Land Paddling: A New Sport

Six years ago, Steve McBride, 46, left the high-tech industry to start Kahuna Creations, shaping surfboards, snowboards and long boards. One day, McBride was forced to skateboard for 10-miles to pick up his car at the shop. “After I finally arrived at the shop, my back was stiff, half my body was sore and felt all out of whack,” he says. “I thought there had to be a way to make riding a long-board skateboard on the road just like the stand-up paddlers in the water.” The solution was stand-up paddling, or SUP. McBride's land paddle uses a hard-carbon rubber dual tip that grips the road surface to allow the rider to simulate paddling through water. The effect is a smooth ride, great for traveling from place to place as well as a great form of exercise for both males and females.

“Land paddling is built upon the SUP popularity, and I think people are drawn to it for its uniqueness, ease of learning and non-traditional way to cross-train and work on fitness goals,” says Nakamoto, physical educator at Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School on Maui. He explains that paddling gives his students a good core workout, just like regular stand-up paddling (SUP). Nakamoto and Mark Makimoto introduced the activity to other teachers at a physical education convention and several schools on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island will be incorporating the sport into their classes.

If you'd like to try land paddling, you’ll need a long-board skateboard and a Big Stick (brand name) to help propel the rider and steer. At $149 for a Big Stick and boards starting at $139, paddling on land is cheaper than in the water.

Sources:
http://www.kahunacreations.com/
http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/August-2009/Surfing-the-Street/
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/action/2009-05-22-land-paddling_N.htm
http://www.paddleboarding.com/content/paddling-city-streets

Video:
http://www.kahunacreations.com/videos/

This is a deviation from normally accepted sports because this individual was able to think outside of the box and create his own sport. McBride was able to combine different aspects from two other sports to create a new sport. He used paddleboarding which is done on the water and combined it with longboarding. Mcbride created a variation of a paddle to fit his sport. This sport is unique as it applies to everyone, from children to the elderly. Anyone can try their hand at this sport considering how easily adaptable this sport is. "My grandmother, she's this huge German woman," says Corey McBride, McBride's 23-year-old son. "She got on a board with the Big Stick, and she didn't have to move her foot or anything." If a grandmother can do it, anyone can, male or female! This is giving us a glimpse into the future of sports; we will be seeing alterations to traditional sports that will spawn entirely new sports. Companies and individuals will be using these newfound sports to target a broader audience.

Sara Yi
KIN332i Section 2796 T/Th 12:30-1:45 PM