Julie Thayer got a lot of attention at her first yoga show in 2015. She stood out from the other yogis because she was doing poses on a Stand Up Paddleboard that was almost twice as tall as she was instead of a yoga mat. Attendees at the conference didn’t expect to see water-based sports equipment at the beginning of April!
However, her stand up paddle board didn’t belong in the water. Julie’s business, Karma SUPtra, makes boards that allows SUP Yoga to be a year-round practice.
Julie found her way into SUP through the back door. In warmer places in America, SUP was beginning to grow in popularity—especially in the yoga community. Curious, Julie met a friend who was involved in the SUP industry to learn more about how about yoga and SUP could work together.
“I immediately saw the synergy of the two,” Julie recalls. “The only problem was that it was February.” While Yoga and SUP make a good pairing, SUP and a Canadian winter don’t. An eager Julie wanted to start experimenting with SUP yoga right away. In a matter of weeks, Julie was working with her friend to create an indoor Stand Up Paddleboard she could use year round.
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