North Lake Tahoe welcomes the annual Ta-Hoe Nalu, the oldest and longest-running paddle festival in the world,  August 14-16, 2015 in Kings Beach. The festival has become a cornerstone event for one of Tahoe's fastest-growing sports and the lifestyle and community it represents.

Ta-Hoe Nalu celebrates the 'aloha spirit' and the excitement of a growing community of stand up paddle boarding (SUP) around the world and in Lake Tahoe. Known as one of the best 'flat-water' paddle boarding locations in the world, Lake Tahoe is home to a rapidly expanding paddleboard community. The three-day event has grown from grass-roots to a multi-event festival, complete with a variety of competitions, demos and clinics, board and accessory vendors, entertainment, great food, and thousands of spectators and participants.

See complete event schedule below.

The idea for the Ta-Hoe Nalu, and laregly for paddleboarding at Lake Tahoe, was spawned in 2005, when festival founder Ernie Brassard and his good friend Rick Thomas, from San Diego, tried paddling Rick’s Surf SUP on Lake Tahoe. They immediately they realized how cool it was to paddle Tahoe's clear and calm water and explore the lake's extensive shoreline. Tahoe's amazing clarity and beauty made the paddle boarding experience even more impressive.

"We thought back then that it would be fun to get some of our fiends to bring their big boards to Tahoe and do a paddle," says Brassard.

After mulling the idea around for a while, in 2007, Brassard met with Phil Segal, owner of Tahoe Paddle and Oar in Kings Beach who was adding SUP’s to his retail store and had begun turning people on to the sport. After discussing the idea with Chris Thibaut, owner of Jake’s on the Lake restaurant in Tahoe City and friends Chris Carnevalle and Jay Valois who had both started paddling that year, Brassard decided to look into putting on a race.

The first Ta-Hoe Nalu race was took place on August 8, 2007. It was a seven-mile paddle from Jake’s on the Lake in Tahoe City to Captain Jon’s restaurant in Tahoe Vista. While Brassard and Segal drummed up interest in Tahoe, Rick and Bob got the word out in Southern California and Santa Cruz. On Friday August 7, 2007, a pre-race party was hosted by Jake’s on the Lake and by Saturday morning, thirty-four folks from San Diego, Santa Cruz and Baja, and other paddlers from around Lake Tahoe competed in what would become the first ever SUP race. Dave King, of Santa Cruz and Kim Wittman from Cabo San Lucas became the first ever SUP champions.

There are now hundreds, if not thousands of paddle-focused races and events across the nation and the world each year. This year's Ta‐Hoe Nalu is expected to again attract thousands of spectators and competitors from all over the the globe. The three-day festival includes racing for all ages and skill levels, free demos and clinics for all, entertainment, exceptional food, and most of all, a vibrant community of enthusiasts - pros and amateur - that have discovered the fun and excitement of paddle sports.

Event registration is available online at www.tahoenalu.com.

Ta-Hoe Nalu 2015 Event Schedule

Friday August 14

• 2pm to 6pm Registration for all events
• 2:pm to 4pm. Yoga, fitness & paddle clinics
• Boardworks Shubu tour with Mike Tavaes – Learn and experience the fun and versatility of inflatables and possibly a few sweet moves from Mike.
• 2 to 6 pm Manufacture free demos (Must sign up at Ta-Hoe Nalu information Tent)
• 6;30 to 8:30pm Free Concert w/ MOJO GREEN
• 2 to 8:30pm Food court and KONA Beer garden open
• 2 to 6pm Vender village open to public

Saturday August 15

• 7am to 8;15am Registration for 10mile Distance and 2mile beginner race.
• 7:30am Opening Ceremony and announcements with
• Dancers of Halau Hula ‘O Leilani will provide traditional dances of Polynesia to open the festivities.
• *NATIONAL ANTHEM SUNG BY CHRISTIAN HOLLINGSWORTH

• 8:30am Start of 10 mile Distance Race

• 8;30 am start OC-6
  8;35 am start OC-1<> OC-2 <> Surf Ski
  8;40 am start Prone
  8;45 am start SUP
  8;50 am start 2 mile Beginner SUP race

• Awards  & Raffle at finish of race
• All day Demos and Clinics (Must sign up for Demo’s at information booth.
• Exhibitor / Vender village open from 8 to 4pm daily

ZINKA Face Painting Contest:

• 10:00 am at ZINKA Booth
• Groms 12 and under
• Winners announced during the awards for the Grom Race

• Highlighted a local retail village open from 8 to 4pm daily
• 11:30am Start of Grom Race (ages 12 and under)
• Awards and raffle after finish
• 1:pm Start of the Waterman’s Challenge
• Awards after race finish 4pm Announcements of Local evening events.

Sunday August 16

• 7am Registration for the 5 mile Open Race (OC6, OC1,SUP, Prone )
• 8am Announcements
• 9am Start of the 5 Mile Open Race

• 9:00 am start OC6
• 9:05 am start OC1, OC2, Surf Ski
• 9:10 am start Prone
• 9:15 am start SUP

• Awards and Raffle at finish of Race
• All day free SUP demos (Must sign up for Demo’s at information booth)
• Exhibitor / Vendor village open from 8 to 4pm daily
• Highlighted local retail village open from 8 to 4pm daily

• 11:00am Start of Big Brother / Big Sister’s Sand Castle building Contest
• 11:30 am Start of Free Team Matt Race (8 person teams) 
• 1 pm Start of 4 person Team SUP Slalom Relay Race (mixed Adult and Grom teams)
• Awards at finish of Race
• 4pm closing ceremony

Event registration and more information is available at www.tahoenalu.com.