pittsburgh

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Full Moonrise Event Series

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Full Moonrise Event Series

Every Summer, we look forward to a variety of paddleboarding adventures across Pennsylvania.  Perhaps the most visually stunning and the ones we dream about all winter are the opportunities to watch the full moonrises over the water at Moraine State Park.  For years we have dialed in the perfect watching locations to give a stunning moonscape that starts above the rolling hills and reflects off the water of Lake Arthur.  These experiences include all the fun accoutrements of the Glow SUP experiences (glow necklaces, full LED board lighting, and free photography of your adventure) with the added activity of watching the moonrise (subject to weather of course).

Watch SurfSUP Adventures on Start Up Television Show!

Watch SurfSUP Adventures on Start Up Television Show!

Learn about how SurfSUP Adventures came to be on the Start Up Television hosted by Gary Bredow! The show provides an in-depth look at the fascination of standup paddleboarding and how Ian Smith uses the pursuit as a catalyst to inspire conservation of waterways and mentorship for underserved youth throughout Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania.

As Seen on "Finding Adventure" with Kinga Philipps

As Seen on "Finding Adventure" with Kinga Philipps

Season 1 of the Very Local television show, “Finding Adventure,” featured a variety of outdoor experiences in the Pittsburgh region. SurfSUP Adventures had the pleasure of guiding show host, Kinga Philipps, and guest, Daniel Johnson on a river surfing and whitewater SUP session in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania!

SurfSUP Founder Delivers Keynote Presentation for Student Research Symposium

SurfSUP Founder Delivers Keynote Presentation for Student Research Symposium

Watch now as SurfSUP Adventures Founder and Watersmith Guild Executive Director, Ian Smith, provides a keynote presentation for the Allegheny College / Creek Connection Student Research Symposium! The Creek Connections program has forged an effective partnership between Allegheny College and regional K-12 schools to turn waterways in Northwest Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh area, and beyond into outdoor environmental laboratories. Emphasizing a hands-on, inquiry based investigation of local waterways, this project annually involves over 40 different secondary schools and the classes of 50 teachers.

Earth Day Film Premiere

Earth Day Film Premiere

Let’s celebrate Earth Day with a surprise premiere of the First Waves Johnstown Project film from the Summer of 2020! Special thanks to the volunteers, mentors, and supporters that made this project possible. Enjoy the show!

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Prep for Paddleboarding Pittsburgh!

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Prep for Paddleboarding Pittsburgh!

With warm weather and sunny skies in the forecast, surely you are thinking the same thing as us - time for paddleboarding season! Whether you’re looking to plan a fun family outing, a safe, socially-distanced group activity, or just escape for some time on the water in and around Pittsburgh, we are ready to provide you with the standup paddleboarding experience you’ve been dreaming of all winter!

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An Interview with Great Lakes Surf Filmmaker, Andrew Wyton

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An Interview with Great Lakes Surf Filmmaker, Andrew Wyton

On Monday, November 11, we will be gathering at Patagonia Pittsburgh to celebrate the waves and personalities that comprise Pittsburgh’s inland surf culture.  We will be talking story and showcasing films from local filmmakers, including Ontario’s, Andrew Wyton.  Wyton’s films include Boom Lagoon, Lake Lyfe, Hot Toddy and Sweet Water.  We had a chance to chat with Andrew to learn more about his foray into the wild world of Great Lakes Surf filmmaking…

Film Event with Patagonia Pittsburgh

Film Event with Patagonia Pittsburgh

Attention Pittsburgh surfers, paddlers, water enthusiasts and adventurers - First Waves and SurfSUP Adventures will be partnering with Patagonia Pittsburgh as they host a Never Town Film Screening with professional surfer, Dan Ross, on Tuesday, October 23! There will be refreshments, food, raffles and more that will all benefit the First Waves program to engage underserved youth in river surfing, watershed conservation and filmmaking! We hope to see you all there!

Film Premiere: The Current to Conserve

Film Premiere: The Current to Conserve

SurfSUP Adventures started with the mission to provide Pittsburgh with standup paddleboarding adventures in the amazing waterways of Pennsylvania.  While that objective is still our top priority, it has expanded to include the conservation of these watersheds and introducing these experiences to the local teens.

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First Waves at 5Point Film Festival Pittsburgh

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First Waves at 5Point Film Festival Pittsburgh

There’s something about outdoor film festivals that makes you question what you’re capable of.  The combination of immaculately captured places, harrowing adventures, and a cast of characters only conjured by sports involving leaps from cliffs, vertical climbs, or skate boards hurdling down mountain roads at 70-mph.  But why are these festivals so moving?

BREAKING WAVES AT MOUNT ARARAT

BREAKING WAVES AT MOUNT ARARAT

Nestled in the urban sprawl of Pittsburgh’s East End, The Mount Ararat Community Activity Center provides innovative programs and experiential learning to the area’s families and youth.  Earlier this summer, the Center debuted a new program for a select group of students, part of which involved teaching them to surf in whitewater rivers.

FIRST WAVES FEATURED IN WPXI “PROUD PITTSBURGH”

FIRST WAVES FEATURED IN WPXI “PROUD PITTSBURGH”

WPXI’s, "Proud to be from Pittsburgh," is a program designed to highlight people who are doing good in our communities.”  SurfSUP Adventures and First Waves founder, Ian Smith, worked with Channel-11 News Anchor, Peggy Finnegan, to document a First Waves event on the Pittsburgh Riverfront for the segment earlier this year.

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NEW RIVER GORGE SUP RACE

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NEW RIVER GORGE SUP RACE

The New River Gorge SUP Race has become the epicenter of whitewater paddleboard racing in the Eastern US, but not because of a cash purse (there isn’t one!) or fantastical prizes. Instead, this race has ingrained itself in the hearts of a community that it has helped to grow since its inception in 2011. The setting itself could be attributed to the race’s popularity. The New River Gorge and Fayetteville, the adjoining mountain town, is a quintessential hub for adventure and natural beauty. Still, the underlying values and genuine love that race founder, Melanie Hames, puts into this event is the defining ingredient. The West Virginia SUP scene is filled with passionate people like her, and this event has drawn competitors from around the world that all want a piece of it.

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A "MONSTER" ADDITION TO FIRST WAVES PROGRAM

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A "MONSTER" ADDITION TO FIRST WAVES PROGRAM

The river wave at Greenhouse Park is little more than a pile of foam during the hot month of July in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  The Stonycreek River is the tamest version of itself and instead of whitewater enthusiasts, the park attracts sunbathers, tubers, and swimmers to its shores.  What most have overlooked, however, is this wave’s potential as a training ground for the area’s youth to become river enthusiasts.  When presented in the right way, the wave can capture the attention of teenagers better than the latest X-box and carve a path for outdoor recreation and education that is widely available but pervasively ignored.  This is exactly what the First Waves Johnstown Program is able to provide to underserved youth in the area.

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OFFICIALLY OPEN

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OFFICIALLY OPEN

The first eco-tour of every year is always a special one.  I am excited to see the changes in the landscape carved by winter’s touch, the emerging spring flowers, and the return of the Ospreys from their pilgrimage to South America.

AN UNEXPECTED MATCH PARTNER OF THE YEAR

AN UNEXPECTED MATCH PARTNER OF THE YEAR

“IT’S SAFE, THE KIDS WILL BE FINE!” I yelled into my cell phone, trying to overcome a howling wind off the Gulf of Mexico.  In spite of the ambient roar, I could hear doubt on the other end spinning like a turbine.  Intuition, however, has a way of prevailing under duress, when communication is done on an instinctual level rather than through the confusion of words and reason.

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An Unconventional Mother's Day

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An Unconventional Mother's Day

Mother’s Day for most means fresh-cut flowers and sharing a meal with family.  SurfSUP Adventures took a different approach, swapping the bouquets for streamside wildflowers and healthy serving of whitewater SUP adventure.

Contact

T: 724.989.7259

E: info@surfsupadventures.com

 

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