I see these guys all over the place now.







Bob and Melanie Copper of Baltimore head out for an excursion with Delmarva Stand-Up Paddle in Fenwick Island, Del. / THOMAS MELVILLE/OCEAN PINES INDEPENDENT

















Written by

Ethan Rothstein


FENWICK ISLAND -- There's a sport that's been growing exponentially on the Shore that combines aspects of surfing, kayaking and canoeing, takes about five minutes to learn and, best of all, doesn't require waves.
The sport is stand-up paddleboarding, SUP for short, and it's grown by about 400 percent since 2008, according to DelMarVa Board Sport Adventures co-owner Janis Markopoulos.
"Women are digging it," she said. "It lets us be a little adventurous, but it's so safe at the same time. We women have a lower center of gravity, so our balance is actually a little bit better than the guys."
SUP involves the participant standing upright on a long, lightweight board -- usually 11 feet or longer -- and propelling the board with a paddle that extends from the ground to the boarder's wrist.
Once the boarder is out on the water, the board is exceptionally stable and easy to control. Markopoulos said 90 percent of participants don't fall down, even on their first attempt. After only a few minutes, the boarder can comfortably paddle along.
According to Jamie Young, assistant manager of East of Maui Surf Shop, after 20 to 30 minutes of practicing the paddling technique, boarders can go out and enjoy themselves. For those looking for a good workout, ramping up the intensity works the core, thighs, calves and arms.
East of Maui and DelMarVa Board Sport Adventures are just two of the shops in the area that sell and rent boards and paddles in addition to providing customers with lessons. Young said East of Maui began carrying them about three or four years ago after the staff had seen them on surfing videos and given them a try.
"We were all interested in it," he said. "We just wanted to get involved, so we started doing it ourselves. Whenever we went out, people would ask 'What is that? What are you doing?' It started out with a lot of interest."
Markopoulos and her husband, George, opened their shop last year. She said they anticipate tripling or quadrupling their revenue this year.
"Anybody can do it," Markopoulos said. "This has brought all the communities together. Kayakers, surfers, windsurfers, kiteboarders -- everybody loves paddleboarding."
Amy Shields just started paddleboarding last year, but bought a board, paddle and leash from Markopoulos this spring for about $1,600. She said she kayaks, but was "getting a little bit bored with it."
Shields often paddle-boards with her dog, Cherry, who she said enjoys "the wind in her ears," dipping her paws in the water, and sleeping on the board.
"Her personality is very mellow and lazy," Shields said. "I knew she would immediately take to getting on the board. I bought her a doggie life jacket, and she'll walk around on the board while I'm paddling."
Bob Copper, who lives in Harford County, Md., with his wife, Melanie, won a guided tour with DelMarVa Board Sport Adventures during a silent auction at a charity event at Seacrets. He said he likes to surf and that interest drew him to paddleboarding.
"I like being in the water," Copper said. "This just seems like another step. It's the perfect East Coast sport. This week, the waves haven't been that good, but you can always get on the paddleboard."
Paddling on flat water can be "an exhilarating Zen," one of Markopoulos' customers said, but paddling in the surf is where the really tough workouts come from.
"I didn't even realize how difficult it was to get past the breaking point with all the swells out there," Shields said. "It took me about 15 minutes of falling off consistently. I found that when I go out surfing, I come back and I'm much more exhausted."
Since SUP is such a new sport, Markopoulos said all of the surf shops that offer it are working together to promote it, not sabotaging each other.
"We're all sharing a great sport with a lot of people," she said. "In this sport, I think there's enough business to go around for all of us."


http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/2...ell|text|Ocean