Is On-Shore Surfing the New Spinning?
Just because not all of us are lucky enough to live by the ocean and gnarly waves doesn’t mean we can’t get the health benefits of surfing. We’re already surfing at our desks, and now we can surf at the gym — on land. There’s a new fitness trend upon us, and it sounds like the perfect way to snag a beach-ready body without the beach. Forget spinning; we want to try SURFSET.
You might recognize this contraption from Shark Tank, where founders Mike Hartwick, Sarah Ponn and Bill Ninteau managed to get Mark Cuban on board as an investor. Now their SURFSET boards are showing up in more than 250 locations around the world. So what exactly are we looking at?
The RipSurfer X, the official name of the board used in SURFSET classes, is a surfboard on a dynamic platform that gives it natural instability, forcing you to work your core muscles as you fight to keep your balance throughout a workout.
One of the founders, Mike Hartwick, was a hockey player who would take long surfing excursions during the off season. When he discovered that surfing made him feel stronger and leaner than his normal hockey workouts, he set out to find a way to get the benefits of surfing while at home. What started out as a surfboard balanced on an inner tube is starting to catch on as the newest fitness craze.
Think of it as stand-up paddleboarding, power yoga and cardio combined in a 45-minute workout, which they claim burns between 500 and 900 calories, or as much as a regular surf session. Between constantly checking your balance and popping up as much as Kelly Slater on a clear day, you might get a lean, mean surfer body in no time. And let’s be honest: Surfers have some of the strongest bodies around.
Have you found a SURFSET class near you? Tell us all about it in the comments!
(h/t via Racked, photos via SURFSET Fitness)