Board Sports
you can’t quite muster up the bravado to give kiteboarding a try, fear not – there is another sport catching on like a Lowcountry
wildfire. And the best news is that just about anybody can participate. According to Dave Clifford of Charleston Water-
sports, paddleboarding’s demographic ranges from age 8 all the way to age 80. Clifford, the first to bring stand-up paddleboarding to retail in Mount Pleasant, has been gliding through the local waterways, causing drivers along Shem Creek and elsewhere to question whether they were witnessing miracles involving men walking on water. Tis summer, he and Tom Carroll of the College of Charleston are offering a nine-session course, exposing the new sport to an even more diverse crowd. Tis summer’s classes have been full since March. Aside from its allure for people of all ages, all
professions and all levels of athletic ability, stand-up paddleboarding’s rise in popularity can be attributed to the fact that all it requires is water. “You can do this sport in a puddle of water, in a lake,
in a tidal creek or in the surf,” said Clifford. Schipper, whose true passion, surfing, shows clearly
through brightly lit eyes and wide smiles when the topic is brought up, has grown to enjoy paddleboarding for similar reasons. “With stand-up, you can still embrace the surfing
aspect, but you don’t have to have the huge waves to have a ton of fun,” he said. Citing 9th Avenue and Breach Inlet on the Isle of
Palms as two of his favorite spots, he claims that another benefit of paddleboarding is the full-body workout paddlers can get with just a quick trip down Shem
A Board Built Just For Us:
BY DENISE K. JAMES
“Most big-brand boards are made for spectacular waves like those in California or Hawaii – not the smaller ones we have in the Lowcountry,” Von Ins explained. “Locals would spend lots on boards made primarily from synthetic compounds but would only have big smiles in very specific conditions.”
To increase that “big smile” quotient, Von Ins decided to create “greener” surfboards and paddle- boards better suited to Lowcountry residents – at a reasonable price.
“We wanted boards designed for our weather, wa- ters, wave patterns and wallets,” Von Ins said.
About18 months ago, he started designing shapes and a logo for Charleston’s newest board line, Palm Head Boards, and he found a company located at the source of renewable materials to make them by hand.
“This gives each Palm Head board a unique touch and a smaller carbon footprint than traditional boards,” he explained. “It was a big risk, but the prototypes we created are incredible. Everyone who tries one wants one because they look great, are priced great and work for casual riders with normal day jobs.”
The Palm Head line features surfboards and paddleboards made mostly from exotic renewable materials such as bamboo and Asian zebra wood.
“I’ll admit there are a few select carbon and Kevlar models for performance awesomeness,” Von Ins explained.
To find the right board for you, check out the full selection at Air & Earth or visit
www.CatchSomeAir.us or
www.PalmHeadBoards.com.
SPECIAL MARKETING CONTENT
www.MountPleasantMagazine.com |
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PALM HEAD BOARDS ARE EAST COOPER ORIGINALS
Adam Von Ins, founder of Air & Earth, opened his board shop in Mount Pleasant 10 years ago. Ever since, his company has faced a bit of a dilemma – finding
quality boards designed for the everyday Charles- ton surfer and paddleboarder.
Photo by Brian Schipper.
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