Origins
When you think back to the history of Paddle Boarding and where it all started and its origins; my mind tends to think towards Hawaiian and Polynesian Surf Cultures. Exploring the tropical waters for both food and pleasure is the perfect mode of transportation and tool for helping with survival and great adventures.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1350921236/1723190107/articles/TMMnKqDOP1723199034107/9WHXJj6aF1723199138734.jpg]
New Possibilities
Ten years ago, I was gratefully introduced to SUP by a good friend Todd Lawson and things just took off, for many years I had watched stand-up paddleboard surfers catching beautiful waves around the world, but I was still so keen on regular surfing that I didn’t think of all the amazing things you could do with a paddleboard. The adventures and explorations it can take you on; surfing, paddling rivers, the ocean, lakes etc, it just opens up a whole new wave of opportunities and an entirely new outlook on exploring. The SUP (inflatable) board grabbed my attention right away because it was light, so you could travel with it, but it was still tough and durable, while at the end of the day you can roll it up and pack into a bag and head into the mountains, explore alpine lakes, rivers, or just simply pack it up and jump on a plane.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1350921236/1723190107/articles/TMMnKqDOP1723199034107/1887112727.jpg]
Myanmar
This leads me to the last year of travelling Myanmar (Burma), a country that has been on my radar since I graduated high school and travelled to Southeast East Asia for six months. Myanmar was a country that was closed off to the rest of the world, yet it held so much mystery and history. You would only hear stories about it and see a few images of what a remarkable and diverse place it was and the beauty that it held. I really wanted to go there when I was 19, but the locations I wanted to visit at the time were cut off from the rest of the world. For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest ongoing civil wars. In 2015 Myanmar voted in its first democratically elected government in more than half a century. Swathes of the country, off limits for so many years, can now be freely visited. With the country slowly improving and travel becoming easier, 2019 would be the year I would plan to visit.
Inle Lake
After spending two and a half weeks exploring and paddling around the beautiful Mergui Archipelago, and the stunning temples of Bagan, via motorbikes with paddleboards strapped on the back, we were delighted to enjoy some chill time at the mysterious and beautiful Inle Lake. I had read so much about its fringed marshes and floating gardens; where stilthouse villages and Buddhist temples rise above the water, but books can never really compare to how it is in real life. Also, another reason that drew me to this remarkable place was the unique paddling technique of the local fisherman.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1350921236/1723190107/articles/TMMnKqDOP1723199034107/8918282822.jpg]
Arriving in the late afternoon on our motorbikes, we pulled our boards off our bikes and began pumping up our boards just before sunset. Setting out into the evening light was a dream come true, a special feeling to paddle along its borders. The water-like glass, serenely calm, every paddle stroke a moment of peace and release, heading out into the wild mystery and unique history of this magical place.
Local Tec...
When you think back to the history of Paddle Boarding and where it all started and its origins; my mind tends to think towards Hawaiian and Polynesian Surf Cultures. Exploring the tropical waters for both food and pleasure is the perfect mode of transportation and tool for helping with survival and great adventures.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1350921236/1723190107/articles/TMMnKqDOP1723199034107/9WHXJj6aF1723199138734.jpg]
New Possibilities
Ten years ago, I was gratefully introduced to SUP by a good friend Todd Lawson and things just took off, for many years I had watched stand-up paddleboard surfers catching beautiful waves around the world, but I was still so keen on regular surfing that I didn’t think of all the amazing things you could do with a paddleboard. The adventures and explorations it can take you on; surfing, paddling rivers, the ocean, lakes etc, it just opens up a whole new wave of opportunities and an entirely new outlook on exploring. The SUP (inflatable) board grabbed my attention right away because it was light, so you could travel with it, but it was still tough and durable, while at the end of the day you can roll it up and pack into a bag and head into the mountains, explore alpine lakes, rivers, or just simply pack it up and jump on a plane.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1350921236/1723190107/articles/TMMnKqDOP1723199034107/1887112727.jpg]
Myanmar
This leads me to the last year of travelling Myanmar (Burma), a country that has been on my radar since I graduated high school and travelled to Southeast East Asia for six months. Myanmar was a country that was closed off to the rest of the world, yet it held so much mystery and history. You would only hear stories about it and see a few images of what a remarkable and diverse place it was and the beauty that it held. I really wanted to go there when I was 19, but the locations I wanted to visit at the time were cut off from the rest of the world. For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest ongoing civil wars. In 2015 Myanmar voted in its first democratically elected government in more than half a century. Swathes of the country, off limits for so many years, can now be freely visited. With the country slowly improving and travel becoming easier, 2019 would be the year I would plan to visit.
Inle Lake
After spending two and a half weeks exploring and paddling around the beautiful Mergui Archipelago, and the stunning temples of Bagan, via motorbikes with paddleboards strapped on the back, we were delighted to enjoy some chill time at the mysterious and beautiful Inle Lake. I had read so much about its fringed marshes and floating gardens; where stilthouse villages and Buddhist temples rise above the water, but books can never really compare to how it is in real life. Also, another reason that drew me to this remarkable place was the unique paddling technique of the local fisherman.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1350921236/1723190107/articles/TMMnKqDOP1723199034107/8918282822.jpg]
Arriving in the late afternoon on our motorbikes, we pulled our boards off our bikes and began pumping up our boards just before sunset. Setting out into the evening light was a dream come true, a special feeling to paddle along its borders. The water-like glass, serenely calm, every paddle stroke a moment of peace and release, heading out into the wild mystery and unique history of this magical place.
Local Tec...
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Sup International (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 44 - Mid Summer 2024