YOUR AD HERE »

SOS kids try stand-up paddleboarding in Vail

Arn Menconi
Vail Daily community correspondent
Vail, CO Colorado
Special to the Vail Daily/SOS OutreachJessie Roy and Bri Smith try stand-up paddleboarding at Bighorn Park in Vail on Thursday
ALL |

VAIL, Colorado –At the opening of Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado on Thursday, SOS Outreach plunged into stand-up paddle boarding with kids from Eagle and Summit County’s SOS University programs.

C4 Waterman, the first manufacturer of stand-up paddleboards, hosted SOS kids at Bighorn Park in Vail. C4 athlete Archie Kalepa spoke to the group about having dreams and sticking with them. “My paddle boarding dreams are turning into reality and now I travel bringing the sport to people everywhere,” Kalepa said.

SOS students snowboard or ski in the Vail Valley-based organizaiton’s winter programs and enroll in summer outdoor programs such as climbing, backpacking and other sports. Sports are the vehicle to increase self-confidence and passion. SOS also volunteer throughout the community.



“I was nervous at first but once I got my feet in the water and my balance down it was really fun,” SOS participant Bri Smith said of stand-up paddle boarding.

The kids paddled around the lake, learning the basics in the first of five lessons they will take.

Support Local Journalism



Few newspapers offer as many pages as the Vail Daily does to a community that has so much to say. If you want to see your byline on this page, write about something you think is newsworthy and send it to Community Editor Lauren Glendenning at lglendenning@vaildaily.com, or call her at 970-748-2983 for details.


Support Local Journalism