How I Got Into Stand Up Paddle Boarding

In my mind, I can still see the lake shimmering in the distance as I put my paddle to work, gliding across the glass. The freedom I felt was incomparable. I was there in the moment, alone but surrounded by everything.

In 2013, I was living out of my car in Barry's Bay while completing a work placement for the course I was taking. We had to work in a job that was relevant to the outdoor industry. Mine was at Mad Outdoors.

It was a mom-and-pop style outdoor store that was also part homeware shop. They brought in outdoor gear that suited the needs of the area. It was a good job, and the people I worked with were great.

I spent most of the summer building BBQs. I got so good at it that eventually I didn't even need the instructions anymore.

At Mad Outdoors, we rented kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards. Around that time, I was also delivering rentals to cottages throughout the area. It's worth noting that Barry's Bay, Ontario, has no shortage of cottages.

The paddle boards we rented were Jimmy Styks hard boards. Beautiful boards with bamboo inlays. They were the top of the line. The most expensive one we had was a $2,500 board.

It was called the Woodpecker.

A displacement hull with a slightly sunken deck designed to maximize efficiency, it was built for distance and speed. Looking back, the Woodpecker was ahead of its time.

More than anything, it was a piece of art.

I could stand. I could sit. I could lay down. I could jump off and get back on whenever I wanted.

I always tell people this is what keeps me coming back to paddle boarding: the freedom of movement.

There are very few activities that allow you to move the way a paddle board does. You can stand and take in the view, kneel into the wind, sit and relax, or lay back and watch the clouds drift by. The board becomes whatever you need it to be.

The freedom and expression of movement that can be achieved on a paddle board is something I have never found anywhere else. Whether I'm exploring a quiet lake, surfing ocean waves, paddling down a river, or simply watching a sunrise from the water, that feeling remains the same.

Freedom. And twelve years later, it's still the reason I keep coming back.