*Mike Vaughan Jr. in the Santa Monica Bay with grey whale tail photographed by Bo Bridges.*

More Than a Founder

In case you’re new around here, I wanted to introduce you to Mike Vaughan, founder of Pro SUP Shop. Mike was Cole’s dad & Mike “Senior’s” son. You’ve probably already seen that incredible photo of him (above) on the paddleboard, paddle raised high with the grey whale tail behind him, taken by Bo Bridges in Santa Monica Bay several times by now. That photo kind of said it all as he had a way of going above and beyond throughout all of life. Our journey started professionally through my mentor & friend Letha Davis when he needed regular help on the first prosupshop.com website, but calling Mike “client”, “boss” or even "friend" feels insufficient because he truly became more like a brother.

Anyone who ever met him would tell you he was one of a kind.

A Force of Nature

Mike Vaughan worked hard and played harder. He lived a dozen lifetimes in thrills and experiences, doing all the things someone like me would never dream of having the gumption to do. He was awe-inspiring.

Sometimes I don’t even think he believed his own life when he would sneak me photos of star-studded events, red carpet premiers & awards dinners he attended with our “Core Crew Riders” like Simon Swart. The next weekend, he would be packing up to go on a trip to the Carolina Cup, SUP racing event in North Carolina hanging out with the “fastest woman in the world”, the “Queen of SUP”, Candice Appleby, arranging SUP racing clinics back in Marina del Rey for the off season, meanwhile he and I were on the phone 10 hours a day trying to really jump start Pro SUP Shop, navigating zoning permits and manually creating blueprints in Adobe Illustrator for a hotel parking lot, all while we delivered high quality, affordable printing at Postiive Existence printing experts.

He was impossible to pin down and never stopped working as my 2:00 AM timestamped messages could prove. Sometimes I wonder if he always knew he had so much to do with so little time here on earth, but he believed with such passion in what Pro SUP Shop could become that it became my dream too.

At that time, Pro SUP Shop was very much the “Mike Vaughan Show.” He loved to showcase his incredible feats (which were incredible, but you couldn’t let him know it or his head would get huge!)

But today, in all reality, I take a step back after he’s been gone for 6 years now and am truly overwhelmed when I realize what an incredible legacy he left us. His feats really were remarkable, and his passion for both ocean conservation and the sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding were truly infectious.

Photo below of Mike Vaughan Jr. with surf legend Laird Hamilton

How the Ocean Rebuilt Him

Mike was a Santa Monican, born and bred. He was always active between surfing or skating with the Dogtown crew, and whatever else might strike his fancy but there was a stretch of time before Mike dug into Stand-Up Paddleboarding, when his body wasn’t cooperating. Injuries have a way of humbling even the most kinetic people. For someone wired like him, being sidelined wasn’t an option.
Paddleboarding entered as a low-impact sport, and something he could do without wrecking himself further. It became a kind of informal physical therapy that had an incredible side effect of being a terrific workout. But the thing about Mike was that nothing stayed moderate for long.
As he spent more time on the water, something shifted. What began as rehab became a transformation inside and out as he caught what we like to call “the paddle bug”. His transformation inspired his dad, Mike Vaughan Senior, and from that point forward they were on the water together every week.
Soon he was customizing boards with top shapers like Joe Bark, making deals with Surftech, testing the latest paddle shape at Quickblade Paddle flume, planning races for the LA Waterkeeper, learning race technique from top racers like Candice Appleby, Performance Paddling’s Anthony Vela and even legends like Dava Kalama and Laird Hamilton. He was all in for anyone teaching race formats and training strategies. He was signing up for every race across the country while the sport was starting to explode. He immersed himself fully, the way he did with anything that sparked him.

Paddleboarding restored him physically but more than that, it gave him direction, community, and a new arena to pour that relentless energy into. Once Mike loved something, he couldn’t keep it to himself.

If you met Mike, you were going to hear about SUP and he was also going to try to sell you some printing from Positive Existence. You were probably going to end up trying one or both and you were probably going to get a few emails about it all.

He wanted everyone to feel what he felt out there.

Photo below of Ross Furukawa from the Santa Monica Daily Press , Mike & I during our first meeting at the Killer Shrimp in Marina del Rey. (note: If you ever end up going to Killer Shrimp, I highly recommend their spicy shrimp soup; it’s amazing!)
Ross was instrumental in establishing Pro SUP Shop. We truly would not be here today without his support. Thank you Ross!

The Ocean Was Our Center

**I have to admit, he had me at the whale tail.** I may be landlocked now, but I grew up in Southern California IN LOVE with whales. I sculpted a paper-mache blue whale for a project at school. I wore “SAVE THE WHALES” shirts as a kid in the 80s. There I was in my 30s, and I just found someone who would allow me to help with ocean conservation from Oklahoma, so whatever it was, I was in…
He had the vision, and he decided he was pulling me with him. There would be blood, sweat, and tears ahead, but I knew we were building something special, so I went all in. Nights, weekends, holidays, we lived, ate, breathed, and dreamed SUP.
No one could have guessed how much Stand Up Paddleboarding would change the landscape of Southern California, except Mike, I suppose, but I never would have guessed then how the course of my own life would change. I truly cannot begin to tell you how many other lives he changed by introducing people to Stand Up Paddleboarding. Just last week I was on a call with a woman who mentioned the same, entirely unprompted.

Our Grass Roots Guerrilla Build

I came into things pretty early on in 2010 when Pro SUP Shop had grown up enough to need a website. Mike Vaughan Jr, Mike “Senior” and I built up Pro SUP Shop in a very guerrilla, grass-roots style doing anything we could think to help get exposure. Mike somehow managed to rope me into his entire world from 1,300 miles away. We assembled this company piece by piece while Mike and I delivered quality, affordable printing on impossible turnaround times with Nikki in the office, but I am incredibly humbled by what we were able to build together.

I remember hounding Mike for photos in the early days more times than I could count, but now we have every type of photo I could ever need for anything, and not just that but they are from incredible photographers like Kirill Umrikhin and Brandon Kirk. But yes, we do still use that incredible Whale Tail photo by Bo Bridges.

Photo below of Cheryl Hines, Robert F. Kennedy Jr & Mike Vaughan Jr at the LA Waterkeeper’s SPLASH Stand Up for Clean Water event in 2012

The Community Builder

Mike Vaughan didn’t just want to introduce you to a new sport, he wanted to fold you into a community while doing some good for the environment and hopefully, he’d make some connections for business because when all was said and done, Mike was an entrepreneur.
You could find them on the water every Wednesday on their original Sunset Paddle Cruises where the group would then hop over to the Beachside restaurant inside the Jamica Bay Inn for post paddle refreshments. He was building a community on the water, and it was a special community with incredible people. It wasn’t long before he was organizing races like the LA Waterkeeper’s SPLASH Stand Up For Clean Water events, and dipping his hat into as many Stand Up Paddleboard races as he could cram into the gaps of his already busy schedule.

He threw me in the deep end more times than I can count, but it taught me to swim. He didn’t always do everything right, but I learned so much from watching and working with him. I will always be grateful for my time with him.

As he introduced more people to stand-up paddleboarding, Mike became a connector. He knew the racers, the weekend paddlers, the curious first-timers, and the surfers looking for cross-training. Mike knew everyone.

Once you were comfortable on a board and showed just a little talent, Mike would try to get you into racing. He started training groups and as such, lifelong friendships developed between people who might never have crossed paths otherwise. Visitors found themselves welcomed into a community that felt unique and special.

Photo below Pro SUP Shop Del Rey Yacht Club racers from a 2014 community race with our core crew, Mike Jr (top left), Mike Senior (bottom left), Professional racers Candice Appleby (bottom) & Anthony Vela (next to Jr.), and I am in there too! (bottom right)

Setting the Stage

The early Southern California SUP scene carried a grassroots energy with new paddlers from every walk of life connecting on the water. Mike became one of the people helping build that culture by encouraging newcomers as an ambassador to the sport. He organized races and connected paddlers from different corners of the community, introduced thousands of people to a sport that was still finding its footing and helped create an environment where people wanted to stay.
Years later, that spirit still pulses through Marina del Rey, Pro SUP Shop, and in the Southern California SUP scene. Those connections are still strong and as I reflect on it now, so many of the friendships that began with Mike Vaughan on the water still continue all these years later. You can see it in the instructors who share what was once shared with them and in the generations of paddlers who still gather at the same spot every Wednesday evening for our Original Sunset Paddle Cruise.

Mike fell in love with paddleboarding because it changed his life and his legacy endures because he spent the rest of his life helping it change other people's lives.

What We Carry Forward

Mike’s passing in 2020 left us all in shock, and to be honest, we were a little aimless for a bit. It was like we were knocked out of the slipstream we’d been drafting on all these years, and the stillness on the water was overwhelming. Every stroke was so much harder to pull through, and the momentum had slowed to a crawl. It took some time for us to figure out what Pro SUP Shop looked like without Mike Vaughan manning the helm. After a while, when the fog cleared, we looked at everything he had left us with and it became clear the path we needed to take.

Sometimes you can find yourself with a whole load of broken pieces that need reassembling, and when you piece them back together, they fit in a new way, different because it has to be. But that spirit that flowed through Pro SUP Shop with Mike Vaughan Jr. leading the charge is the same spirit that flows under Cole. It’s here every time Senior gets out on the water for a sunset cruise, and every time Karen teaches a lesson.

Honoring Mike's Legacy on the Water

This weekend, one of those traditions continues with the Mike Vaughan Memorial 5-Mile Distance Race, held during the Santa Monica Pier 360 Beach Festival. This Sunday, June 28th paddlers from across Southern California will gather once again to compete at the Santa Monica Pier.

The Memorial Race is just one part of a weekend packed with loads of excitement and plenty of opportunities to try your hand at competition. Pier 360 features paddleboard races for a variety of skill levels, beach sports, live entertainment, ocean-inspired activities, and plenty of ways to experience the Southern California beach lifestyle. Whether you're lining up at the start line or cheering from the sand, it's a wonderful way to celebrate the sport Mike loved so deeply.

Discover the incredible paddleboarding community that Mike helped inspire. Register here.

Photo below of Karen teaching a Stand Up Paddleboarding lesson, Photo by Brandon Kirk

So, you wanna catch the paddle bug too?

It all starts here. Maybe all this is why paddleboard lessons continue to be one of the most meaningful things we offer. That initial step is the most important one and Mike loved introducing people to the sport. He knew that all it took was one good experience on the water to spark a lifelong passion. Every season we watch that same story unfold as first-time paddlers become regulars, racers, instructors, and friends.

Book your first lesson

Happy Birthday, Mike. We miss you so much.

Mike Vaughan Jr. was the founder of Pro SUP Shop in Marina del Rey and one of the early ambassadors of stand up paddleboarding in Southern California. Through paddleboard races, community events, environmental initiatives, lessons, and weekly paddles, Mike helped introduce thousands of people to the sport. His passion for the ocean, paddleboarding, and building community continues to shape Pro SUP Shop today.
Mike Vaughan founded Pro SUP Shop at Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles. His vision was to create a welcoming place where people of all ages and skill levels could experience stand up paddleboarding, connect with the local SUP community, and develop a deeper appreciation for the ocean. Today, Pro SUP Shop continues that mission under the leadership of his son, Cole Vaughan.
Pro SUP Shop is located at Mother's Beach in beautiful Marina del Rey, California, just minutes from Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Playa Vista, Culver City, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Our waterfront location provides direct access to the protected waters of Marina del Rey Harbor, making it one of the best places to learn paddleboarding in Southern California.
Marina del Rey offers a sheltered harbor environment with easy beach entry and boat-protected waters. Many first-time paddlers choose Pro SUP Shop because the harbor provides a comfortable learning environment compared to open-ocean conditions. Paddleboard lessons in Marina del Rey allow beginners to focus on balance, technique, and confidence while enjoying one of Los Angeles County's most scenic waterfront destinations.
Check out our article Why Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey Is the Best Place to Learn Paddleboarding
Yes. Pro SUP Shop offers beginner paddleboard lessons, private paddleboard lessons, group lessons, and intermediate coaching in Marina del Rey. Lessons are designed to help new paddlers build confidence quickly while learning proper paddle technique, board control, safety awareness, and efficient movement on the water.
Your first paddleboard lesson at Pro SUP Shop begins with a brief land-based introduction covering equipment, paddle technique, and safety. From there, instructors guide you onto the water and help you progress at a comfortable pace. Most students are surprised by how quickly they gain confidence while exploring the beautiful marina environment.
Pro SUP Shop was built by paddlers, racers, instructors, and lifelong watermen who helped shape the Southern California stand up paddleboarding community. Beyond paddleboard rentals and kayak rentals, Pro SUP Shop offers lessons, guided experiences, community paddles, Sunset Paddle Cruises, special events, and a welcoming environment where new paddlers can become part of the local community.
The Original Sunset Paddle Cruise is one of Pro SUP Shop's most popular experiences. Guests paddle through Marina del Rey Harbor as evening light settles across the water, creating a memorable way to experience Los Angeles from a unique perspective. Many visitors consider it one of the most enjoyable outdoor activities in Marina del Rey.
Yes. Experienced paddlers can rent paddleboards directly from Pro SUP Shop. First-time paddlers often choose to begin with a lesson to learn proper technique and build confidence before exploring the harbor independently.
Yes. In addition to paddleboard rentals, Pro SUP Shop offers single and tandem kayak rentals at Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey. Kayaking provides another excellent way to explore the harbor, observe local wildlife, and enjoy the waterfront atmosphere of Los Angeles.
Mike Vaughan believed paddleboarding had the power to change lives by connecting people with the water, improving health, and building community. Today that spirit continues through paddleboard lessons, kayak rentals, Sunset Paddle Cruises, community events, weekly paddles, environmental stewardship, and every new person introduced to the sport through Pro SUP Shop.