With the Kitty Hawk Kites SUPtastic race in Manteo tomorrow morning, the fun and adventure of Stand Up Paddle (sup) boarding comes to the fore. Sponsored by BIC Sport, the event is as much about having some fun on the water as it is competing, according to Galen Pederson, Water Equipment Buyer for Kitty Hawk kites.
The Manteo event is also a great chance for anyone who wants to know more about the sport to see for themselves what it's all about. There will be SUP demos and a chance to try one of the BIC boards that are in the rental program for free.
With a huge SUP rental inventory, SUP lessons and tours, kitty hawk kites has become the leader on the outer banks in teaching people the sport.
Based on the traditional surf board in design, an SUP is typically longer, wider and more buoyant. There are also some emerging trends in product development.
Because buoyancy is at the heart of what differentiates a SUP from a surf board, manufacturers have been developing inflatable SUPs and the reviews consistently show the inflatables perform as well as the hard shell boards in most conditions.
“Inflatables are coming on strong,” Galen said.
The hard shell boards still own an advantage in racing and big surf conditions; however, since most people use SUPs for recreational use, the inflatables may be something to think about.
There are five more Kitty Hawk Kites BIC SUP events scheduled for the summer, so there's plenty of opportunity to get out on the water.
BIC SUP One Design Series | waves village-Jul 23, 2015
BIC SUP One Design Series | Whalebone-Aug 6, 2015
BIC SUP One Design Series | Sanderling Resort in duck-Aug 20, 2015
BIC SUP One Design | Final Event in Manteo-Sep 6, 2015
