Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 23
COUNTRY ROADS
SUP with Your Pup:
VIRGINIA OUTFITTER OFFERS PADDLEBOARDING FOR DOGS
O
n a hot afternoon at Claytor
Lake Marina near Pulaski, Virginia, you'll likely see evidence
of a trend that gives new meaning to the
term, "dog paddling." SUP paddlers glide
over the water with their four-legged
companions on board. Some dogs stand
regally at the prow like figureheads; others sit protectively between their owner's
legs. Some brave souls sport two small
dogs on one paddleboard.
Mike Valach, owner of Mountain 2
Island Paddleboard & Boat Rentals on
Claytor Lake, has been teaching folks and
their dogs how to do stand-up paddleboard for a couple of years.
"Any dog can do it," says Valach.
"Ninety-five percent of the dogs we train
get on the paddleboard within a few minutes."
Dogs are, well-dogged-and they'll
try hard to please you.
{
Although Valach has taught his own
dogs to ride paddleboards when they
were four months old, paddleboarding
dogs don't need to start as puppies.
"They can be any age, any breed, even
any size," he says. "You just need a big
enough board for them to balance on.
All Island 2 Mountain's paddleboards are
covered with deck pads to give the dogs
traction."
SUP, an ancient form of surfing, began
in the legendary waves of Hawaii. Paddlers move through the water with a single long paddle. Stand-up paddleboards
extend 9 to 14 feet and are geared more
toward balance than speed. The sport is
not overly technical and doesn't require
great fitness levels.
While Valach estimates he introduces
700 people to the sport each year, he says
SUP with dogs is still catching on.
-SU CLAUSON-WICKER
Even the smallest of us
can be part of something very big.
}
The grown-up sense of discovery at every turn
around the mountain will only be surpassed by the
childlike wonder our natural playground evokes.
w w w. g ra n d f a t h e r. c o m
VERY BIG
Grandfather Mountain
Blue Ridge Country
Dogs can stand even when other paddlers are
not quite ready for the full SUP experience.
GRANDFATHER®
MOUNTAIN
WONDERS NEVER CEASE
Half-page ad March-April 2019
Contact: Frank Ruggiero (828) 733-2013
frank@grandfather.com
JULY/AUGUST 2019
23
http://www.grandfather.com
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 5
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 6
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 7
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 8
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 10
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 11
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 12
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 13
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 14
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 16
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 18
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 20
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 22
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 23
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 24
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 25
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 26
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 28
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 31
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 32
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 34
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 36
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 38
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 40
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 44
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 45
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 46
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 50
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 51
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 52
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 54
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 57
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 58
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 59
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 60
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 61
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 62
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 63
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 64
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 65
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 66
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 67
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 68
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 69
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 70
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 71
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 72
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 73
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - 74
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com