Last year, Beyond the Shore attempted the first-ever world record with 153 participants, but was unsuccessful due to misunderstandings with the Guinness guidelines. This year, the group hopes to set a world record with over 300 paddleboard yogis expected; 250 are required by Guinness.
Beyond the Shore is a non-profit organization aimed at raising ocean conservation awareness founded by Michelle Gierst and Jeremy Godo Kiss, a South Bay couple who owns Olympus SUP Fit in Redondo Beach, the first business to offer SUP yoga classes in the South Bay. Both paddleboarding and yoga require focus and balance, so the combination of the two as an activity has gained popularity in recent years.
Through helping people rediscover balance on their boards, the couple realized they also wanted to help people find balance with nature by elucidating the often-overlooked cycle of creation and destruction — that is, how habits of consumption destroy ocean life. Hence Beyond the Shore.
“In order to save ourselves, we must first save that which lies beyond the shore,” Godo Kiss said, quoting the organization’s slogan. “There are plenty of people taking on the challenges that we have on land, but there aren’t enough people taking on the battles at sea.”
Five hundred million plastic straws are used every day in the United States, according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Plastic bags, plastic straws, and balloons are the top three items of waste Godo Kiss claims to find in the ocean. Through events such as Paddlefest, Gierst and Godo Kiss hope to expose people to the realities of waste in the ocean by sharing their love for paddleboarding and hope for improving our environment. The event will offer something for everyone, even those who have never done paddleboarding nor yoga.
“If you’re breathing you’re doing yoga,” Gierst said, recalling what she told people who were afraid of doing yoga on a paddleboard during last year’s event. “Just sit, and watch ,and breathe. That was the beautiful part of it. Everybody could do it.”
Tickets to register are $39, and $49 the day of. The event will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and lunch for registrants will be provided by Gardein. Paddleboards will be available to rent or you can bring your own. Visit beyondtheshore.org for more information and to sign up for the event.
