Paddleboard shop opens on Sherman
Kym Murdoch is bringing a tropical trend to North Idaho waters.
A trip to the Hawaiian Islands last winter left the 35-year-old entrepreneur with a feeling that she couldn’t shake.
Murdoch was inspired by the site of throngs of paddleboarders gliding across the surface of the ocean off the coast of Kailua on Hawaii’s Big Island and decided the Lake City and its surrounding waterways could do for some of the same. As the owner of the new business Coeur d’Alene Paddleboard, she is hoping the sport’s surging status will catch on here, too.
“That’s kind of why I opened the store because I was in Hawaii and I wanted to go paddling. I went out one morning to rent one, and I looked out and there were just hundreds of people,” said Murdoch, while standing at the counter in the paddleboard’s tropical island-inspired shop on Sherman Avenue. “I could tell it was becoming a popular sport so I really wanted to try it. And as soon as I tried it I loved it.”
About the growing popularity of the sport, she added, “It’s getting crazy popular; it’s just sweeping across the country.”
In the 2,800-square-foot renovated shop, formerly the space occupied by M & M Boot and Shoe Repair, Murdoch and three employees offer a large selection of stand-up paddleboards for sale or rent, including long boards perfect for lake cruises and shorter more responsive boards for river excursions. Some of the for-sale boards include Pau Hana and Pohaku C4, which range from $899 with a carbon-fiber paddle, to $1,800. The store also sells paddling accessories and other outdoor gear, such as shirts, swimwear for men and women, board shorts, wet suits and life jackets.
There are wrap-around vests for dogs, which the owner said work great for canine companions as they relax on the boards out on the water. Group paddles and exercises will be offered in the future, and professional paddleboarder Nikki Gregg is planning a stand-up boot camp Aug. 7 and 8.
Customers can either load the boards onto a vehicle, or strap on some wheels at the shop and roll right down to the lake, which is just a few blocks away. And one of the best parts about paddling, Murdoch said, is that instructions are minimal. “It’s very easy. I show them how to get on, stand up, and off they go,” she explained, adding that she does teach customers a few techniques on turning and how to hold paddle and occasionally offers lessons before or after work.
Coeur d’Alene Paddleboard also rents from Hauser Lake and Albert’s Landing on the Coeur d’Alene River, just off the Kingston exit toward Kellogg. A shuttle system ferries boarders to the insertion point on the river.
Having grown up in Coeur d’Alene and around the area’s plentiful waterways, Murdoch, who is also an avid wakeboarder and snowboarder, recognized an opportunity to help launch paddleboarding in North Idaho. And she was especially ready for something new given the grueling nature of her previous job.
“I’ve been working road construction for about 12 years, and I am tired of traveling. It was really fun for a while, but I haven’t been camping in years and years. I would take the winter off and snowboard and then work my butt off in summer,” she offered. After reading about the benefits of the paddleboard workout a few years ago and watching more recently as the sport spawned interest across the country, Murdoch said, “I just saw how huge it could be in Coeur d’Alene because of all the waters we have around here. So I just took a shot at it.”
In December, she had a business plan in place and scooped up the space on Sherman once it became available in March. Murdoch’s friends and family helped transform the interior into a surf shop complete with changing rooms, deck seating, new lighting and paint, and open office space. Coeur d’Alene Paddleboard opened for business June 1.
Shadra Ban, a longtime friend of Murdoch, was one of the first to test the paddleboards.
“When she got her first shipment of boards I was there to try it out and I’ve been addicted ever since,” said Ban, owner of Cascade Cleaning in town and mother of three girls, ages 13, 7 and 5.
“What I like about it is that, I own a business, I have three kids and I can go out a on a paddleboard and find peace and quiet and just enjoy the scenery. It’s kind of my getaway as a mom,” she said
Paddleboarding is a great full-body workout, Murdoch explained, at least for those who are looking for the exercise.
“It’s a great workout, and you don’t even know you’re working out,” she said. “It’s super fun, you can take leisurely strolls on it, lay on it, or you can do aggressive paddles on it.”
As Brian Charland, a visitor from Rochester, N.Y., toured the shop, he said he was first introduced to the sport at an Ironman in his home state.
“The first time I saw it was at an Ironman in Lake Placid, N.Y., and they were using them to guide the swimmers and stuff like that,” he said. “It looks like a lot of fun. It’s something I’ve wanted to try.”
So far, Murdoch said the reaction from people has been encouraging. “It’s been really good, especially with Car d’Alene and Ironman and now rolling right into the Fourth of July,” she said.
“A group of us watched Ironman from our boards, and we had people following us back to see what we were doing and how they could do it, too,” Murdoch chuckled. “I think it’s going to be the new craze.”