Summer time and the living is easy. That may be true, but just because the weather is hot, the days are long, and the beer is cold does not mean you should park it on the porch from June through September. School may be out, but take advantage of the daylight and the great weather and learn something new this summer. There are outdoor trends blowing up all around us, from barefoot running, to geo caching to Crossfit, and now is the time to get involved because, let’s face it, none of us are getting any younger. The activities I just mentioned are a good place to start, but it’s so dang hot outside, stand up paddleboarding is a better bet to beat the heat while having a new adventure, and possibly a new favorite activity on the water.
Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is taking the country by storm, and for good reason. Not only is it a fun water activity the whole family can enjoy, it is a killer workout. Arms, back, core: they all get a good pump with just a few strokes of the paddle.
If you have never tried SUP, put yourself in position to give it a go by attending the Second Annual Smith Mountain Stand Up Paddle Board Race at Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake Community Park on Saturday, June 29. The event features a 3-mile race starting at 9 a.m. (if you are an old pro at SUP, you can register for the race for $15), and continues with demos and clinics at noon, following the awards ceremony. Bring the family, enjoy the lake and experience the newest trend in water sports, all in one Saturday. Can’t beat that.
