It’s not all about SUPs and fun….it’s about making it easy for new clients to become educated about what we offer. With that said, thanks to the QRCodes used on smartphones it is easier than ever to get info about our products, services and the SUP community that PTM has been establishing.
We are proud to introduce our first QRCode….it’s pretty cool if we do say so ourselves. We put the square on one of our boards and it was a hit!
QRCode Apps available on your smartphone
Brian Hovnanian, owner of Hovie SUP, is rocking the SUP Industry with his innovative partnership with Tom Kernan, renowned Yacht designer. It only makes sense to have a SUP that is designed with a displacement hull to go through the water. Something that here in the Great Lakes, I get many questions about.
The ease that the Nomad adventure board and the Scout all-around board tackles boat wake, waves, and wind resistance is amazing. I always practive safety first, but I never worry about not being able to paddle through something that isn’t flat.
Check out this video – full of great information about SUPing and the designs that Hovie SUP offers. We are top in the racing events with the Hovie Comet and the Nomad is fast becoming the fastest selling board for adventure and fun in Michigan.
Google: Vimeo: Http://vimeo.com.36730685
or HovieSUP Comet Story
Paddle the Mitten is a proud dealer and distributor for Hovie SUPs – contact us for more information: paddlethemitten@gmail.com
Paddle The Mitten Enlists Artichoke Creative
http://business.transworld.net/category/news/
By Kelli Hargrove
Fri, Feb 10 2012 11:16 am |
Paddle the Mitten (PTM) has enlisted Artichoke Creative to assist in building its brand throughout the Midwest. PTM, Michigan’s first fully dedicated Stand Up Paddleboard “Studios,” will be joining forces with Artichoke Creative Founder David Boylan- a Michigan native with strong ties to the Great Lakes water sports scene.
For more on PTM and its new collab, read on:
Howell, MI – February 8, 2012 — “I am very excited to be working with PTM and Linda Brown who has been way ahead of the curve in bringing SUP’s to Michigan and is utilizing them in innovative ways”, said Boylan. He added, “Michigan has always been home and I’ve been seeking clients here for the past few years to facilitate opening an office to do my part to contribute to Michigan’s economic recovery. That has not been easy to say the least. Stand Up Paddleboarding or SUP, is one of those bright spots in the Michigan economy and it fits perfectly with my experience”.
PTM is the vision of Linda Brown, who is dedicated to bringing SUP awareness to the Mitten state and Greater Great Lakes Region. With over 20 years of working in the water sports industry, specifically working with her former employer, Surftech and now, Hovie SUP, she offers a unique angle to the SUP lifestyle. Before moving back to the Mitten, she lived an active life in Santa Cruz, California where she taught, volunteered and challenged herself with surfing and the newly emerging sport of SUPing. Being one of the main Pioneers of the SUP sport in Michigan and the Chicago area, she has paved the way for many others to find their Stoke!!
“David and I share the same passion for Michigan and watersports and we have both also had a taste of the West coast and real surf culture. He is still very immersed in that in Encinitas. That shared passion and experience makes Artichoke Creative a perfect fit for PTM”.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PADDLE THE MITTEN SELECTS ARTICHOKE CREATIVE TO HANDLE MIDWEST MARKETING
Agency selected based on strong history in water sports and deep roots in Michigan
Howell, MI – February 8, 2012 — Paddle the Mitten (PTM) Michigan’s first fully dedicated Stand Up Paddleboard “Studios”, has selected Artichoke Creative to assist in building the Paddle the Mitten brand throughout the Midwest. Artichoke Creative is an integrated marketing firm headquartered in Encinitas, California with a satellite office in Royal Oak. Founder David Boylan, is a Michigan native with strong ties to the Great Lakes water sports scene from his days in college as the First Mate on the Masco Corporate yachts and as a Great Lakes surfer and water skier. He currently divides his time servicing clients in Michigan and California.
“I am very excited to be working with PTM and Linda Brown who has been way ahead of the curve in bringing SUP’s to Michigan and is utilizing them in innovative ways”, said Boylan. He added, “Michigan has always been home and I’ve been seeking clients here for the past few years to facilitate opening an office to do my part to contribute to Michigan’s economic recovery. That has not been easy to say the least. Stand Up Paddleboarding or SUP, is one of those bright spots in the Michigan economy and it fits perfectly with my experience”.
PTM is the vision of Linda Brown, who is dedicated to bringing SUP awareness to the Mitten state and Greater Great Lakes Region. With over 20 years of working in the water sports industry, specifically working with her former employer, Surftech and now, Hovie SUP, she offers a unique angle to the SUP lifestyle. Before moving back to the Mitten, she lived an active life in Santa Cruz, California where she taught, volunteered and challenged herself with surfing and the newly emerging sport of SUPing. Being one of the main Pioneers of the SUP sport in Michigan and the Chicago area, she has paved the way for many others to find their Stoke!!
“David and I share the same passion for Michigan and watersports and we have both also had a taste of the West coast and real surf culture. He is still very immersed in that in Encinitas. That shared passion and experience makes Artichoke Creative a perfect fit for PTM”.
Media Contact: Marica Westinghouse Marcia@artichoke-creative.com
About Paddle the Mitten PTM offers private, group, indoor (Nov-April) or outdoor(May-Sept) classes. PTM acts as a Sales Rep for Hovie SUP, Inc in the Greater Great Lakes Region – stretching down to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and as a Hovie SUP Dealer throughout Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indian, Wisconsin. If you are looking to become a dealer or for programming, Brown offers her professional services as a SUP consultant. PTM is also growing a SUP community that enjoys paddling together and having fun. Over the summer months, Eco-SUP Adventures to Northern & the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are scheduled. If you are looking to learn the sport, be involved with fitness, recreation, adventure or racing, learn the SUP lifestyle or to buy a SUP – PTM is your resource. Beginner SUP classes, SUP yoga, SUPilates™s & SUP with your Pup℠classes available. Instructor & Certified Emergency Rescue Trained. Stop by and see PTM on Feb. 11-19 at the Detroit Boat Show in the Cobo Center. Learn more at www.paddlethemitten.com
About Artichoke Creative Artichoke Creative is an integrated marketing firm that works with a wide range of industries ranging from residential and commercial solar to restaurants, agriculture, and water sports. Artichoke Creative has produced results for local, regional, and national brands who have realized the benefit of doing business with marketers who know how to reach their audience in the most cost effective and creative manner possible.
Todd & son spending quality time on Dunham Lake.
“ SUP Thoughts: Both of my boys have SUPs, for them it a vehicle of freedom. Standing up they can see far below the water, dive off, or even fish. Both have customized their own boards by painting them. SUPing promotes balance with upper body exercise. We all go together as a family, like going for a bike ride but on water. Both have surfed at OBX (special moment for me as their Dad).
For me it’s a quick getaway. Coffee in the morning on the SUP taking in the lake, to get away from a crowded beach, cool down after my run, or to take me to a sunset to reflect, or even practice yoga.
Since I bought my first SUP several people on the lake have bought them and when we cross paths we talk. Many residents that sit on the shoreline have asked me about them, I always offer to let them try, almost to the point where I’m insisting. And, oh yes, it fills the void when the wind is not blowing and I can’t windsurf.
During the winter the SUPs hang from the ceiling like works of art. They are visual focal points for people who visit and all have stories to tell. You just can’t make memories with a piece of wall art, but you can hang this “vehicle” of your memories and surround yourself with them. ~ Todd Y., Dunham Lake Estates, Hartland, MI
This article written by Paddle the Mitten’s founder, Linda Brown will appear in the Western Michigan Tourism Association’s “2012 Things to do in Western Michigan” Catalog.
Finding your “Inner Hawaiian” in Western Michigan
On any given morning during the summer months, you may see a new sport on Western Michigan’s waterways. Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUPing) is the fastest growing water sport in the Great Lakes area. A cross between kayaking and surfing, SUPing has the birds-eye view advantage and can be done on any flatwater. It has an array of diversity. Whether you are looking for an activity that the family can enjoy, or the serenity of being alone on an inland lake, SUPing is for you.
Imagine the sunrise beginning to warm the cool air, a slight ground fog hugs the water around you. You’ve stepped onto the SUP board and gently start to paddle across the water. You glance around and the water is reminiscent of glimmer glass with the sun sparkling on the water. The birds are singing and you hear the whooping sound of a swan’s wings easing down into the water only yards from you. When you glance downward, you see a pristine clear window exposing the life beneath the surface. Then you realize, this is an experience that you’d miss if it hadn’t been for the stand up paddleboard.
Western Michigan has some of the best waterways to SUP within the Great Lakes Region. Whether you are on the Muskegon River, Pentwater River, Crystal Lake or Lake Michigan all waterways that are relatively flat and easy-going will offer a great experience. The sport is for all ages and with the right instructor anyone can be successful and enjoy the great outdoors while gliding over Michigan’s beautiful water wonderland.
A personal floatation device is always recommended and the proper equipment creates a safe and stable experience. There are several shops in Western Michigan. For more information contact WMTA or paddlethemitten.com.
Linda Brown, Founder of Paddle the Mitten, LLC is a Native to Michigan with personal ties to the Grand Rapids, Pentwater and Empire area. As an adult, she returns to her favorite childhood places in Western Michigan, where she enjoys surfing on her Surftech Donald Takayama long board and SUPing on her Hovie Nomad. As an advocate for Michigan tourism, it was an honor to be asked to write about the state she calls the Mitten.
