Walk on Water Week a celebration of stand up paddleboarding gets underway today with the highly anticipated celebrity dash.

At midday today, over 20 local celebrities will take to the water for what should be fantastic and fun short paddleboard sprints on Muri lagoon.

Organised by stand up paddling and fitness enthusiast Charlotte Piho, the event will include group clinics with Piho and Australias number one stand up paddler Travis Grant as well as free stand up paddling sessions in the afternoons.

This all about everyone both tourists and locals taking a break from sun-baking, work, home duties, gym and getting out on to the water to have a go at stand up paddleboarding, says Piho.

Its amazing what the sport does for both your body and mind and I want to encourage people to get active, healthy and happy particularly locals.

Piho believes that stand up paddling is a great way of entertaining kids and teenagers and preventing them from stealing.

There have been so many burglaries lately and Id love to see kids and teenagers come join me in stand up paddleboarding and get their thrills from catching waves and exploring the ocean.

I also want to encourage those that go to the gym or dont like exercising on land to take their work out on to the water.

Piho is thrilled to have the expertise of Travis Grant, an all-round waterman and champion outrigger paddler, for the walk on water week programme and to share his love of paddling with locals.

I really want to encourage locals to come down during the week. Id love to see Cook Islands stand up paddleboard pros in years to come and people spending money on stand up paddleboarding rather than on health care.

Apart from the celebrity dash at 12pm today from the Pacific Resort beachfront, Piho and Grant will run stand up paddling clinics and adventures through the week from 1pm to 3 oclock.

Tomorrow, Piho will team up with Lee Dawson from Kiteboard HG to take on Travis Grant and Pacific Resorts Rawinia Lange in the worlds first ever stand up paddle polo.

Piho and Grant will also run romantic lagoon stand up paddle tours for loved up visitors on Aitutaki.

The duo will also be available for private stand up paddling lessons.

The final event of the walk on water week will be the Battle of the Paddle Cook Islands this Saturday staring at 1pm.

This is a fun and free event for everyone with fantastic prizes to be won.

Piho would like to thank Pacific Resort, Captain Tama, Kiteboard HG and Te Vakaroa Villas for all the support theyve given her.

Piho is looking forward to a fantastic day of fun today when local celebrities congregate at Muri lagoon and put into practise their sup paddleboarding skills and tricks.

To book your spot or enquire about a private lesson and stand up cruises visit Pacific Resort Rarotonga or phone Charlotte Piho on 57129 or 22525.