Beer is a simple drink at it’s most basic, you need just barley, yeast, hops, and some fresh, clean water. That fresh water supply that has fuelled the brewing industry for centuries and is a crucial part of Ontario’s landscape, environment, and culture is under threat. Rising pollution and contamination levels are polluting many of Great Lakes of Ontario, jeopardising the bodies of water that are a source of income and memories for so many people.
Drew Climie of LondonSUP is trying to fight that pollution and raise awareness about the contamination of Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and others across Ontario, to save the natural beauty that is so indicative of Ontario. As a self-proclaimed “water baby”, his first experiences around the water are intermingled with his earliest memories. But paddle boarding, now the central focus of his business, was something he only learnt as an adult.
“I learnt to scuba dive from Kelly [The owner of Cross Current Divers] 10 years ago, but as a kid I was always around water, living by the Great Lakes makes it pretty hard not to be a bit of a water baby.”
Casa London: How did you come to start the business here if paddle boarding hadn’t been a huge part of your life beforehand?
“Kelly and I started it together. I was a bunch of different things, I needed a job, and I was seeing paddle-boarding popping up all over the place and thought it was a great opportunity”.
Drew isn’t based in one particular area, he’s happy anywhere where you can find a body of water, but a lot of his lessons take place not far from London.
“There is a conservation area in Delaware Creek, it’s about 25 minutes from London, so it’s accessible for Londoners after work. There we do ‘SUP Yoga’ and paddleboard lessons”.
For the uninitiated, SUP Yoga is a quirky combination of yoga and paddle boarding. That might sound a little crazy to some of you, but what better way to help you relax than the sound of water lapping gently at your board? And if you’re worried about your balance, falling off isn’t frowned upon, it’s encouraged!
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