National Park Service advances plans to relocate Chequamegon Point Light Tower
(Apostle Islands National Lakeshore News Release) BAYFIELD, Wis. — Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has awarded a...
Business Member Spotlight: South Shore Adventures looks to cultivate a welcoming vibe with “Midwest Aloha”
Thousands of miles separate the beaches of Hawaii from the Apostle Islands, but that isn’t stopping the newest area kayaking company from shooting for an Aloha kind of vibe. “Think of it as Midwest Aloha,” says Jared Kirschmann, who along with his wife Sydney, have opened South Shore Adventures just outside of Bayfield.
Jared and Sydney Kirschmann – Jeff Rennicke photo
Born and raised in Kailu-Kona, Hawaii, Jared says that his love and passion for the water began at a young age, surfing, diving, and kayaking. Those skills would take him to many other places – whitewater rafting on the Pigeon River in Tennessee, kayaking in Queensland, Tasmania, and Southern Australia. But, as he puts it, “the winds of life eventually brought me to the beautiful Apostle Islands.” From his first kayak adventure here, he was hooked. Sydney, a first-grade teacher in Hayward, had spent her whole life around Lake Superior but had never been in a kayak.
Together, they married, honeymooned in Hawaii, and started South Shore Adventures, the newest outfitter in the area and the newest Business Member of Friends of the Apostle Islands.
The goals of the new company, whose first official day of business was June 11th, are to give small groups (up to six) a personalized and safe sea kayaking experience at the Mawikwe sea caves, and to strive for “cooperation not competition” with the other local businesses and outfitting companies.
South Shore Adventures store – Jeff Rennicke photo
Their newly decorated shop situated just south of Bayfield on Highway 13, offers an inventory of not only original branded hats and tee shirts but also local products from soap to coffee. That spirit also crosses over to the South Shore Adventure website which features a detailed look, not just at their trip offerings – half-day and full-day sea cave paddles — but at the offerings of many other local places to eat, shop, hike, and enjoy the atmosphere. “We want to guide our clients on the kayak trip of course,” Jared says of offering what he calls “Pro Tips” to a successful trip, “but also help guide them to making the best use of their time here for the best experience possible so that they will come back and tell their friends about us too.”
“We are all on the same team on the water,” Jared says about working with and alongside the other kayaking companies. “And that is true when we are off the water too since all area businesses hope to ensure people have a great experience the whole time and want to come back. I know what it is like to be a visitor in an area and not know where to eat or what to do, and how nice it is to have a local help you out.”
Two paddlers in silhouette – South Shore Adventures photo
Jared and Sydney hope to show the clients of South Shore Adventures a safe, enjoyable and memorable experience on Lake Superior and the sea caves, a place he calls “unbelievably beautiful” and the Chequamegon Bay area. “When they walk out the door of the shop when their trip is done,” Sydney says, “I want to know that I’ve done something to make a difference in their world, something good for the world, as my Dad used to say.”
Paddling the sea caves – South Shore Adventures photos
For Jared, the goal is more succinct. When he is asked what do you want your clients to feel when they are all done with a South Shore Adventures trip, he flashes a smile and a Shaka, the “hang loose” easy vibe hand gesture so common in the Hawaii of his youth and says, “Midwest Aloha.”
To find out more about South Shore Adventures, visit their website at https://southshoreadventures.com/or stop in at their shop located at 84460 on Highway 13 just south of Bayfield. You can also call 715-600-3609 or email info@southshoreadventures.com.
Friends of the Apostle Islands wants to thank South Shore Adventures and the growing list of business members for supporting us and the Lakeshore We Love. For more information on supporting Friends as a business member or as an individual, visit the Support Us page on our website.
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