How Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe Passionately Serves Paddlers
11-minute read
Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe isn’t just a paddle shop. It’s a paddling center with a focus on education and a passion for the water for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages near their Portland, Oregon headquarters.
Alder Creek’s programs manager, E, leads a whitewater course
Founded in 1986, Alder Creek is Portland’s original paddlesports store with a staff that has hundreds of years of combined experience in retail and instruction. Their main goal is to make people happy through paddling while being safe and comfortable.
We sat down with two of Alder Creek’s team members: Meloy Ady, purchasing manager, and E Emch, programs manager, for an inside look into their history, the educational opportunities they offer, and how they’re helping people get on the water in their area.
What Alder Creek Offers Its Customers
There are three main aspects to Alder Creek’s business model: the in-store and online retail shop, the rental side, and their education programming.
All three contribute to their main goal of getting people excited about paddling and on the water as much as possible.
“Paddling makes you happy,” said Meloy. “It’s low impact, good for your body and mind, you’re outside, and you’re usually with family or friends. That’s a pretty good combination.”
E added, “It’s a wonderful hobby or sport, depending on how you do it. And it’s something almost anyone can do, young or old.”
Retail Sales
Paddlers of all ages and skill levels will find everything they need to begin or continue their adventures either in the retail store or by shopping their store online.
Alder Creek’s retail shop outfits paddlers of all skill levels
“About 55% of our retail sales are recreational kayaks,” Meloy said. “Touring makes up another 25% with the rest being whitewater kayaking and canoeing. However, we’re building our whitewater program and canoe sales have picked up in recent years, so those numbers will change.”
Customers will find many different types of recreational and touring kayaks, fishing kayaks, canoes and paddleboards to choose from. In addition, they’ll find all the accompanying gear they’ll need to get on the water: paddles, PFDs, apparel, racks, footwear and more.
Alder’s knowledgeable staff will help them choose the right boat and gear for their paddling aspirations, no matter their current skill level. They can even demo a boat on the Columbia River there at their retail store location.
Rentals
Alder Creek has a thriving rental program that includes their main Jantzen Beach headquarters as well as three additional rental locations in the Portland area. With plenty of local flatwater and moving water to choose from, their rental customers have many paddling options no matter their ability level.
Unloading a shipment of touring kayaks
Education Programming
This subject deserves its own section…
The Importance of Paddling Education
Meloy and E both emphasized the important role of instruction in paddlesports.
“It’s all about building good habits early,” said E. “We help our customers learn proper technique and build stamina so they can enjoy paddling long-term.”
Meloy added that formal instruction builds confidence. He said, “When people feel safe and confident, they have more fun and stick with the activity longer. A YouTube video can’t correct your paddle stroke in real-time. A good coach sees what’s happening, can help you adjust your technique and boost your learning curve.”
Rescue and safety skills are key components of Alder Creek’s courses
The team at Alder Creek offers everything from basic kayaking courses to multi-day full immersion courses in sea kayaking and whitewater. Their goal is to turn beginners into self-sufficient paddlers with confident rescue and safety skills. Or to help avid paddlers increase their skills even more.
These courses also cover gear suggestions. “We always talk about immersion wear, helmets, PFDs,” E said. “We help people figure out what they’ll eventually want to buy, show them how to fit it, and make sure they know how to use it.”
Whitewater instruction during a course
This connects Alder Creek’s education program with their retail program, giving their customers a full-service and seamless experience.
How Alder Creek Inspires the Next Generation of Paddlers
The team at Alder Creek recognizes the value of inspiring kids and youth to get into the paddlesports world. They do this in two main ways: Through their youth education programming and by hiring teens to work for them.
Both Meloy and E started paddling as kids, so they know how that can turn into a life of passion for the water.
“I grew up canoeing and sailing with my Dad,” said Meloy. “So most of my life, to some extent, has been on the water.”
E’s story is similar: “I started paddling when I was four, and haven’t stopped since.”
Both started at Alder Creek as teenagers in seasonal rental roles that have since grown into their current leadership positions. So they understand the way the experiences during childhood can transition into a lifelong endeavor.
“We give a lot of high schoolers their first job,” said Meloy. “It’s meaningful work and they often stick around for years. It’s something we’re proud of.”
The Alder Creek team serves many dozens of 10-to-14-year-old kids every summer through their popular 5-day paddling camps. These camps give the kids instruction in all the basics of kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding in a safe, encouraging environment.
Meloy Ady, purchasing manager (left) and E Emch, programs manager (right)
E shared, “The kids get excited about paddling and they go home and talk their parents into trying it, too.”
They also partner with local parks departments, scouting troops and community organizations to offer paddling opportunities to young people.
The Aqua Bound Connection
Alder Creek has carried Aqua Bound paddles for several decades. Meloy and E both have their reasons for being enthusiastic about our partnership:
“As a retailer, we strive for an extremely high level of customer service, and with Aqua Bound, I get all the resources I need,” Meloy said. “Your in-house team is extremely responsive, and you have some of the best reps in the industry. You just don’t get that level of service from larger companies.”
For E, it’s about the paddles. “I’ve reviewed and used the Sting Ray and Aerial paddles. They perform really well and punch way above their weight class. I’ve been raving about Aqua Bound to anyone who’ll listen!”
You can read E’s review of our Aerial whitewater paddle here.
Learn More about Alder Creek
Whether you live in the Portland area or will be visiting soon, you can learn more about the retail shop, rentals and education programming on Alder Creek’s website. You can also follow them on their various social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
All photos courtesy of Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe. Our thanks to Meloy and E for their time with us!
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or sales@aquabound.com, or choose our online chat option.
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