SUPhine
First Edition
SUPhine (pronounced like SUP-he-knee)
creator
a i r o t c i v burgess
I created the word and idea behind SUPhine in 2015, ignited by my love of the ocean. SUPhine was derived from the word, “wahine” and the Hawaiian goddess, Hina. Hina represents female energy in which a varient of her name ‘hine’ has been used for many years to mean ‘female’, which brought me to SUPhine = Women of SUP. I have been involved in the local surf/SUP community for the last 15 years, a part of the board of South FLorida longboard Association, Assistand head coach of the Broward County Special Olympics SUP team, a part of Broward County Surfrider Foundation, Surfers for Autism, and co-director of the RK Sunshine SUP Series. In addition to community involvement, I also surf, SUP surf and SUP race. My love for SUP has grown from my initial passion of surfing. From this I have wanted to spread the aloha to all the ladies out there. The ocean is my passion...it has made my life constant bliss. I love SUP, and all water sports for that matter. The connection that we have to the sea brings out such grace and power to the women of the water. SUP is not just a sport- its a lifestyle. SUPhine Mag was created to be an outlet for all women eo explore and share our love and passion of the standup paddleboarding lifestyle. I hope to bring you the best of the SUP world, whether it be racing, surfing or just crusing your board. Also some of the latest and greatest gear and accessories, health, fitness, community events and more!
lina augaitis
World Champion Lina Augaitis started racing in 2010, and followed her gut feeling in 2014 to give going pro a shot. “It was one of those now or never deals, “ She stated. Her gut was right, as she was able to bring home some world titles, meet people from around the world, see a lot of the world and push her limits both mentally and physically, all in one year. With that under her belt, earlier this summer she let us all in on her huge surprise---there will now be another fast racer to worry about in the future! “I knew I wanted to be a mom well before I quit my job to go pro in 2014. I could do it for another 10 years but I had a killer year last year and my next desire in life is to be a mother.”
While Lina may be five months pregnant, she continues her active lifestyle. “I will SUP al--most everyday. I also swim a lot, run trails, mountain bike, do yoga and cross fit. The only difference is now I do it with a little less intensity and with a lot more body awareness. I think its important to remain active, although it is not the time to get fit, but as long as you are still feeling good, keep at it. Everyone is different and will experience different types of pregnancies, so you have to listen to your own body. I am also using this time to expand my SUP skills away from racing, such as doing clinics and coaching. I also started a kids development program and am doing a lot of volunteering at events. I am really looking forward to teaching and
sharing and loving. I hope I can continue to inspire and motivate others through my experiences of being an athlete, a mom, a teacher, a wife, etc. As for after the baby comes, nothing is set in stone yet. I do have some goals for racing in 2016 if all goes well and healthy, such as Carolina Cup, ISA Worlds, Pacific Paddle Games, but for now my main goal is getting to the Carolina Cup next April. We will see how it goes after January 7th!” “I know I will be putting racing on hold a bit but I have a good feeling that I will be back racing and with revived joy and inspiration from the little one.”
SUP for me these days is a lifestyle. When I first started it was just about racing, but now it is how I spend my free time, whether SUP surfing with friends or training for races or having Bumps noseride. It’s simply what I do. Do you have any tips to inspire women of all ages wanting to SUP? Women of all ages should try SUP in some form. They will get a great workout, be outside and find a healthy addiction like no other.
mary anne
boyer
How long have you been paddling? 6 years What made you start? The thought of being able to do a water sport again, after being bit by a barracuda 12 years earlier. I used to race small sailboats, but after the bite I lost feeling in my left fingers from nerve damage by bite. Paddling didn’t require fine knot tying like sailing, so I figured I’d give it a try. After the bite I also lost some function of my bicep muscle but I learned to compensate for it by using other muscles when SUP racing. What is one of your best accomplishments as of yet? Being able to still be competitive with women racers half my age.
What are your goals and plans for the rest of the year? My goal for the year is to enjoy my training more for races. Through help of my coach, Mark Athanacio, he has taught me how to not overtrain as I get older. I want to continue racing for many years, to keep my SUP lifestyle charged. I am feeling stronger and happier since Mark started monitoring all my workouts. My plans are to take a SUP vacation, not including a race and really relax on the water.
What is one of your best SUP memory that has stuck out the most through your career? Surfing in at the 2013 BOP Open and sprinting up the beach and winning first overall woman by a nose So whats going on with bumps? Bumps was a rescue dog. He is a 3.5 year old English Bulldog. He first was intrigued by the waves coming in and out, and would run around chasing them. Two years ago at a race in St. Pete, he learned how to SUP on a BOTE Junior teammate ‘s SUP surf. He loved it and I couldn’t get him to stop. What is SUP about to you these days?
MARY ANNE BOYER and BUMPS
supsurf
session
a n a s a y e anjan
Sit Down
Begin With Breath
Tip on your SUP: Instead of straddling your board, sit with both legs hanging to one side of your board. This “chair” position makes it easier to connect your ischial tuberosities (bones you sit on) to the board. By balancing your weight on your sit bones you can reduce tension in your lumbar spine (lower back), making it easier to find length and space in your spine. Suspending your feet and calves in the water also allows you to introduce your nervous system to your new environment.
All physical yoga practices include attention to breath. Even if you skip some things in this list, never miss out on your breath practice (pranayama). • Sit up straight, breathe deeply through your nostrils. • Continue to inhale deeply toward the bottom of the lungs first. • Move one or both hands toward the top of your chest.
Set An Intention Whether it be sitting to enjoy a
meal with your loved ones, embracing a friend in a bear hug or starting a new project at work, the intention you impart on any action has a direct relationship with it’s result. Set an intention for your practice.
comfortable with really feeling the material under your hands. If you have sunscreen on your palms now would be a good time to wipe off any excess before going further.
Table Top Pose
From a table top position, inhale and bring right foot forward just under the knee.
Tip on your SUP: This flat palm point of contact is very important once you’re on a board. Notice if the board has a slight curvature on the deck, or if it is completely flat just as your mat or floor you’ve already practiced on. Get
Low Lunge
The left knee remains on the floor. Exhale and rest the top of the left foot also on the floor. Tent the fingertips and keep them on the floor as we continue to fo-
This pose is pretty familiar to many of us. It’s basically a low lunge. Easy peasy right? On land perhaps, but on water perhaps not. Try it out on land first to gain muscle memory and to ensure proper alignment. Move to the water when you are ready for the next level of exploration! With fingers splayed to the sky, eyes focused toward her palms, lunging forward with grace and precision struggles underneath her calm demeanor. She’s been practicing for years, months, decades, seconds, and has come to this moment, right now. This moment in her life is shrouded with stress of the past few days and darkened with worries of projected outcomes.
-cus on legs. From here on out use your breath as a tool.
Activate Legs To create a feeling of stability and balance we must activate the legs. Suck the thigh bone of the right leg into the hip. Imagine a supportive hand upon your right hip motioning it back. Keep the right foot and toes activated.
Ready The Torso for Lift Off Starting to open up before your fingertips leave the ground will
Staying present becomes as illusive as trying to catch a candle’s flame. She subconsciously disengages a cluster of muscles she’s heard called to action innumerable times before. The right rail begins to sink, and water laps toward her back toes. She’s stronger on her right side, this she’s knows, and yet she continues to tilt. A quick message to the heart and it’s now pumping faster. Eyes dart down to her right hand to catch the fall. Ripples propel from this sudden jolt. Phew. Still dry, but her ego taunts this as a mistake. Exhale, let go. Inhale. A resurgence of awareness floods her body. Each new exhale welcomes the undefinable
help with balance and stability. Grow upward from your trunk. Engage your abdominals to give support to your spine as you telescope the ribs. Tip on your SUP: If your shoulders are healthy you may find it easier to raise your arms parallel with the water first, as if balancing on a tightrope. Keeping the gaze forward at the nose of your board will also reinforce stability.
Be In The Moment Tip on your SUP: Return to child’s pose instead of table top and rest hands in the water. Sprinkle some
fabric of presence itself. Before attempting Anjaneyasana again she presses her right hip forward, left hip backward and feels this dichotomy of push and pull create equilibrium. Steady now. Her low lunge is set. Exhale. Time to lift the torso. Flatten palms on the board. Inhale. Raise to fingertips. Exhale. Reinforce downward gaze to gain stability. Inhale. Move gaze forward toward the nose of the board. Where you eyes go, your body follows. Fingers lift. Don’t forget the base. Legs are still active. Still and steady, they are alert enough to make micro-adjustments with every pulse of wind or sway of board. Exhale. Re-
drops on the back of your neck to relax from the heat if needed.
Muscle Groups Targeted • • • • • •
quadriceps gluteal muscles (minimus, medius and maximus) triceps deltoids latissimus dorsi rhomboids
Benefit To Paddlers • •
strengthen legs for distance and endurance opens chest
laxed neck. Inhale. Telescope ribs skyward. Exhale. Let the heart be. Inhale. Hands and arms in the air, the breeze takes her skyward. Exhale. Using her breath, like a trained sentinel it seeks out tension. Melt the shoulder blades down. The sun shines brighter. Warmth. Safety. The same sentinel now searches for space. It’s found in the chest. It unhinges from the bogs of doubt and frustration that once haunted this posture for her. Sthira. Sukha. From the strength of her rooted legs, she sprouts to the freedom and flexibility of heart. Birds fly overhead. Their wings beat to rhythm of her being, the same rhythm we all search for. It’s the rhythm of life.
•
increased proprioception (awareness of limbs and their movement) and an increased working knowledge of your equipment. It is very important to not only know where your limbs are, but to be able to judge the slightest change or tilt. Your paddle in essence is an extension of your hands, arms, torso and even legs. The board itself is an extension of your legs.
Article by
Patricia Miller
a l o h ragua
nica
...32 South Florida surfers, 15 foot hurricane swells, one broken board, a set of stitches in a head, and memories to last a life time...
In January 2015 a couple of our LBS crew decided to take a surf/SUP trip to Nicaragua, tossing around ideas and locations. We settled on playa Montelimar, which was an all inclusive resort on the pacific side of Nicaragua that had its own private break in the backyard. It seemed best for the various levels of surfers on the trip. When the dates were set, we announced our departure to our big local crew, and one by one, they started to jump on. Usually when one says they are going on a surf trip, it is with 5, 8, maybe 10 friends. We went from 4, to 10, to 18, to 26 and ended at 32 people. Granted, some didn’t surf, some were newbies, some were little groms, and some are pros, so it made for an interesting mix. As the weeks came closer and anxiety set in, we would check the forecast by the hour. Day after day the forecast looked great. 4-6 ft and clean off shore winds. Everyone was pumped. Until about a week before, when we checked the forecast, it was calling for 15 foot swells and a hurricane off the coast, heading north to Mexico. A few arrived before the main crew and were sending pics of some giant waves, but huge closeouts. Disappointment set in, but hopes were still high. The day came to leave and 26 of us boarded the same plane! Have you ever been on the same plane with 25 of your best friends. This was epic. When we landed our two vans were awaiting outside the airport, one for us and one for the 20 board bags we had. We jammed all our bags in and on top of this van and sent it off in front of ours just incase it tipped over or boards came flying out! We pulled up to the resort at 3am, and got about 2 hours of sleep before the anxiety kicked in and we headed out for dawn patrol. The first three days were insane. The nice south swell that usually cruises by this break was meeting with the north rebound from the hurricane and smashing into a gnarly straight on 15 foot pound. A few of us managed to get our surfboards to the outside and catch a nice few fast drops before the closeouts. The water was a orange brown color from the storm churning up all the dirt. The first day my longboard was hit by a lip and buckled, luckily I had backup, and a few backups, although the first three days it was near to impossible to paddle out a SUP. The first three days were proof that no matter how much you planned for a great trip with clean glassy waves, sometimes Mother Nature throws you a curve ball, but instead of disaster we took it as a challenge to push ourselves in tough conditions. Good news for us, it was sand bottom, so charge away!
The trip undoubtedly brought amazing scenery and nature. Every day we were greeted with songs of millions of birds while taking that dawn patrol walk down to the beach. When we weren’t in the water we were exploring the land and climbing the rocks that surrounded the area. We spent the days until sunset in the fresh air, and when the sun went down we danced the night away together, sat on each others’ bungalow porches and told amazing stories. As we woke up on day four, we were finally greeted with calm off shore winds and semi glassy swell, somewhat still bumping with the north mix, but nonetheless more manageable. The orange water cleared up and the sun came out. I grabbed my SUP and headed out. The swell was still very consistent so timing was important, but after a short paddle I was out and ready to catch some party waves! We logged about nine hours each day in the water over the next two and a half days, most of us only taking a break to eat. Everyone was stoked. It was finally not a hassle to paddle out, the newbies were able to make it out and practice catching waves (some who caught the biggest waves of their life as of yet), you could get a SUP out without too much trouble, and the waves were endless. I grabbed my SUP and headed out. The swell was still very consistent so timing was important, but after a short paddle I was out and ready to catch some party waves! We logged about nine hours each day in the water over the next two and a half days, most of us only taking a break to eat. Everyone was stoked. It was finally not a hassle to paddle out, the newbies were able to make it out and practice catching waves (some who caught the biggest waves of their life as of yet), you could get a SUP out without too much trouble, and the waves were endless. The sky finally cleared and the sun became viciously hot, but luckily when you have a crew of 32, there are some ‘survivor types’ out there. A couple of the crew, headed by Coconut Dave, ventured off and grabbed palm fronds, and broken stalks and created a shade tent that lasted for the remainder of the four days! One afternoon we took a break and ventured into a small fishing town for lunch to hang with the locals. It was really cool to see how they trailered their boats out of the water, by rolling huge rollers down to the shore, lifting the boat on it and about 8 guys would push the boat and rollers up the sand to park. Talk about man power. We ate some awesome fresh ceviche and drank some ice cold beers and then hit the
afternoon session to close out the day. One afternoon we took a break and ventured into a small fishing town for lunch to hang with the locals. It was really cool to see how they trailered their boats out of the water, by rolling huge rollers down to the shore, lifting the boat on it and about 8 guys would push the boat and rollers up the sand to park. Talk about man power. We ate some awesome fresh ceviche and drank some ice cold beers and then hit the afternoon session to close out the day. The second to last day one of our crew members took her fin to the head and had to take a short trip to get some stitches, but there’s nothing a bag and some duct tape couldn’t fix to get her back in the water for the last day of wave! As the last day approached, we took it all in. Everyone was out by 5am in the water. We surfed under the hot sun all day, ate some amazing fresh food, made toasts to each other and of course sang happy birthday to Bob! The waves were finally perfect and no one wanted to leave, but reality was calling. We all packed, and once again jammed our boards into a small little van and packed in. Laughter and the scent of sunblock and salt filled the midnight bus to catch our red eye. This time, even the local Nicaraguan driver was
laughing with us, as we made friends with him throughout the trip. We made it safe and sound to the airport and all 26 of us crashed out on the floor while waiting to board the plane. As we all boarded and took our seats, while the plane was backing up and going over the safety rules, they ended it with “and we want to welcome aboard the LBS crew”. Cheers echoed through the plane, and we all glanced around and smiled…32 South Florida surfers, 15 foot hurricane swell, one broken board, a set of stitches in a head, and memories to last a life time. Now onto the next trip!
seychelle hattingh
9/1/15 Day 3 in Holland. Race starts tomorrow! Are you ready? Yes. You can do this! I had so much fun going to Mistral Headquarters today being introduced to the team, meeting people that previously only existed in emails, and being treated like royalty. Got to see the new boards and am now decked out head to toe in Mistral gear as well. So sweet!! Right now I am in the main salon, or dining room of this 100-yearold traditional Dutch sailing vessel, which is to be my home for the next week. There is so much excitement on board. There are 3 boats in total and about 30 racers staying on each boat. We just finished having dinner and the “Prologue,” a SUP costume party and kickoff paddle around the Historic City of Leuwarden, where the 11 Cities Race begins and ends. Now everyone is sharing knowledge, stories, anxiety, and questions about the 28-mile course for tomorrow. I hope I do well. Feeling a lot of pressure. I have to remember that no one has higher expectations of me than myself. No matter what happens, this is awesome. I love you. 9/2/15 Yes!!! Awesome. Day 1 of the race and I think its safe to say, I blew
them away. A 17 minute lead and feeling strong all the way. (Except for that f***ing lake.) 28 miles of flat water and the last 2 are in 3ft chop and 20kt side wind. But you did it. And you won. Feeling sore and tired but so happy. Ate 5lbs of pasta for dinner. Need to get some sleep tonight. It’s really cool staying on the boats and having them follow us around city to city, and all the other people on board are becoming like family. We help each other and motivate each other, and go over the course for the next day. Tomorrow is 29 miles and they tell me prepare for up-wind. Yay! Not! But I haven’t been sleeping since I arrived in Holland. Too much noise on the boat. Too many nerves about the race. Oh well, still a happy girl. 1 down. 4 to go.
9/3/15 Wow that was tough. 29 miles. Wind, rain, just brutally long, but… absolutely gorgeous! What a way to see the towns and countryside of Friesland. It was cold, but nice when the sun was shining. Saw a 100-year-old windmill and a herd of Stallions galloping through a field. I tried to keep up with them. Actually trying to slow down, see the sites, and enjoy myself a bit. I am questioning the stress on my body and my motivation for this race. Why do I keep pushing myself like this? I am far enough ahead. I can relax, but something inside of me won’t. What am I trying to prove? I wish there was internet on this boat… 9/4/15 I am so exhausted. I feel like a
zombie. My eyes are like black holes. When I wake up I want to wear a shirt that says “don’t talk to me till I have pre-workout.” Lol. No more questions, just let me space out for a while… But… I did it again! There was even some flat water down winding today, which helped out a lot. I have never been on a 14 ft board and I can’t believe the speeds I am getting. The team from headquarters came down after the race and we all went out to a nice dinner and everyone is so happy! The best part is, I’m staying in a hotel room tonight! It’s warm and dry and quiet and has a big, comfortable bed. Feel bad to be leaving my friends on the boat, but still haven’t been sleeping well and my body needs it more than ever at this point. Definitely feeling the burn. My shoulders, low back, and hamstrings. But it’s all mind over matter at this point. There is a group here from Texas doing research for a documentary on the power of the mind in healing Cancer patients. I find it motivating to think about people in the World who are actually suffering when I think I’m in “pain.” I will never know pain like some people live with everyday. It makes me laugh at myself because I chose to be in this situation. I offer it up for those who truly need the strength right now. Thinking of you Luz. 3 down. 2 to go.
9/5/15 Today was tough. I knew I was going to make it, but man it hurt so badly. I lost my music at the ½ way point and my focus along with it. I was in tears for the last 10km. What happened to “mind over matter?” I’ve never been so exhausted. “You’ve got this girl.” “Dig deep.” “C’mon pick it up.” “You’re almost there.” Over and over and over again. I was saying it out loud too. I was just joking yesterday that I would go crazy without my music because the sheep don’t talk back. And today
I definitely felt that way. How I definitely felt that way. How do people do this event without training? The recreational paddlers that are out there all day. THAT is crazy. And so inspiring. So excited to see the town of Dokum at the finish line. They are having some sort of local festival. There are people and live music and games going on everywhere. 9/6/15 I did it! Grand Champion. Wow. It feels surreal. I feel on top of the World. Today was only 18
miles and I finished feeling almost fresh. I decided to paddle smart and stayed in the draft train with the other ladies the entire race and only sprinted off at the end. Why didn’t I do that everyday? I’m so stubborn. So much to learn. This race and this experience have taught me so much. You learn a lot about yourself when you do an endurance event that’s for sure. I couldn’t be more happy and proud. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! To all that helped me com-
plete the SUP 11 City Tour. Icouldn’t do it without you! To Mistral for having me over, 24hour racer support, and the winning board design. You guys rock! To the Race committee and all the volunteers for pulling off a 5-day extraordinary event. To Remedy’s Nutrition and Tailwind Nutrition for fueling my body the entire way. Carbonerro Paddles, Sweetwater wear, Paddle the Florida Keys, and to my amazing support group of family and friends. I love you all so much! #
tati coco
SUPHINE MAG: What is the Guadiana Adventure? The Guadiana Adventure is the name of my first expedition for this winter 2015. I am planning to start in mid November. The Guadiana is an international river that stretches on the PortugalSpain border. SUPHINE MAG: So, are you ready? I have been working hard on the project since the beginning of the year. It has been a lot of work
just trying to organize everything. It is really important on an expedition such as this to know what to expect and prepare for the worst. Depending on the obstacles the adventure can very quickly turn into a nightmare, so I want to be ready for this. Expect for the best, prepare for the worst! Tony Bain will be my SUP mate for this adventure and we are both extremely motivated for the entire adventure. The adventure compromises of white water, a very large dam, hiking with all
gear (which is quite heavy) and more. We are looking to do it as natural and in the wild as possible, with having just our tent and being able to live off the land by fishing for food and perfecting water finding techniques. SUPHINE MAG: What made you chose this location? The Algarve SUP organized a long distance on the Guadiana and I always wanted to participate, but never had the chance. I did a lot of research on the river and thought it would make for an
epic adventure. The location is stunning and I through research I immediately felt attracted and curious about the river. That was all it took. When I talked to Tony, he agreed to join me! SUPHINE MAG: How long will it take to complete? We are unsure of how long it will take because of the obstacles that we will have to overcome during the adventure. We could perhaps complete it in two weeks, however it can easily take longer.
the
hull
truth By RK
SUPs have one of two types of hulls, planning or displacement. A planning hull is flat and wide, like a surfboard. It is designed to ride on top of the water. Most people who are just starting out to paddleboard learn on planning hulls because they are more stable and versatile for recreational paddling and safety. “Planing hull” boards are great all around boards. A “displacement hull” is the other type of hull. These usually have a pointed nose or front end. A displacement hull “slices” through the water, pushing water around the nose to the sides. These are mostly used as race boards and when paddling long distances, as they are usually longer and narrower which makes them faster, but also a bit tippier, which is why more experienced paddlers convert to these types of boards. TIP: When purchasing a board it is important to research different brands and spend the extra money on a good brand of board. Not only will the brand stand behind you if something goes wrong, but you will also keep a higher resale value when you are ready to upgrade.
Types of Boards The “All Arounder” SUP These boards have a planning hull and are good for all ages and sizes. They can range from 9’0 to 12’0 and can be used for beginners, yoga, fitness, small wave riding and just cruising around.
The Inflatable SUP These boardds came out strong this past year, 2015. They are made of PVC exteriors with drop-stitch construction that creates an air core. A plus to these boards is that they are very strong, durable, light to carry and easy to store!
The Surf SUP This board varies on the rider and is the biggest movement in the industry as far as boards go. The beginner and average ‘SUP surfer’ will prefer a longer board for catching waves, which tend to be 8’0 to 10’0 ft. The more advanced “SUP surfer” usually moves to a smaller, more maneuverable board, and these days a lot of the pro SUP surfers are riding a 7’0-7’4 ft. board.
The Race SUP The race SUP is a displacement hull, and is mostly used during races and workout sessions (as they go faster and less resistance). Race SUPs are evolving as we speak, getting narrower with less volume and much lighter than they have ever been. Most are made of brushed carbon, vacuum bagged, and epoxy.
e n i r e h t ca uden
When we find our connection to the ocean through paddling, it is only natural to want to protect the water where we paddle, and the creatures in it. It’s important to educate yourself about the devastating effects of pollution, and then find out what you can do to help. Why is it so important to get involved? Pollution affects all of our waterways. A huge majority of marine pollution comes from land. Litter is carried by rain and wind, and it ends up flowing to the sea. Plastic pollution never goes away. Some animals become sick or can die because they swallow debris. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish. Animals can also become entangled in litter. Plastic will eventually photodegrade (break down into tiny pieces by the sunlight), and then will be eaten by marine animals. The Center for Biological Diversity explains that: “Due to its low density, plastic waste is readily transported long distances from source areas and concentrates in gyres, systems of rotating ocean currents. The North Pacific Gyre, also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is twice the size of Texas (and growing) and consists mostly of small plastic particles suspended at, or just below, the surface, where fish and other animals mistake the particles for food. In the Garbage Patch, plastic outnumbers fish food like zooplankton six to one. The Garbage
Patch is only one of five such convergence zones, which in total cover 40 percent of the ocean”. The small pieces of plastic that are eaten by animals are passed up the food chain to us. Plastic also releases chemicals as it photodegrades in the water. Litter and pollution also costs us money because of damage to fishing and agriculture, and also tourism. Did you know that so much oil is used to create and transport those plastic bottles and bags? For example, it is estimated that 12 million barrels of oil are used to make the one billion plastic shopping bags that Americans use each year. It also takes 17 million barrels of oil each year to make plastic water bottles for the U.S. market. Paddleboarder, Cat Uden, practices what she preaches. Board member of Broward County Surfrider Foundation started by picking up trash on the shoreline and out of the Intracoastal when she was around bodies of water. Not limited to that, she also picked up trash around the street, “Often
people don’t think about the fact that the cigarette butts and fast food garbage that they throw on the street could end up in the belly of a dolphin or whale or turtle.” Uden stated. Uden shares some of many ways one can be involved in helping keep the environment clean: • Pick up trash wherever and whenever you see it • Don’t litter • Stop using plastic bags (use paper or bring your own) • Bring your own water bottle instead of using plastic bottles • Use biodegradable bags to pick up your dog waste • Write and call lawmakers about environmental issues • Partake in beach cleanups • Join your local Surfrider Foundation “Change your habits. Learn as much as you can, help as much as you can, and get friends and family involved. After all, we have one planet. Let’s take care of it.”
ashley
Firchow
29 year old Ashley Firchow enjoys surfing, paddleboarding, snorkeling, fishing and “pretty much anything that involves the ocean”. Growing up in the North East, summer time was always her favorite time and she longed to live by warm beaches with palm trees swaying in the wind. “ I was lucky to have my dreams turned to reality and moved to Florida.“ I started surfing only about two years ago and I’m pretty hooked. It’s fun becuase each wave is unique and I still have so much to learn in this sport.” Fav surf break? In Costa Rica. I like nice, clean longboard waves with open faces that you can just crusies on. Tunes? Currently I’ve been listening to a lot of country, but I’m also digging the Local Natives. I would like to believe I have an eclectic taste in music and what I’m listening to really depends on my mood. Travel Spot? So far has been the Bahamas. I was there for work, but I love the culture, the vibrant colors on the islands, the marine life, & the blue hues of the sea.
michelle Canazaro
27 year old, Florida native Mi chelle Canazaro has been participating as an athlete in Special Olympics since she wa s very young, ranging in sports from soccer, skiing, basketball, volleyball, swimming and even softball. This year, however, Michelle discovered a new love, the sport of SUP. “This is my first year doing sta ndup paddle boarding,” Michelle stated. “Originally I wanted to surf, but you needed more years of experience swimming, so a lot of my friends told me about SUP so I figured I’d give it a try. This is my first oce an sport and I love it. Its great to be outsid e in the ocean doing a sport I never have done. ” Michelle continues to excel in her first year, qualifying for states and then taking home the gold while there. “I was very ner vous at states but once I started paddling, I relaxed a lot and had so much fun!” “I tell everyone this is a sport they definitely need to try. If it is your first time, just be careful not to get hurt and remember to put your leash on very tight. Don’t forget to have fun, eve n if you fall! If you like being outside and lov e the ocean, you will love this sport!”
GET OUT THERE
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