Expatriate life: Hong Kong's Beautiful Sport: Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP)

Expatriate life: Hong Kong’s Beautiful Sport: Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) 

9 Sep 2021 

Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP) is one of the more popular outdoor sports that people can enjoy during Hong Kong’s long, hot summers. Tim Tao of Asian Tigers Hong Kong is a big fan of SUP and he would like to share his experience and passion for the sport.

According to Tim, humans may have evolved from fish. Yes, it would come as a revelation to Charles Darwin but after 120 weekends of SUP, Tim now is convinced that millions of years ago, we shed our fins and tails and crawled on our slimy bodies to the shore. We evaded being dinosaur food long enough to gain a foothold in dry land. We wobbled and stumbled a bit, but eventually we stood upright became homo erectus. OK, maybe all the salt water has gotten to Tim but it just shows how passionate he is about SUP 

Tim explains that SUP originated in Hawaii decades ago, and came about when conventional surfers added a paddle to their regular surfboard for extra propulsion. Tim may not be a regular surfer but he does point out that a paddle does free him from relying on waves. With SUP, you can go anywhere you like and that freedom appeals to Tim very much.

SUP has many health benefits. The standing posture used in SUP tones the entire body, especially the core muscles of the abdomen. The spine and its supporting muscles are also beneficiaries of SUP. According to Tim, a strong spine enables the efficient transfer of nutrients which fuel your body’s electrical signals. 

Standing on the SUP without falling was not easy for Tim at the early beginning but I picked up on it quickly. With the considerable practice I’ve had, I now manage to keep myself dry. 

Tim suggests that you check out the many YouTube videos about SUP if you think you might be interested in this sport. 

A note of caution: Last week four spade nose sharks were spotted in Sai Kung! Marine biologists say they are not dangerous – but they are sharks nonetheless. Tim is man of science and he trusts people in white coats, so he’ll continue his SUP without hesitation.

Tim loves the sport and he thinks you will too.