Big Muddy Adventures to open Guide Shop in the CWE on September 16th
The following press release is reprinted with permission from BMA Roo Yawitz and Matt Green:
Big Muddy Adventures (BMA) is excited to announce the opening of its first retail store at 4662 Washington Boulevard, in the heart of the Central West End. Located in a 1,200 square foot historic Sinclair gas station on the Bowood Farms “campus”, BMA will carry a curated mix of boats, gear, gadgets, apparel, and accessories aimed at inspiring people to get outside and explore the Great Middle West.
“Since our inception, we’ve been focused on getting people on the river, which has made us somewhat nomadic. We meet customers at a variety of riverside locations around St. Louis, load into our boats and set off on our paddling trips. Over the past few years we’ve realized that we want more of a base camp; a place to engage with our clients when we’re not on the water. This store will give us an opportunity to showcase our passion for the St. Louis outdoors to a wider audience and transition our seasonal guiding business into a year-round outfitting company”, said BMA general manager Roo Yawitz.
The shop inventory will be heavily focused on water activities but will also include apparel and camping gear. “We look forward to finding some smaller brands around the country that are not currently available in St. Louis and curating a nice selection of fun stuff” says Alex Kuntzman, shop manager. In addition, the shop will include a lounge area with a library of books and maps as well as a space for meetings and events outside. Notably, the shop, simply called Big Muddy Adventures, will become the only US dealer for acclaimed Canadian boat builder Clipper Canoes in 2022. BMA uses Clipper voyageur-style canoes on many of its river trips. Information requests about the store’s first canoe order in early 2022 are currently being accepted via email at boats@2muddy.com.
BMA’s foray into retail is meant to complement the company’s expanding and diversifying guide business. “For years, BMA has been able to introduce people to the Great Rivers of St. Louis through our paddling trips like the Full Moon Float and STL Riverfront Adventure. Last year was the first year we consistently offered multi-sport trips, like pedal/paddle trips on the Missouri River and paddle/rappelling trips on the Meramec River. The public’s overwhelming interest in our growing roster of trips has us excited to be able to guide and outfit St. Louisans on their next adventure, whatever it may be,” said Yawitz.
Big Muddy Adventures, founded in 2002 by “Big Muddy” Mike Clark, is the first and only professional canoe and kayak outfitter offering guided exploration of the Great Rivers in St. Louis. In addition to their public trips, BMA designs and guides custom youth trips and corporate outings.
For details about Big Muddy Adventures, visit http://www.2muddy.com.