SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) - A group of Utah teens wanted to, in their own words, "do something great" this summer. So instead of hanging out at the pool or the mall, they've taken their swimsuits and surfboards to the Great Salt Lake.
"We wanted to be different, and it's hip to be green now," says seventeen year old Vanessa Harman. She is spending her free time this summer jumping on a surfboard and rowing on the Great Salt Lake. Paddle surfing is the new green craze.
The teens, that are part of the Green Youth Group of Utah, say it's a great workout for your arms and it doesn't leave a carbon footprint on the environment.
"We are the ones who will be running the generation in fifty years and we want our environment to be nice and safe and clean," Harman says.
No boat exhaust, no gas burning 4-wheeler, it's just you and your paddle and your board on the Great Salt Lake. Okay, so it is a sport on the lake that often gets a bad rap. Probably because of the salty smell and the brine flies, but it's actually the cleanest lake in all of Utah.
"This lake is very therapeutic to place your skin pores in it and have all the toxins come out," Rebekka Stone says. She's been teaching paddle surfing since last March and says it builds confidence and self esteem.
"There's a lot of teens that go out and drink and we want to step up to the plate, we want to have a good environmental friendly group," Harman says.
If you would like more information on the Green Youth Group of Utah or about paddle surfing on the Great Salt Lake there two websites to visit for information...
