In the early morning light at Lake Ivanhoe, the scene is serene and surreal. A person magically glides across the water on a flat board, like a futuristic gondolier.
“It’s surprising, because even though it looks peaceful, people are working their core,” states Paddleboard Orlando owner Kimberly Pasquale.
Paddleboard Orlando is a business that brings a new outdoor sporting activity to Central Florida’s LGBT community. Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) involves a special type of oversized surfboard and a long paddle for navigation and thrust. The experience works in waters at almost any depth: local lakes, rivers, springs, and even the ocean. SUP also gives people a noninvasive way to get back in touch with nature.
We caught up with DePasquale to get more information.
How did you find out about SUP?
I stumbled upon paddleboarding last year. It was one of those times where you have an “aha” moment. My friend introduced me to it over in New Smyrna Beach. When I was out on the board, I turned around, and I saw that the sun had hit my wake zone, and a prism had shot across the whole intercoastal. I was like, “Wow! I can really do this.” I came back to Orlando to look for a board to rent, and there were no places, and no one knew anything about it. This led me to say, “Wow, I think we have a business here.” With all the lakes Orlando has to offer, what a great way to get people out into nature.
You seem really fired up about it.
Yeah, I grew up on the coats in Titusville, and I was feeling a little landlocked here in Orlando. When I discovered paddleboarding, I immediately felt this was a way people can get back out into to the water, and really connect to that element.
Your husband and kids also do this with you?
My eight-year-old is probably my biggest fan. My six-year-old hasn’t yet figured out how to maneuver the paddle just yet. It’s a great way to connect, because we’re together, and we’re talking, and there are no distractions. That’s why I think it’s great for any family of any sort: your girlfriends or your boyfriends. We’ve done happy hours with LGBT groups, where we paddle for a couple hours, and then we stop for some fruit and wine. It’s really nice.
You’ve been a yoga instructor, right?
Yes, I’ve been a yoga instructor for about 10 years; I’ve been licensed since 2004. One day out on the board, I started incorporating yoga poses, and the next thing we knew, we’d invented a YOW class, which is Yoga on Water. There’s a lady down in Jupiter, Mary Denning, who also started doing it, but I think we both discovered it about the same time.
So, you brought your love of yoga together with this new love of paddleboarding.
When I got on the board, it was just meant to be. The board is really like a big yoga mat. I thought, “What a great way to get out of the studio, to actually spend time with people that you like.” As a culture, we’re so into multitasking, so here’s where you can get a workout, you can enjoy nature, and you can hang with your friends all at the same time.
Now that you mention it, it is quite a workout, isn’t it?
Yes. If you paddle for an hour, it’s said to burn 800 to 1,000 calories in an hour. It’s like running a 5K if you paddle for an hour. Everyone can do it too; it’s not that difficult. I’ve taken people out from the age of 8 to the age of 65. They all really enjoy it. There’s no other feeling like waking up at 7 o’clock in the morning to watch nature at its best. Your mind is peaceful on the board; all you’re doing is concentrating on your balance. You don’t have to be a surfer to sail across the lake—anyone can do it.
What services do you offer?
People can rent a couple boards from me; they can take them to the beach or to Wekiva Springs. They can take paddleboarding introduction class from me. I’m doing the Yoga on Water. I’ve teamed up with a few trainers in the area, and we’re doing a land and lake workout, called a Workout on Water, or WoW. I want to some day also get into using the paddleboards with local ecology cleanup groups. You can find all we do at PaddleboardOrlando.com
Tell us about the equipment.
It’s basically a 12-foot surfboard. It has big fins like a surfboard. You can use it to surf as well. I ride a 12-foot, and I ride a 10-foot-6 inch one. That’s one of the reasons people feel so comfortable; they’re big and easy to balance on. You can take it into any area, and all you need is a paddleboard and a paddle, and you’re off.
