Stand Up for CHEO
Stand Up for CHEO is a charity fund-raising event for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) featuring the new sport of Stand Up Paddling. Four friends will be paddling a 140 km (86 mi.) starting in the historic community of Westport, Ontario, Canada and will trace their way along the historic Rideau waterway system until they finish at the base of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Canada’s capital region) three days later. This year, the participants will be limited to the organizers and a few friends who are raising the pledges. The goal is to use the awareness gained through publicity in newspapers, television and magazines to turn this into an annual event where paddlers can either join in for legs of the journey or for the entire trip. The journey will start on September 10, 2010 and will finish on September 12, 2010. It will include camping each night at scenic sites along the way and a chase vehicle, with a photographer, will follow the participants to capture the journey via stills and video. These images will be used to document the journey and for promotional material for next year’s event.
What is Stand Up Paddling?
Although there are diverging thoughts as to its origins, the sport of Stand Up Paddling came into the limelight when Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama, two Hawaiian waterman featured in the popular film Riding Giants introduced the world to this sport at the beginning of the new millennia. A Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) is essentially a large surfboard designed for riding in a standing position with the assistance of a paddle. Unlike surfboards, which require surf, an SUP can also be used on flat water of rivers and lakes as well in the surf. SUPs come in all shapes and sizes but those designed for flat water use range in size from 11’ to 14’ and are on average 30” wide. These boards are remarkably stable, and they provide an excellent core workout as well as an interesting perspective as you paddle around your local river or lake. These boards make excellent learning tools for beginner surfers as they can be surfed on waves as little as 6” high due to the size and flotation ability. Featured in magazines such as Time and Vogue, and in TV advertisements for the state of California. Stand Up Paddling (SUPing) is currently regarded as the fastest growing paddle sport in the world. This is not surprising considering their versatility and ease of use. Anyone can learn to SUP.
The Rideau
Today, many Canadians, Americans and international tourists travel these waters each summer to take in the beauty of this historic area and experience the hand operated locks that are still in use today. In 2007 UNESCO named this historic waterway a World Heritage Site. A National Historic Site of Canada, and a Canadian Heritage River, it attracts thousands of visitors each year to boat up its connected series of beautiful lakes, rivers and canals. Arguably one of the more scenic waterways in North America, it is nestled in the hub of central Canada within 500 km (310 mi) of over 6 million people.
The Team
The organizers are four friends, three who have been involved in a variety of board sports in one way or another for most of their lives and the fourth, is a fitness professional who has recently been bitten by the bug of stand up paddle boarding.
Duncan Keith first stepped on a skateboard at the age of 10. Now at 47 skateboarding is a journey he still follows although a bit more slowly and less vertically. A windsurfer for 30 years and a snowboarder for 20 he has always been at the cusp of any of these new sports as they came into the public eye. He bought his first SUP in 2007 and has never looked back. A promoter of the sport of stand up paddle boarding Duncan is always answering questions and introducing people to the latest sport he loves as he steps off the water. Duncan’s son Dylan is 14 years old and is also a fellow sailor, surfer, snowboarder and skateboarder. During his youth Dylan had to spend several nights at CHEO in their emergency ward due to his life threatening allergies. He will not be participating this year but will instead be part of the support team.
Matt Hinther at 34 years old also grew up on a board. He first started going sideways at the age of 8 and was immediately hooked. Still skateboarding today Matt was also one of the first snowboarders in Ottawa 20 years ago when the sport was still in its infancy. He has worked 13 years in the sports retail industry and has also been a snowboard instructor. Having also windsurfed and surfed Matt came to stand up paddle boarding two years ago and immediately fell in love with it. His available time is now spent flat water training and heading to the coast of Maine whenever the swell and job permits. Matt also spent a lot of time at CHEO when he was a child due to his asthma and allergies. More recently his daughter had an important surgery performed at CHEO.
Jonathan Nelson began his board-riding career at the age of 13. Like many, he has never looked back from that day and has been snowboarding for the last 17 years while finding a way to live, shred and travel to some of the world’s best mountain ranges. Introduced to body surfing at the age of 7 and not satisfied with hanging off of dad to catch waves, Jonathan was introduced to surfing. Jonathan has been surfing ever since and more recently has taken his love of surfing into the realm of shaping. A soul surfer in its purest form Jonathan has travelled over mainland America, Hawaii and Mexico in search of culture and waves. He discovered stand up paddle boarding a year ago and immediately ditched his plans to upgrade his mountain bikes. Standing on water is a more natural fit for this surfer at heart.
Jen Dillinger, a former-university and provincial soccer player for 15 years, is an experienced athlete who participates in many sports including triathlon, marathon running and pretty much anything that involves being outdoors. She recently completed her 2nd Boston marathon and plans to complete Ironman distance triathlons in the future. Jen’s love for new, intense and extreme sports is vast. Since being introduced to paddle boarding through Duncan and Matt, her goal and drive is to learn, excel at, and introduce this new sport to others. Employed as a personal trainer, one of her objectives is to integrate a new form of physical training, involving paddle boarding and strength and conditioning.
