Waves of Discovery - SUP Shellharbour
Article Fifteen: SUP Shellharbour
From The Farm to Shallows, Bass Point to Bombo, Shellharbour Harbour or Minnamurra River there is no shortage of amazing places to SUP in and around Shell Cove and there is something for all ages and abilities.
Stand up paddleboarding has quickly become one of Australia’s more popular watersports and if you’ve ever entered the waters around Shellharbour there is a good chance you’ve seen Bec and her loyal gang of SUP’ers hitting the water – either intentionally, or not!
Over the past few years, SUP Shellharbour and their enviable gallery of amazing imagery have represented the region on a national level and just recently featured in the Destination NSW’s latest tourism campaign alongside Guy Sebastian and Ash London.
It’s a passion that’s manifested into a profession, this is their story…
We’ve been running Stand Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour for five years now, it’s like they say, time flies when you’re having fun!
We have the license to operate out of several sites throughout Shellharbour and Kiama – Lake Illawarra, Little Lake, South Warilla Beach, Shellharbour Harbour, Oak Flats Skiway, Shallows and Minnamurra – but to be honest, apart from a few private bookings or group training sessions, you’ll most likely find us down on Lake Illawarra, Little Lake or enjoying everything Minnamurra River has to offer.
I’ve always loved the water; I just love sport and have a very wild history in taking on just about anything.
I was a Bodybuilder from 1994 – 1996, I was the only female to compete at Worlds; up until five years ago I ran out on the wing for the St George Illawarra Dragons, I was a good ten years older than the majority of the squad and they didn’t believe me when I told them I’d be late to training one day as I was celebrating my 40th birthday the night before!
I’ve competed in the NSW State Series for downhill Mountain biking and in New Zealand as part of the Rotorua Series – this is such a thrill but brutal. I’ve got plates all through one of my legs after a pretty epic crash in the hills one day. That’s a story for another day!
I have also rowed boats for Kiama, Gerringong, Warilla and Corrimal and have taken on one of the toughest events of its kind as part of the George Bass.
And as much as I love a good adventure as much as the next person, nothing makes me happier than being on my board in the Lake and just enjoying the little waves that come in on the northern breakwall.
I love riding waves too but it can get pretty territorial out there and I find I get just as much enjoyment jumping on to the waves within the lake, they offer a long, fun, ride and I’m mostly out there on my own this is amazing – there are not many places where you can claim a wave to yourself!
Like most of us, this has been a weird year but we’ve adapted and hopefully made it through the worst of it and we’re now looking towards new opportunities and new pathways to grow our business.
We’re about to launch SUP ball – and it’s like water polo on boards – it’s fast, crazy and heaps of crashes but you’re on inflatable so no boards are damaged in the process.
We are also looking at introducing SUP Pilates, Yoga and one of the most spectacular sessions we have is at night – the boards light up and the things you see is amazing!
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Stand Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour offer a range of classes for all ages and abilities. Be sure to check out their website – www.supshellharbour.com or call Bec directly on 0427 667 938.
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