BY ELIZABETH RAHE
There's something tribal and elemental, in a Polynesian way, about stand-up paddle boarding – standing on a long board inches above the water, guided only by a paddle and a whim.
Mario St-Cyr of Hollywood had such an experience a couple of years back. "I saw someone walking on water, and I had to try it. I fell in love with the sport after five minutes," he says.
St-Cyr also perceived a trend on the horizon and purchased several pertinent domain names. Now the former ski instructor and inactive real estate broker has an online store (www.paddlesandboards.com), an online magazine (www.paddleboarding.com) and a club with close to 250 members (www.floridapaddleboarding.com). He recently began a program in Fort Lauderdale's George English Park, offering rentals, lessons, tours, yoga and children's programs.
The sport captivated Brenda Lowe of Miami, as well, especially the joy of paddling with friends. She got the idea of delivering boards wherever a group wanted to ride, and Paddleboard Miami (www.paddleboardmiami.com) was born. The former Miami Dolphins cheerleader also teaches lessons and guides paddlers through South Florida waterways via her fledgling business.
Stand-up paddle boarding, which originated in Hawaii, has flourished in the past couple years, with entrepreneurs, surf shops and sport-adventure companies plunging in. Meetup.com – a resource for finding special interest organizations – lists six stand-up paddling clubs in South Florida and several outdoor adventure groups that participate in the sport. American Watersports in Pompano Beach, for instance, offers rentals, tours and week-long paddle boarding summer camps (www.americanwatersports.net).
So what's the attraction? It's a whole-body activity for all ages that goes from flat water to rivers to the ocean, St-Cyr says. Riders paddle along on still waters, and they also surf on waves or wakes, using the paddle as a rudder. Competitors vie for prizes in a growing number of organized races. It's also a great way to connect with nature in the Everglades, through the mangroves or over the coastal reefs.
Lowe recalls an up-close encounter with nature on an early morning paddle in Biscayne Bay. "I bumped into a sleeping manatee. I scared him; he scared me. I continued on my way, and I felt something pushing my board. He started to twist his body, and I saw his belly. It was awesome." Luckily, she had her video camera, and the proof is on her website.
Learning the sport is a rather simple process, acquiring paddling techniques and getting the feel of the board, Lowe says. "My biggest advice is to relax. You're on water; you have to be fluid like water. Girls pick up the sport faster than guys...guys are always pretending to be on a surf board."
A paddle board, which is longer and wider than a typical surfboard, and paddle start at around $1,000. Rentals and lessons are available through water-sports companies, surf shops and clubs, as well as from enterprising enthusiasts such as St-Cyr and Lowe, who are riding high on the trend.
A piece of coral resembling a sesame-seeded bun inspired this mouthwatering sculpture on display in Boca Raton Museum of Art's All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition through Aug. 8. John Pack of Fort Lauderdale, whose work first appeared in City & Shore last fall, says the bun cried out for coral meat and salmon patties, turkey and ham, roast beef and Spam, trimmed with lettuce, tomato, cheese and onion.
A retired editorial artist who specialized in two-dimensional collage, Pack has been creating food-based collages from seashells, coral, sea glass and other found objects for the past several years. He saws, dyes and glues pieces he finds washed up on various beaches into puzzle-precise ice cream cones, sundaes, cakes, even hors d'oeuvres. Pack's Dagwood sculpture was among 91 works selected for the Boca Museum exhibit from about 1,400 submitted.
"I didn't expect it," he says. "I still feel what I'm doing is in its infancy, although I paid my dues with my previous work."
The juror for the competition, New York curator, writer and art historian Linda Norden, might agree. She says Pack's sculpture has an ironic edge, resulting in a sophisticated interpretation.
Plus, there's always the chance she judged the piece at lunchtime.
Boca Raton Museum of Art, 561-392-2500, www.bocamuseum.org. Museum closes Aug. 9 for renovations; reopens Oct. 12. See more of Pack's work atwww.cityandshore.com/Johnpack_shellart.html
– Elizabeth Rahe