SUPing for active rest
SUPing for active rest has been an incredible training tool for us at Team Quest. I have written articles on the importance of incorporating active rest into the training regimen for world class athletes “Train Hard Play Hard”. eNRGKayaking and owner Sam Drevo have been a great resource for Team Quest this summer, the best 6 weeks of the year in Oregon.
When Sam is not out traveling the world in pursuit of first or last descents and documenting them on film, you can find Sam at his shop on the Willamette River in historic down town Oregon City. Sam understands what it means to be a world class athlete, his competitive background started as a member of Team USA at the Jr. World Championships in Norway at age 15. He soon earned spots on the US team in every discipline of whitewater kayaking (slalom, wildwater, freestyle, and ocean surfing) and excelled in freestyle ranked #2 overall in the US in 1997, and #6 in the world in 1998. His competitive career was punctuated by his win at the Ford Gorge Games- Outdoor World Championships in Extreme Kayaking in 2001 (aired on NBC Sports). In the off season Sam teach and guide across the country and abroad in Canada, Norway, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Africa, Central and SE Asia, and throughout Europe. Here is what he has to say about SUPing Stand Up Paddle Boarding.
Stand Up Paddle boarding is an all around great workout. Not only does it engage your core muscles (abs and obliques), but it requires you to focus on balance while training your larger muscles to work together to accelerate the board. It is way more of a workout than you would think at first glance. Even if you are a beginner with no previous experience, it is possible to achieve a great workout with this activity your first time. You can start on your knees or even prone (like you were on a surfboard), and you can practice shifting your weight from laying to sitting, or from kneeling to standing and each of these coordinated movements require weight shift, balance, and control while staying centered over your board. Whether you are looking for a longer aerobic paddle, or short anaerobic sprints- SUPing is a great exercise.
It has been great seeing all the Team Quest fighters come out to kayak and SUP on their active rest day. Paddling up to Willamette Falls- the second largest waterfall in the US next to Niagra is inspiring. Although it is a lot like paddling up into a movie set past the old mills, the cultural history of Oregon can be felt when you see the ancient Indian rock carvings (petroglyphs). The power of the waterfall can be best experienced from the seat of a kayak or on top of a SUP. And the size of the fish in the river here also make the Willamette Falls a popular attraction. Paddling around with 6-10 foot sturgeon that breech regularly like dolphins is a very unique experience that brings you closer to nature. It the spring, the river is full of 15 lb. Chinook Salmon, shad, and walleye, catfish, and bass.
eNRG Kayaking is owned and operated by Sam Drevo. Spending the over 10 years on the US national team and having taught for the last 22 years, Sam is one of the most versatile paddling coaches in the NW having world championship experience in slalom, downriver/wildwater, ocean surfing, freestyle, and extreme racing. eNRG Kayaking, founded in SE Portland, opened an on water location in Oregon City’s at Sportcraft Landing (between Willamette Falls, and the Clackamas River confluence) in 2011. They specialize in flatwater/moving water river trips and beginner paddle sports instruction. They run historic tours by kayak of Willamette Falls, as well as Standup Paddling boarding lessons, kayak fishing trips, rafting, and inflatable and hardshell kayaking trips and classes during the summer. eNRG Kayaking is a nationwide leader in paddlesports education and instruction (including instructor certification and swiftwater rescue) and is responsible for started several paddling programs in Portland over the last decade. eNRG Kayaking has also been running international expeditions in the off season for the past decade having logged 22 successful trips in Central/South America, Asia and Africa. We are Oregon’s source for paddle sports.
Check them out on the web http://www.enrgkayaking.com and follow on twitter @eNRGKayaking