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Also, make sure you’re not riding the board backwards! It’s common to see new paddleboarders out on rented equipment with fi ns hanging out of the water on the nose of the board. T e fi ns help your board track in the water and they work best when you’re facing in the right direction.
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When you can't be on snow, taking to the water on a paddleboard just might be the next best thing. Check out this video for an introduction to the sport.
slide out of water at the fi nish. If you’re holding the paddle with the blade pointed backwards, you’ll scoop water at the fi nish of your turn, pushing the nose of the board into the water, dampening your speed, and making balance more diffi cult.
2. Paddling Downwind First Paddleboards, especially infl atables, sit on top of the water and, in the wind, your body acts like a kite. When just learning, that wind eff ect can be a quick turnoff to the sport. T ere’s nothing like ending up tired and stuck on the wrong side of a lake to create an aversion to the sport. When setting off on a windy day, paddle into the wind fi rst to make your return a breeze.
3. Lacking Safety Equipment Leashes and lifejackets won’t make you feel like you’re on the set of "Baywatch", but they're an important part of paddleboarding, especially when you’re just learning. Make sure you have the right safety equipment for the type of SUPing you want to do, and be aware of local and state regulations for boating on the diff erent waterways. On a lake, you should at least carry a personal fl otation device (PFD) with you, even if you don’t wear it. If you don’t like wearing a life jacket, consider a quick-infl ating waist-pack PFD. Wind and slight chop can easily throw you off balance, and when you fall it’s easy to push the board away from you, separating yourself from your fl otation device. If you want to get into whitewater, consider a helmet, a quick- release waist leash, a wetsuit or drysuit, and pads.
4. Standing in the Wrong Place on the Board Another common issue among beginner paddleboarders is standing too far forward or too far back on the board. Each board has a sweetspot toward the center of the board where your weight is most effi ciently carried. Standing too far forward will push the board’s nose into the
water, creating drag and preventing it from cutting through the water while lifting the tail of the board and reducing the eff ectiveness of your fi ns. Standing too far aft will lift the paddleboard’s nose out of the water and push the tail into the water, making balance more diffi cult and slowing your speed (think about leaning back in powder).
38 | 32 DEGREES • SPRING 2017
5. Looking at Your Feet As with skiing and snowboarding, you’re going to end up where you’re looking. When you fi rst stand up on a paddleboard, your instinct is to look at your feet. T at’s fi ne for a moment or two, as you fi nd your stance and get your bearings, but when you’re ready to start paddling, look where you want to go. Vision plays a vital role in balance; keeping your head up and looking to the horizon or at a fi xed object in the distance is one of the best ways you can improve your balance while paddleboarding.
BECOME A WATER WIZARD One of the great things about paddleboarding is that it’s easy to learn, with low-penalty for miscues. T ere are plenty of mellow lakes and big, lazy rivers to build your skills and confi dence as you begin paddling. As you become comfortable in the fl ats, you can start developing skills for the blue zone. Push your balance by practicing yoga on the board, or go out on a windy day to increase the challenge with choppy water. From there, you can explore speed, navigate whitewater, surf standing river waves or moving ocean waves, or just lay back and enjoy a mellow fl oat. Of course, water – whether frozen, fl owing, or fl at – can be
dangerous. Just as we say with skiing and snowboarding, when you’re ready to take it to the next level take a lesson and make sure you’ve got the right equipment! T ere are a number of outfi ts that provide upper-level courses in river navigation and whitewater rescue when you’re ready for some professional assistance. Whether you just want to enjoy a fun and social laketime activity
with your friends, need a fi tness plan geared to developing skills and balance, or are looking for an off -season new summer sport to challenge yourself with, paddleboarding can meet all your needs. Just like skiing and snowboarding, it’s a great blend of fun, fi tness, and challenge!
Chris Rogers is a member of the AASI Snowboard Team, and the manager of ski and snowboard school training at Vail. While many of the team members head to the southern hemisphere for the summers, he spends his adventuring, camping, and paddleboarding time all over Colorado. One of his goals as a team member is to help tell stories all year long, tying the adventure and travel lifestyle to a ski and snowboard instruction career. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and Twitter @chrisrogersvail, or on his site,
getawsm.co.
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