Kayak Tahoe
- Written by Dana Turvey
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- 26 Jul
Kayaking has been around for over 1,000 years; before the sport as we know it – hard plastic shells in brightly visible colors – it was originally an activity for hunting and fishing; in fact, the word ‘kayak’ is Inuit for hunter’s boat. By the mid-1800s, it had evolved into a sport for the adventurous. While most of us haven’t been kayaking for quite that long, paddling along the shores of Lake Tahoe becomes more popular each summer – now, many people forgo the possible dangers of river and ocean kayaking for more carefree excursions on lakes!
Circa 2003, big wave kahunas, Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama adopted a decades-old branch of surfing and turned it mainstream. Now, stand up paddling or SUP, has morphed into a new sport that’s quickly gaining popularity as it moves inland. While SUP may have started with the Waikiki Beach Boys in the 1950s, new fans are discovering that the sport crosses over well to more passive bodies of water – proven by the surge of paddlers now on Lake Tahoe.
While we keep busy with fun Tahoe things like hiking, kayaking and cycling, technology keeps working in the background to offer better ways to enjoy your sports. And in the category of recreation, new technology is usually a great thing – can you remember biking before padded shorts and gel seats?