{"id":45099,"date":"2021-11-14T17:00:57","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T22:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/perfectpaddles.com\/?p=45099"},"modified":"2022-04-25T11:43:47","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T16:43:47","slug":"stand-up-paddle-boarding-history-and-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/perfectpaddles.com\/stand-up-paddle-boarding-history-and-heroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Stand Up Paddle Boarding History and Heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Innovation Drives Stand Up Paddle Boarding<\/h2>\n

The proof lies in how far it has already come.\u00a0 Today, we explore Stand Up Paddle Boarding History and Heroes.<\/p>\n

Compared to other water sports, stand up paddle boarding\u00a0 is still relatively young. However, the amount of change that has happened in a relatively short amount of time, is astonishing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From its inception to its rise in popularity to now incorporating the sport in waves, on whitewater rivers, and on foil boards, the shape, construction, and activity of SUP have evolved beyond belief.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But have you ever wondered where SUP started? <\/span><\/p>\n

How it began?<\/span><\/p>\n

And who is currently driving the innovation engine to whole new horizons?<\/span><\/p>\n

If so, you\u2019ve come to the right place. <\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, we will discuss the origins of stand up paddle boarding. The refinement of it. And who is leading the charge today to take SUP from its humble beach-going beginnings to now a worldwide phenomenon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

History of SUP: The Origins<\/b><\/h2>\n

It is unclear who exactly began the activity of SUP as we know it today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been argued natives on the Hawaiian islands were the first to stand on an oversized board and use an oar or a paddle to move along their abundant waterways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Others believe the modern conception of SUP started in California. It is possible it rose from the unique surfing culture that boomed during the 1950s and 60s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And yet still, the idea of SUP can also be traced as far back as 3,000 B.C.E. to the coastal regions of Peru and parts of Africa. In Peru, fishermen from the coast would use a watercraft called a <\/span>Caballitos de Totora.1<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Caballitos<\/h3>\n

Early Construction<\/h3>\n

This craft was created out of long reeds tightly wound together and thatched using rope to create a platform stable enough to paddle and stand on. With some difficulty of course. <\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, they would use a<\/span> long bamboo shaft to guide and maneuver themselves in the water. After a long day of fishing, it was common practice to surf the small waves towards the shore on their Caballitos de Totora.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Much like in Peru, African tribe members would often stand in their dugout canoes and paddle with their spears. This was a tactful way to sneak up on their enemies. Or as a way to spot landmarks, villages, or even prey, when on the water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And somewhere between the 8th and 13th century AD, peoples located in the Arabian peninsula would use their Hasake. This vessel was similar to a paddle board. They used it to catch fish and traverse waterways.2<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These early instances would be the first recorded versions of what would much later become modern-day SUP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Polynesian Influence<\/b><\/h3>\n

Another important influence to the sport belongs to the Polynesian peoples located on the Hawaiian Islands.<\/p>\n

During a discovery trip undertaken by Captain James Cook in 1778 the crew spotted locals from island of Kauai standing upright on boards and surfing the waves into the shore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He described it as such, \u201c<\/span>I could not help concluding that this man felt the most supreme pleasure while he was driven on so fast and so smoothly by the sea; especially as, though the tents and ships were so near, he did not seem in the least to envy or even to take any notice of the crowds of his countrymen collected to view them as objects which were rare and curious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By then I understood that this exercise... was frequent among them; and they have probably more amusements of this sort which afford them at least as much pleasure as skating, which is the only of ours with whose effects I could compare it.\"3<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

A later discovery reveled it was the chief who would be the most skilled surfer in the tribe.\u00a0 He would have the best board, made from the finest wood. The board itself could be well over 15\u2019 long. The use of a paddle enabled the chief to conquer swells of a greater size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Captain Cook first saw was not just the origins of surfing, but the origins of modern SUP!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Duke and \"Pops\"<\/b><\/h4>\n

Hawaii is a place that belongs to legends. Along the shores of the small dotted islands, visitors and locals alike whisper names that fill their bodies with pride and wonder.<\/p>\n

These names belong to those who crafted the aloha spirit and took it to places far from its shores.<\/p>\n

Chief among them are \"The Duke\" and \"Pops.\"<\/p>\n

The godfather, the originator, the pioneer, the master himself...Duke Kahanamoku.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are at all familiar with the surfing scene, chances are you have heard his name at least once.<\/span><\/p>\n

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was born on August 24, 1890, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He grew up in Waikiki spending much of his time in the water on the beautiful beaches of the island.4<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the age of 21 he won his first Olympic gold medal in swimming. He also represented the United States in the Olympics for the next 20 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though his early accomplishments involved swimming, Duke is considered the father of modern surfing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both he and his longtime friend George Freeth, innovated the sport of surfing. They did it by including a smaller, lighter board that could be surfed in small to mid-range size waves.5<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early Pioneers<\/h4>\n

In the early days, spectators would often spot Duke in the waves. He would ride the small bumps from the sea to the shore with a big smile on his face. As the popularity of the sport grew Duke became the ultimate ambassador for surfing. He traveled the world to spread the sport with instructions and guidance as well as his aloha spirit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But how does the Duke fit into the history of SUP? Well, the Duke and his friends would often <\/span>take paddles and stand on their boards in order to get a better view of the surfers already in the water as well as the incoming waves. From time to time they would surf the waves on their oversized board using the paddle to steer the board.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out <\/span>this early footage of the Duke himself riding in a wave on his early-edition stand up:<\/span><\/p>\n

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