We’re a private, locally owned, small business and we strive to be known as a company that is fully educated on the skills set by the stand up paddle (SUP), yoga and fitness industry. We are committed to the continuous education on learning new teaching and instructing methods.
ABOUT
GJ SUP/ Grand Junction Adventures is your place for paddle boarding, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, hiking and SUP yoga adventure. We provide rentals, lake & river SUP lessons, self-guided and guided raft & SUP river tours and multi-day river trips and wellness retreats in Ruby Horsethief. Choose your adventure!!
Meet Elizabeth
Owner / Manager
I was raised five miles off the shore of Lake Huron, Michigan. The water was a big part of my youth. There wasn’t much to do but get out on the water. As a kid we were always trying to make rafts or find objects that floated and paddle. I started getting into stand up paddle boarding a few years ago and loved it! I quickly realized the fun this water activity provided my family. Especially, on those hot summer days. Over the years I have participated in stand up paddle (SUP) clinics, trainings, workshops and instructor certifications. The SUP community (Stand Up Paddle Colorado, American Canoe Association, World Paddle Association, RVR2RVR, Hala Gear, Bic Sports, Academy of Yoga, Half Moon Yoga and Paddle Into Fitness has been amazing by providing the insight and knowledge that has lead to starting up Grand Junction Stand Up Paddle!
Certification and Experience
Stand up paddling or SUP is a surface water sport, a variant of surfing where the surfer uses the paddle to move through the water while standing on a surfboard. Stand up paddle surfing is derived from its Polynesian roots. The Hawaiian translation is Ku Hoe He’e Nalu; to stand, to paddle, to surf, a wave.
The popularity of the modern sport of SUP has its origination in the Hawaiian Islands. In the early 1960’s the Beach Boys of Waikiki would stand on their long boards and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourist learning to surf. This is where the term “Beach Boy Surfing” originates, another name for Stand Up Paddle Surfing. In the early 2000’s Hawaiian surfers such as Dave Kalama, Brian Keaulana, and Laird Hamilton started SUP as an alternative way to train while the surf was down. As the years went on they found themselves entering events such as the Moloka’I to O’ahu Paddleboard Race and Mākaha’s Big Board Surfing Classic
Now you can find Stand UP Paddle Surfers in many of the Outrigger and Paddleboard races as participants within their own division. One difference between the modern idea of surfing and SUP is that the latter does not need a wave. In SUP, one can paddle on the open ocean, on lakes, rivers or any large body of water. One of the advantages of SUP is the angle of visibility. Because of the standing height over the water, one can see both deeper into the water and further across the surface of the water. This allows for better visualization of features others may not be able to see.