Stand Up Guys Paddleboarding

Photos by OHventures

Ever since my first experience paddleboarding two years ago on a quarry in Columbus (with Project 908), I had been itching to do it again. In the Akron area, at the Portage Lakes, there is a great company aptly named The Stand Up Guys, who offer paddleboarding rentals along the PLX for very reasonable prices! The Stand Up Guys are totally laid back and willing to work with you on rental times and the location on the lakes in which you will launch from. The more people you have, the cheaper it is to rent. I ordered 5 paddleboards for 2 hours, which cost just $125!

My unsuspecting parents came along for the paddleboard excursion!

Next it was time to find out who to invite along for this epic adventure. I was able to convince my dad to try it out for the first time ever as a birthday gift to him, and I dragged my mom along too. Two friends, Greg and Matt, also were up for the challenge. None of them had ever done it before. Of course my parents felt initially that it would be totally out of their league, for a number of reasons. But, as any good son would do, I basically pressured them into taking the leap of faith and trusting that they would be fully capable. 

The whole group with our colorful sunglasses!

As the Stand Up Guys demonstrated when they dropped off the boards and gave us a tutorial, it is very difficult to fall off! They purposely rocked and wobbled the boards to show this. This was particularly relieving to our buddy Matt, who actually doesn't even know how to swim! Thankfully for him (and for all of us), the Stand Up Guys provide life jackets with every board. You do not have to wear it the whole time, but you are required to have it fastened to your board.

Father & son out for dad's birthday!

After they adjusted our oars, they showed us the tricks to getting on (start on your knees then work your way up to standing), and paddling (keep your arms straight, one on top of the oar, one halfway down, creating a triangle with your arms and the oar). We were soon off on our own in the wide open waters!

The whole group off up and at 'em (well...or at least half way up, mom)

One of the most challenging parts of the start of our paddleboarding experience was fighting the wind! While it was a beautifully sunny day, there were portions of the lake where the wind was particularly strong and we had to paddle harder to get a good rhythm going. Another obstacle was navigating through the busy waters of Portage Lakes. Even the slowest moving pontoon boats would create little waves that would disturb your travels.

The first person POV!

But aside from those two minor items, paddleboarding on the crystal clear waters was a piece of cake, and we managed to make some good distance in the 2 hour time slot we were allotted. We launched from Old State Park Beach on Turkeyfoot Lake, where then we paddled around the ski & speed zone, through Mud Lake, then turned around, stopping on New State Park Beach before heading back. 

Get it Greg!

Look ma, no life jacket (I was not happy bout that haha)

It was a gorgeous day and so there were TONS of people out swimming, boating, canoeing, finishing, and the like. We were the only paddleboarders that I saw that day. Portage Lakes is a HUGE set of lakes, for those not familiar. So, if given more time, we would have lots more to explore. But, we were all getting pretty fried from the sun, and were working up quite an appetite!

We got back to the launching area and turned in our boards and oars to the Stand Up Guys. We then grabbed a bite to eat on the patio of On Tap at the Harbor Inn and talked about our adventure. Surprisingly, no one fell in! And everyone kept pace pretty well. I was able to prove to my parents and our friends that it is definitely something that most people can do if they just take that first step!

Portage Lakes Polar Bear Jump

AGMC Orthopaedics Team at the Polar Bear Jump 2015

Chalk this up to one of the wildest things I've ever done: The Portage Lakes Polar Bear Jump! 

Now in its 12th year, the Portage Lakes Polar Bear Jump is the initiation into the Polar Bear Club, which consists of warm-hearted people willing to freeze their bodies to raise money to feed people and fight hunger! That's right, like all of the off-the-wall challenges I get myself into, it's all for charity. Every dollar that is donated to someone who signs up as a jumper provides four meals to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank (also the benefiting organization in the Selfless Elf 5K).

On Saturday, February 21, 2015, I joined a group of co-workers to "Go Polar" for the Foodbank. Our team was called "AGMC Orthopaedics" and it included doctors, residents, and other young professionals from the hospital and health system (I figured if medical professionals were on my team, I had safety on my side).

An aerial view of the event - courtesy of Portage Lakes Polar Bear Club

You may remember that last year, I took part in the Polar Plunge at Mosquito Lake in Cortland. The main difference between that event and this one was: the depth of the water! In the event last year, we simply had to run through freezing cold water that went up to our knees at its deepest. The Polar Bear Jump requires you to literally JUMP off of a dock into the freezing cold water of Turkeyfoot Lake! The entire lake is frozen with a thick layer of ice, so the event organizers had to carve out a special area for us to jump!

2015 carved in ice - courtesy of Portage Lakes Polar Bear Club

The weather at Portage Lakes (located in Summit County) was especially severe this week, with temperatures as low as -20 degrees below zero! By some miracle, the temperature on jump day was around 30-35 degrees (balmy!), but there was still a great deal of snowfall and accumulation, which made the roads pretty rough for traveling! This, coupled with a prior engagement I had to attend earlier in the day, caused me to get to Portage Lakes at approximately 2:15.

Our scheduled jump time was supposed to be 3:25, so I figured I had made it in enough time. However, for some reason, the event was WAY ahead of schedule. When I arrived, I called my friend and fellow jumper Ashley and she told me that our team was already in line to jump! I immediately ran to the line, threw my bags down, tore off my clothes (into my bathing suit), and joined my team for a group photo (they were easy to spot because many of them were wearing scrubs!).

Our team jumping in!

In the blink of an eye, we were making our way down the dock to the jumping platform, and just like that it was "bombs away" into the frigid water. I didn't even have time to think, it was such a blur!! In retrospect, it was the best way to go, because my fear wasn't able to set in, and I didn't have to wait around in the cold for an hour leading up to my jump.

After making a quick swim to the ladder, I ran to the men's heated changing tent and got myself dry and warm. I honestly was barely bothered by the cold (maybe I was in shock or had lots of adrenaline). I then worked backwards and hung out with the group, had a beer, took some photos, and watched other jumpers.

It was great seeing the hilarious costumes: superheroes, pirates, Vikings, chickens, and more. I even saw my friend Eric jump in while wearing a full business suit. The dedication was unreal. Over 700 people jumped this year, and collectively, we raised over $110,000 - more than any other year. Proud to say I contributed to that total, and that I am now an official member of the Portage Lakes Polar Bear Club!

See the shenanigans of the event thanks to WKYC, including our team in the water around the 3:00-3:15 mark (I am shown climbing out of the water on the ladder).

Candy Stick Photography

Photography is the only language that can be understood anywhere in the world.

Seeing Ohio (and the world) through adventuring over the years has been a wonderful journey. But it wouldn't be the same without having photos to document my travels and experiences. Oftentimes, photos are far more powerful than the written or spoken word. That's why I am a photo junkie, and I encourage everyone to bring a camera with them to capture memories, moments, and magic.

That said, I have enormous respect for those who have a passion for photography and make it their living. It's truly an artform that is essential in our lives. My friend Laurel is one of those artists, and she has established her own company, Candy Stick Photography, based out of the Akron-Canton area. Laurel's philosphy for taking great pictures is "less posing, more fun!" She loves taking pictures that show every day life and the love between family members and friends. 

 

Her and I went on a photo shoot for Candy Stick Photography, and while there were definitely some poses in the mix, she was able to capture the passion I have for adventure with one of my favorite spots - Portage Lakes - as the backdrop. Take some time to browse through these pics and be sure to check out Candy Stick Photography for yourself!