We’re Meredith & Scott — that SUP couple. We love spreading the SUP stoke and inspiring outdoor adventure. We’re so glad you’re here!
Seeing DC’s famous cherry blossoms usually means battling crowds and this year, there are tighter restrictions by the National Park Service in light of the pandemic. Now more than ever, it’s a great time to hop on your SUP to see the trees from a different perspective. But where are the best spots and where can you put in? Here’s your guide to the best places to catch the blooms!
A few weeks ago, we asked our Instagram friends what they wanted us to share during this time when there’s not a whole lot to share. One of those things was a peek behind the curtains of the ski patrol. So, we’re giving you five things to know about the Whitetail Ski Patrol.
It’s been a minute. Actually, it’s been months. It’s not that we don’t want to share. It’s just that we don’t think we’re doing anything worthy of sharing. Today, we’re ripping off the band aid to reintroduce ourselves, tell you what we’ve been up to, and share what we’re looking forward to this year.
With phase 1 of the District’s reopening underway, this week we had planned to announce that we’re able to offer lessons again this season, despite a delay due to the coronavirus. That announcement looked a lot different when we first drafted it more than a week ago. There isn't much we can say that other smarter and more articulate people haven't already said. But silence equals complicity and we are committing ourselves to being better allies to the Black community and to other people of color - in our personal lives but also in the ways we show up in the outdoor industry, an industry dominated by white culture. We promise to listen, learn, and act. As a first step to being better allies to BBIPOC communities, we’re offering free classes to those who support the efforts of legal teams and Black activists across the country. Here are the details.
If 2020 were a typical year, we’d have at least two races under our belts and we’d be out on the water regularly, paddling on our own for fun, training with students, and teaching some private lessons. But 2020 is anything but normal. If you follow us on social media then you already know we’re not paddling at this stage of the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have adventure on our minds. Here are the four things we’ve done during quarantine to get us ready for our next big adventure - including paddling!
This period of quarantine and social distancing has us reflecting a lot about how, where, and with whom we spend our time, especially now that so many of our decisions are no longer our own. We’re learning a lot about what motivates us, what keeps us feeling like ourselves, and what we need to ride out this crisis. Above all else, we’re lucky enough to be healthy right now. And one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned during this COVID quarantine is coincidentally the theme for our second Impact Day as Keep Nature Wild ambassadors: bloom where you’re planted. Here’s what we think that means and how we’re translating it into our current situation.
Like everyone else, we’re closely watching as COVID-19 (have you heard of it?) impacts communities near and far. We’re watching events get cancelled, trips postponed, and lives put on hold or worse, completely uprooted. But, we’re currently channeling an optimistic outlook and looking forward to the upcoming SUP season, especially as spring is waiting just around the corner. Take a gander at the (mostly) local SUP races we’re optimistically excited for this year.
Humans have a massive footprint on our planet. So let’s have a conversation about this footprint and one way we think many outdoor enthusiast weekend warriors like ourselves are trying to make change: by being friends of the wild. We’ll talk about what it means to us and then we want to hear about what it means to you!
Earlier this month we traveled north to Vermont to take an avalanche course with the National Ski Patrol. Most of you likely follow us because you love SUP in any form and our other exploits are something you simply put up with until we’re back on the water in the spring. But we think there’s still something to learn from this experience. Have a quick read and see if you agree!
The unseasonably warm winter and slow start to our snowboarding season has us reflecting on what it means to “ski the east.” To us, it means a lot of different things, including embracing the conditions and finding your stoke no matter what. What does skiing (or shredding!) the east mean to you?
‘Tis the season for DC SUP Couple to go a little dark. We’re not sure how many people take notice, but we thought it would be good to address why. Read more about what happens in the fall that takes up a lot of our time and turns our attention to the ski slopes.
We announced at the end of the season that we’d be making a change at our races next year. ICYMI: we’re making the switch from 12’6 boards to 14s! You’re probably thinking this isn’t some big revelation and this change is long overdue. We totally agree! Here’s why it took us so long to make the switch and why we’re finally changing it up.
