STAND UP PADDLING with Mark Jackson
Our regular Stand Up Paddling (SUP) contributor is the energetic Mark Jackson, North Shore native and owner of Stand Up South Pacific Ltd, who is helping to introduce SUP to Aotearoa and especially to his Hauraki/Takapuna home town. Jackson exclaims; “The Hauraki Gulf ! It’s gotta be one of the best, most beautiful waterscapes in the world, and postcard perfect for SUP. In the 25 years of competing in water sports Mark has won several international events including the Starbucks Maui Challenge (37km SUP race Maui to Molokai); Maui Slalom Windsurf Champs; Hawaiian Pro/Am Wailea Speed Crossing Maui to Molokai; Maui Canoe Kayak Club SUP Division Championships; Omaha Boardriders SUP Wave and most recently the ‘old farts’ over 50 division SUP North Shore Beach Series.
Walking on Water
It’s so dark and chilly on a morning in July! Matthew Mason (BMW Oracle Boat Director) has convinced us to go dawn patrol Stand Up Paddling (SUP) training.
I get up at 6.30am and am astounded by the ice on the roof of my truck and dazed and dumbfounded that I’m about to suit up and SUP down the Channel.
My brother fronts up dressed like Diver Dan. We carry our race boards down to the beach with steaming breath that makes us look like walking geysers and me thinking “what a bunch of stupid old geezers.”
Matty rocks up in shorts and a BMW boat jacket, jumps on an F16 race board and we’re off like fish in the sun… not! It’s flat calm, full tide, freezing, bloody cold and what the “fog” are we doing must’ve crossed all our ice cream little minds.
But not for long, less than 10 minutes later, charging down the channel, North Head bound on a slack tide we were toasty warm, but for our Frigidaire feet. Lots of techno talk and about one and a half hours later we’re back at Takapuna pumped and puffing ready to rip into the day.
The toughest and worst step in training programmes like this is that first step outta ya nice warm bed into the cold and dark. The easiest and best step is the one you take when you step on the board and go. What a way to prime yourself for Weet-Bix and your work day!
A couple of weeks earlier, I took a client paddling after work around 5pm. Slightly warmer conditions & with a pleasant evening twist. Whilst we were clad in rubber and spandex like Marcel Marceau twins, Kate, the chick we met paddling, was in white hot pants (both colour and temperature) and a scant black half length rashie (lycra thin rash guard more for sun protection than warmth). Christophe, my client, had borrowed my full length wetsuit and was wearing it inside out (he’s French). I was in bike pants and a short sleeved vest. Kate had borrowed a board from local SUP junkie and trifecta triathlete, try anything, Mark Hougton. She logically explained how her scant kit was in actual fact ample, and that falling was neither an option nor a likelihood. Of course we wanted her to fall just to hear the sizzle of those white hot pants and see if she’d attract any “real” sharks. We reckon she would have but, successfully for her, and sadly for us, she was the steadfast star of the board meeting.
She eventually paddled off into the imaginary sunset, got our first place vote in all categories and gave significance to the fact that Stand Up Paddling is the coolest hottest sport on the Shore for sure.
Don’t believe me? Take a squiz at the ocean next time you’re passing it, scan the horizon and I betcha’ you’ll see someone walking on water. And if you start thinking… I wonder if I could do that? You Can!
Don’t believe me? Then phone 0220 PADDLE. And if while admiring that stand up paddler walking on water, you hear a sizzle… it just might be Kate… sitting down to cool off.
For more info, contact Stand Up South Pacific on:
0220 PADDLE (72 33 53)
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