- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Admin Super
How COVID-19 Sparked a Greater Interest in Stand-Up Paddleboarding, the Water-Based Activity Conducive to Social Distancing.
In recent history, our planet has not seen another year with as much change as 2020. As a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, virtually every sector and industry has had to change and adapt, to a certain degree, in response to the wide-scale events occurring in our world. While the way in which humans work has changed, so has the manner in which we seek recreation and leisure. Since COVID-19 precautions have limited the vast majority of people in their ability to gather amongst each other, individuals turned to activities where the fun could still be had while social distancing. While these solutions for social distancing fun are widely limited, one obvious answer for leisure was found in one of the most common natural resources on Earth: water.
For those with reasonable access to water in the summer months, all types of bodies of water across America have become hotspots for leisure, recreation, and simply a change of scenery from the same four walls that have grown all too familiar in 2020. The nature of water activities, such as boating, lends itself to be an easy way to enjoy the outdoors from a private vessel that typically holds groups of less than 10. Since boating stood as a desirable candidate for weekend fun, boat sales saw a significant spike in the summer of 2020 as a response to the newfound burst of demand, brought on by implications of COVID-19.
One water vessel, much simpler than its motorized counterparts, that has exponentially grown in popularity in the last decade is the stand-up paddle board, or “SUP.” SUP, a discipline of paddleboarding, is a term for any activity on a long paddleboard where a paddle is used to move around the water while kneeling, lying, or standing. The paddleboard ranges between 12 and 20 feet in length, at about 20 inches wide and weighs roughly 30 pounds on average. The act of paddleboarding, coined “SUPing,” can take place within a wide variety of locations such as: oceans, surf zones, lakes, rivers, canals, ponds, and more!
The earliest forms of paddleboarding go back to 16th-century Africa, South America, and Polynesia. Back in this period, the paddleboard had both a utilitarian and recreational use. They were used to get around to areas as a means of transportation, but were also used to catch waves to surf on for fun. While this covers a very early iteration of paddleboarding, a more modern and recognizable resurgence took place in the 1920s in Hawaii. Tom Blake, considered the pioneer of modern paddleboarding, would restore old hawaaian surfboards to be used as paddle boards. Fast forward to present day, SUP has become one of the fastest growing water activities in the world. The core impetus for the most recent resurgence in paddleboarding is the introduction of racing: making it no longer simply a water activity, but also a water sport.
While an element of competition has been introduced to SUP, a further driver in the rise of its popularity is the accessibility of the activity. Virtually anyone, young or old, can participate in SUPing; paddleboarders consist of anyone from professional athletes to those looking for a way to stay active on the weekends. One individual who is passionate about SUP is Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr., a philanthropist and writer based in Southern California. Along with his wife, Roberta, Howard conducts his philanthropic endeavors through Fieldstead & Company, a philanthropic group that he founded himself. Howard has set out to better the communities and sectors, with a strong conviction, by using the resources he has been given. While he actively works to impact a number of spheres including politics, creative arts, and the crisis around housing affordability in Los Angeles, he also cares greatly for SUP and aims to uphold it as a safe and fun activity that can be enjoyed by many, all across the world.
As our world continues to change and adapt at a rapid pace, it is important to ensure we emphasize positive advancements and discoveries: such as the utilization of stand-up paddleboarding as a way to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family, all while staying safe and social distancing.
