has lived a hell of a life. The 46-year-old spends听most of his time paddling whitewater all over the world, but he鈥檚 also been a professional sea-kayak guide in Alaska and Baja, Mexico, an听Outward Bound instructor, a听ski patroller, and an听avalanche-rescue dog handler. He鈥檚 thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, lived in a snow cave for 83 days, and paddled the 1,000-mile Sea of Cortez solo (twice).
Now, as Clark pushes into his late forties, he鈥檚 into听stand-up paddleboarding,听which he discovered six years ago. He focuses on whitewater SUP and self-supported multi-day expeditions, paddling听stout rivers like the Kaituna听in New Zealand听and the Petrohu茅 in Patagonia. 鈥淪olo pedestrian sports have always been my chosen aesthetic,鈥 Clark says. 鈥淲hether I鈥檓 using a pair of skis, or a kayak, or a paddleboard, the idea of dictating my own pace and moving at my own power has always been my thing.鈥
Clark, who has made a living from听outdoor pursuits for two decades, lives out of his van and spends much of his time on the road, creating content for听brands and teaching SUP clinics. This year he鈥檚 already paddled 40 rivers on his SUP in Oregon alone. With a knack for knocking out Class听III and low Class IV rapids with grace, Clark says that SUP seems to have broad appeal for older, experienced athletes like himself. 鈥淚 was never comfortable confined in a kayak when running rapids,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ut a paddleboard is different. As soon as I figured out you could load a drybag on the front of the board and actually do a multi-day trip on the thing, I was hooked.鈥 Most of his students are advanced whitewater kayakers looking to avoid the risk that comes with Class III kayaking听but still stay entertained as they reach their forties. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about getting radical. It鈥檚 about exploring the landscape,鈥 Clark says. 鈥淧addleboarding gives you a whole new way to learn the river.鈥
While he听and other whitewater SUP paddlers aren鈥檛 running tall waterfalls or Class V wave trains, that doesn鈥檛 mean the sport isn鈥檛 physically demanding. Clark says that whitewater SUP requires a specific style of physicality and mental aptitude that听isn鈥檛听present in听other adventure sports. When his life was dominated by skiing, sea kayaking,听and hiking, Clark managed to avoid any sort of regimented听fitness routine, relying instead on the adventures themselves to provide the workouts he needed. But听as his focus has shifted to paddleboarding in the past couple of years,听his attitude has changed. 鈥淚 see now that if a person my age isn鈥檛 constantly active, the body and brain starts to break down. Inertia is a terrible thing,鈥 he says.
Instead of functional, all-around听fitness, Clark is more concerned with focused fitness,听which zeros in on movements he needs while on the river and听emphasizes听muscle memory听and the connection between the brain and body. Clark always carries a 15-pound kettlebell and a custom-designed 15-pound kettle bat in his van鈥攚henever he stops, of weighted squats and lunges, holding a stance at听the bottom of the movement and rotating. These exercises are particularly important before he gets on the river, so his body is used to being low and centered. 鈥淲hitewater is a slow sport. It鈥檚 not like skiing or mountain biking, where you鈥檙e approaching a feature at 20 miles per hour. You have to brace and hold a position for a long time. There are elements of balance, agility,听and core strength, but really you have to have some specific movements down so you don鈥檛 have to think about them,鈥 Clark says. 鈥淵ou want muscle memory to kick in.鈥
Besides exercises that help lower his center of gravity, Clark insists that developing mental fortitude is a huge key to successful whitewater paddling. 鈥淭he less you鈥檙e in your mind, and the more you let your body just move, the more success you鈥檒l have,鈥 Clark says. 鈥淲hen I teach clinics, I can see in people鈥檚 eyes if they鈥檙e gonna fall. If there鈥檚 fear, if they鈥檙e in their head, they鈥檙e toast.鈥澨
Board Training with Paul Clark听
Clark has his students run through these exercises as soon as they get on the board. 鈥淭he idea is to get your body used to staying centered and low,鈥 he says.
In a calm section of river, start paddling on your knees. Peel into an eddy, then peel out. The action of paddling in and out of this placid stretch of water will force your body to work through a range of motions and positions.
Next, move to one knee, with the other foot in front of you. Peel into the eddy听and peel out. Switch knees and repeat the process.
Stand in a squatting position听on both feet. Try to keep your torso erect听but your butt low toward听your heels. Your head should be about the same height as when you were kneeling.