Founded By Court And Heather Fetter In 2013 In Hopes Of Showing Others The Simplicity And Fun Of Stand Up Paddleboarding
Stand Up Paddleboarding, known to fans as SUP, is the hot new activity in watersports. It’s inexpensive, great exercise, and, best of all, simple to learn. In the Mesa, Arizona area, Heather and Court Fetter are taking the sport mainstream, making it easy for novices to get started at their No Snow SUP shop.
“Heather and I are originally from Canada near Calgary,” Court says. “Back in the 1990s, I was a competition water skier, but had to give it up after I severed my Achilles tendon. We decided to look for a warmer climate and moved to Las Vegas in 1994, then to Arizona in 2000. We would say we wanted to live where there was no snow, so that’s how our shop got its name.”
Court says that Heather is an accountant and he’s a civil engineer, so when they began renting SUPs out of their garage about 8 years ago, it was strictly a hobby. “We used to go over to San Diego to surf and one time tried SUP surfing and loved it. We realized that you don’t really need an ocean to paddle around on a board, and that it’s a great way to keep in shape - and keep cool - during the summers in Arizona.”
After a few years of working out of their garage, Court and Heather realized their hobby business had taken over their lives. So in 2013, they opened the No Snow SUP shop not far from the Salt River in Mesa. Their aim, Court says, is “to show people how easy SUP is, make it easy for people to rent and pick up equipment, and have it all happen in a fun, easy-going environment.”
“Heather and Court are doing a great job bringing SUP to the masses,” Steffi Griffin tells The Buzz. She and husband Rob belong to the No Snow competition team that travels to SUP races around the region, promoting both the shop and the sport. “Lots of people think that SUP is harder than it is, but No Snow is very welcoming to everyone from the beginner to the race level. It’s a great atmosphere to relax and socialize,” she says. In fact, Steffi and Rob met at the paddleboard shop.
Steffi says that most people don’t realize how important water sports are to the local scene in the Phoenix area. “We have lots of lakes and a huge number of boats per capita,” she says. “My favorite thing to do is get a bunch of friends together and go up to Canyon Lake. We set up on a beach, and spend the day partying and exploring hidden coves on our boards. It’s a lot of fun.”
No Snow is the center of a growing community of paddleboarders who get together frequently for sunset and full moon paddles, training sessions, river running trips, SUP yoga, holiday events and more. “The meetup groups are a great way to get involved,” Steffi says. “SUP can be very physical or very social… it all depends on what you’re looking for.”
The No Snow shop is about two miles from the Lower Salt River. Court Fetter says that this section of the Salt is his favorite for teaching beginners, since it has a slow current, and there are no motorboats. “The upstream dams start releasing water into the Salt in April or May,” he says. “This is a huge tubing scene, too, maybe 15,000 tubers on a long summer weekend.”
To the east, upstream on the Salt, are four reservoirs, Saguaro, Canyon, Apache and Roosevelt, all located within the Tonto National Forest. “We focus on the East Valley,” Court says. “It’s more quaint and not as busy. Saguaro Lake, about 15 miles from the shop, is our main playground. Canyon is about 30 minutes away, and great for weekend trips. Apache and Roosevelt are larger and farther off, with more motorized craft, so more challenging for boarders.”
One of the services that No Snow provides is helping match customers with the right size board. With a weight difference of one hundred pounds, it was obvious to Court that he and Heather needed to be on different size boards. He was also aware of how challenging loading a board onto the top of a car could be for a solo paddler.
“A lot of the big board companies were just spitting out mass-produced product,” he says. “So my engineering background kicked in and I started working on an inflatable board, one that would be liberating for a more petite woman, besides being easier to transport.”
It took several years of testing and technical advances to make the inflatable boards reliably durable and rigid enough to handle well in the water. The result, their own line of No Snow inflatable SUPs, was worth it, Court says. “It’s a real game changer.”
The No Snow inflatables, in several sizes, are currently available at the shop or via the No Snow website. Heather says they hope to arrange national distribution soon. “Meanwhile, we are offering free shipping,” she says.
Court and Heather are often on the road seeking out paddleboarding opportunities from Texas to California in their 2003 Monaco Executive RV, with inflatables conveniently housed in a storage bay. Back in Mesa, their No Snow business continues its explosive growth. Court says the key to their success is fun.
“Fun is contagious. If you’re providing fun, you’re bound to grow.”
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
Make Sure To Check Out:
No Snow SUP, where one can rent a paddle board and head out with friends & family, or join the next Arizona paddle boarding group event. Usually paddling through the Salt River, Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lakes.