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Traditional Polynesian sport finds its way to western Wyoming
Stand-up paddlers obviously get a better view of the river than those who remain seated.
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The waters of the Snake River Canyon do not see much traffic in March. Boats sit stacked in local garages while skis still top SUVs. But when Terry Whitaker received his new toy in March 2005, he couldn’t wait for spring. Having just vacationed in Hawaii, Whitaker bought and shipped himself a stand-up paddle board, which he had seen frequently on the ocean waters. Outfitted in a full dry suit, helmet, and life jacket, he took his board straight from Hawaii down the snow-lined banks of the Snake River Canyon.
Hawaiian influences in Jackson Hole continued the following year. In 2006, Aaron Pruzan, proprietor of Rendezvous River Sports, met Maui surfing legend Loch Eggers, who had stopped by Aaron’s store to inquire about the notorious Lunch Counter Rapids in the Snake River Canyon. This fortuitous first meeting led to a second, this time in Maui. On the ocean waters, Eggers introduced Pruzan to stand-up paddling, an ancient form of Polynesian surfing experiencing a twenty-first century rebirth.
Having grown up canoeing, the strokes and control came naturally for Pruzan. He had just found a new favorite sport.
