In training Dave Parsons prepares to go on a training paddle during his lunch break on Tuesday, May 11. Parsons, who is interim city manager of Port Aransas, took second place at a recent stand-up paddle board race against dozens of other people on Lady Bird Lake in Austin. STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER Port Aransas residents took two out of the top three spots in a stand-up paddle board race in Austin on Saturday, May 8.

Dave Parsons paddled his way to second place, and Corey Williams took third in the SUP Jam held at Lady Bird Lake, formerly known as Town Lake. Parsons and Williams were part of a team fielded by the Board House, a Port Aransas surf shop.

“I was pretty exhausted after the race, but I trained pretty hard for it, so it felt good,” said Parsons, who also happens to be the city’s planning and projects director and interim city manager.

“The three-mile race is sort of a sprint, so it’s all-out.”

The top finishers received medals for their efforts.

Stand-up paddle boards, also known as SUPs, look like extra-big surfboards. As the name implies, riders stand on them and use a paddle to get along. The sport has grown quickly around the country and in Port Aransas over the past few years.

Parsons said about 60 other people took part in the three-mile race. The SUP Jam also included a 1.5-mile race, a tandem race and a pooch paddle in which dogs rode on SUPs with people.