WHEN visiting the island-state of Penang, many local or international tourists would more often than not indulge in its famous street foods, uniqueness of its heritage and culture, the beauty of Penang Hill and sandy Batu Ferringhi beaches.
But there are plenty of other things to explore and one of them is the watersport activities, which suit those seeking thrilling adventures and fun.
Apart from the usual parasailing, jet-skiing and paragliding, there is another recreational activity called Stand Up Paddling or Stand Up Paddleboarding that is gaining traction.
Also known for the acronym SUP, it is fast becoming a popular water sport and has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. Some even take it very competitively.
While the sport is quite relatively new here, it has slowly gained attraction among the locals.
According to Tan Kuan Ling, who is the pioneer of developing SUP sport in Penang, the idea of introducing the sport started when the annual International Cross-Channel Swimming competition had to be stopped due to jellyfish problems.
Tan, who is also the Penang Open Water Swimmer founder, said she and two other friends immersed themselves in the SUP sport before they started to attract the community.
“SUP is a potential water sport activity that brings the community closer to nature.
“Besides that, this sport can also raise the awareness of the importance of safety measures that are involved.
“And with more than two years of experience in this sport, we have equipped ourselves with various knowledge, which include rowing skills, wind direction and the weather,” said Tan in an interview with a Buletin Mutiara team recently.
It is, of course, better for a beginner to try out SUP on flat water to get one’s balance on the board which is generally larger and more stable than surfing long boards.
Nowadays, the paddleboard ranges between 12 and 20 feet in length and 20 inches wide. It weighs between 20 and 40 pounds.
The board is usually ridden standing up and the rider uses a long shafted paddle for propulsion and steering.
SUPing can be done in the canals, rivers, inland waterways, lakes, surf zones or oceans.
Tan gave us a briefing on the different strokes and various techniques, including the right way to hold the pedal and rowing skills.
After the briefing, the Buletin Mutiara team had the opportunity to give it a go. But first, we were told to wear lifejackets as a precautionary measure before paddling to the sea.
For those who are interested to join SUP but do not have a skateboard or related equipment, Tan said they could rent it for a fee of RM140 for two hours.
“Apart from clothes and shoes, all equipment related to this sport are provided as well. At the same time, we will also provide guidance to the participants on the skills to operate SUP,” she said.
“Although it is safe, the enthusiast is not encouraged to paddle alone. We recommend it be done in a group to prevent any untoward incidents,” she said.
Tan believes SUP sport can become one of the platforms to attract tourists to the state.
“We want to make SUP famous in the state as we will be organising more workshops related to this activity,” she added.
When met, SUPONMAN Malaysia founder Amirizal Ishak expressed hope that the sport could be promoted to a greater level.
“I hope to see more youths in our country join in the sport as our country is lagging behind our neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Singapore.
“We need more participation from our youths and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be included in the next Olympic Games,” he said.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, who tried his hand at SUP sport earlier, was seen enjoying every bit of it.
He told Buletin Mutiara that SUP sport has the potential to become one of state’s tourism products.
“Penang island is unique as it is surrounded by seawater and I believe SUP sport is able to be promoted here.
“The state hopes to cooperate with other relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to develop this sport to ensure that it becomes one of Penang’s identities in the future, ” said Yeoh.
Those who are interested can contact Tan at 012-4777506 or visit https://www.facebook.com/supon.sports or the website https://www.suponsports.com/ for more information.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhammad