Editor’s Note: This business profile, written by Plumas Bank, features a new local business that is a Plumas Bank customer, and is featured in a new program in the lobby of the Truckee branch that promotes the business.
Two years ago, Truckee resident Paul Zarubin and his wife, Lynn, took a trip to Maui and tried stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).
Though they loved the sport, Zarubin said they were unable to find decent boards until he ran into an old friend in Maui who worked for Coreban, a Hawaii-based SUP producer. At that meeting, the Zarubins were recruited to become Coreban distributors in the Truckee/Tahoe area, bringing some of the most reputable SUP boards to a region that is falling in love with one of the world’s fastest growing watersports.
Coreban boards are unique because they are designed by Hawaiian surfers with an eye for maneuverability, stability, and durability.
‘These boards were originally designed as a high-end surfboard with lots of volume, able to withstand the punishment that big surf will bring,’ Zarubin said. ‘The stability comes not just from the volume of the board, but from where that volume is placed. This fact alone separates our boards from the others, as they are becoming known for being one of the most stable boards on the water.’
Zarubin knows about the stability of Coreban boards firsthand. He doesn’t just sell the product, he races and recreates on the board regularly.
‘This year we have added two raceboards to the fleet, and I was able to try our 14-foot carbon/kevlar alpha race boards at the Memorial Day race on Donner Lake,’ he said. ‘Although I am not a serious paddle racer, paddling back in a super strong headwind, I was able to cut through the waves and pull away from those around me.’
Lake paddleboarders have a choice between two styles of board when purchasing. A surf-shaped board for flatwater lends more maneuverability and ranges in length from 10 to 11-and-a-half feet, and between 30 and 34 inches wide. By contrast, a streamlined flatwater board is less stable and less maneuverable, but much faster in calm water. Flatwater boards range in length from 12-and-a-half to 14 feet, and are between 26 and 28 inches wide. Coreban also sells surf-specific boards that are even shorter and perform well riding ocean waves.
Zarubin is finding that at least half of his customers are women, who are attracted by the core workout that paddleboarding offers and pick the sport up easier than men because of their lower center of gravity.
Zarubin’s current goal is to get his product into stores that match the Coreban brand. Their territory is the inland market of Northern California and Western Nevada, and they currently sell Coreban paddleboards at Mt. Lincoln Construction’s office at the west end of Donner Lake, as well as at Sports Exchange and Lake Tahoe Waterman. By encouraging people to test Coreban boards themselves, Zarubin believes that they will fall in love with the sport, just as he did. Zarubin is inviting anyone to sign up for a free paddleboard demo at the Plumas Bank office in Truckee.
~ Stephanie Bosco is the AVP customer service officer at the Truckee branch of Plumas Bank. The branch gives top billing to their business partners and artisans via Business Showcase each month, displaying their products, services, and artwork in the bank’s lobby. Info: (530) 587-4747
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