First time I witnessed the sport of stand up paddle boarding: Crytsal Cove, Laguna Beach, 2008.
At first glance such an activity bewildered me. I thought I was witnessing a biblical miracle of some sort. The jesus like paddler was simply poised atop of the sea gliding, almost walking, across the horizon. As I looked closer at the paddler, I could see that the figure was standing on a large board at the surface of the ocean, and gently stroking their long, sleek oar into the waves. Once I comprehended the technicalities of this new water sport phenomena, I began to mediate on the smooth, organic movements of the paddler. As the sun was setting later that afternoon, the paddler was featured as the main event with its silhouette pronounced by the sun dipping in the horizon directly behind the picturesque 'water walker.' It was a truly awesome sight to watch from the comfort of my beach towel curled up in the warm sand and a fresh margarita on my lips. It was a perfect day.
First time I stoop atop a stand up paddle board: Ross Lake, Cascade Mountain Range, 2010.
On this year's annual Ross Lake house boat trip, I found a new mode of lake transportation-SUPing. The two stand up paddle boards arrived the same day we made the trip up into the Northern Cascade wilderness. So of course, my crazy adventure companions and I were honored to be the first to test them out on the serene, glacial waters of Ross Lake. The new additions to the Ross Lake Resort were quite large, sturdy boards, so not only were we traveling on completely flat, calm water, but the boards were very easy to maneuver and steady our balance. While this wasn't the most technical endeavor, it was still an adventure learning how to effectively execute strokes while keeping our balance and making sure we weren't simply cruising around in enormous circles. Once I was able to get the hang of using my core, legs and arm in the appropriate fashion to move swiftly across the water in my desired direction, I could chill out and consider this amazing moment. I was in the middle of a breathtaking glacier lake surrounding by jagged snow capped peaks and deep evergreen forests rising from the lake's shores. As I glided across the water surface I could observe the schools of fish swimming through a maze of old sunken fallen trees drifting into the deeps of the aquamarine lake. I felt a completely different connection to this ecosystem and landscape than I ever had before. I realized then that SUPing can transport a person in many different ways and I was stoked to be part of this new frontier.
First time I caught a wave on a stand up paddle board: Punta Mita, Mexico, 2010.
As I drove to the Anacholote break in Punta Mita with my new friends from Tailwinds Jungle Lodge, I was feeling pretty confident in my paddle boarding skills. I had cruised around Ross Lake, Liberty Bay and Eagle Harbor for hours already. I could make nice turns, paddle efficiently in one direction, and most importantly, I had never fallen off the board, but I soon realized, everything was about to change.
The wind was up and the waves were rough. Yet, Tamara and I grabbed our gigantic boards and headed out to the break optimistically. We tried our luck on the break closest to our beach pad, but the waves were impossible to read and we were being dragged out to sea by the offshore winds. So we maneuvered our boards around a jetty and tried for a calmer break in a smaller cover. Gold mine! I was facing the waves with my back to the beach, and as I saw a set coming in I began to position myself with a few wide turns. As I made large, wide strokes I was beginning to gain momentum, what I soon learned is the trick to paddle boarding-stroking deep and quick enough to keep that momentum to catch the wave. Thank goodness for my active body and endurance, because preparing for the waves are exhausting, but its well worth the fight. My desired wave came right up on my tail and before I knew it I was surfing. It was absolutely surreal. I looked over and I saw Tam right beside me riding the same wave. She was an awesome teacher that day. We rode that wave in together for about 100 meters and then finally had to simply flop into the water to paddle on out for another ride.
Since then, I have caught my fair share of unbelievable rides, and have loved every minute of it. I have learned how to rotate my body on the board so I am riding like a surfer with a sideway stance that gives me more maneuvering capabilities, and I am working on turning on the waves to spice up the long, graceful rides into the shallow waters. I feel so fortunate as a paddle boarder out in the water. If its a chilly day I don't have to freeze in the water, I am sun tanning atop my board. Nothing is too small or too big for a paddle boarder to catch. I simply make a few extra strokes and I am cruising on anything the ocean gives me. Therefore, us paddle boarders can catch any wave allowing us to paddle out to deserted breaks where surfers just can't catch the waves. So, I have learned that us paddle boarders just have more fun, or at least I am having a hell of a time!
Tam showing off her awesome skills!
Tigre loving life.
Me and my big wave. Straight chilling!
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