Photo By James Edward Mills
Let it never be said there’s no surfing in Wisconsin. A thousand miles from the nearest ocean, few if any breaking waves and vast bodies of water that freeze solid belie the logic of hanging ten on a long board. But the advent of Stand Up Paddling has changed that paradigm forever.
With five navigable lakes around Madison and just 30 minutes from the Wisconsin River SUP is just one more great way to spend time on the water. A long wide surfboard and an equally long paddle are all you need to take up this new sport that’s found a home in the Midwest.
“There’s nothing easier,” says Gary Stone owner of Isthmus Sailboards. “From the roof of your car, right on to the lake and you’re off. You don’t even have to worry about getting wet.”
Wardens of the DNR will want you to have a PFD (personal flotation device) on board. But Stone says you likely won’t need it. “If you feel like you’re about to go in, just set that paddle back in the water,” he says. “Tighten up your stomach muscles and find your balance. You’ll be just fine.”
The learning curve for SUP is indeed very short. If you can stand up you’ve pretty much got it made.
“You need to keep to the center of the board and not weight one side more than the other,” Stone says. “Keep your top hand and arm straight as possible while you pull the paddle through the water with other and that’s pretty much it.”
SUP boards are amazingly stable. They’re very forgiving to novice paddler. And if you do fall in getting back on is simple.
“I only tried it for a few minutes and I really liked it,” says Bill Anderson, a salesman from Delavan, WI. “I’m more of windsurfer, but I really like the calmness of this kind of flat water.”
Lakes and rivers are perfect for SUP. On windless days you can paddle for miles with little effort on the open water and take in the scenery.
“You get a different kind of perspective from on top compared to a canoe or kayak,” says Scott Pauli, a graphic designer who lives on Madison’s East Side. “You can see straight down 20 feet into the water. It’s the strangest feeling to see fish and all that wildlife below.”
And Cindi Bannink, a semi-pro triathlete and a personal trainer, says SUP is great way to mix up your workouts.
“It offers a lot of core-strength for your abs and upper body you don’t get from other sports,” she says. “It also helps you to learn balance.”
It doesn’t take much to get started. You can demo a board from Gary Stone at Isthmus Sailboards in Waunakee or you can head over to Rutabaga the paddle shop in Monona. At either shop a new board can cost between $750 and $2,000. They might throw in a basic paddle as part of a package. The board you select with vary by the type of paddling you intend to do. So if you’re just getting started try a few different boards before you buy to find out what’s going to work best.
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