Stand-up paddleboard yoga: Easy enough

Take it from a chick with a bum ankle: Stand-up paddleboarding is pretty simple, even when paired with yoga – and not to mention super fun!

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Jackie and Lizzy Sikkema follow the crowd into 
the water for a stand-up paddleboard session.

On a recent Tuesday morning, I joined an 8 a.m. stand-up paddleboard yoga class at Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars, organized by the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences. The instructors were Jackie and Lizzy Sikkema, twin sisters from North Beach who were introduced to the popular water sport last year when they took employment with Island Surf and Sail.

With 80-degree weather and a placid bay barely perturbed by a light breeze, the 90-minute session gave a group of early risers a great full-body workout, and a rejuvenating and relaxing start to their day.

I was most hesitant about whether I could balance on the board, especially because my right ankle is fused – the result of an injury I suffered in a head-on car collision six years ago. But my old gymnast instincts kicked in rather quickly, and I was standing firmly on the long, wide board in no time.

Most of the participants, including myself, were first-time, stand-up paddleboarders. Yes, we were rock stars, pairing our first stint with yoga, on the board, in the bay.

Getting our footing on the boards, we learned how to use the paddle: One hand on top of the shaft and one in the middle, pushing the flat end of the “elbow” back through the water in one easy stroke.

We had an early casualty – a male, duh! (just kidding) – who went down rather gracefully and reclaimed his position on his board after a hearty laugh, like a pro who understood the concept of brushing yourself off and trying again.

Most of us were slow to paddle, yet steady. We paddled around a small island, trying out different turning techniques. Paddling forward was the easiest and most common. I wasn’t so great at steering (surprise, surprise). I often knocked into other people, accidentally encroaching on their lane in the water, leaving no room for either of us to dip our paddles in between our boards. But I always laughed it off, hoping the other person would, too.

“This is so much fun!” said Bridget Schneider, a seasonal Loveladies resident from Philadelphia who didn’t seem to mind my intrusions. “I figured if I liked it, I’d get a board and take it out along the bay on my own,” she said.

After bonding over our newfound love for this particular water sport (we’d only been paddling for 15 minutes!), we flagged down Jackie Sikkema to learn where, and for how much, we could get a paddle and board. As it turns out, they run around $700 for a foam board (not so great for balancing on), to nearly $1,900 for a top-notch touring board. Paddles cost anywhere between $70 and $200. So I guess I’ll be saving up for awhile.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Most of us were slow to paddle, yet steady.

After paddling around for a half hour, we made our way back toward the shore. I was looking forward to the break; I was beginning to work up a sweat. Tossing our paddles to the beach, we began the yoga session. Although many of us were a bit wobbly at first, trying to adjust to laying and sitting on the board, we eventually found our own grooves.

The session began with a mix of sun salutations and vinyasa flow poses, known for their synchronization of movement and breath. We moved steadily from pose to pose: Plank, downward dog, chaturanga, upward dog, chair, cat cow, happy baby. I wasn’t quite able to relax until I finally allowed my breath to match up with the motion of the poses – inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth.

The yoga session ended in shavasana, or the corpse pose. We laid belly up on our boards, legs and arms outstretched on our sides, in quiet meditation for nearly five whole minutes. What bliss. Listening to the soft ripple of waves gently slap against the board as the sun warmed my body allowed me to open my eyes feeling newly refreshed.

“Who’s ready for a paddle?” shouted Jackie Sikkema.

I was the first to grab my paddle and head out on the water. I felt so rejuvenated and content, I figured I’d give one of the fancier turns a try. Jumping back on the board, twice (it was so long!), I lost my grip and slipped into the bay.

“Grab your sunglasses; your paddle will float!” Lizzy Sikkema reminded me.

The water was deep (and super salty), and I couldn’t touch the ground. I quickly swam back to the board. I was refreshed, all right.

“You should go to the women’s stand-up Paddle Challenge this summer,” said Sallie Sarrel, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor who has been spending her summers as a member of the Arts Foundation in Loveladies since she was 3 years old. “It’s so much fun. There’s music, and raffles, and food… I went last year. That was the second time I was ever on a stand-up paddleboard, and I didn’t fall. I didn’t win, but I had a lot of fun,” she added, in-between saying goodbye to a participant she planned on meeting later at the Foundation for a zumba class.

Jackie Sikkema summed up our morning.

“The class went better than I expected,” she said. “We tailored the first one to beginners, but we hope to make it a bit more advanced next time. We’ll probably add in some more difficult yoga techniques,” she added, looking toward her sister.

“We’ve both been practicing yoga for about four years,” Lizzy Sikkema chimed in. “We go to yoga festivals; take classes at school. Sometimes we watch it on TV. And we have friends who are instructors.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The crew settles down for a relaxing yoga
session before going out for another paddle.

“We picked up stand-up paddleboarding last year when we got the job at Island Surf and Sail. We entered the challenge, too, and we’re doing it again this year. We’re out on the bay everyday, training. We’re looking to win the double race this year. No more giggle fest; we can’t fall off this time,” she added, giving her sister a wide-eyed look.

The 4th Annual Ladies Paddle Challenge took place Friday, July 27 at Bayview Park in Brant Beach. Registration opened at 4 p.m. and cost $30 per person (included an event T-shirt). Races began at 6 p.m. All proceeds benefited Piece of the Puzzle Inc., an autism awareness program that focuses on adolescents and adults, and Girls on the Run, a self-esteem program that integrates running for girls in grades 3 to 8. For more information about the challenge, or to rent a paddle and board, call Island Surf and Sail at 609-494-5553.

If you prefer a non-competitive setting, LBIF is offering stand-up paddleboard yoga classes from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 31 at Bayview Park in Brant Beach and Tuesday, Aug. 21 at Bay Beach in Ship Bottom. Introductory and intermediate stand-up paddleboarding classes are also offered. To register, visit lbifoundation.org, or call 609-494-1241.


This article was published in The Beachcomber.