Locals Gary Wise and Sean Hughes take first in 2009 Florida State Paddleboard Championships

YOLO Board LLC announces the members of Team YOLO Men, Gary Wise and Sean Hughes, won first place in two separate divisions of the 2009 Florida State Paddleboard Championship race event April 11 at Shepard Park in Cocoa Beach.  

Wise is Beach Safety Director for the South Walton Fire District and Hughes is Deputy Fire Chief. Both men compete locally as Team YOLO, and are the defending champions of the 2008 YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series.   
The Florida State Paddleboard Championship took place at Shepard Park and included 11 divisions of the paddleboard races and four divisions of the ‘King of the Beach' race which is a paddle, swim and run event. Wise defended his 2008 champion title status in the 18 foot + unlimited division with a time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, beating the second place winner by 9 minutes.  

Competing against professional lifeguards from around the state of Florida, first time competitor Hughes won the 12' 6" and under division on his "Original YOLO" stock board with a time 1 hour 41 minutes.  
Wise will defend his title in the May 9 12th annual 2009 Key West Paddleboard Classic, a 12-mile race around the Island.  

Next are three new races: the May 23^rd Daytona Beach Paddleboard Classic, the July 17th East Coast Paddleboard Championships in Ponce Inlet, and the Oct. 3rd Battle of the Paddle Doheny State in Dana Point, Calif. He will follow up these races with the defense of two back to back titles (2007 and 2008) in the Oct. 17th East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame Museum 22-mile Waterman Challenge in Cocoa Beach.

The 2009 YOLO Board Stand-Up Paddle Series kicks off April 30 at Oyster Lake in Santa Rosa Beach. For more information call (850) 622-5760 or visit www.YOLOBoard.com.  
About YOLO Board  Founded by business partners Tom Losee and Jeff Archer in 2006, YOLO Board LLC is a locally owned hybrid-style stand-up paddle board (SUP) company based in Santa Rosa Beach.