SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers July 2014 lo-res - free to read | Page 16

Confessions of

Words and photos: Tom Pattison

My name is Tom and I’m a
stand up paddle boarder –
there, I’ve said it!
In the kayaking industry, this statement generally gets you laughed out
of the building. What I have come to realise though is that the people
giving you grief have generally never had a go on a SUP and are yet to be
enlightened about this new way to enjoy the water.
My first real exposure to SUP had been through videos of guys like Dave
Kalama, Chuck Patterson and Laird Hamilton surfing waves. Having tried
traditional board surfing and failed miserably, the idea of already being
on your feet as you drop onto a wave really appealed to me. I’d always
admired the gentleman surfers from back in the day on their long boards
combining fancy footwork with riding waves and making it look effortless.
However, it wasn’t until last summer that the opportunity to finally have a
go at SUPing presented itself. One scorching evening on Brighton beach
and the gang at Brighton Watersports offered to lend me a board and
paddle to go for a quick spin along the beach around the Palace Pier.

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