Jude Donato builds upon an investment career that spans nearly 18 years as the president of the New York City offices of Lockton Companies. When he isn’t working, Jude Donato is an avid paddle-boarder.

1. A Brief History of
Stand Up Paddling
Jude Donato

2. Introduction
 Jude Donato builds upon an investment career that spans
nearly 18 years as the president of the New York City offices of
Lockton Companies. When he isn’t working, Jude Donato is an
avid paddle-boarder.
The explosion of stand up paddling (SUP) as a modern sport
occurred in the wake of a now-legendary Maui photo shoot
with surfers Dave Kalama and Laird Hamilton. Legions of
people began recreating what they saw after the pair was
captured while using paddles to navigate waters on their
longboards. This event was followed by a string of SUP firsts
including the birth of SUP competitions and commercially-
available SUP-specific equipment such as boards and paddles.

3. Stand Up Paddling
 The real history of SUP, however, is much more complex and
dates back centuries. Experts have found evidence of ancient
people around the world paddling on the water while standing
up. For example, anthropologists suspect that Peruvian
fishermen, who piloted boats called “Caballito de Totora” more
than 2,000 years ago, would stand up on these boats while
using the waves to push them back toward land.
The story of SUP even stretches back into religious history and
myth. According to some, when Egyptian Queen Bithia
discovered baby Moses (as recorded in the Old Testament), she
had a great vantage point to see into the reeds because she
was standing up while paddling a small boat.