OM SUP's inspiration was born from a deep connection to nature, the wisdom of yoga and the joy and healing powers connected to the water and of course the fun and playfulness one finds at the beach! Melanie Woolsey and Lisa Parkes first came together as friends and discovered they both had a passion for being in and on the water. Melanie has been living la vida yoga and swimming the world's waters feeding her gypsy soul and Lisa with her knowledge and love of surfing which she expresses through her creativity as an artist, soon realized that by joining together to share their love of SUP was a natural step forward. Let the magic begin!
The History of SUP
Stand up paddle surfing and stand up paddle boarding (SUP), (Hoe he'e nalu in the Hawaiian language) are sports originating in Hawaii as an off-shoot of surfing. They enable surfers to paddle farther into the ocean than is typical or to paddle standing up as a sport unto itself. The Outdoor Foundation's 2013 Outdoor Participation Report, stand up paddling was listed as the most popular outdoor activity among first-time participants with 56% of all the first-time participants of outdoor activities in 2013, beating boardsailing/windsurfing which had 43% of first-time participants in 2013. The report also cited the median age for stand up paddling in 2013 as 28, accounting for 63% of all the men and 56% of all the women who participated in outdoor activities during 2013.
Historically, Africans and indeed many other river based and coastal cultures, have stood up within their canoes and upon rafts and paddled standing for thousands of years. Conceptually therefore, the idea of standing and paddling using an extended canoe paddle is far from being a new concept. From a contemporary standpoint and as a sport, stand up paddle surfing really began taking off after 2005.
Water ~ Jala जल
Water is marvelously expressive stuff, full of deep meaning to all humankind, perhaps the most beautifully symbolic stuff of all. The water of life, the water of baptism, the water that cleanses and heals, the water that breaks down and destroys, the water that lifts us and floats us when we come aground, the water that churns and pounds us out of our complacency and into awareness; the water of swamps and sloughs and soggy despond; the roiling sea-ice powerfully sculpting a coast; soft groundwater, tenderly upwelling to green a barren landscape; the singing chuckle of a creek, the roar of a fall, the calm assurance of a great river, the crash of a sea swell, the quiet privacy of fog, rain washing or slashing or downpouring or falling gentle as a leaf; the soft healing, or bitter springing, or joyful welling of salt tears. . . . God be praised for the gift of water.
Source Molly Wolf in Hiding in Plain Sight
Discover the spirit of SUP
Register for a class or contact us to book a private event.