Hi everyone – Jesse here – founder of SUP Asheville. I wanted to take a moment to share a little bit about why this retreat is so special to me and why I chose to make it SUP Asheville’s first international adventure.

Venga Atitlán is where I first learned to paddleboard.

In 2021 I visited Guatemala for what was supposed to be a month-long trip. I had never been before, and never had any specific desire to go, but a friend of mine offered me an affordable rental in a small cabin, flights were cheap, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try something new while I had the chance.

My tiny cabin was located at the edge of the lakeside village of San Marcos, La Laguna. The town is fairly small, so it only took a few days before I stumbled upon Venga. At the time, they had just finished building a brand new bouldering gym, so a friend and I ventured over to do a little bit of climbing. That’s when I met Jonas and Michelle – the owners of Venga.

Jonas, originally from Germany, and Michelle, originally from Australia, met each other in Guatemala and started a beautiful family and an amazing business together! They’re both incredible people (and if you join us for the retreat you’ll have the opportunity to meet them too!). I found their story and what they were doing with Venga to be incredibly inspiring. Venga is a living example of a crazy dream turned into reality through determination, passion, and perseverance. Long story short – we hit it off and before I knew it I was working at Venga, helping to run the climbing gym and leading paddleboard tours around the lake.

My 1-month trip somehow turned into 6 months! Eventually, I had to return to my home in Asheville, but Venga and Lake Atitlán will always hold a special place in my heart as a “home away from home.” When I got back to Asheville, it didn’t take long before I bought myself two inflatable paddleboards. One for me, and an extra one so I could convince my friends to go explore with me!

I became obsessed with paddleboarding, and as I continued to explore the lakes & rivers around Asheville, I started to think about what it might look like to start a paddleboard business similar to what Jonas and Michelle had done with Venga. Eventually, I bought the supasheville.com domain name and started to put a business plan together. A new dream was born.

My intention with SUP Asheville is to create incredible and inspiring experiences that happen outside instead of online. Life is an adventure, and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of that… but every time I plan a trip for myself I’m reminded of how beautiful this world is and how friendly most of it’s inhabitants are.

In the increasingly digital world that we live in, it’s become far too easy to consume large amounts of stressful and negative information that can make you feel down about life. Don’t get me wrong – I use a lot of technology in my life – but as our world continues to become more digital, I think the importance of IRL (In Real Life) experiences will become more important than ever. While the trendy entrepreneurs are chasing AI businesses, I’m committed to making sure IRL doesn’t go out of style 😉

If SUP Asheville can inspire even one person to the extent that I was inspired by Jonas, Michelle, and Venga, then this endeavor will have been a tremendous success.

Sometimes, the simple act of planning a trip can change your entire life.

I hope you’ll consider joining me this Winter at Venga in the Land of Eternal Spring!