I grew up in Alaska and my wife Kim grew up in Northern Michigan. We met while we were both working and living in downtown Chicago. After getting married in 2001 we decided to move North and across the lake and settled just outside of Traverse City. In Oct 2007 our twins Willa and Hayden were born and our leisurely weekends of long workouts and relaxation came to an abrupt halt. In 2016 we moved 20 minutes away to Leland, MI. In this quaint little town on the windward side of Lake Michigan our kids can walk to school and world class paddling is just 2 minutes away.
Kim and I have always been driven to experiment and evolve our diet, nutrition, and active lifestyle. I have been on a constant evolution from a skydiver and power lifter, to a marathon runner, iron man finisher, and cross country ski racer. I started paddling a surfski in 2004 after getting burned out on running and biking after a long summer training for Ironman Wisconsin. My first few attempts were a complete failure which made it all the more sweet when I finally started to figure out how to stay upright on the boat. I soon started to realize that surfski paddling was a single activity that could give me a great cardio/strength/balance workout, provide a meditative experience, and at times, a serious adrenaline fix.
In 2012 I started TC Surfski to spread my passion for the sport throughout the Midwest. As we now head into 2019 and our 8th season in business it has been a great journey. I’ve gained a immense n appreciation for those who start and run small businesses, that I would have otherwise never known. Surfski paddling in Northern Michigan hasn’t become popular enough for me to leave my day job, but I’m forever bullish on the growth potential. Most importantly I’ve had the opportunity to meet a tribe of paddlers all over the world who share a common addiction to the surfski paddling and all that it entails.
