SUP Minnesota

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Kayaks are on shore.  What's on the water?

The latest in paddle sports trending on the water are Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP’s).  These surf shaped boards give the boarder a smooth paddle on calm days and are a phenomenal form of exercise.  The sport of Stand Up Paddleboarding has its roots in one form or another tied to any area where there is surf.  This includes Africa, South America, Australia and yup, you guessed it, Hawaii.  The first (known) recorded incidence was a film made in 1939 of Duke Kahanamoku in Australia on a surfboard with a paddle in hand.  From its first glimpses, paddleboarding as a sport was largely reserved for calm days when the surf was low.  It wasn't until 2005 that the sport reached the mainland in California and started growing roots.  In 2007, the first SUP Race (Nalu) was hosted in Lake Tahoe and was the beginning of the Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival.  Locally, the sport arrived at Joe's Sporting Goods in the summer of 2009 and went largely unnoticed its first few seasons.  Since then, the sport has been growing rapidly and with the water warming up, we are in the throes of another great paddle season.  In store, we offer Rave, Doyle, and BOTE paddleboards in a variety of designs.

Classic Design

Soft Top

Race Design

SUPs come in a wide variety of different shapes that offer an assortment of paddling characteristics.  Many recreational paddleboards have a traditional surf board look and feel with a rounded nose and a wider shape.  This allows the paddler to turn well and follow the contours of a shoreline or otherwise cruise on the lake.  Race (Nalu) SUPs have a more battleship profile and a much stronger keel line to provide unparalleled tracking but sacrifice stability.  A third class of Stand Up Paddleboards are called soft top paddleboards and feature a yoga mat like material covering the board from bow to stern.  These SUPs are wider than the classic boards and are stable enough to actually do yoga on the water.  Personally, I've tried it and only got as far as the downward facing kersploosh… but I digress.  It’s common to require a few tries to get the hang of balancing on a SUP, and once you do, you will be hard pressed to not have a great time on the water. 

Be sure to sign up for our own Demo Days

Like kayaking, there are practical weight limits that can help identify what board(s) would be the best to fit your needs.  Paddleboards in the 10’ and 10’6” range have a typical peak performance capacity of up to 160-170 lbs.  The 11’ to 12’ range at a peak performance weight of up to 240 lbs.  Any SUP above 12’ will be able to handle 300 lbs and above with ease.  Using myself as an example (6’4” 235 lbs) I find the best paddle on an 11’-12’ SUP.  I can and have used a 10’6” SUP successfully finding that I turn too easily and cannot hold a straight line.  If you are hesitant at first, sign up for one of our boat demo’s at Lake Gervais.  If that doesn't work for your schedule there are many lake side rental agencies in the Twin Cities that have SUPs available per hour or per day and are a great way to get started.

Until next time, GET OUTDOORS!