Tahoe Skiers Stand Up and Paddle for Injured Vets

I know that Stand Up Paddle Surfing is really popular in surfing capitals such as Hawaii and southern California waters and I have occasionally caught some YouTube videos of Stand Up Paddle Surfing competition. In fact, there is even a Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine. So, the rollover to fresh water Stand Up Paddling seems like an easy adaptation and on flat water sounds like it could be fun on a hot summer day.

However, to join a bunch of these self-propelled surfbords into a contest to balance and paddle the length of Lake Tahoe begs for a compelling reason to be a contestant. Well, recently 27 world-class athletes were inspired to stand up and paddle 21 miles of Lake Tahoe to raise awareness and funding for victims suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other war-related injuries.

According to Tahoe.com this event was the brainchild of Truckee residents James Woodruff and Rob Gaffney and big wave surfer and stand up paddler Dave Kalama. James Woodruff is the brother of Bob Woodruff - who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a roadside bomb attack that struck his vehicle while working as a TV journalist in Iraq for ABC News.

During Bob Woodruff's recovery, the Woodruff family recognized a need to help returning injured U.S. service members beyond what the U.S. government was providing, and his family established the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation to assist in the long process of recovery and offer long-term support to help reintegrate TBI victims back into their communities. Rob Gaffney, himself an extreme skier, took up the cause as a friend of James Woodruff and gathered support in the Tahoe ski community.

Under the guidance of Dave Kalama the grueling 21 mile Lake Tahoe Stand Up Paddle was put together. The “pain” of this 21.6 stand-up paddling was to symbolize the pain returning war veterans and other victims of brain-related injuries face as they attempt to re-enter life.

Truckee ski racer Darron Rahlves, top snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Nate Holland, and extreme skiers Julian Carr and Arne Backstrom were among those who took up challange. Launched from Camp Richardson just after dawn at 7:10 am landed together at Kings Beach.

Rob Gaffney told Tahoe.com “It greatly exceeded my expectations, and I think the one thing that was really cool for me was watching everyone and seeing how they were really interested in this cause.”

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause visit the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation.

_{Stand Up Paddling Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images}