Bruce Spencer is big into board-riding — on all kinds of boards: surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. He's been doing them all for years.

"I've been riding a skateboard since back when they had clay wheels," he said.

The university-area resident, who plays guitar and 'ukulele with the band Maunalua, discovered yet another board sport, standup paddling, last June when he and a friend rented a stand-up paddleboard and paddled all day to celebrate Spencer's 53rd birthday.

"I was stoked. I loved it so I went online and found out everything I could about it," he said.

While surfing online, he came across Kahuna Creations, a company that makes a land-based version of a stand-up paddle called the Kahuna BigStick. Spencer described it as a paddle that, instead of a blade, "has two hockey pucks on the ends." It's used on land with a skateboard. Now he takes stand-up paddling to the streets. He said it's a great workout as he paddles around town, running errands, visiting friends and getting to the beach or park.

"I just put on my backpack and go. I can go for miles without ever putting my foot on the ground," he chuckled. "I'm having the time of my life. It's the perfect form of exercise." It's also less costly than the ocean-based sport (see box).

The stroke feels the same as the ocean version of standup paddling and it is just as effective a core workout, Spencer said.

It's an eco-friendly mode of transportation. Not only is it quiet, clean and green, it uses no energy (except the human kind). Soon the paddle shafts will be made of bamboo.

"I feel really good that I'm reducing my carbon footprint," Spencer said.

Spencer puts in at least half an hour a day on the board. He has found it a great way to burn calories.

"I burn more calories than I can eat," he said. Last year he weighed 168, and his doctor advised him to lose some weight. Now he's down to 145 and would like to get back up to 150.

His favorite thing about land paddling? "I can make the most amount of people smile in the shortest amount of time," he said with a wide grin.