The Toronto International Boat Show is on now, and on top of the 1,200 boats and watercraft for consumers to ogle, sit in and inquire about, there's an increasing presence of stand up paddleboarding (SUP) and its variations - including doing yoga, fitness or water polo on them.
For the show's 60th anniversary, it combines new trends like paddleboarding with its raft of boats, kid-friendly activities as well as spectator shows - including Twiggy the Waterskiing squirrel - on what show organizers call the world's largest indoor lake.
Opening weekend saw avid paddleboarder and this summer's Baywatch movie actress Brenda Lowe appear to meet fans and share her knowledge of paddleboarding. She also appeared on two versions of Survivor reality show series, and founded one of the first SUP rental businesses in Miami, well before paddleboarding took off.
Another new feature this year was an association with Mercy Ships Canada, the world's largest volunteer-run hospital ship. Its Canadian Captain Mark Carew will help raise awareness and funds for the organization, which has helped provide life-saving surgeries and care to impoverished children and their families, and has helped more than 17 million people so far.
That large indoor lake also allows for a number of fun boating activities for kids and adults, allowing test 'drives' of pedal boats, kayaks, canoes and wakeboards. Then there's the pros that show them the high-performance versions of waterskiing and wakeboarding, performing stunts and jumps for the crowd.
For boating novices, there is a 'New Boater Welcome Centre' for those curious about getting their boating licence, their first jetski, or anything else involved in the boating world.
There are continuous seminars and expert talks throughout the show, plus kids 16 and under are still free.
The show run until January 21st, and offers $5 admission after 5pm and free parking after 4pm on weekdays.
