Grass Sticks SUP Paddle Review

The Grass Sticks SUP paddle is beautiful. But it's the performance that took our breath away. 

Every time I head out on my SUP, someone remarks on my paddle. With a shaft made from a single bamboo stalk, it is admittedly eye catching, and though I’m definitely not the kind of person who picks gear based on how it looks, every time someone mentions my Grass Sticks paddle, it reminds me that I really like it. Without those mentions, I probably wouldn’t think about the paddle at all, which is probably the highest compliment I can pay it. Let me explain.

The point of the sports I like is to forget that I’m using gear in the first place. I want to get into the flow state of skiing powder, carving singletrack, or riding waves as quickly and easily as possible; gear can break the spell by calling too much attention to itself. The best gear works seamlessly with your body. 

With a paddle, negative capabilities usually means being heavy or cumbersome or to stiff or too floppy. My Grass Sticks SUP paddle is none of those things. It’s light, has great grip, and a great flex. It’s an excellent tool for most any application—lake paddling, river paddling, and catching surf.

Grass Sticks Bamboo SUP Paddles

I upgraded to a Grass Sticks bamboo paddle and I can easily say I haven’t looked back. For starters, the paddle is absolutely gorgeous. Where once I was using an all black carbon fiber paddle, I am now using a paddle with a jungle print blade and an eye-catching bamboo shaft. The paddle is light yet strong, stunning yet sturdy, and flexible yet durable. I’ve surfed with my paddle, left it out in the sun, gone on road trips, and paddled my pup around the harbor and it hasn’t let me down.

I may not be a fortune teller, but I see more bamboo in my future.

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Built tough for high-volume rivers but lightweight enough for a long day of touring or surfing, the hand-sanded bamboo shaft lets you paddle longer. Bamboo's natural medium/stiff flex allows you to feel the reaction of the water. This makes braces, draws and other strokes feel like second nature while putting less stress on your body. Blades available in three sizes and three colours of fiberglass and carbon fiber.

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Move Over, Carbon Fiber. Bamboo Is King.

Before aluminum, bamboo was actually a go-to material used to make sporting equipment. A Colorado company is going back to basics, starting with ski poles and now its first SUP paddle. Made to order from Calcutta bamboo, the Grass Sticks SUP Paddle is stronger than concrete under compression, won’t kink or snap like aluminum, is lightweight and warm in the hand, and sustainable. We also like the way the bamboo subtly flexes as you paddle.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2018, #1: Grass Sticks Canoe Paddles

If you have a Mom who’s always on the lookout for something truly unique, she’s going to love the bamboo canoe paddles made by Grass Sticks in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re also better for the environment – and Grass Sticks stands behind their paddles with a two year, no questions asked guarantee. She’s going to be the talk of the lake!

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Originally developed as a solution to feeble ski poles, this bamboo “stick” platform works equally well on SUP paddles. Get this: Bamboo has the tensile strength of steel and a compressive strength greater than concrete, plus it’s lighter and more flexible than carbon and aluminum. Translation? You can paddle harder, longer in more challenging conditions, and better feel the water beneath you for advanced paddle strokes. Plus, this gorgeous paddle is fully customizable and—a bonus for outdoors enthusiasts who care about the planet—far more sustainable than the alternatives.

Review: Grass Sticks SUP Stick

When it came time to upgrade my SUP paddle from the stock 3-piece paddle that came with my board, Grass Sticks was the only one on my list.

This paddle feels great in the hand, those subtle imperfections providing a natural feel that just can’t be matched by carbon fiber or aluminum. The clear coated bamboo extends the natural beauty of this paddle.

For me, selecting the SUP Stick came down to much more than specs and performance. No other paddle comes close aesthetically, or matches its eco-friendliness. And it just makes paddling that much more fun.

Grass Sticks Debuts All-Bamboo SUP Paddle

If it works so great for ski poles, why not SUP paddles? That's the theory behind the SUP Stick, a new line of performance bamboo SUP paddles by Grass Sticks, the Steamboat Springs, Colo.-based cast behind the award-winning custom bamboo ski poles. Sturdy and durable for the rugged whitewater of the Rocky Mountains, yet light enough for a day of touring or surfing, SUP Sticks bring a natural look and feel to the fastest growing sport in the outdoor industry

Grass Sticks Debuts Bamboo Canoe Paddle

One grab of the shaft is all it takes: bamboo just feels good–and different from any other paddle shaft on the market, a hair more au naturel.

An award-winning maker of bamboo ski poles, Grass Sticks has now taken its high-grade Bambusoideae technology to the canoe market. Built tough but light enough for a long day of paddling, Grass Sticks' hand-sanded shafts are made from kiln-dried Calcutta bamboo with an incredible strength-to-weight ratio and an ideal medium/stiff flex that’s easy on your body. Compared to stiffer shafts, the natural flex of bamboo fibers transfers energy to the water seamlessly, making braces, draws and other strokes easy and efficient.

Grass Sticks Unveils Bamboo Canoe Paddle

If it works for ski poles, why not canoe paddles? That’s the theory behind a new line of bamboo canoe paddles manufactured by Grass Sticks in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

One grab of the shaft is all it takes: bamboo just feels good. An award-winning maker of bamboo ski poles, Grass Sticks has now taken its high-grade Bambusoideae technology to the canoe market. Built tough but light enough for a long day of paddling, Grass Sticks’ hand-sanded shafts are made from kiln-dried Calcutta bamboo with an incredible strength-to-weight ratio and an ideal medium/stiff flex that’s easy on your body. Compared to stiffer shafts, the natural flex of bamboo fibers transfers energy to the water seamlessly, making braces, draws and other strokes easy and efficient.