SUP
(STAND UP PADDLEBOARD)
THE NEXT BIG THING ! ! !
So are you ready for the fastest growing water sport in the world? Powers Outdoors sure is! And we’ve got you covered with both Polyethylene (plastic) and Epoxy (foam core) boards that we have in stock and ready to go for the 2010 Paddle Season.
So what exactly is SUP or Stand Up Paddleboarding you ask? Well, in its most basic form, it is a person standing up on a long surf board while using an extended paddle to propel themselves through the water. Imagine flattening out a canoe or kayak, then standing up on it, while using a long paddle to navigate your new vessel…that’s it! Now you are Stand Up Paddleboarding!
“This is such a different sensation then kayaking or canoeing,” says Jake Slominski of Powers Outdoors, “it really has a ‘walk on water’ feeling to it, not to mention the great exercise.” The SUP origin can be traced back to Hawaiian roots and has actually been around for many years. More recently though, SUP began to evolve as some of the big wave riders (like Laird Hamilton) began to use Stand Up Paddle surfing/boarding as a way to train and stay in shape on days when the surf was less than desirable. This has led to an explosion across the continental United States with the SUP sport gaining momentum and interest just about anywhere you can find water. Greg Slominski of Powers Outdoors remarked, “this kind of reminds me of the 1970’s when every company was making a snowmobile…now every paddle company seems to be making an SUP. I can’t believe how many are out there in only a few short years…this is going to be huge.”
Besides being the new craze in the paddlesports industry, there are some distinct advantages to paddling an SUP over a kayak or canoe. For one, you have a better line of sight down into the water, which allows you to avoid obstacles or see underwater life more clearly. Standing up also makes you more visible to other boaters or personal watercrafts that sometimes have trouble seeing kayaks or canoes which sit you lower in the water. Another benefit is the total body workout that you get from SUPing. Unlike a kayak or canoe where you get mostly an upper body workout, because you are standing the entire time, your legs, core, arms and shoulders are all being used. “Besides all of the SUP benefits,” says Jake Slominski of Powers Outdoors, “you won’t believe the applications that we are seeing with these new SUPs: SUP Racing, SUP Fishing, Even SUP Yoga have all become part of this sport. SUP is definitely here to stay.”
OK, so now you have some idea of what SUPing really is. So what is the next step? Well, get into Powers Outdoors and set up a demo if you are in the market for a new board. Or, if you just want to try it out, Powers Outdoors has some great SUPs that we rent out as well. Either way, we will have you on the water in no time. Remember, SUPing is for the entire family, and we have boards to fit ALL AGES! So head to your closest Powers Outdoors and catch the SUP wave today!
Submitted 2/13/20
-Gabriel Slominski
