Breeze Waterrunner Club: Stand-up paddleboarding is safe and fun
Breeze Water Walkers are a group of people swimming on the Breeze Canal. They use SUP boards to float on the water, getting closer to nature and going deep into every corner of the water. The Breeze Water Walker Club is made up of a group of friends who love stand-up paddle boarding. They paddle around every water area together and promote experience courses so that more people can participate. As founder Coach Wu Ruihao said, "SUP sports are like stepping on a flywheel. It’s difficult, but it will become smoother once it turns around.” It was not easy to push forward from the beginning, and now there are hundreds of members in the club. Breeze Water Walker Club's professional instructors make stand-up paddle boarding easier than you think
Stand-up paddle boarding was introduced to Taiwan about 4 or 5 years ago. It is a sport that many people have never heard of. It seems difficult, but in fact Unlike surfing and diving, it has a low barrier to entry and is a water sport suitable for all ages. Using an inflatable SUP board, paddlers can stand or sit on the board and generate power through paddling. "This sport is suitable for all ages and is environmentally friendly. We don't need any mechanical power to move. Reduce environmental pollution," said coach Wu Ruihao. Coach Wu Ruihao, one of the pioneers of stand-up paddle boarding in China, introduced and promoted the establishment of the club 4 years ago
SUP was introduced to Taiwan 6 years ago, but at that time, hard boards were promoted and the effect was not effective. Storage was a problem , until the soft SUP came out 4 years ago, Coach Wu came into contact with it by chance. Having been engaged in many different water sports in the past, he believed that the soft SUP was more suitable for Taiwan, and therefore the development was smoother. "The soft SUP can be stored "It's suitable for Taiwan, which is generally small in size. In addition, the entry threshold for this sport is low, so it's easier for Taiwanese people who are not used to engaging in water sports to get started." There are currently about 100 members in the club, and most of them arrive at 5 o'clock. Practice at Breeze Canal at 7 o'clock. Coming to the riverside early in the morning and paddling SUP in the morning light is one of the great enjoyments in ordinary life. "Most of our members have other full-time jobs. They come here to do some exercise before going to work. Just like some people will go for a morning jog, exercise, and exercise before starting the day. It is not too late for those who go to work or pick up children. It is also life. It’s a great pleasure,” Coach Wu shared. The club holiday will take the team to experience the streams along the north coast. It was difficult to get started, but now there are many participants
The establishment of Breeze Water Walker did not happen overnight. It was difficult to promote it at the beginning. Now the experience courses are often full. Coach Wu shared his feelings along the way, "When I first started promoting, the experience courses It only costs 200 yuan a time, which is super cheap! But no one wanted to participate. At that time, people who signed up would still be ignored. But now, the fees for trial courses have become higher, but more people are participating, which means that this movement is becoming more and more popular. The more you accept it, the more people who have played it will want to come back." Coach Wu also thanked the partners who worked together during this period. Because of their input, the sport of SUP was like a flywheel. It had a difficult start, but it turned out to be a success. The more you step on it, the smoother it becomes. The experiential courses are all accompanied by digital coaches who not only teach correct knowledge but also ensure the safety of the members. The experience course is both safe and fun
At present, in addition to members who bring their own SUP and other equipment, Breeze Water Walker also allows the general public to participate in the experience course, and a coach will accompany you throughout the process, from warming up, pumping up the SUP board, to For paddling on the river, the club has designed a series of courses so that participating students can return with a full experience and don’t have to worry about being completely inexperienced or having safety issues. “As long as you go into the water, you must wear a life jacket at all times, and the instructors have lifeguard licenses and have taken emergency first aid courses. "Everything is safety first," Coach Wu emphasized. Many members became addicted to it because of participating in trial courses or coming with friends, and finally decided to buy a SUP themselves so that they can take it with them and "swipe" it at any time when traveling. This is also the biggest advantage of soft SUP. Because it is easy to store, taking the whole set out is similar to that of a normal suitcase. Coach Wu said that many board friends take their boards abroad with them. As long as there are good waters, they can still experience the water. "However, It’s legal!” Coach Wu said with a smile.
It is really a pleasure to experience in the beautiful and safe waters.
Establish an association to make stand-up paddle boarding a national sport
The stand-up paddle board association was recently established. Coach Wu said that the purpose of establishing the association is to help the sport develop more smoothly through the establishment of a system. It can make *** pay attention to it. In this regard, Coach Wu already has a set of ideas. "The establishment of a coaching license system, applying for funds to assist players in going abroad, and opening drinking water waters to allow SUP boards to enter are the three major goals in the future." Coach Wu said that the establishment of a coaching license system is mainly We hope to cultivate professional coaches through formal courses and certification examinations, increase safety, and make this sport more popular. Secondly, after the establishment of the association, we can cooperate with *** and the industry to apply for funds, so that potential players can have no worries. of overseas competitions. Opening drinking water areas is also the focus of future efforts. Coach Wu said: "Many of Taiwan's beautiful scenery are in the mountains, protected areas, and reservoirs, but these places cannot be easily accessed. The biggest feature of stand-up paddle boarding is that it is pollution-free, unlike small boats that require other The power, therefore, will not pollute the environment. Boardmates who enter legally may be able to help *** monitor these places." After the experience activity was over, the members were still not satisfied. Large dragon boat boards require the concerted efforts of all members. Row to the estuary and challenge the waves. Challenging the waves is even more exciting. Even the professor couldn't help but try his skills in the sea.
Breeze Water Walker Club
add tel, 1st Floor, No. 327-1, Zhongzheng Road, Luzhou District, New Taipei City Coach Wu Ruihao 0932-332-942 web isup/ price Experience course fee: 1,900 yuan
Written by/Nian Nian Photography/Deng Yingqian