Katie Beuttner has always loved the water.
These days, the Hahnville resident finds great satisfaction in sharing that passion with others — especially because her method of doing so is fresh and unconventional to many people.
Beuttner became an avid paddle boarder about four years ago on a trip to Bayou St. John in New Orleans, taking to the activity instantly. Paddle boarding is the act of standing on a surfboard and paddling, and it has grown in popularity in recent years.
“I loved it so much, and I knew I wanted my own paddle board just about instantly,” Beuttner said. “The feeling you get on the water, the versatility … you can make it an easy-breezy walk in the park type of thing, or you can really ramp things up for your physical fitness.”
Then her mind began to drift — about as well as her board did — to a fateful idea: with all the different waterways available in St. Charles Parish, how great could the activity be if popularized in her home region?
It inspired her to begin Katie’s Paddle Board Adventures, in which she gives paddle boarding lessons to those interested in beginning the hobby, teaching technique and safety — and, all the while, spreading interest in an activity she’s grown quite passionate about.
“I love being able to introduce people to a brand new experience,” she said. “It tickles me to death to be their first paddle board teacher.”
A native of St. Louis, Beuttner and her husband moved to the area after Hurricane Katrina — he works in construction and the couple relocated to the area for work.
“He was hooked,” she said. “He loved the weather and all of the friendly people, the fresh seafood and the opportunities to go fishing. He was in love at first sight, and this is home now.”
Paddle boarders sometimes appear to observers to be “walking on the water,” and she said that can yield some curiosity.“They’ll ask me if I’m okay, if I’m safe,” she said with a laugh. “They’re wondering what the heck is going on out there.”
A yoga-based fitness instructor for the past seven years, Beuttner has found an overlap in those interests; the activity requires a strong core and abdominal strength. Sometimes, she’ll combine them even further, going out with her board onto the water and practicing yoga out there.
“It’s totally different being out there than on the (yoga) mat,” she said. “That’s usually when I fall in … you stand up and try to do a pose, and that’s when the struggle really happens. I just make sure the day is warm enough to where I don’t mind falling in as much.”
While that can present a challenge to even the most experienced person in those activities — after all, Beuttner’s an instructor in both — she said most who take up paddle boarding are surprised at how quickly they pick things up.
“They’re surprised at how stable the board is and how doable it is to go from kneeling to standing,” said Beuttner, who added her instruction starts with paddling from the knees to get acclimated. “People are worried they may not be able to stand on the board at first, but we work our way up. And once they learn the steps, they gain confidence when getting on the water.
“For me, it’s a thrill when I see someone kind of have that, ‘Hey, I can really do this,’ realization.”
Her students have come from a wide pool of age groups, the oldest so far a 61-year-old woman who took the class with her daughter and two grandsons.
“It tickles my fancy to see that,” she said. “No matter your age, if you’re physically fit enough to kneel and stand and you have some core stability, you can enjoy paddle boarding. I’m really excited at those possibilities.”
She cited Pier 90 as her favorite place to teach others to paddle board, as the canal is largely blocked from wind due to the trees and bank on each side.
“There’s not a lot of boat traffic, and the bank is far enough to where people don’t feel like the wildlife is on top of them,” Beuttner said.
Beuttner plans to keep paddle boarding for a long time, calling her trips out to the water “like mini-vacations.”
“It’s just the feeling when you get off the water,” she said. “It’s soothing, it’s peaceful, you have the scenery and the sun shining down on you with the Vitamin D kind of soaking in. It’s just that just that vacation type of feeling when you’re done.”
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