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Auburn’s New Water Recreation Sports & Equipment,
Finger Lakes Paddleboard
Looking for a new way to navigate on Owasco Lake? Why not try Finger Lakes Paddleboards, or Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP). Cody White & Ryan Saca have brought this ancient Hawaiian tradition, which combines aspects of surfing and canoeing, to the area, and maintain it’s a great way for people of any age to experience the lake.
SUP is a sport that originated in Hawaii that can be a workout, or just a lazy paddle to enjoy the water. Users stand up on a long board, similar to a surf board, and move through the water using a long paddle similar to a canoe paddle.
White shares, “I think this is a great sport for this area because the triathletes and marathoners can have another sport which combines all muscles and endurance while doing "the next big thing." Distance Paddleboard races are everywhere, and we hope to introduce one or more to the area soon.”
Background on Ryan Saca
White and Saca met in Lake Tahoe CA at Porter's Sports, an old-time core ski shop in Tahoe City. Saca is a California (Bay area) native who lifeguarded at the local swimming area for 4 years. He graduated UC Santa Cruz with at BS in environmental studies. After college Saca became a professional lifeguard for the city of Santa Cruz for 6 years. While lifeguarding for Santa Cruz, he was sent by the California Surf Lifesaving Association to New Zealand for a lifeguard exchange program. Also, while in Santa Cruz, Saca was a Lieutenant in the Junior Guard program. This is a summer program for kids ages 6-17, teaching them water safety skills in the Monterey Bay involving swimming, running, paddling, and basic life saving skills.
Following Santa Cruz, Saca traveled to South America, South East Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and Portugal. While in Thailand in 2005, Saca was working toward his Rescue Diver certification.
Background on Cody White
White’s mother’s family is from Auburn and he’s lived all over New England. Born in Ohio, brought up in New Hampshire. White graduated from Hampden-Sydney College with a BS in psychology and has worked in therapeutic schools/programs in Virginia, Utah, and Western Samoa. Being active in all sports since he was little, Tahoe was a perfect fit for White. Great biking and water sports in the summer and some of the best skiing in the country during the winter. While there, White and Saca were introduced to flat water SUP and were immediately drawn to the sport. After White visited with his mother and grandmother last summer, he was surprised to see that SUP had not been realized in the Finger Lakes. So here they are.
Keep it Local
On the business side, the team is trying to use local resources as much as possible, especially if the costs are close. Jacobs Press, A&M Graphics, M&T Bank, and Talic are some of the local businesses they are very pleased to support. One of the board companies that we are using, Tahoe SUP, is local for Tahoe, which they also like to support.
Their business is a mobile delivery service providing paddleboards and necessary equipment (PFD's paddles) and a 5-10 minute instruction going over safety, technique and pointers. For non-local (over 20 miles) there is a mandatory full-day rental.
Rentals are available by appointment seven days a week. 25% discounts are given to groups of 4 or more. Rentals include free delivery within 20 miles of Skaneateles.
For more information and rental rates call (315) 237-7000 or e-mail fingerlakespaddleboard@gmail.com or visit their website at www.fingerlakespaddleboard.com.
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