Jeff Archer, founder of YOLO Board, has created a lifestyle brand that invites us to get on board, try something new and to be apart of a community that embraces an open mind that is full of adventure. Today YOLO Board remains committed to its community and the lifestyle that it loves, which began on the water. At its birthplace, in Florida, it is still called YOLO Boarding, or YOLO-ing and today stand up paddle boarding is still the fastest growing and already one of the largest watersports in the world. In light of one of the founders of this movement here are the top 5 reasons to try stand up paddle boarding:
1. YOU. "It's all about You." The power of paddle boarding, SUP or YOLO-ing is that you can use it to: relax, de-stress, get away, or to get in shape, exercise and find your balance. You can take it easy and just glide, or train hard and go fast, or stretch out with SUP Yoga and even fish off your board. You can experience it in so many different ways and in so many different places. You also have the opportunity to live these moments with others, new friends and loved ones and to be apart of local and national paddle events and communities.
2. THE MOMENT. It is all about that "moment when you are on the water" because life is meant to be vivid and capturing. Yolo Board reminds us that, "You Only Live Once," and if you really think about this statement then each moment becomes precious, valuable, beautiful and worth living to its fullest. The moment can not be much better than when you are truly living in it and when you are dedicated, in love and passionate about what you are doing. Some of the most memorable moments are when you put yourself in the right place and at the right time and are open to all possibilities. Surfers describe there most enlightened moment in the barrel as "time-less." Paddlers might describe it as rewarding.
3. THE EXPERIENCE. The moment and the experience go hand in hand. At the moment when "life seems to slow down and you really get to focus on everything that's around you" is when you will have experienced stand up paddle boarding. For first timers, the experience needs to be both safe and fun. After those beginner shakes disappear, when you can finally paddle with confidence, is when the feeling of gliding across the water becomes embodied. While not everyone can surf and experience the sensation of getting barreled, most everyone can experience the feeling of stand up paddle boarding. The moment is the experience.
4. THE ADVENTURE. "You get to see a lot of cool stuff." There is an adventure awaiting on lakes and rivers around the world, one that is full of local wildlife, uncharted territory and new friends. The adventure starts within you and it is your choice to take the first step and try something new . . . See you on the water . . .
By Tyler Marshall