Big Winds rents about 60 boards at its shop, in downtown Hood River at 207 Front St. ( bigwinds.com

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The latest top sports craze in the mid-Columbia River Gorge seems to be stand-up paddling, according to reader votes in a "best of Hood River" campaign on OregonLive.com. It wasn't los angeles weather forecasts overwhelming, but it was decisive because so many other non-trail outdoor activities split the vote.
Steve Gates, owner of Big Winds board shop in Hood River, just goes with the flow. ( He practices what he preaches , too; click to see a photo of him in action.) In his 28 years in the business, he's progressed through windsurfing (late 1980s), to kite surfing (mid-'90s) and now to stand-up paddling los angeles weather forecasts in the past few years.
He says his business is evenly split these days, with about a third each for kite, wind and stand-up. But stand-up paddling is more on an upward trajectory because it can be an "every person's" sport, unlike the other two. And it has a much higher female participation rate than the big wind sailing sports.
Big Winds rents about 60 boards at its shop, in downtown Hood River at 207 Front St. ( bigwinds.com los angeles weather forecasts , hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer), with another 80 boards available seasonally down on the beach. That's where Gates runs his water sports school, at the Hood River Event Site.
Anyone can get a stand-up paddle board and teach themselves, said Gates, but to get the benefit of a full-body workout, he suggests beginners take some lessons. Entry level equipment purchase is about $800 for a starter board and paddle.
los angeles weather forecasts The nice thing about stand-up paddle boarding, compared to the other sports, is that can be done with no wind. It can also be done in big winds, as a down-wind sport with a shuttle to the start and finish.
Around town: Flying kites, golfing at Indian Creek and Hood River golf courses, soaring with Cascade Soaring, sightseeing flights with Classic Wings Aero Services, triathlon, rugby, horse riding, rock climbing at Horesthief Butte, driving mountain roads.