On the Water: Stand Up Paddling Bliss

On August 5th, I attended the free “After Work” SUP (Stand Up Paddling) ATX Clinic on Ladybird Lake. My boyfriend Kemper, my friend Tim Epple, and I all met up at the Riverside RunTex at 5 PM to check out paddle boards and receive paddling lessons from Tim Valero, the instructor for that day’s clinic.

While we waited in the RunTEX parking lot for the clinic to begin, I noticed the variety of people who had shown up for the free event. There were some 30 people total, and they ranged in age from four to 75. They were athletes, working professionals, giddy groups of teenagers, and large families. I heard one lady mention that this was her sixth clinic. Apparently, stand up paddling could be addicting.

Despite the excitement of the people around us, Kemper and Epple remained skeptical. Ever since they were kids, Kemper and Epple have made a habit of cheating death by cliff jumping and “surfing” on top of speeding cars, and they both predicted paddle boarding would be “one of those things that sounds really cool but is boring when you actually do it.” On the other hand, I was fidgeting with anticipation like the rest of the crowd. I had been looking forward to stand up paddling all week.

Once everyone had gathered in a line behind the SUP ATX trailer in the back of the RunTEX parking lot, Valero gave a two-minute spiel on the basics of the sport. He told us we would face forward on our boards instead of sideways like surfers and that we would put our feet in the center of the board. Then, sweeping his paddle through the air, he demonstrated how we could propel ourselves through the water more powerfully by angling the fin of the paddle forwards instead of backwards so the end of the paddle would remain underwater for as long as possible.

After those two tips, he handed out paddles and boards to the first 15 people in line. He told the rest of us to wait near the water until a board opened up. When I talked to him later about his teaching philosophy, he explained that he liked to tell people as little as possible so they could get a feel for the sport on their own. He said that the best way to learn was to simply “get out on the water.”

Epple, Kemper, and I walked to Auditorium Shores with the rest of the stand up paddling group and watched the first 15 people attempt to launch themselves off of the grassy bank and into the lake. As I waited for a board, I asked Valero how he had become a stand-up paddling instructor in the first place. While he helped a few people launch into the lake, he explained that he had been a surf and sailing instructor in Florida before he moved to Austin. Valero said that when he arrived in Austin this past May, he “stumbled” into stand-up paddling. He had been teaching water sports all of his life and decided to continue doing what he knew.

“There’s nothing like being on the water,” he said smiling.

While I talked to Valero, Kemper and Epple grabbed boards from people who had already paddled back to shore. In the distance, I watched them speed through the water, attempting to walk back and forth on their boards. Having scooted too far back, Kemper tipped his board and crashed into the water. A few minutes later, it was my turn. Praying I wouldn’t fall in, I strapped on a belt-like floatation device, slowly stepped onto my board, and carefully set off to catch Kemper and Epple. To my surprise, I easily stayed balanced as my board shot through the water. Because I could leverage my whole body to get the most out of each stroke, I moved twice as fast as I could have in any kayak. In no time, I caught up with the guys, and we paddled together to the Lamar Pedestrian bridge.

After a while, I broke off from my friends and began cruising on my own. I admired the downtown skyline, observed the Austinites running the trails around me, and searched for turtles near the shore. I was in the middle of the city yet away from all the noise and pollution. I could move as fast or as slowly as I wanted to, switching back and forth between a full-body workout and a relaxing float, depending on my mood. No matter my speed, I felt perfectly at peace as I sliced through the calm waters.

Valero caught up with me as I paddled back to shore.

“It’s time for you to learn some tricks!” he said excitedly.

I glanced at the stagnant water around me and felt grateful I was wearing my bathing suit. I was 90 percent sure I’d be underwater a few seconds into my first “trick.”

After teaching me to turn around and walk up and down my board, Valero said I was ready to learn the 360 spin. Although I was miraculously still dry at this point and wanted to keep it that way, I agreed to try the 360 anyway. I had come too far to chicken out.

First, Valero instructed me to walk to the very tip of my board — much farther than I had gotten a few minutes earlier. Next, he told me to slowly shift my body weight onto my back foot until the end of my board lifted up into the air. Immediately thereafter, I was to paddle as hard as I could on my right side. The first time I tried the trick, I succeeded. I did a shaky but respectable 360 spin. Feeling confident, I tried to go faster during my second spin. Almost immediately, I flew off balance and splashed into the lake. Laughing, I popped up to the surface. The water felt great.

As I neared the shore, I tried my spin one last time to show Kemper and Epple, who were waiting for me on the grass. I executed a perfect 720. Tim got it on camera, and a friendly woman gave me a round of applause.

“Look at that,” she said. “Your fin is completely in the air!”

Feeling proud and energized, I rowed back to shore and handed my board to the woman who had cheered for me. Kemper, Epple, and I smiled in silence as we strolled back to our cars. The next day at 5 PM, my legs felt restless. I couldn’t wait to get back on the water.

*****

SUP ATX holds FREE stand up paddling classes five times a week on Lake Travis, Lake Ausitn, and Ladybird Lake. Check out a list of upcoming classes on the Active ATX event calendar or the SUP ATX page on meetup.com. Try it out, and post a comment, letting me know how you liked it! Keep Austin Active!