Stand-up paddle boarding is the act of standing on a paddle board and using a paddle to propel yourself forward in the water. Stand-up paddle boarding has quickly become one of America’s favorite pastimes. Today, stand-up paddle boarding is used widely for outdoor recreation including fitness, sightseeing and racing. It is even used for yoga and fishing! And it comes to us with an interesting history…
Some argue that the first form of stand-up paddle boarding was born in African where warriors stood on their canoes and paddled for stealth attacks. Some say stand-up paddle boarding more likely originated in the Hawaiian Islands when Hawaiian surfers used paddles to steady their very large surf boards.
In the 20th century, lifeguards in Tel Aviv stood on wide boards to keep a better lookout for swimmers in distress, and then used a paddle to reach them quickly. In the 1940s, it became popular for surfers to stand on their boards and paddle over incoming swells. This became known as beach board surfing.
In 2013, a report identified stand-up paddle boarding as the outdoor sporting activity with the most first-time participants in the United States that year. So stand up and paddle! You may find you like it, and soon they will be calling you Chairman of the Board!
