What’SUP – Paddleboarding in Vancouver

Discover Outdoors SUP3

Sunset Paddle English Bay Photo: Rob Weiss

I have been paddling for as long as I can remember.  From the rugged northern lakes of Algonquin Park in Ontario, to the white-water of Alberta’s magnificent rivers and the natural oasis of BC’s oceans, I have yet to meet a body of water that I haven’t wanted to paddle.  Honestly, when Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP) first came on the scene, I thought they were a little silly.  Why would one choose to stand up on a board, when canoes and kayaks are viable options?  Eventually, I decided it was time to be mature, try Stand Up Paddleboarding and discover for myself the attraction of the sport.  After all, how could so many people be wrong?

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What’SUP – Paddleboarding in Vancouver

10th Annual MEC Paddlefest – Jericho Beach

Discover Outdoors Broken Island Group

Sunset, Broken Island Group Photo: Rob Weiss

Is there anything more quintessentially Canadian than a boy and a girl in a little canoe?  The Canadian Canoe museum suggests that “in the history of watercraft, the canoe of the Aboriginal Peoples is perhaps the ultimate expression of elegance and function.  All of its parts come from nature, and when it is retired, it returns to nature.”  Historically, the canoe played a huge role in almost all assets of life and certainly played a large role in British Columbia’s history.  Fast forward to downtown Vancouver today.  While we might not see many voyageurs or red cedar Haida canoes cruising our local waters, on June 18th, paddles of all types will be joyously dipping into the ocean off Jericho beach.

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10th Annual MEC Paddlefest – Jericho Beach