SUP Popularity Swells in Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon — The popularity of stand up paddlig in Bend, Oregon is on a swift rise. Dozens of paddlers can be seen almost every night on the Deschutes River, enjoying a leisurely cruise or evening workout.  Races are being organized and social paddle groups are being formed. Three races took place locally last week alone.

Bend's growing reputation as a stand up paddling hot spot can be credited to a trio of former surfers, including Gerry Lopez, who moved his surfboard-manufacturing business from Hawaii to Bend in 2001, and Dave Chun, whose company Kialoa Paddles is also based in Bend. Both were among the first stand up paddlers on the Deschutes.

Most active in promoting stand up paddling locally, however, has been Randall Barna, an Orthotics maker with a long history in board sports. In 2006, he began “spreading the stoke of stand up,” as he puts it, by forming a social paddling group, organizing races and events, and selling SUP gear out of his Orthotics office. This year, after the business grew to require more time and space than he could handle, Barna began a careful search for someone to pass the torch to. Although he received several offers to buy the business, he reached out to local couple and SUP group members Chip and Lainey Booth. The Booths, Barna says, “have a genuine love and true understanding of the sport as well as the professional backgrounds to grow what I began.”

The Booths took over Barna’s business in June and have since opened a retail store at the Old Mill Marketplace. The shop, Stand Up Paddle Bend, sells boards, paddles, accessories, and apparel. They also provide information about races and events, have an online store (www.StandUpPaddleFlatwater.com), and offer rentals.