Tahoe SUP – It’s a Culture
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) at Tahoe isn’t just another activity. It’s a lifestyle.
They say invention is the mother of necessity. For Nate Brouwer it was the opposite. After numerous sunset paddles across Tahoe in the company of his dog Stella he figured out that his board sucked. His impulse to design the perfect SUP for flat water touring, whether the water was flat or not, led to Tahoe SUP, Lake Tahoe’s premier SUP manufacturer. The addition of Tahoe SUP to the area nurtured a seed that was already planted and came at a time when SUP was taking off.
Since then, Tahoe’s SUP culture has grown, spawning numerous retailers, rental shops and events. (See blogs 1, 2 and 3 for details.) The lifestyle of SUP has enthusiasts out on the lake before and after work, on lunch breaks, or looking for jobs that can have them enjoying SUP while also getting paid. Not a bad gig if you ask us.
Others are finding that SUP incorporates movements that encourage proper breathing and balance as well as efficient and effective movement of energy through the body. Movement4Life, a Tahoe-area holistic healing outfit, includes a Paddle 4 Heath component to their rehabilitation therapies allowing clients to train their bodies on SUP while healing.
Sylvain Duclos took his yoga practice to the water as well, incorporating an SUP Yoga class into his Mountain Lotus Yoga class offerings.