Saturday, May 14, 2011

Why Not Just Use Your Foot?! - Land Paddling

Land Paddling is relatively new but seems to be catching on pretty fast.  The basic idea behind it is using a long stick with a rubber knob on the end to push you along while riding a longboard skateboard.  I know… Land paddling sounds completely ridiculous, but give it a chance.  I can’t put into words how much fun it is.  My roommate and I got into this activity about a year ago after seeing an ad on Facebook for the Kahuna Big Stick by Kahuna Creations.  Kahuna Creations is a company that manufactures the stick you can purchase online from their website.  I bought one myself and love it.  They have a few different variations including a bamboo, adjustable, and “classic” version.  I went with the cheaper “classic” stick and have not had any issues with it so far.

Buttons Kaluhiokalani rockin the Big Stick


The board I use is a Sector 9.  My roommate did a little more research and picked up a Loaded Tan Tien.  To be honest you can probably use any old longboard skateboard you might have laying around your house to start out.  Land paddling is really simple to do as well.  You just hop up on the board place one hand on top of the stick and the other hand a little lower on the shaft and push.  Heh… he said shaft.  The motion almost feels like you are sweeping your kitchen, which coincidently is what surfers call stand up paddle boarders on the water, sweepers. 

I get a lot of strange looks when I am doing this around town.  I also get a lot of questions because it looks strange.  Most people are just curious about it and want to know more.  Sometimes, not very often, you might catch some grief from a little skateboard punk but I just remind them it’s not wise to make fun of a man with a large stick and the comments stop haha.  Either way, it is just something to expect when you are out doing something that is fresh and new so just go with it.



One of the main reasons I was drawn to this is because of my bad knees.  This is primarily an upper body workout and does not put much of a strain on my knees.  When I do about 5 miles around the local lake I am drenched in sweat and completely exhausted.  I would also recommend a pair of gloves if you are prone to getting blisters on your hands from repetitive rubbing.  I just use my smaller light weight motorcycle gloves and those work great.

Here is a video of Kahuna Creations sponsored land paddler and epic surfer Buttons Kaluhiokalani talking about the big stick.



If you are at all interested in SUP (Stand Up Paddling) on the water, this is a great complementary exercise for days the waves may not be suitable for SUP or for colder days outside where you don’t feel like putting on a wetsuit.  The paddle style is slightly different than when you are on a SUP board but it pretty much works the same muscles.  When you are paddling around on a SUP board you face forward towards the nose of the board with your feet about shoulder width apart and paddle on either side pushing from front to back.  When land paddling, you stand sideways on the board in a traditional skateboarding stance and push from front to back.

Like I said before I love doing this exercise!  It is a great way to have fun while getting a good workout.  I hope you found this information useful and thanks for reading!

7 comments:

Yes - Kahuna puts out a great product - Land Paddling is a great "CORE" work out - check out these Bamboo Land Paddle Boards..... www.norgeboards.com

just got my first longboard skateboard and paddle, I am 35 and used to surf as a teen,never skate boarded in my life , tonight I felt like I was on a 45 minute paved wave it was awesome! my wife loves it also she has actually confiscated my board so I need to buy another one for myself. My two kids 7 and 10 are also stoked and very reluctant to give me the board back, Great! keeps them off the video games.
I Trust this will be a big hit, its too easy,convenient and inexpensive, like a third the cost of SUP in the water. I never try to push things on people I cant even stand salesmen! But trust me if u want 'Abs of steel' the fun way? Take your next $350.00 and skip something else, You will be laughing about how crazy fun this is.

really enjoying my Kahuna Bamboo Big Stick and Pohaku 48" longboard. start stickin!

Land Paddling is for me the next lever to have fun with a longboard.Really...I'm enjoying it a lot!!!I see the video in You-tube and i said to me..."This looks like FUN and also a upper body work-out...I must try it".Now for me riding a longboard is a total fun journey trip that never ends.With a BIG STICK longboarding is a pleasure.Give it a try...You will LOVE IT!!!

For wheels, the color is the least important thing on your list. Depending on how long your longboard is, you'll choose different diameter wheels. For decks that are 40"+ you'll want to have wheels that are from 70 - 75mm in diameter. For decks 34"- 40" you'll want wheels that are anywhere from 67 - 70mm in diameter.

I love longboarding: It's practical. I can go around in a longboard instead of using a car on some days.
I'd like to see volleyball or baseball have some direct real life application (okay, the sports kind of have,
you can run faster and whatnot but still! It's different from longboarding's practicality).

Hey I’m new to long boards like many, but have no clue what brand, flex, size, etc. I should be looking at. I am currently in University and would like something to get around campus (sometimes can get a little crowded so I might need something that can maneuver well) but also something to cruise with, to get from one spot to the next (usually kilometers apart). I am 6 feet tall if that helps haha. I would appreciate any advice considering I’m kind of lost.

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