A few months after D tried stand up paddleboarding in Hawaii, he announced he wanted to buy a board. Little did I know we would have one this summer! He is now the proud owners of this seriously stunning Ali’i board, designed by Donald Takayama. He decided to special order the paddleboard through the Outdoor Sports Center. Last weekend was our first visit and we were super impressed at the sheer size and inventory of the shop! I work near an EMS and D is used to shopping at TrailBlazer, but both of these pale in comparison to this 50+ year old business on Route 7 in Wilton, CT. In many of these photos you’ll see their employee Mark, who embodies the very reason you patronize a shop like this. His knowledge and enthusiasm were undeniable. Mark is  meticulous in matters of transport and he also made sure we got the board home safely. He’s a great resource to anyone looking to make a purchase in the paddling department.The board looks like a heavy traditional longboard, but it’s really just covered in a very thin wood veneer. I think this makes the beautiful finishwork all the more amazing! It’s much lighter than a kayak, and much easier to transport on top of our car. I’m sure it was an unusual sight on the Merritt Parkway as we drove home. Despite its light weight, the board is still over 11 feet long! We’re hoping for lots of calm days on the Long Island Sound this summer.  Yesterday, D took the board out on its maiden voyage – I suspect to keep away from prying eyes. The camera and I were still stuck at the office.