Campus Connection

UW-La Crosse’s Outdoor Connection will give area residents an opportunity to try the sport of stand-up paddleboarding. Outdoor Connection is offering free stand-up paddleboard orientation clinics from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Pettibone Lagoon Wednesdays throughout summer. The orientation clinic is perfect for those curious about trying paddleboarding for the first time. Those attending will receive a brief introduction about the sport and have an opportunity to paddle a paddleboard in the lagoon. Space is limited and is first-come, first-served. Stand-Up Paddleboarding, known as SUP, is a variation of surfing where riders stand on a long surfboard and use an extra long paddle to propel through the water. The main difference between surfing and paddleboarding is riders don’t need waves to use the paddleboard — they can paddle on the open ocean, in harbors, on lakes, rivers or any large body of water. SUP is currently the fastest growing water sport in the world. “It’s a fun and an easy way to play on the water and it can be a good workout,” explains Nathan Barnhart, Assistant Director of UW-L Recreational Sports. “It doesn’t take long to learn and having so much water, La Crosse is an ideal location to SUP.” The Outdoor Connection is a gear rental service located in the UW-L Recreational Eagle Center, 1601 Badger St. It is open to the public and offers a wide variety of equipment for adventures big and small. Summer hours are 10 a.m.–6 pm Mondays-Saturdays. Find out more at: www.uwlax.edu/recsports/. If you go— Who: UW-La Crosse Outdoor Connection What: Stand-up paddleboard orientation clinics When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays throughout summer Where: Pettibone Lagoon, Pettibone Park, La Crosse Admission: Free; limited space; first-come, first-served