The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“I just might do it again…”
In another one of those quirky Crested Butte athletic feats, a local Stand Up Paddleboarder (SUP) has taken the sport to a new level. On July 28, Brandon Maxwell became the first person to ride the Great Sand Dunes National Park on a SUP.
“The inspiration came from a friend of mine, Matt Lane, who passed away this year,” Maxwell explained. “We believe he was the first person to ever ride a snowboard down the Dunes back in the mid-1980s.”
With the help of some friends, Maxwell transported the 11-foot Pau Hana soft-top across the flat part of the sand to the base of the Dunes.
“I had been thinking about this for several weeks and concluded that the plastic bottom on this particular board just might lend itself to sliding on the sand,” said Maxwell. “We used some wax that people use for sand sleds. A guy in the parking lot gave us a small bar to use.
“We used an EZ Roller to get the SUP to the base and then two of us carried it up the steeper slope,” continued Maxwell. “And then I just rode it down the dunes to become the first known individual on the planet to ride a Stand Up Paddleboard down the Great Sand Dunes.”
Maxwell said he did it as a nod to his friend, but it turned out to be pretty good. “The board actually slid quite well, especially on the steeper slopes. I only meant for this to be a one-time pilgrimage in honor of my fallen friend, but I think it actually has potential and will do it again,” he said.
