HURRICANE – If you happened to be at Sand Hollow State Park Saturday morning, you may have seen them out on the lake, standing tall, swinging their paddles, gliding across the waters like graceful gondoliers. Stand-up paddleboarders – sometimes called paddle surfers – strike quite an image.
What began as a pastime for surfers who wanted to practice on their boards when the surf was down, has evolved into its own sport. On Saturday, DIG Paddlesports, a kayak and paddleboard store in Hurricane, put on the second of three paddleboard racing events in the Triple Threat SUP Series at Sand Hollow State Park. While the afternoon featured a 1-mile and a 2.5-mile race, as well as a minirace for kids, the main event was a 5-mile race around the island off the western coast of the reservoir.
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Videocast by Michael Flynn, St. George News
Paddleboarding is easy to learn, Bill Ennis of DIG Paddlesports said. Most people are comfortable rowing their boards after only half an hour of practice.
Paddleboarding isn’t necessarily all about racing. Some people just like to relax and float on the water, while others fish. Michelle Ennis said that she loves to practice yoga on her paddleboard, out in the middle of the lake.
The last of the Triple Threat SUP races will be held on Oct. 12 at Sand Hollow.
For more information on the upcoming race, or about paddleboarding in general, stop into DIG Paddlesports in Hurricane or call them at 435-275-9466.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @mflynnSTG
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