nature to accomplish this feat. We plan to be at the finish on Sunday, September 18, as Hunt reaches Charleston.
Follow Hunt's adventure on Twitter: @Paddle4TheCure

Hurricane Irene passes by Charleston

Hurricane Irene passed by Charleston on Friday, August 26, 2011.


With waves topping 10 feet, the storm brought the surfers out in droves. All photos taken on Isle of Palms, SC.



Dean & Daisy, wave watching


The double rainbow was a spectacular scene. Lasting only a couple of minutes, the rainbows ran parallel and in a full circle.


Thank you Irene, for the amazing sunset.
Photo taken at the Boathouse, Breach Inlet.

BOOM!

Pictured: The DEAN 14' LDR

We threw everything he have at our new race board designs and the end product is the Dean 14' LDR (light displacement racer). Using ship design and 3D modeling software and built with the latest composite technology, the final product has it all— fast on the flats, stable, and super speedy downwind. Welcome to the new generation of Dean Watersports race board design.

Introducing the new fleet of Dean boards

Introducing the new fleet of Dean boards. These boards are built with cutting edge manufacturing technology in Charleston, SC USA. The race, all around, and SUP surf boards can be customized to fit your needs. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (843) 795-8000.

Making dreams come true

Photo caption: Dean Watersports recently upgraded to a bigger manufacturing facility in Charleston, SC.

Hands down, it’s been a challenging two years for a one-man startup manufacturing company. But creating a product for a sport that you are absolutely passionate about has kept the motivation and stoke alive and strong. It’s that resolve that, in just 20 months, Dean Watersports has grown from a dilapidated, 400-square foot vacant (and borrowed) room, followed by a warehouse space with no heat or air, finally to a 3000-square foot proper manufacturing facility.

Flashback two years. After a short stint owning and operating a restaurant, ex pro-cyclist Dean Johnson rekindled his competitive nature and started racing standup paddleboards. It was at the September 2009 national Naish race series in San Diego, CA that Dean realized he needed a faster board. At that time, no one in our hometown of Charleston, SC was selling (or paddling) race boards. So with his background in art and construction, he was determined to build a board that was as good, if not better than anything on the market.

We were very optimistic heading in to 2011. SUP was blowing up on the East Coast and starting to gain momentum in Charleston. It was time for us to get serious. Dean met Tony Blakley, a composites engineer, and the two immediately hit it off and began developing high performance technology. Five months later, Dean Watersports welcomed Shawn West to the team who handles all customer relations and sales. With a good crew pulled together, the next step was obvious...we needed a larger space so manufacturing could get underway.

























The future is bright. Dean Watersports is no longer a one-board-at-a-time manufacturing company. We are on the cutting edge of technology and design, and we do it with a passion for the sport of SUP. We welcome SUP retailers, tour/rental companies, and consumers to visit us at our new factory in Charleston, SC. Call us at (843) 795-8000 to set up an appointment.

The Dean Team:
Dean Johnson, shaper/owner/operator
dean@deanwatersports.com
Misty Johnson, marketing/fitness/tours/rentals
misty@deanwatersports.com
Tony Blakley, engineer
tony@deanwatersports.com
Shawn West, financials /sales/customer relations
shawn@deanwatersports.com

Words by Misty Johnson

Get ocean fit Monday & Wednesdays on beautiful Isle of Palms, SC

Don't forget.. Misty Johnson of Dean Watersports will be leading SUP Fit classes at IOP Marina on Mondays & Wednesdays at 7am. Reserve your spot by contacting Ocean Fitness at (843) 559-6073 or BeOceanFit.com. Classes are designed to teach basic paddle technique while building strength, flexibility and balance.
Who said exercise had to be dull? Get ocean fit!

-Misty
misty@deanwatersports.com