I stand on a bright canary-yellow board, paddling to the left, then to the right. Silently, I glide over water resembling old, wavy leaded glass. I’m headed toward a small inlet, which the locals call Pickle Pond. Today, the water inside the pond is as smooth as a mirror. Crowds of yellow flowers blooming on a nearby hill reflect upon the water, painting buttery, impressionistic dabs across the surface. In 2021, I learned to paddleboard at North Shore SUP, and every time I’m on the water, I experience something amazing.
History of North Shore SUP
From June through August and into September, North Shore SUP, located on scenic Barker’s Island in Superior, rents stand-up paddleboards, gives lessons, offers activities, and sells paddleboard equipment. Garrett Russell and Heather Holmes opened North Shore SUP in 2013 with a vision to provide fun, affordable, and safe water experiences for adults and youth.
Holmes and Russell located their business in the Twin Ports because they fell in love with the area and Lake Superior. They felt paddleboarding would provide a chance for individuals to come together, get out on the water, and enjoy nature.
North Shore SUP was originally located on Park Point, and while Holmes and Russell enjoyed that setting, they needed a site with easier access for customers. Barker’s Island, with its natural beauty and changing scenery, was a perfect fit. The island, located in Superior Bay and protected from Lake Superior’s rougher waters by Minnesota Point, is a good place for beginners, families, and recreational paddlers to enjoy nature. Additionally, paddling around the island, which takes the average paddler 60 to 90 minutes, gives people a specific destination and a sense of accomplishment.
Joys and Benefits of Paddleboarding
Watchful paddlers may see cormorants, otters, great blue herons, ducks, geese, belted kingfishers, turtles, eagles, mink, muskrats, dragonflies, or a fish leaping out of the water. Paddlers who circumnavigate Barker’s Island are invited to sign their names on a board. For each additional trip around the island, they may add a tally mark next to their names.
When the water in Superior Bay reaches the right temperature, mayflies hatch. Lucky paddlers who are on the lake during one of the hatchings are treated to a spectacular moment as swarms of mayflies erupt from the water. Within moments, hungry waterfowl and birds arrive to snatch the hatchlings out of the air. Holmes has experienced mayfly hatchings numerous times and says, “No one has been hit by birds or been pooped on, as yet.”
If windy conditions make the water in Superior Bay too choppy, people can paddle on the leeward side of Barker’s Island, where there is plenty to explore, like Pickle Pond, a recently restored wildlife habitat. Accessible via three entry points, Pickle Pond is a great place to glimpse turtles sunning on logs along the shore or to watch waterfowl feeding and gliding through the water, often with their young in tow. In July and August, white water lilies with vibrant yellow stamens bloom amid clusters of green lily pads. After exiting the southern entry of Pickle Pond, paddlers can admire boats docked in the Barker’s Island Marina.
People of all ages and fitness levels reap health benefits from paddleboarding. A low-impact exercise, it improves balance and strengthens upper-body and core muscles, while providing a cardiovascular workout. The endorphins released in the brain reduce stress and lift mood. Rhythmically moving the paddle from left to right as one skims across the water becomes a form of meditation.
Paddleboarding for Everybody
The uninitiated may assume it’s too difficult to stand on a board in water and paddle, but taking a lesson quickly builds a beginner’s confidence. North Shore SUP offers a 90-minute Intro to SUP class, which provides attendees with the necessary equipment, including personal flotation devices. The class covers the fundamentals of board design, safety, and stretching. People learn to stand on a board, paddle, and get back on if they fall off.
SUP for the Family is an excellent class for families who want to learn to paddle together. People who wish to learn to paddleboard with their dogs can take SUP w/your Pup, which includes the use of a canine flotation device. Holmes and Russell have their own paddleboard-loving dog, Huckleberry, a Seppala husky with a quiet manner and sparkling blue eyes.
North Shore SUP provides a variety of experiences, such as SUP Yoga with a certified instructor, guided tours of Wisconsin Point and other locations along the North and South Shores, youth programs, and off-site rentals. Sunset, full moon, and Light’SUP paddles take place as daylight fades to dusk. Boards outfitted with lights radiate a warm and serene but practical glow, as all watercraft must have lights at night. To celebrate special occasions, Holmes and Russell have helped customers arrange birthday parties, bachelor parties, and bachelorette yoga parties.
Every July, North Shore SUP, in collaboration with Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, celebrates Lake Superior Day, which takes place all along Lake Superior. As part of the event, North Shore SUP organizes Paddle for the People, a recreational 4K race around Barker’s Island. Some paddlers partake for fun, but others compete for awards. Canoeists and kayakers are also welcome to participate.
For several years, Marie Zhuikov wished she could paddle in the 4K race. Newly retired in 2025, she competed for the first time. She took second place in her age category, earning a silver medal. When asked what made the race special for her, Zhuikov said, “Knowing I could do it at my age. It was my first race, and I was competitive.” This year, the 9th annual Paddle for the People 4K Race will be held on July 19. Racers can register on North Shore SUP’s website.
Connecting with Community
Holmes and Russell strive to encourage a love of the outdoors through time on the water for everyone. Over the years, they have worked with many organizations throughout the Twin Ports to provide various opportunities, especially for youth, underrepresented groups, and at-risk groups. Some of the organizations they have assisted over the years are Life House, CASDA, Project Reach Out, Safe Haven, Positive Energy Outdoors, Superior Parks & Rec, Duluth Parks & Rec, and the City of Superior. Through these programs, both youth and adults receive free lessons and an opportunity to be on the water. Holmes says, “The immersive recreational experience is often a positive transformative moment for young people who might at first be wary, then find themselves having a good time.” Furthermore, after completing lessons through one of these programs, participants may return and paddleboard for free—as funding allows—in what Holmes and Russell call their “Continuing Ed Program.” People wishing to support these programs can donate to their nonprofit organization, Paddle It Forward, through North Shore SUP’s website.
North Shore SUP also works with Girls on Boards and LiveWell Northern Wisconsin. Girls on Boards is an international program, which holds a special place in Holmes’s heart. She has a leadership role in the organization, which seeks to build confidence and a positive body image for preteens, teens, and adult females. Girls on Boards provides an immersive experience. Along with learning to paddle, participants engage in directed conversations about building confidence, having confidence in the outdoors, and trusting their core strength.
LiveWell, sponsored through Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being at University of Wisconsin-Superior, is a mental health organization that provides BetterTogether activities throughout Douglas County. North Shore SUP teams with LiveWell by offering paddling get-togethers to give people a chance to connect with others.
If you’re looking for an activity that builds strength, balance, and confidence while relaxing in nature, consider paddleboarding. And don’t worry about your athletic ability. If I can learn, you can learn. Warm-hearted and welcoming, Holmes and Russell make it their mission to ensure each person has a good time while mastering the basics of paddleboarding.
For more information on North Shore SUP, visit duluthsup.com or call 218-343-1308.
