fbpx

Stand-Up Guy

Just about every day of the week, you’ll find Josh Smart on one Fort Lauderdale body of water or another. Sometimes he speeds along the calm Middle River or, for a bigger challenge, he’ll go up against the waves in Port Everglades. Smart recently finished a challenge on social media where he competed against other paddle enthusiasts to log 500 miles in 100 days.

The Wilton Manors resident isn’t just passionate about the watersport most view as a leisure activity—he’s a professional. Smart is part of a worldwide paddleboard team, sponsored competitively by NSP-Surftech, which includes teammates from Australia and France who are ranked in the top five in the world.

That people are taking stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP, so seriously should come as no surprise. Last year, The Outdoor Foundation released a report that estimated that 2.8 million Americans, almost 1 percent of the population, were active SUP participants—a 30.5 percent increase over a three-year period.

For Smart, a fitness director at Lauderdale Yacht Club, the passion started with an invite from a club member. “He was a fit guy; he told me that since he started SUP he hadn’t been going to the gym that much,” Smart says. The club member was into competitive paddleboard racing. “I got hooked the first time I [did the] racing style. This isn’t the slow stroke kind of paddling.”

Smart offers some additional insights into the sport that has changed his life.

WHY HE DOES IT: Smart, originally from Salt Lake City, found that paddleboarding encompassed everything he needed to keep in top shape. “It’s the best all-around body exercise that you can get. It’s a great back and leg workout,” he says. Smart does 7-mile paddles at least four times a week; he logs shorter, 3-mile workouts on two other days.

WHERE HE DOES IT: The water into which Smart drops his paddleboard depends on the kind of workout he wants that day. For smooth, fast cardio training, he’ll careen down the Middle River, just 10 feet from his house. For race training, it’s the Intracoastal Waterway or Port Everglades. “Port Everglades is like a washing machine. The water has been bouncing off the sea walls, and it’s coming from all different directions.”

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS: Start in calm water. “New paddleboarders aren’t ready for the ocean water that’s moving underneath,” he says. Also, do balance training off the board, in a gym. “It will correlate in the water.”

You May Also Like

Editor’s Letter: Happy Mother’s Day

There’s no stopping the fierce and empowering moms featured in the May issue of Lifestyle.

Lifestyle Q&A: Tess Rowland

The Weston native and former TV news reporter, now president of MADD, drops the microphone and shares her own devastating story in an effort to raise awareness and save lives.

5Q: Robin Ganzert 

“We provide a voice for the voiceless,”…not a day goes by where Robin Ganzert doesn’t wake up feeling blessed.

Reading the Room

Tara Bernerd oozes creativity as she speaks over Zoom from one of her home offices in Milan, Italy.

Other Posts

Living the Dream, Part 3

Dream real estate houses to check out. Part of the Living the Dream Series.

Living the Dream, Part 2

Multimillion-dollar residential properties in South Florida continue to spark interest from buyers all over the world.

A&E Spotlight: Alan Cumming

The acclaimed actor, author, entertainer and activist has more on his mind than his upcoming cabaret show in Boca.

Living the Dream, Part 1

Jaw-dropping residential properties in South Florida continue to spark interest from buyers all over the world.