Stand Up Paddle Film 'That First Glide' Released

written by Morgan Wood

Just try and watch the trailer below and not want to grab a stand up paddleboard to hit your nearest body of water. Guaranteed to have you SUPing in your backyard pool, 'That First Glide' shows us the magic of stand up.

DANA POINT, California – Mike Waltze has put together a mesmerizing film about stand up paddling. Shooting on location in watersports meccas such as Hawaii, Fiji and Tahiti, Waltze stitches together the various ways people have come to enjoy stand up paddling.

Highlighting the popular mediums in today’s SUP world including flat water, SUP racing and SUP surfing. The film builds from interviews with the sport’s original ambassadors to today’s SUP athletes who continue to push the sport to the next level, including interviews with Laird Hamilton, Gerry Lopez, Dave Kalama, John Zapotocky, Kai Lenny, Jenny Kalmbach, Slater Trout and Conner Baxter.

First screened on July 22nd at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center to an audience of over 400 people, the DVD is now available for sale and a screening tour is being planned to hit a theatre near you soon. A screening the weekend of the Battle of the Paddle in Dana Point has already been scheduled.

Important Links for 'That First Glide'

• Facebook Page
• Official Website
• Film Premiere at the Battle of the Paddle
• Buy 'That First Glide'

Waltze takes some time out of his hectic (yet enviable) life to answer a few questions about the movie. The following interview has been published in its entirety. In other words, grab a beer and a comfortable chair, then read on.

SUP Connect: What inspired you to film and produce ‘That First Glide’?

Mike Waltze: That's an interesting question. The first time I really filmed SUP was in February of 2010 at the first Stand Up World Tour surfing event at Sunset beach on Oahu. I had been doing the sport myself since the late 90's and thought it would be a good venue to test out some new long lenses I had just acquired for my RED camera. It was also the first event Kai Lenny ever entered on a SUP board (he won it too).

The surf got huge and we ended up on the West Side after they cancelled the contest. By the end of the week, I had all this amazing footage, and was totally blown away at how far the sport had come in such a short time. I had been riding the same 12 foot Micky Munuoz tandem board for nearly 10 years and the guys on Oahu and the West side were riding these 10 footers and Kai busted out an 8'6.

After that I started paying more attention to the sport as it was happening in the rest of the world, both in the wave riding, flat water and racing, and my interest began to build. I would say what really inspired me to make a full blown documentary about the sport, was when I started doing research about the history of the sport, and tracing it back to its roots.

I of course new about Laird’s early involvement, but had no idea about the old timers in Waikiki that had been doing it since the 60's. One thing led to another and I found myself at the point of no return, in the middle of making a feature length film.

SC: As more and more people step onto a stand up paddleboard for the first time, what do you hope that a beginner in this sport takes away / learns from your film?

MW: First I would like the film to inspire people to get out there and try the sport. It is such a great way to get out of the house and into the water. Once you have a connection to SUP, I would like people, no matter where they paddle to understand the roots of the sport and that with our without waves, they have a connection to Hawaii with this sport. It truly is a combination of outrigger paddling and surfing.

For the first couple years, Laird only did distance coast runs for exercise. The wave riding came later. So if all you are doing is paddling in flat water, you are doing the same thing Laird did, finding a way to get out on the water, get in better shape and enjoy nature.

SC: On your website you briefly mention the controversy surrounding the history of stand up paddling, do you feel it is important to the sport to establish and verify its roots or do you feel it has already evolved into a sort of hybrid of sorts that may find its roots in a multitude of water sports?

MW: Oh it has definitely evolved and is already its own sport. In fact it really is already a bunch of different sports. There is no way to compare dropping into a 20 foot face in Tahiti on a SUP to racing in the Battle of the Paddle event, completely different animals and I have equal respect for the athletes that conquer these disciplines.

Then you take  the Maui downwinders that Kalama excels at, or the 40-mile channel crossings that Connor Baxter has been winning and they are another sport altogether on those 17' long boards with the steering fin systems.

This, I feel is the greatest thing about Stand up. My wife can go for a 3 mile paddle with her friends, or go ride 2' waves on the south side and have a blast as well. There are so many ways to pick your comfort level and push yourself at the same time.

SC: From the trailer, your film seems to focus on the ocean / surf medium, what sets this environment apart from flatwater, lake, or river SUP and what advice would you give to a paddler who wishes to take their skills on calm water to the waves of the ocean?

MW: That's also a great question. I think what attracts many to SUP is that sensation of gliding. You get that feeling with each stroke in flat water. You get really long glides in the wind riding the chop while doing downwinders and the ultimate glide (in my opinion) is on a wave.

My wife had years of surfing experience, and at the same time, even though she had paddled SUP for years in flat water, would not take her board near the waves.  A SUP is a lot of board to handle in the surf.  They don't turn easy.  It was only after she got comfortable turning the board around, on command, that she finally tried to ride some small waves. That said, practicing in flat water, turning around buoys, and getting comfortable with your board are the best ways to prepare yourself for small waves.

The hardest part of surfing is catching the wave. With a SUP, that part becomes 3 times easier, instantly. My only advice is STAY AWAY FROM OTHER SURFERS. There is no reason to ride a SUP board at a normal surf break unless you have already been surfing there for years.

If you don't have waves where you live, I bet you have occasional wind.  Just know where it will blow you, have a car to pick you up, and try some coast runs while surfing the chop.  DISCLAIMER, OFFSHORE WIND WILL BLOW YOU OUT TO SEA AND YOU WILL NEVER BE FOUND!!! So be smart.

SC: Stand up paddling has seen tremendous growth in the past 5 years, where do you see this sport going in the next 5 years as more and more people embrace stand up paddling?

MW: I think it will continue to grow tremendously. Hundreds of waves are now being ridden that were never good for surfing. There is unlimited space in the oceans and large lakes for downwinders and the racing scene is happening all over the nation in flat water.

Look at it this way, there are estimated 2.5 million surfers in the USA and 17 million people paddle on Kayaks, canoes and river rafts every year. Why would you want to sit on your (wet) butt and have no use of your legs when you could stand?  It’s like wondering why snowboarding and skiing got bigger than sliding down the mountain on a sled.

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