Issue link: https://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1544632
Serenity at sea is a familiar feeling for member James Whipkey, who finds his peace atop a paddleboard in Puget Sound, mountain lakes, and elsewhere around Washington state. James wasn't sure what he was looking at the first time he saw someone paddleboarding at Lake Tapps, south of Seattle. "I thought maybe someone had just made their own sport up by grabbing a canoe paddle and using a suroard," he says. "But as it got more popular, I realized it was an actual thing." is realization led James and his sister to the paddleboard rental shack at Green Lake, where they spent a day gliding around the same rec area where Arne started his rowing career. "It was immediately meditative to float across the water at my own paddling pace," James recalls. "I felt so connected to my surroundings, and I knew I wanted to do it again." e accessibility of paddleboarding combined with the fitness benefits inspired James to buy his own gear and start regular ventures. He now keeps a board at the ready in his Belltown apartment for aer-work adventures on Lake Union, Green Lake, or at Alki Beach. Seeing harbor seals, sea lions, and jelly fish while gliding across local tidewater offers its own form of es- cape. "It's a different way to connect with the city," James says. "We're blessed to have water on almost every side of Seattle. e geography lends itself so well to paddle- boarding." Like J. Irons, James belongs to WAC on the Water and says the group is a great way to connect with fellow members who enjoy time outdoors. "Going to gatherings, happy hours, and planned out- ings keeps me involved," he says. "And you meet other members who love the water!" Senior Editor Mae Folsom Jacobson began her WAC career as a lifeguard and enjoys summer swims across Green Lake. You can find her in a local waterway or at mjacobson@wac.net. Photography provided by Quinn Toomey, WAC Magazine archives, and courtesy photos. Paddle Seattle's skyline serves as a picturesque backdrop for James Whipkey's urban paddleboarding excursions.