Stand-up guy: High Point native plans to circle Manhattan for charity

HIGH POINT – Tyler Hustrulid may be a relative newcomer to stand-up paddle boarding, but about six weeks from now, he’ll find himself trying to survive a paddling marathon.

Hustrulid, a 29-year-old High Point native who splits his time between High Point and Wilmington, plans to participate in the 4th Annual Surfers’ Environmental Alliance SEA Paddle NYC, a 28-mile charity paddle around Manhattan.

Scheduled for Aug. 13 on New York’s Hudson River, the event is a fundraiser for eight autism charities and for the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance, a nonprofit organization that fights to protect coastal waterways and habitats.

“I’ve never paddled 28 miles in one day before,” Hustrulid says, explaining that the most he’s ever paddled in a day is more like eight or nine miles. “This will be like a marathon.”

Stand-up paddle boarding is an increasingly popular water sport that’s kind of a cross between surfing and kayaking. The paddler stands on a board similar to a surfboard – though longer and heavier, to provide more stability – and paddles with a single long paddle.

Growing up, Hustrulid did a lot of boating and sailing – and he was a summer camp counselor at Camp Seagull on the Neuse River – but he only took up stand-up paddle boarding about nine months ago in Wilmington, where he now teaches others how to do it.

“I think people would be surprised at how easy it is to do,” Hustrulid says. “It requires a little balance and some fitness. This summer I’ve probably taught a hundred people of all ages, sizes and abilities. It’s not difficult to get up and get going, but it does take some practice to become proficient at it or to compete or go long distances.”

Hustrulid says he’s been doing “lots of paddling and running” to train for the event in August.

“I’m also going to be climbing Mount Rainier in July, so I already had a training regimen going on,” he says. “I found out about this event, and I thought it would be another fun adventure to have.”

Approximately 250 paddlers are expected to participate in the event, and the fundraising goal is $300,000, according to organizers.

Paddlers are required to raise a minimum of $1,000 to participate, and Hustrulid had raised $400 as of Friday afternoon. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so online, where he has established a fundraising page.

“At the end of the day, while this is going to be a fun event, it has a big purpose behind it – raising funds for autism – and I’m proud to be a part of that,” he says.