BOISE, Idaho — In 2011, the United States had 1.15 million stand-up paddleboarders, in the past decade that number has more than tripled to 3.74 million in 2021.
Paddleboarders frequent Quinn's Pond, the water below Lucky Peak and the Boise River through town, at this point it's difficult to not spot a SUP on the water, but that hasn't always been the case.
"In 2008 and 2009 people would see me on the river or even Quinn’s Pond, and not even know what I was doing," said Victor Myers the owner of Corridor Paddle Surf Shop in Garden City near the Whitewater Park.
Victor says he was the first to start selling stand-up paddleboards, he design SUPS and surf boards at his shop, which he started as an experiment so he could build the kind of equipment he wanted to have the most fun on the water.
"We have been selling stand-up paddleboards since 2008," said Myers. "That's how long I have been making them too and the interest has definitely ballooned.
We talked with two families at Quinn's Pond who came together for a relaxing day in the sun, they told us they prefer the inflatable SUPS because they are convenient to store and bring to the water.
"My favorite part is bringing my daughter out," said Christina Martin. "She can just paddle us around, hang out and spend the day on the water."
And there's no shortage of water and places to take paddleboards in Idaho, the accessibility, convenience and the way these boards cater to different skill levels have alll helped fuel this trend.
"It’s a pretty versatile craft and you don’t have to have a ton of experience to do entry level stuff, you can just go try it," said Myers. "But, if you want to be on the river, you need to have the right gear and know what you are doing."
Idaho law states that children 14 and under need to wear a life jacket while on a stand-up paddleboard, the law also states that there needs to be a PFD for every person on board and it is always a good idea to wear a life jacket on a river.
Corridor Paddle Surf Shop rents out paddleboards, surfboards, wet suits and river booties, they are open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and they close one hour earlier on Sundays.
