Naming a Paddle
As the guy who designs the paddles, I get to name most of them. Not all of them, but most. I guess this has evolved at KIALOA because no one actually knows we have a new paddle until I show up at a meeting with a new prototype. Over the years the only trend in regards to paddle names, is that they are somewhat nonsensical. They do not describe the paddle, nor is the intent to inspire customers to buy. The names are things we find funny, inside jokes, often jokes about ourselves, self-effacing humor. Trust me; you will never see a KIALOA paddle named the Slayer, Violator, or Crusher. All good names, but just not the KIALOA style.
Toro
I designed the Toro for my friend Chuck Patterson. Last summer Chuck asked me to build a SUP race paddle. He gave me the basic characteristic he wanted in the paddle and I produced 3 prototypes. None of the paddles was exactly what Chuck was looking for in a race paddle, but he did find elements in the paddles which he liked. The Toro is a blend of the 3 prototypes. Chuck wanted a paddle with an aggressive "catch," something that hooked up as soon as it entered the water. To accomplish this I built the Toro with a pronounced curved arc in the tip area, as well as reducing blade thickness to minimize resistance as the blade penetrates the water. Think Olympic Gold Medal dive versus a drunken spring break belly flop. Bubble free water is a better source of traction than agitated water.
Chuck also wanted a dihedral on the paddle to stabilize the blade in the water. While I am not totally convinced dihedrals are the answer for every paddle, the thin blade core (the foam inside the blade is the core) needed the raised area of a dihedral to provide strength. Race blades should be stiff for maximum energy transfer. I built the Toro with a long Dihedral and a reinforcing rib on the non-powerface to reduce the flex. The outline is Tahitian in essence. This comes from a chance meeting with former Tahitian World Champion outrigger paddler Phillipe Bernardino. I am awed by the skills of the Tahitian outrigger paddlers and the Toro's outline shape is my way of paying tribute.
Why the Name Toro?
Toro is sushi made from the belly of a Bluefin Tuna. While shaping the Toro prototype, I was reading the book, “Giant Bluefin” by Douglas Whynott. Whynott writes, “Bluefin Tuna have evolved into high-mass, transoceanic, high speed organisms. Though they weigh from 300 to more than 1,000 pounds and move through a medium eight hundred times denser than air, Bluefin can swim in bursts of up to fifty miles per hour.” I thought this described Chuck: A big fast fish which traverses the World’s oceans. My project name was Thunnus thynnus, which is the scientific name for the Bluefin, but I got resistance from the rest of the KIALOA family. “Bluefin” lacked creativity, it is too obvious. But Toro, the most prized sushi cut from the most expensive fish on earth, seemed so random, which made it a perfect KIALOA paddle name.
BTW: Before you place your order with the sushi chef, please give some thought to the plight of the Bluefin. My personal opinion is they are being over fished. If you would like to learn more about the status of the Bluefin, “Tuna, A Love Story”, by Richard Ellis, is a good read.
Aloha,
Dave
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