Some times in life less is more. After a couple of summers in business, Third Coast Paddling’s retail store in downtown Benton Harbor will be closed. The shop located at 241 E. Main Street on the periphery of the Benton Harbor Arts District was originally opened in 2016 as an extension of Third Coast Surf Shop’s other stores and services, but the paddling center will now be mothballed in order to focus on those other stores according to owner Ryan Gerard.
Gerard, who is President of Third Coast Surf Shop which has two retail surf shops at 212 State Street in St. JOseph and at 110 N. Whittaker Street in New Buffalo as well as Third Coast Paddling kayak and stand-up paddleboard rental sites throughout Southwest Michigan, made the announcement of the Benton Harbor closure. He says, “In the two years we’ve had the Third Coast Paddling retail store, sales have been solid and continuing to grow.” He adds, “However, we’re excited to simplify and focus on the parts of our business we love the most – the Third Coast Surf Shop brick-and-mortar locations in St. Joseph and New Buffalo, our increasing e-commerce business, and our four Third Coast Paddling kayak and paddleboard rental sites.”
Gerard says the Third Coast Paddling staff is looking forward to turning their attention from the retail store to the rental sites – in Benton Harbor, at both the Paw Paw River boat launch and Jean Klock Beach, and in New Buffalo, at both the Galien River boat launch and at New Buffalo City Beach.
Gerard says, “Although we’re closing the Third Coast Paddling retail store, we’ll be more active than ever in the local paddling community through our hourly kayak and paddleboard rentals, outings for corporate groups, and special events like the Paw Paw Pub Paddle with North Pier Brewing Company and the Livery.” Even though we’re in mid-winter, Gerard says, “Our crew is already preparing to give our customers a great experience on the water next season.”
The Third Coast Paddling retail store will host a final liquidation sale for its remaining inventory of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and related accessories. (Watch for the sale date and details on the Third Coast Paddling Facebook page.) Moving forward, customers will be able to find stand-up paddleboards and accessories for sale at the Third Coast Surf Shop locations in St. Joseph and New Buffalo.
All or part of the Third Coast Paddling retail store building, located at 241 E. Main Street in Benton Harbor, will be available for lease from Third Coast Surf Shop. For more information on leasing opportunities, contact Tom Angelo of Coldwell Banker Anchor Real Estate at 269-921-1542.
Third Coast Surf Shop was started by Ryan Gerard in 2005 with a simple mission: to spread the joy of the surfing lifestyle through the Great Lakes and beyond. The first shop opened in New Buffalo in April 2005, followed in April 2011 by the addition of the St Joseph store, which is now Third Coast Surf Shop’s flagship location. The first surf shop of its kind in the Midwest, Third Coast Surf Shop has been featured in national media, including The CBS Early Show, NBC’s The Today Show, The Weather Channel, Newsweek, The New York Times, and National Public Radio.
Third Coast Surf Shop serves the Great Lakes surfing community with more than 60 in-stock surfboards, wetsuits designed for year-round lake surfing, and accessories, plus services such as surfing lessons, board rentals, and kids’ beach day camps. Customers can also find gear for skateboarding, skimboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, and sandboarding. Along with hard goods, the shops carry clothing and accessories from brands such as Patagonia, Quiksilver, Roxy, TOMS, Vans, Ray-Ban, and Oakley, plus surfing- and Great Lakes-themed merchandise.
For more information about Third Coast Surf Shop, visit www.thirdcoastsurfshop.com or call 269-932-4575.
