Christos Douroudis of SUP East Coast Style tells (and shows!) me why stand up paddle boarding is the new summer must-do activity. By, Lauren Carelli
Summer is all about the aquatic activities and surfing has been a favorite on the east coast for years. Ranging from knee high waves up in New Hampshire to five-foot tunnels on the Cape, it really is the perfect sport if you want to feel like you are floating on water. However, lately it seems as if a new kind of surfing is taking over. First there was wind surfing, kite surfing, the traditional long and short board surfing then we were introduced to skim boarding, but the new trend of 2011 seems to be stand up surfing, or better known as SUP. After watching many people attempt (and fail) to master the new form of walking on water, I decided enough was enough and I was going to give it a try.
Through research I came across SUP East Coast Style located in Marblehead and I immediately reached out to owners Leah Goodman and Christos Douroudis. After a quick email looking to get basic information I was pleasantly surprised when they told me to come down whenever I wanted to get a lesson. Without hesitation I signed myself up for the next available session, which happened to be a sunset paddle. I brought one of our interns, Brianna Lapolla, with me so she could check it out as well and act as a filter in case I made a huge fool of myself. We each made the 30 minute drive, met co-owner Christos and before we knew it we were knee deep in the water learning how to mount the massive 12-foot boards.
The teaching part took all of five minutes. Christos took us through the process step by step and to sum it up: it’s a combination of kayaking and surfing, with a hint of yoga. Balancing is the hardest part but once my feet were set and Christos reassured me that a majority of people do not fall off, I knew I was good to go. Christos took us all around Marblehead showing us different islands and where he has gone on long two to three hour paddles. We paddled by boats and spectators all the while soaking up the last and very warm rays of the day. As the sun lowered, I found myself drifting along the water feeling weightless and observing my surroundings. Boats and endless water to my left, trees and peaceful beaches to my right. During this time only one thought came to my mind, tranquility. It was one of the most peaceful activities I have done and Christos reassured me it was nothing compared to a sunrise paddle, which I fully intend on experiencing.
The water was calm enough to make the first time experience easy, but the quick change of wind challenged our arm strength and balance once or twice. Unfortunately for Brianna a wave caught her off guard and she tumbled into the water, gracefully of course. The trooper she is, she got right back on her board with zero hesitation and paddled past myself and Christos, quickly redeeming herself.
We only stayed out an hour, but it was long enough to feel the burn in my shoulder blades and stomach. Not only was this activity fun but also it was an incredible work out. I paddled into shore and couldn’t help but ask myself why I hadn’t done this sooner, better yet, how had I not known about it sooner. After bringing in all the boards I had a chance to pick Christos’s brain about SUP and his growing business, East Coast Style.
How has the business been going since opening? It has been phenomenal, we have only been open since June but it’s actually blown up to the point where we have already had to hire extra help.
Do you feel like a lot of people are receptive to paddle boarding? Absolutely, it is gaining a ton of popularity on the east coast. There is a small handful of people here that own their own boards, but most people that come to us for lessons or rentals, its their first time trying it.
Why do you think people are just now catching on to this on the East Coast? I am really not sure. I think from people seeing a couple people doing it and being curious and asking about it and wondering what it is, that slowly got people to try it, and it grew from there.
Do most people pick it up quickly or is there usually someone struggling? There have been some people who fall off a couple times at the beginning but for the most part 90% of the people who are doing it for the first time get up and stay up. What is great about it is that it is not extremely technical. It’s a matter of the person getting on the board and getting comfortable with it, but I haven’t had one person yet get up and not be able to stay up.
What is your favorite part about paddle boarding? My favorite part is that I am doing something I love and it’s phenomenal because I get to introduce a very new and cool sport to people around here who don’t necessarily know anything about it or who have heard about it but never tried it. It’s rewarding to get people out there who have never done it before and have them be successful at it.
In your mind, what is so special about SUP? Once you get comfortable with it, it is a very calming and serene type of thing. Especially when I go out for sunrise or sunset when the water is glassy and calm, it is just a peaceful type of sport.
How long do you plan on doing this for? I want to do it every summer season. In our business plan we want to have it become a franchise, but I am going to ride the wave as long as I can, not to get all metaphorical. As long as the demand is there, we’re going to keep doing it and we do hope to grow and expand.
About SUP East Coast Style After developing an immediate love for the aquatic sport, Christos Douroudis, 29, and fiance Leah Beth Goodman, 29, created their own company to introduce the Hawaiian teachings of stand up surfing to locals and travelers of all ages. Starting close to a month ago, Goodman and Douroudis planned on maintaining their business out of their pick-up truck, but when the opportunity came about to use space at the Little Harbor Boathouse in Marblehead, they took advantage of it. Since being there in June the business has flourished with first timers and regulars. They offer hourly lessons, rentals, youth camps and they will start offering fitness classes on the board. Find them on Facebook at facebook.com/pages/SUP-East-Coast-Style/