The Clark family’s is a life centered around the water. Since the fledgling days of standup paddling, John and Manya Clark have been involved in the sport, racing and surfing in local competitions. Their three daughters followed in their aquatic footsteps, participating in water polo, junior lifeguards, outrigger canoeing, standup paddling, and surfing throughout their formative years. As a family, the Clarks found that watersports brought them closer together and provided them with their best memories - they wanted to create a board that would allow others to experience something similar. And so, in January of 2020, Tandem Boogie was born.

“The inspiration for Tandem Boogie is the value of catching waves with another person,” says John. “Sharing joy in the ocean builds community, strengthens bonds, and proves that anyone can catch a wave.”

 

A family run business through and through; Manya is in charge of manufacturing and operations. John handles marketing and sales. Alleanna is the community manager. Lyla handles apparel and merchandise. And Juju is the CFO-Chief Fun Officer.

Despite still being in its early years, Tandem Boogie has a couple of different boards to offer. The original Tandem Boogie PRO is a large board with curved rails, featuring the same foam material construction as the original boogie boards designed by Tom Morey. The original models are available in a small and large option, to accommodate riders of different sizes and skillsets. The most popular model is the Tandem Boogie AIR. The inflatable board features patent pending Dynamic AIR Design technology, soft grip handles, and a built-in camera mount. The board and pump pack down into a convenient carry case and can be inflated and deflated in a matter of minutes.

“San Clemente is ideal for Tandem Boogie because it is a place where people of all ages come together to enjoy the ocean,” says John. “It’s the perfect board to always have with you since you keep it rolled up in a bag. Just bring it to the beach any day-no matter the conditions of the waves or time of day.”

Although Tandem Boogie is still young, the brand is already being represented by a number of professional athletes. Local water woman and standup paddle legend Candice Appleby uses the Tandem Boogie AIR for PE lessons with local elementary school kids at Linda Lane. On the North Shore of Oahu, professional big wave surfer Jamie Mitchell represents the brand alongside his two daughters. 

 Tandem Boogie boards can be purchased at Tandem Boogie’s website (tandem-boogie.com), at eBodyboarding.com, or at Stewart Surf Shop. Additionally, Stewart offers rentals that can be applied to the purchase of a board, should you decide to take it home with you.

The Experience

As someone who’s grown up near the water, I’ve logged countless hours at the beach and participated in my fair share of watersports. So, when I caught wind of Tandem Boogie, I knew it was something I needed to try. 

On a warm day in August, two friends and I packed up the car and headed to T-Street. The water was in the seventies, the waves were 2-3 feet, and the crowd was surprisingly low-it was a perfect day.

After unpacking our Tandem Boogie AIR we marveled at the fun color combination, took a glimpse at the directions, and had our board inflated and ready for action within minutes. We secured a GoPro to the camera mount to capture our waves (and wipeouts) and hit the water.

Paddling out proved to be a bit tricky. The board was buoyant and easy to paddle with fins, but without a leash we found it challenging to make it into the lineup as the sets rolled through. In the future we hope that Tandem Boogie will consider adding a leash to their boards otherwise we’ll be sure to pack our own.

As the first wave approached, we hoisted ourselves onto the board, firmly gripped the handles, and kicked like crazy. We fully expected to wipeout but were pleasantly surprised when we easily rode the wave all the way to shore. We screamed, laughed and wore ear-to-ear grins the entire time. With a perfect wave out of the gates, we decided to paddle out again. And again. And again. 

For our final wave, we opted to try and ride as a trio and the three of us squeezed onto the board. Yet again, it worked! We rode the wave all the way to shore and once on the beach; we dried off and quickly packed up the board.

I’ve ridden a boogie board (or body board depending on who you ask) many times in my life and can safely say that the Tandem Boogie was my favorite experience thus far. It allows you to ride with friends, is a good conversation starter in the water, and is a guaranteed good time. And as they say at Tandem Boogie: it takes two.