Page 12 - July_2014

Paddling with a view

By Evan Johnson

Students gather in the evening sun for a SUP course at Oakledge Park on Lake Champlain in Burlington. Below, a paddleboarder takes in the sunset.
Photos courtesy, Jason Starr, Paddlesurf Champlain

WATERBURY, VT. — We had been out dler, Smith says she falls in plenty. When
on Waterbury Reservoir for approximate- practicing on Waterbury Reservoir, she
ly four minutes before my brother decided routinely adjusts herself on the board,
it would be a good idea to test the limits finding the point where she’s about to tip
of his balance on the stand up paddle- over or fall off, but can still stay maneu-

board. It was a warm evening in June and verable and regain her position quickly.
the surface of the water was motionless, Smith says finding that “sweet spot” is
disturbed only by the occasional landing how you get better.
bird and the spirals of current left by our “It’s about finding that comfort
paddles. Not a single motorboat was in zone on the board,” she says. “Finding
sight and the chaotic nine-to-five world that point where you can still recover and

had been left on shore.
you know how to catch yourself.”
And then Harrison decided he And whatever you do, don’t look
would move around a bit.
down. That’s when things get rocky. Just
Slowly, holding the paddle in both look straight up, paddle, and remember
hands and (somehow) still keeping his to smile.
weight centered, he shuffled his feet from If you’re paddling on a lake, a great

side to side while paying close attention to time to go is in the morning or the eve-
the rocking of the board under him. Even- ning. The water will be calmer and the
tually, he rotated himself 90 degrees and On a Tuesday evening, we met Paddlers position themselves traffic on the water will be minimal. The
was standing like on a skateboard. He up with Umiak Outfitters, based out of squarely in the middle of the boat with evenings also offer another advantage,
tried a few strokes, found it unproductive, Stowe and South Burlington, which of- feet shoulder width apart. Strokes while she says.
and then attempted to try a more precari- fers clinics, and classes (including yoga) SUP-ing are similar to that of canoeing.
“It’s still warm out, but nobody’s
Megan Smith, a guide with Umiak,
ous position; creeping backwards on the on paddleboards. In addition to kayak- here so if you fall off, you don’t feel like
board until the brow started to rise out of ing and paddling on the Lamoille and has been outfitting people on the boats an idiot,” she joked.
the water, poised to rocket out from un- Winooski rivers, the outfitter also pro- since they first became popular in Ver- In Vermont, rentals can include
der him at any moment.
vides rentals at the Waterbury Reservoir, mont. The service went from having a hourly rates of $15 per hour (Umiak, Bur-
For a second, it looked like he was where for a fee and a signature on a waiv- small fleet of three boards in 2011 to 15 lington) or $35 for a day or $200 for a
er form, they’ll let you take the boards in 2014. She also gave us an introduction
going in, but he lurched forward, saved week (Village Sport Shop, Lyndonville).
his balance, and continued to paddle out out on your own. On Tuesday evenings to the boards, basic stance and paddling Tours or instruction can cost $25 for
on the lake. He turned and looked back this July, Umiak holds a series of SUP technique before turning us loose on the an hour-long session (Paddlesurf Cham-
at me, wide-eyed and grinning. He had races at the reservoir.
water.
plain).
avoided a dunking.
The boards feature two varieties It’s important to remember to relax, SUP has seen a big boost in popu-
Stand Up Paddleboarding is a far of hulls: planar and displacement. Pla- Smith says. Any tension will work against larity in recent years. According to The
nar hulls are curved up at the bow and you, which can only lead to a very soggy
too laid-back and easygoing a sport for Outdoor Foundation’s 2013 Outdoor
such a long name. At the most basic level, sit high on the water, while the displace- situation.
Participation Report, stand up paddling
the activity of SUP, paddleboarding, or ment hull is much like that of a kayak “A lot of people will stand locked at was listed as the most popular outdoor
stand-up (which are some of its popular and slices through the surface of the wa- the knees and then when it starts moving, activity among first-time participants
and shorter names) is a board maneu- ter. This gives them greater directional they don’t adjust,” she says. “That’s when with 56 percent of all the first-time par-
vered from a standing position with an force, moving them more easily through they fall in.”
ticipants of outdoor activities in 2013,
But even as a more advanced pad-
extended paddle.
the water.
beating boardsailing/windsurfing, which

12 VTSPORTS.COM
JULY 2014