David Pinsel, managing director at Colliers International, is passionate about stand-up paddleboarding. The sport, which got its start about 10 years ago in Hawaii, is also called stand-up paddle surfing, or, “sup.” It’s exactly what it sounds like: standing up on an oversized surfboard and using a paddle to propel yourself around in the water.
A California native and UCLA grad, Pinsel moved to Dallas in late 2011 to oversee the North Texas operations of Colliers, a global commercial real estate firm. He was a “pretty poor” surfer growing up, but paddleboarding is easy, he says. Still, it can make for an intense workout. “It’s great exercise, especially for your core,” Pinsel says. “It’s also a good way to get away from the world for a while. I’d much rather paddleboard than run.”
Besides California, Pinsel has sup’ed in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, and Austin. He has two boards at his second home in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and is planning to have his favorite West Coast board-maker build one for him to keep at his new house in Lakewood, a few blocks from White Rock Lake. (Locally, paddleboarders can also be spotted at Lake Grapevine, Lake Lewisville, and Lake Carolyn in Las Colinas.)
Pinsel was looking for a cardio workout activity he could do outdoors, and fell in love with stand-up paddleboarding from the get-go. “In California, I’ll go out with friends,” he says. “Getting past the breakers can be tough, but once you’re out there, it’s calm. You can cover a lot of ground, go around peninsulas.” The 36-year-old exec has come upon whales while out paddleboarding. And he once found himself in the midst of a pod of dolphins. “Some of the best rides have been in early evenings, watching the sun set over the ocean.” he says. “It’s awesome.”
