山田 健太 Kenta Yamada
Professional SUP athlete and director of K-LABO, which runs SUP tours on majestic Hokkaido lakes
Bio
・ In 2015, he discovered and taught himself SUP in Hokkaido, Japan. ・ In 2016, he started helping with SUP tours as an assistant and became a certified SUP guide. ・ In 2019, he started his own company, K-LABO. ・ Currently based in Hokkaido, he continues to guide SUP and compete in various competitions as an active competitor.
Message
Kenta Yamada is a professional SUP guide who is also an active SUP athlete, an all-Japan champion, and a certified instructor of SUP Instructors of Japan. He provides guests with unforgettable SUP experiences with the magnificent scenery of Hokkaido in the background.
Guide Q&A
Q: What is your most memorable experience in nature?
The moments when I feel my own existence and worries are small in front of the magnificent wilderness of Hokkaido. Also, hearing a story about a family who had a SUP tour together, and how the conversation about SUP had improved the relationship between the parents and their children, and I realized the value of SUP all over again.
Q: What does nature represent to you?
What is important in the relationship between people and nature is to strike a balance between "use” (making nature a tourist resource) and "isolation” (nature conservation).
Q: What has nature taught you?
Not only to take advantage of nature, but also to respect the overwhelming power of nature, to face it honestly, and to have an attitude of acceptance by nature.
Q: What do you hope that people will get out of experiences with you as a guide?
Through SUP, we want people to face nature honestly, have fun "playing seriously," and make memories and impressions that can be shared with others.
Highlights
・ K-LABO director and SUP guide ・ Team rider and ambassador of domestic SUP brand Sawarna ・ Level 2 Instructor, SUP Instructors of Japan ・ Winner, inflatable division, 2018 All Japan SUP Championship ・ 2nd place, 2019 Seoul City Race international SUP championship ・ Overall champion, inflatable division, 2019 All Japan SUP Championship ・ Languages: Japanese, English
