Whether it was teaching himself how to surf as a kid while on family vacations in Daytona Beach, riding a wave in Hawaii or paddleboarding down the Tennessee River in his hometown of Chattanooga, the desire to be involved in some type of water sport has been a part of his life.
So when the opportunity came a few years ago to open a paddleboard rental business with a partner in Tennessee, Webb decided it was time to end a 12-year career as a police officer and take the plunge, so to speak.
?You either get on or get off,? he said.
Webb decided to get on. Since then, he has expanded his business to include a shop and rentals on the beach behind the Post Card Inn.
His shop, Saltwater Kite and Paddle, at 6340 Gulf Blvd., specializes in the sale of paddleboards and kiteboards, but the bulk of time is spent next to the surf watching over his paddleboard rentals.
Webb, 39, and his fianc?e Grace Marcel, are entrepreneurs in one of the fastest growing recreation water sports in America.
Both offer kiteboarding lessons and rentals, but prefer to steer most people toward the safer sport of paddleboarding.
?It?s way easier and a much more forgiving sport,? said Webb, whose nickname is Waterboy. ?If you have the least bit of coordination you can do it.?
He said the sport dates back to the 1920s in Hawaii when former U.S. Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku taught surfing lessons. Many of Kahanamoku?s students wanted keepsake photographs and because of the distance offshore, beach photographers couldn?t get good shots. Opportunistic photographers would paddle out on surfboards and carefully shoot their subjects without losing control of their cameras.
More recently, American surfer Laird Hamilton has taken up the sport, spurring a new generation of interest in the sport.
?Not everybody can surf,? said Webb. ?This is the closest a lot of people will come to surfing.?
Because of that, he said the sport has grown ?like wildfire? the last three or four years.
?Most surf shops have gone to them (paddleboards) because they?re so easy to use,? Webb said.
On a good day, Webb said he rents boards to about 25 people. Rates are $35 for an hour, $25 for a half-hour and $55 for three hours.
?We give a short tutorial,? he said. ?We tell them do this and don?t do that to make sure everybody is on the same page as far as safety.?
This compares with three to four hours of instruction before turning someone loose with the more expensive kiteboarding equipment.
For the most part, the tranquil water of the Gulf of
Mexico is perfect for paddleboarding.
?Typically, we have flat enough days and flatter makes it easier to learn,? Webb said. ?We don?t even open if it?s too rough.?
He?s rented boards to all ages, ranging from 6 to 73.
?If you?re in shape and have the slightest amount of coordination, you can do it,? he said.
Webb rents varying sizes of paddleboards but said his ?magic number? is 10-feet, 6 inches to 11 feet in length and 30 to 32 inches wide.
Good boards range in price from $1,000 to $2,000 and good paddles run about $250.
Webb also organizes a pair of paddleboarding events each year. The Tampa Bay Winter SUP Series is held from December to February and the Pacifico Paddle Challenge races are held in early November.
This year the third edition of the Paddle Challenge will be a two-day event on Nov. 9-10. It will include zigzag races, relays, kids competition, an 8-mile distance race and a 4-mile open race.
New this year will be the addition of kayaks, outrigger canoes and prone paddleboards.
Plans also call for a luau, complete with Polynesian dancers from Walt Disney World, live music and plenty of good food. The luau will be included in the entry fee for the race competitors but the general public can also take part too. Cost will be $10 for adults, $5 for children, Webb said.
?We want to get the community involved and to come out and watch the competition,? Webb said. ?We want to push the kids participation to get the community involved more and to understand the sport.?
For more information on the Paddle Challenge or paddleboarding in general, stop by Webb?s shop or give him a call at 423-463-1847.
Source: http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/beach_beacon/content_articles/042413_bhb-03.txt
wwe wrestlemania oakland shooting mega millions winning numbers autism speaks ubaldo jimenez ncaa final country music awards
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.