Workshops at TISUP
Join in on a unique opportunity to learn something new. Elevate your skills and try something different than our regular courses. These wokshops have been curated based on the unique landscape of inspirational and strong leaders in our Toronto paddling community. We go way outside the box and show you a glimpse into the possibilties where paddling sports can take you in this world class waterfront city. See below for a list on this season's programming and more detailed information.
Essential SUP Race Skills: Join Maddi on July 25, 2022 at 6:30 pm
SUP Surf Skills: Join Jordan-na on August 27, 2022 at 10 am
SUP Surf Skills: Join Jordan-na on August 27, 2022 at 10 am
Have you ever thought about joining in on one of the local events in the Toronto SUP racing scene? Or maybe you have and you're just looking to improve your skill. We are lucky to host Maddi LeBlanc to lead a unique workshop based on the skills needed for flatwater SUP racing.
Join Maddi on July 25, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Whether you are looking into entering some upcoming races this summer or simply want to improve your racing skills, Maddi can take you there. This workshop takes place in the flat, calm waters of Toronto Island. This makes it perfect to break down the racing skills and take it at your own pace. This workshop is a crash course in a plethora of skills needed to get ahead of the pack. These include, but are not limited to, types of equipment, starts, carrying & launching the board, racing strokes, race tactics, how to pace yourself, turns and more. We hope to run future events which deep dive into each of these topics.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or click BOOK NOW below to get your spot.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or click BOOK NOW below to get your spot.
MEET MADDI
Photography courtesy of: Stephanie Iannacchino Photography
If you google the word passion, you’ll find its definition means ‘strong barely controllable emotion’. If you meet Maddi, you’d clearly be able to see that passion is how she demonstrates her love for the sport of stand up paddle boarding. Maddi now 24, was born and raised in Welland, Ontario, CAN a small quaint community located in the heart of the Niagara Region. Her journey began when she was only ten years old, watching two men paddle on SUP’s in Lake Huron, Ontario, CAN. When they came in from the water she approached them and they had offered to let her try their boards. The minute she hopped on she immediately fell in love with gliding on-top of the water. Since that day she only continued to beg her parents to buy a board. They struck a deal that they would help her purchase her first board if she would pay for half of it, and it would be her only Christmas present that year. Years passed and in December of 2012 she had received her first paddle board. In 2013 she took her board out for the first time on the Welland Canal, and it was at that moment that she had come up with the idea of her current fundraiser ‘On Board’.
In 2011, Maddi lost two friends due to two different types of cancer. The pain was unbearable and she did not know where to put that pain. The loss of her friends Lynn Lambert and Julia Turner hit not only Maddi deeply, but also the community of Welland and she knew she had to do something to give back to honour her friends.
“She matched her love of paddling to the love of her friends and that’s how On Board was born” - Jacki Leblanc (Maddi’s Mom)
Maddi launched On Board in 2014 and has been running the event annually ever since, raising over $40,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society specifically for brain cancer research. Since creating the fundraiser, sponsors had introduced her to the world of SUP racing which has completely turned Maddi’s life around.
In 2016 Maddi began SUP racing and has been forever changed by the competitive side of the sport. In 2017 she claimed the Ontario SUP Series overall Open Female Category winner, as well as the ‘MVP’ (most valued paddler) award for her On Board efforts. At the end of the season she signed on as a team rider with ‘Starboard’ one of the worlds leading SUP companies. In 2018 she made an even bigger statement winning the overall Elite Female Category with the Ontario SUP Series, as well as taking the overall win and the yellow jersey at the 2018 and 2019 Mammoth Race in Toronto.
When Maddi is not on the water she dedicates her time to inspiring others to work hard and chase after their dreams. She does this through guest lectures at her school, providing inspirational talks in her local community and beyond, as well as sitting on panel discussions about women in sport. Currently Maddi is working as the General Manager for Surf the Greats - a surf store in Toronto. Maddi also is a certified WPA Level 1 instructor, ISA/ILS Surf and SUP Aquatic Rescue and Safety certified. Maddi hopes to combine her passions to create meaningful impact in her career while motivating her peers to do the same.
“If Lynn and Julia taught me anything, it is that life is too short so if you want something bad enough, go out there and get it! Have fun, and be kind along the way” - Maddi Leblanc
In 2011, Maddi lost two friends due to two different types of cancer. The pain was unbearable and she did not know where to put that pain. The loss of her friends Lynn Lambert and Julia Turner hit not only Maddi deeply, but also the community of Welland and she knew she had to do something to give back to honour her friends.
“She matched her love of paddling to the love of her friends and that’s how On Board was born” - Jacki Leblanc (Maddi’s Mom)
Maddi launched On Board in 2014 and has been running the event annually ever since, raising over $40,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society specifically for brain cancer research. Since creating the fundraiser, sponsors had introduced her to the world of SUP racing which has completely turned Maddi’s life around.
In 2016 Maddi began SUP racing and has been forever changed by the competitive side of the sport. In 2017 she claimed the Ontario SUP Series overall Open Female Category winner, as well as the ‘MVP’ (most valued paddler) award for her On Board efforts. At the end of the season she signed on as a team rider with ‘Starboard’ one of the worlds leading SUP companies. In 2018 she made an even bigger statement winning the overall Elite Female Category with the Ontario SUP Series, as well as taking the overall win and the yellow jersey at the 2018 and 2019 Mammoth Race in Toronto.
When Maddi is not on the water she dedicates her time to inspiring others to work hard and chase after their dreams. She does this through guest lectures at her school, providing inspirational talks in her local community and beyond, as well as sitting on panel discussions about women in sport. Currently Maddi is working as the General Manager for Surf the Greats - a surf store in Toronto. Maddi also is a certified WPA Level 1 instructor, ISA/ILS Surf and SUP Aquatic Rescue and Safety certified. Maddi hopes to combine her passions to create meaningful impact in her career while motivating her peers to do the same.
“If Lynn and Julia taught me anything, it is that life is too short so if you want something bad enough, go out there and get it! Have fun, and be kind along the way” - Maddi Leblanc
Learn more about Maddi here.
This workshop is geared towards those who are new to SUP surf and would like to learn the skills they need to be ready for the upcoming Great Lakes surf season. The instructor will cover theory, surf specific SUP skills, and everything in between to get you out in the waves safely.
Join Jordan-na on August 27, 2022 at 10 am
Who says you can't surf a lake? Lake Ontario actually gets some decent swells in the fall and winter, and SUP surfing is a great way to ride those waves! Come learn all you need to know to be ready for the upcoming SUP surf season. This workshop is geared towards those who are new to SUP surf or beginners who need a helping hand. We will cover the skills and knowledge you need including equipment, safety, etiquette, where to find waves, footwork, paddling, advanced turns, and more! You'll come away with skills to practise on any day (flat or wavy) and the confidence to take your paddleboard into the surf zone. Taught by a certified instructor who is a year-round SUP paddler and surfer on the Great Lakes, you'll get the inside scoop, fun drills, top tips, and all the stoke!
This workshop is recommended for those who are comfortable paddleboarding on flat water but are new to SUP surf. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to know if this workshop is for you. We will cover a wide range of skills related to safety, equipment, paddling stances, paddling strokes and much more!
The workshop is currently capped at 6 people but may be expanded to 12 if there is interest.
This workshop is recommended for those who are comfortable paddleboarding on flat water but are new to SUP surf. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to know if this workshop is for you. We will cover a wide range of skills related to safety, equipment, paddling stances, paddling strokes and much more!
The workshop is currently capped at 6 people but may be expanded to 12 if there is interest.
MEET JORDAN-NA
Jordan-na Belle-Isle is a Toronto-based SUP instructor, lake surfer, and writer. Born in Montreal, she has been sporty her whole life and discovered stand-up paddleboarding in 2013. Since then, she has been active in the SUP scene, paddling and surfing the Great Lakes year-round.
Jordan-na is a patient and encouraging instructor. She obtained her first SUP instructor certification in 2017 and has been teaching ever since. She has worked with Surf the Greats and Toronto Island SUP, running everything from group classes, to one-on-one training, to winter SUP safety clinics, to team-building events for clients and partners such as Google, Brown Girl Outdoor World, L’Oreal, Swim Drink Fish, and Ryerson University.
A recognizable face in the Great Lakes SUP and surf scene, her image has been used in a national campaign for Tourism Canada and she has been interviewed by several media outlets such as SUP Connect, Breakfast Television, Daily Hive News, and the Toronto Star. She was also the subject of a short documentary film titled ‘In Winter.’
A skilled writer with a masters degree from the University of Toronto, her work has appeared in Explore Magazine and she is a regular contributor to the Thurso Surf blog and Surf the Greats Journal.
She is a co-organizer for Lake Surfistas, a grassroots group that connects, empowers, and educates women who surf and SUP the Great Lakes year-round. Through them, she has worked on projects with Patagonia, Fjallraven, and A Greener Future, and has created an ongoing partnership with heritage surf brand ROXY.
She currently holds an Advanced SUP Instructor certification with Paddle Canada and is Bronze Cross certified with the Ontario Lifesaving Society.
Find her on Instagram.
Jordan-na is a patient and encouraging instructor. She obtained her first SUP instructor certification in 2017 and has been teaching ever since. She has worked with Surf the Greats and Toronto Island SUP, running everything from group classes, to one-on-one training, to winter SUP safety clinics, to team-building events for clients and partners such as Google, Brown Girl Outdoor World, L’Oreal, Swim Drink Fish, and Ryerson University.
A recognizable face in the Great Lakes SUP and surf scene, her image has been used in a national campaign for Tourism Canada and she has been interviewed by several media outlets such as SUP Connect, Breakfast Television, Daily Hive News, and the Toronto Star. She was also the subject of a short documentary film titled ‘In Winter.’
A skilled writer with a masters degree from the University of Toronto, her work has appeared in Explore Magazine and she is a regular contributor to the Thurso Surf blog and Surf the Greats Journal.
She is a co-organizer for Lake Surfistas, a grassroots group that connects, empowers, and educates women who surf and SUP the Great Lakes year-round. Through them, she has worked on projects with Patagonia, Fjallraven, and A Greener Future, and has created an ongoing partnership with heritage surf brand ROXY.
She currently holds an Advanced SUP Instructor certification with Paddle Canada and is Bronze Cross certified with the Ontario Lifesaving Society.
Find her on Instagram.
Learn more about Jordan-na here.
Ask a question about this program by emailing julian@torontoislandsup.com
Ask a question about this program by emailing julian@torontoislandsup.com
