The 14′ Bark Expedition was named “Best Stand Up Paddleboard” in the Dec 2009/Jan 2010 issue of the Men’s Journal. The “Gear of the Year” issue awards top honors to the best outdoor products of 2009. Other “Gear of the Year” honorees included notable brands such as BMW, Oakley, Canon, Rolex, Mountain Hardware and GoPro among other prestigious brands. “We couldn’t be happier with this honor.” said the board’s designer Joe Bark. “I worked with my top team guys here in California and in Hawaii testing out countless 14′ boards over the course of more than a year until we found the magic formula. We were designing boards that would paddle well in flat, calm water and in rough, choppy seas. So we had our guys test the boards in oily glass conditions as well as open ocean wind swells. This board far exceeded expectations in both conditions.”
“An Everest size pile of new products materializes every year, each one claiming to be the next big thing. The majority are unremarkably satisfactory; a few are laughably pathetic. Rarest of all are the 25 superlative objects on these six pages.” stated the article. In honoring the 14′ Bark, the article went on to say, “As stand up paddleboarding grows from niche to mainstream, the gear only gets better. Case in point: the new Joe Bark 14′ Expedition from the legendary South Bay shaper, made by Surftech. The sleek silhouette makes quick work of multi-mile trips, yet still feels stable in choppy seas.”
To get your hands (or feet) on the “Best Stand Up Paddleboard” of the year, stop by your local REI store or visit Colorado Kayak Supply, Outpost of Holland, Tahoe Paddle & Oar, the Kayak Connection or check surftech.com for dealers in your area.
The Expedition was tested in a variety of diverse conditions. Check the gallery below to see the team putting it through it paces.
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Tags: Candice Appleby, Gear of the Year, Guy Pere, Hawaii, Joe Bark, Kanesa Duncan, Mens Journal, MIkey Cote, Slater Trout, Stand Up Paddleboard, SUP