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I
know how to not fall off
a paddleboard.
That said, I'm used
to participating in this
wobbly watersport in only
the most ideal conditions: on
calm lakes in the hottest days
of summer, and once in Maui,
where taking a tumble into
the ocean hardly matters. But
the stakes feel a lot higher on
an overcast day in Squamish
at 7:45 in the morning.
My friend Mariah and
I are suiting up on the west
shore of the Mamquam
Blind Channel for an "Intro
to Stroke" class with Norm
Hann Expeditions. Our
instructor, Tina Currie,
exchanges friendly greetings
with the earlier-risers who
pass by us on their way out of
(out of!) the water. Many of
them look twice our age and
also twice as fit. Buckling into
my crayon-red life vest and
lugging my board to the wa-
ter's edge, I decide to fake it
till I make it. After all, there's
SQUAMISH
DIFFERENT
STROKES
You don't need to take a lesson to paddleboard in
Squamish... but you should
BY ALYSSA HIROSE
not much wind, the water
looks buttery smooth and I
kind of know how to do this.
Currie suggests we start
on our knees, but all four of
her pupils (Mariah and I plus
a couple from out of town who
apparently think an 8 a.m.
paddleboard is a romantic
vacay) move quickly to stand-
ing. We paddle south along
the channel, Currie stop-
ping every once in a while
to point out an interesting
bird or historical landmark
or fundamental error I'm
making while paddling
(politely, of course). It turns
out that you're not supposed
to jam your paddle as deep
into the water as possible,
but, instead, hinge and rotate
Paddling is for summer only,
right? Wrong. So, so wrong.
Paddle BC is an excellent
resource for year-round
activities (think canoeing,
kayaking, rafting and more).
They offer a list of training
courses all over the province—
that's how we found Norm Hann
Expeditions in Squamish. You
don't have to get wet, you just
have to get with it. paddlebc.ca
ABOVE BOARD
Stand-up paddling
is a beautiful way
to see Squamish
from sea level
LOCAL
GE TAWAYS
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B C B U S I N E S S . C A
M AY
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