Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
It seems stand-up paddleboarding is here to stay – well, here to grow actually. A few years ago stand-up paddleboarding – or SUP – attracted the highest number of first-time participants of any outdoor sport in the USA. Originating from Waikiki, Hawaii, in the 1960s, SUP is currently ranked as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and it seems the tide is only rising.
Part of the attraction for SUP is its many forms: you can ride a SUP in the surf, down a river, across a lake and even take an overnight trip on the expedition models. SUP yoga has taken off around the world with dedicated guru platforms that allow participants to dock securely to them. And at the other end of the spectrum you have big-wave legends like Garrett McNamara weaving his SUP through cavernous monster waves.
A lot of friction has come from them in the surf – mainly when a rider new to SUP misses the chapter about surf etiquette, but more and more of them are coming if the surf breaks throughout the rest of the world are any gauge.
Increasingly SUP curious, I dragged Dunedin's SUP experts Craig Latta and Di Brenssell out to Carey's Bay to see firsthand what all the fuss is about. Craig runs Watercooled Sports – the harbourside surf, kayak, windsurf and adventure shop that helps people make the most of this city's natural assets. Di is a SUP instructor and helps Craig to teach people about the new sport.
We paddle out onto the harbour before sunrise and it's clear they are like a couple of kids off on an adventure. The glassy water reflects the morning sky as they exchange friendly banter and negotiate wakes from various boats. It's clear that the physical side of this sport is all about core strength. At pace they're not far off the speed of a kayak and Craig tells me he has another board that is even faster.
Our destination, after a few laps around Carey's Bay and the moored yachts, is the channel where we form the welcoming party for the MS Marina – a luxury cruise ship with more than 2000 people aboard all bound for a day in Dunedin.
"Get ready," Craig instructs Di, "they'll throw money at us."
The port side of the ship is soon peppered with passengers as they lean out to photograph and wave at us on our SUPs way below. Craig and Di are dwarfed by the mass of the MS Marina.
With the help of the tugs the 239m-long ship swivels as it performs a giant, slow-motion handbrake slide into its position in the dock.
"Now you can see why I love it out here," Di offers. "I wish I could paddle out here all day."
It puzzles me, too. We have a stunning harbour right on the edge of the city – surely SUP should be exploding in Dunedin? The city seems to be perfect for it.
Craig agrees and makes the most of any opportunity to get out on the water with others. He tells me about a recent full moon trip out on Carey's Bay – an adventure that could lure any SUP-curious surfer across to the paddle side.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We're heading to Crankworx Rotorua tomorrow – the world's biggest mountain bike festival, then Raglan and even a little bit of Naki time.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: