BIG THANKS to Gary Evans at Land
Paddle UK for supplying Kahuna
Creations kit for the article. Also shout
outs to Stefan Eilades at Shoreham
Beach Land Paddle, the guys at
Sk8Pole and everyone else who helped
out with this feature. Check out the
Facebook group:
www.facebook.com/groups/620545648
The experience
‘So, land paddling: it’s just a gimmick innit?’ It would be
fair to assume this statement was true. There’s nothing
worse than watching your dear old dad try to show his
super cool skateboarding skills, only to witness him fall
flat on his noggin. Perceptions surrounding land paddling
are pretty similar, yet give it a chance and opinions may
swing the other way.
Let’s get one thing straight: land paddling in no way shape
or form is stand up paddle boarding. While some skills,
movements and muscle memories are similar, it’s not the
same. For one, land paddling puts a great deal more stress
and strain on the body and joints – concrete is nowhere
near as forgiving as water.
Land paddlers
have their say…
“I started land paddling
to train for SUP surfing.
Practising crossing the
paddle over and turning
on the flat, this
progressed to ramps and
then to other surf related
moves like tail slides. I
now find that I will often
choose to land paddle
over a flat water SUP as
in my opinion it's more
fun and just as beneficial
as being on the water.”
Alan – SUP North
“Land paddling is a great
form of exercise,
transportation and
ultimately a way to
simulate some of the
moves I'm trying to nail
when SUP surfing. I'm
lucky if I can get to real
waves twice a month; the
rest of the time land
paddling gives me a
chance to practice
pivoting/bracing with the
paddle, sliding the tail
and those
pumping/carving board
skills that hopefully
make me a better
paddler.”
Simon Dunton – SUP North
Words and photos: Tez Plavenieks
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However if you’re a SUPer looking for a cross training
discipline or a stand up paddle surfer looking to develop
better carving then it could be for you. It’s also a fun way of
cruising your local beach in a slightly unconventional
manner – after all, using your feet for propulsion is old hat!
Covering distance on land paddling gear will definitely
give riders a workout. Standing in surf stance is
particularly tiring. Learning to ride switch can alleviate
problems, as well as giving muscle groups a breather. This
can be tricky though and may result in unflattering
dismounts at first…
Why land paddle?
Land paddling offers those without access to waves the
opportunity to consolidate muscle memory that will be
put to good use during the next surf trip. Kahuna Creations
boards, especially the Shaka Surf, are optimised for
carving. Learning rail to rail transitions and sliding the tail
mimic paddle surfing moves. Land paddling also gives
riders the opportunity to practice ‘wrap arounds’ – all good
exercises for surfing.
Land SUP is a good workout when you don’t have time to
get on the water, it’s a choppy day/less than inspiring or
it’s cold and not very inviting. The fitness element is
tangible, although it’s wise to learn an efficient technique
when covering ground as continually slamming the
concrete will do more harm than good.
As paddlers get more into land paddling, technique will no
doubt come to the fore and land SUPing may become a
discipline in its own right rather than complimentary. A
few races have been run in the UK already, a number are
pushing land SUP in the skate park and there’s still plenty
of scope to develop things further. For now though, it’s a
great addition to your normal on water stand up
shenanigans and offers a novel way to stay trim and/or
practice your surfing technique.