August 2009 - Vermont Sports Magazine

I
magine standing up in a canoe with an extra-long
paddle in hand, fi nding your balance, and paddling
away. Anyone who has spent considerable
time in a canoe has probably tried this while navigating
shallow backwaters, or simply, to stretch out the
legs. Now, replace that canoe with a long and stable
surfboard, and continue paddling along your favorite
lakeshore, into the open swells of Lake Champlain, or
up a gentle river valley. This is stand up paddling, or
SUP, as it is commonly referred to today.
Although stand-up paddling is nothing new, the
idea that it could be really fun has been spreading like
wildfi re. SUP surfi ng, SUP racing, and SUP touring
are a few emerging modern disciplines. For those who
like to canoe and kayak, SUP touring offers a new and
exciting way to experience Vermont’s calmer waters.
Meanwhile, SUP surfi ng makes surfi ng river rapids
and small waves great fun, and surfi ng big waves
a whole new challenge. Many folks are getting into
SUPing for the great core workout if offers, as a nice
way to enjoy the view, or just for the fun of it.
It takes little more than an old, neglected
windsurfi ng board (9 to 11 feet in length) and a 6-
to 7-foot-long wooden oar or homemade paddle to
get going. However, I highly recommend heading
over to Lake Champlain for an upcoming SUP demo
or clinic, and then investing in the right board and
paddle combo once you get going. Get comfortable
with this sport, and the options become unlimited:
SUP touring around your favorite lakes, SUPing up
and down deeper Vermont rivers, SUP surfi ng. Recently,
a stand-up paddler, 32-year-old Jon “Shaggy”
McLaughlin from Oregon, completed the 150 mile
New York section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail
in his canoe. He’ll be back next summer for more.
Brian Mohr rarely lets a day go by without paddling a
river, climbing a mountain, or wandering up a stream
bed. You can reach Brian through his website, www.
EmberPhoto.com.
Stand-Up
Paddling
BY BRIAN MOHR
PHOTOS BY BRIAN MOHR AND EMILY JOHNSON,
WWW.EMBERPHOTO.COM
Gary Kohner, a SUP-surfi ng enthusiast,
drops into an overhead wave,
courtesy of Hurricane Kyle, off the
Massachusetts coast.
The author paddles upstream on the
Winooski River in pursuit of a surf-able
standing-wave.
12 Vermont Sports August 2009