Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) is a term derived from its Polynesian roots. The Hawaiian translation is Ku Hoe He’e Nalu: to stand, paddle, ride a wave. The first Polynesians stood on a canoe, an oar in one hand and a spear in the other. Standing on the canoe gave them a clear view to see the bottom of the water and catch fish more easily.
In the 1960s, Hawaiian surfers and water sports enthusiasts on Oahu’s south shore began practicing stand-up paddleboarding.
In the early 2000s, Hawaiian surfers like Dave Kalama, Brian Keaulana, Rick Thomas, Archie Kalepa, and Laird Hamilton began stand-up paddleboarding as an alternative way to exercise while the waves were low.

