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Sunday 24 November 2013

A STANDING OVATION!

STAND UP EXPERIENCE.
The end of the year is coming around so quickly... where did 2013 go? 
Can you believe it's only 19 days until I go to the USA for a White Christmas? Road trip along Route 66? Fly over the Grand Canyon? Go skiing in Tahoe? Swim with the dolphins in Orlando? Finally go to Disneyland? Have a snowball fight and make a snowman? 

I am so super prepared for my holiday as I've been colour coding my ever growing bucket list! Pink highlighter is what I've already done (Climb the Eiffel Tower, Cruise in a Gondola in Venice, raise $10,000 for the Cancer Council etc) and yellow highlighter is what I am to cross off this year- all of what was mentioned earlier is on my list and I can't wait to finally highlight them in pink!

However, when reassessing my bucket list and what I have crossed off this year- I decided not to wait until I go away to start making more "pink" parts. Why let perfect opportunities pass me by?
Last weekend I went camping with good friends of mine where I crossed off: sleeping under the stars/ going 4WDing/ camping etc. 

This weekend, I crossed off Paddle boarding! 
A spontaneous text message from a new friend came at the perfect time- I had zero plans, the sun was shining and I was determined to make the weekend count. So Scott and I headed to the Marina to try out the new craze of Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP).


We hired two boards from the cutest and most caring couple from Mandurah Stand Up Paddle Hire! Never heard of it? Don't feel bad- neither had we- they've only been here for a week! Admittedly, I was feeling really nervous about trying something new, but our new friends made us feel so very welcome and safe, offering us so much useful advice and many tips on how to get the most out of our SUP experience. I was reassured that of all the people who have hired the boards, only 3 or 4 people had actually fallen off! That was good enough for me, how hard could it be?
After learning all the tricks of the trade and trying our new boards for size, Scott and I started off on our adventure. Did we stand? YEAH WE DID! We cruised around, finding our balance and trialling using the paddle to turn. This is where it went downhill! So... I was nearing the jetty, couldn't master the turn and yerp... FELL OFF, grazed my knee on the barnacles, laughed so hard I couldn't even pull myself up haha. I am part of the minority- lucky number 5 to have fallen in!


But, I got straight back onto the board and continued to love it! Scott was a total show off, zooming past me, circling me, challenging me to a race even! After telling our new friends about my fall, they offered even more coaching to help me master the turn. They were ever so patient and encouraging and made our first experience on the boards so unreal! 


Thanks Mandurah Stand Up Paddle Hire for making our afternoon so perfect! I would most certainly recommend everyone, of any age and of any fitness level, to come and try out stand up paddle boarding and what better way that with an unreal company who offer unlimited advice, friendly service, EFTPOS facilities, laughter and great memories (mine in the form of a scar on my knee- hehe)

Check them out at:

We are so glad that we came across your van and we look forward to many more adventures with you throughout the summer. 
(My mission is to make Scott fall in while I zoom by, making circles around him!)