A Brief History of Standup by Gene Bagley
Stand Up Paddlesurfing (SUP) is hardly a new sport. It was originally conceived in Hawaii b the Waikiki beach boys (surf instructors) in the 1950's. They had those huge tandem surfboards laying around along with paddles from their outrigger canoes, and one lazy day, someone put the two together. Fast forward to the new century ad modern day surfers such as Laird Hamilton and Brian Keaulana update the sport with lighter materials and better shapes. In Hawaii and California the sport is growing fast. There are estimated to be 700 SUP surfers in Maui alone. While not a substitute for surfing for most, it is an additional way to get in more water time while getting plenty of exercise. I've personally been doing more SUP than regular surfing just for the challenge of mastering something new. I particularly like paddling from break to break in Mexico and Costa Rica and covering some distance while getting waves too. Remember, happiness comes in waves, no matter how you ride them.
On The Beach : 2105 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island, TX 78597. Ph: 956-761-1194 Fax: 956-761-1194 Email: info@onthebeachspi.com