AKZ Paddle Company

AKZ Paddle Company

My wife and I live in Colorado and really enjoy riding our Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP's).  In November of 2014, I was thinking about getting into SUP racing for the 2015 season (the season is fairly short out here).  To minimize humiliation, I thought I'd better find a way to train during the off-season.  

Problem!  First, there's not much water here in Colorado.  Second, the water is either frozen or super cold in Colorado around November.  Our paved and concrete surfaces actually stay pretty dry most of the time out here, even in the winter, so I considered using a longboard and a land-paddle, but there were a couple of nagging issues.  

The stance on a longboard isn't the same as on an SUP.  It makes the balance different and the paddle strokes asymmetrical.  I also had concerns about small pebbles and debris causing the board to stop quickly while my body continued forward, likely causing pain, and possibly even breakage.

Solution!  I designed a wide board that allows me to use my normal, forward-facing, SUP stance.  Now that I was facing forward, I could also use SUP paddle strokes on both sides of the board without changing my stance.  I added big wheels to keep things rolling - even when I encounter pebbles, debris, and even man-hole covers.

The end result is a Land SUP that I like to call "The Colorado Surfboard", because these boards "surf" as well as they "paddle".