Yolo Board Debuts HIHO Signature Model

Jake Meyer of I Will Design for Food Designed the HIHO Yolo Signature Board for this Year's HIHO.

The scketch of Yolo's Signature HIHOboard (left) and a peek at the destination (right). Photo: Annie Gardner Nelson

Visit the websites of Yolo Board & HIHO

Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. (March 23, 2011) – YOLO Board unveils the new Highland Spring HIHO YOLO Board, custom designed by Jake Meyer of I Will Design For Food for the 2011 Highland Spring HIHO from June 26th to July 3rd  in the British Virgin Islands.  YOLO Board is serving as the official SUP sponsor of the event, widely considered one of the greatest watersports adventures in the world. The signature stand up paddleboard will be used in the YOLO Adventure One-Design Class, a SUP racing division where all racers must compete on the same type of board.

The Highland Spring HIHO YOLO Board is modeled on the “Original YOLO”, an individually hand shaped stand up paddleboard measuring 12 feet long by 31 inches wide and designed for all paddling conditions.  Meyer created a graphic design for the board that reflects the classic image of the popular event while incorporating the ‘You Only Live Once’ spirit that characterizes YOLO Board products.  The YOLO Adventure One-Design Class was created for intermediate to advanced level paddlers with an emphasis on adventure and fun.  One-Design class events will be held in protected waters and feature challenges such as diving down to collect treasure, buoy chicane courses, relay races and portage legs.  Boards will be available for rental or purchase through the event.

“We are proud to introduce the Highland Spring HIHO YOLO Board,” added Jeff Archer, Co-Founder of YOLO Board.  “We think the design is the perfect way to commemorate the 2011 Highland Spring HIHO and are honored to be a part of such a beloved and historical event.”

The Highland Spring HIHO is a week long all-inclusive adventure vacation including inter-island sailing, Windsurfing and Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) races, planned parties, daily water-based activities and accommodations aboard captained catamarans supplied by The Moorings.  The event will include the YOLO Adventure One-Design Class and an Open Class for SUP Racers. Windsurfing Race divisions include a Techno-2 Class and an Open Class.  Event activities take place as the event winds its way throughout the islands including stops at Virgin Gorda, Prickly Pear Island, Anegada, The Last Resort, Peter & Norman Islands and Little Thatch.  Highland Spring HIHO is also well known for fine cuisine and live entertainment with excellent dinners planned for each island stop and nightly Caribbean entertainment and dancing.

Limited spaces remain for the Highland Springs HIHO 2011 and rates begin at $2,099 per person for a double cabin occupancy aboard a 40’ or 43’ catamaran and include lunch and dinner with drinks, all parties, most activities, taxes and an official HIHO T-shirt and bag or hat.  Additional options are available including an air-conditioned 46’ catamaran upgrade, single cabin supplement, junior participation rate and Kids 6 years and Under rate.  Race fees are $125.00 per racer for competing stand up paddlers and windsurfers.


About Highland Spring HIHO

The Highland Spring HIHO event originated in St Thomas in 1979 when a band of intrepid windsurfers set out to windsurf through the Virgin Islands with sleeping bags on their backs.  The event was an immediate hit and grew exponentially under sponsorship from Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey.  Current event owner Andy Morrell was the 1st place winner in the 1986 edition.  Morrell assumed ownership of the event and, following a hiatus, restarted it in 1993.  Today the Highland Spring HIHO event is the World’s most fun-filled and unique watersports adventure combining SUP, windsurfing, sailing and adventure as it charts a course through the beautiful British Virgin islands. For more information on the Highland Spring HIHO 2011, please visit www.go-hiho.com, call 284.494.0337.

About YOLO Board

Founded by business partners Tom Losee and Jeff Archer in 2006, YOLO Board LLC is a locally owned stand-up paddleboard (SUP) company based in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.  Aptly named for the mantra, “You Only Live Once,” the company has quickly gained the reputation along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast and beyond as the custom paddleboard of choice, garnering widespread attention from the media including: Spirit Magazine, Southern Living, Coastal Living, The Weather Channel, Standup Journal, Florida Trend, Ocean Drive, Standup Paddle Magazine and Garden & Gun. The company manufactures a variety of boards suited to fit any paddler including: the Original YOLO, YOLO Express, YOLO Explorer, YOLO Yak, YOLO Torpedo, YOLO EcoTrainer, YOLO Planeador, YOLO Eclipse. The recently debuted Steve Brom-custom race and surf performance line includes the YOLO Predator, YOLO Prowler, YOLO Soul Searcher, YOLO Stinger Winger and YOLO Piranha.  New for 2011 will be the YOLO Voyager line of lake and river cruisers and the YOLO Soft Top Series.  Rentals, lessons, corporate and team building packages are available through YOLO Board Adventures.  For more information, visit www.yoloboard.com or call 850.622.5760.