By Lea Kopke
Correspondent
SUAMICO – The Suamico River may see an influx of explorers thanks to the opening of Suamico Paddle, a kayak, paddleboard and e-bike rental shop located down the river from the new canoe and kayak launch.
Attached to Paramount Physical Therapy and Performance Training in Vickery Village, co-owners Bryan Schwebke, who also owns Paramount, and Stephen Scripp opened the doors to customers July 10.
The two decided to start the business together after knowing each other for several years.
Scripp said they met because his family had Schwebke as a trainer, and from there he quickly learned he and Schwebke have a lot in common.
“I think we counter each other very well,” Scripp said. “He has a very young family and I’m at a different stage, my kids are all starting to go out of the house. I think mentor is too strong of a word, but I’m often there to say, ‘Yeah, that’s not as big of a deal as you think it is.’”
Schwebke said they decided to open a rental shop because of the new canoe and kayak launch located in Fireman’s Park, a short walk from Suamico Paddle.
“This was just the perfect kind of addition to what I already have,” he said. “If I can get people feeling better and moving better and living a better life as a trainer, it’s great to be able to also provide this type of activity.”
Schwebke said he hopes the shop will also encourage families to visit Vickery Village and again turn it into an exciting place for people to visit, as it once was more than 20 years ago.
“We’re trying to attract a younger, more active crowd,” Schwebke said. “You’ve got weddings here now, and we have some retail shops. We have a nice restaurant, but we don’t have a destination for people to come to just hang out and play. And that’s where this kind of falls into place.”
Scripp said they hope to bring the business community of Vickery Village together by creating unique packages for customers.
“We’re talking with Chives, Rustique, Fourway and other places to figure out how we can do full-service type stuff with either picnics… or joint reservations,” Scripp said. “It’d be great if this can kind of be the glue that pulls a lot of these local businesses together, even beyond Vickery Village, but especially in this general area.”
After posting on social media about the new business, Schwebke said its Facebook page amassed 1,000 followers in the first day.
“We’ve been wanting something like this for so long,” Schwebke said. “When I first thought of doing this, my thought was, ‘I’m going to buy all this stuff and no one’s going to use it.’ And now the response has been the exact opposite. So it’s nice to touch a nerve with the community without even knowing that they really want it.”
Scripp said he’s not only seen interest from customers excited to try out new activities, but also from avid kayakers in the area.
“One of the gentlemen that I’ve talked to has lived here all his life and is in his 70s,” Scripp said. “And he said, he’s been kayaking on the river for 30 years. And he sees people all the time saying, ‘Hey, how can I do that?’ and ‘Where could I find something to try that?’ And he never had any place to be able to steer them short of Door County.”
Suamico River launch
The opening of Suamico Paddle comes after the opening of a new kayak and canoe launch in Fireman’s Park this spring.
Alex Kaker, village administrator, said the park consists of the launch, a lighted parking lot, a paved trail and boardwalk to connect it to the Historic Downtown Suamico area.
He said the project was made possible with the help of grants from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Fox River and Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council which totaled about $100,000.
“The whole concept of it started back in 2016 when the village started applying for grant opportunities,” Kaker said. “And if you look at any of our planning documents over the course of five, 10 years – whether it’s our strategic plan or comprehensive plan or our outdoor recreation and open space plan – it talks about providing more access to the bay and the river.”
He said the village hopes the project will not only provide more access to the bay, but also help spark economic development in the area.
“We know that people who come from out of town to use the kayak and canoe launch will then probably walk up and use some of the restaurants and shops that we have in Historic Downtown Suamico,” Kaker said. “So there’s a relationship there that we’re trying to help foster and be an advocate for our local businesses.”
Schwebke said the combination of Suamico Paddle and the launch opening has created a mutual relationship between his business and the village.
Kaker said the village is in the process of possibly creating a formal partnership – a decision which the village could make by the end of the month.
“We’re looking at possibly helping with promotions in return for having some revenue from Suamico Paddle help pay for things like maintenance of the park,” he said.