Crazy Woman Kayaks
opens its doors for business
Posted: Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 -
03:21:09 pm CDT
By Jamie Doran,
Valley Press
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Jamie
Doran/Valley Press
Sissel Robertson
shows off her
kayaking skills on
the Clark Fork
River. Robertson
just opened her new
business, Crazy
Woman Kayaks in
Thompson Falls.
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Growing up in
Norway, Sissel Robertson developed
an early passion and love for
kayaking, something that she has
held on to over the years. Now,
she’s using her passion to open up
her own kayak rental business in
Thompson Falls....
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Link to Valley Press Article Crazy Woman Kayaks
opens its doors for business
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From the Sanders County Ledger
July 16, 2008
Crazy Woman Kayaks
by Sandra Gubel
Sissel Robertson is admittedly a crazy
woman—she’s crazy for kayaking.
The outdoors enthusiast opened Crazy
Woman Kayaks July 5 down at the water’s edge of
Maiden Lane, at the intersection with Broad Street
in Thompson Falls....
A native of Norway, Sissel (pronounced
Cecille) had lived in southwest Florida since 1970.
She discovered Thompson Falls last summer on a four
month-long camping trip. She had brought along her
kayak, of course.
“This is such a beautiful place, I
absolutely fell in love with it. There’s so much
potential here,” she explained, noting that she
didn’t see anyone out along the Clark Fork in her
favorite form of watercraft.
After missing the area, she said, by
February she had returned for good, joined by her
son Grant, 18.
“I had always dreamed of four things--of
having a house on a river, of having an old house on
a river, that it would be in town, and that I’d have
my own business,” she said with a smile. “Not bad to
have all four.”
Sissel offers rental of three different
types of “sit on top” kayaks made by a company
called Emotion. Rentals, which include life jackets,
paddles and basic instruction, can be from two hours
to full days.
Models for rent include a single, a
tandem, and a fishing kayak (a single that has
additional storage and rod holders). She also offers sale of kayaks,
including other models.
While Sissel had originally planned to
operate her business from a gazebo on the
waterfront, the indoor office space at 115 Broad
Street opened up and she jumped at the chance.
The office space not only allows her to
display the kayaks for sale, but a place for
customers and friends to come have a cup of coffee.
It’s also roomy enough to show off the kayaks, as
well as paddles and lifejackets and other
kayak-related sporting goods she’ll gradually add to
the location.
“Kayaking is simple,” she explained,
demonstrating to a beginner last Thursday morning
the basics of paddling. “The secret is to ‘push,’”
she said, giving the two-bladed paddle a push as it
parallels the water before entering it. “You can
‘pull,’” she added, noting the stroke, which is
similar in nature to the one used in canoeing, “but
you’ll get tired out faster.”
The “sit on top” kayaks, compared to
“sit inside” ones are very user-friendly and stable,
very safe and easy to maneuver, Sissel explains,
whirling her small watercraft around the novice
paddler.
She adds that she has life jackets for
anyone over 8 pounds, and that one of her tandem
boats can hold up to 475 pounds of people and/or
cargo. Dogs and children over 8 pounds are welcome.
The single model kayak begins what Sissel said is an affordable kayak price range. It
runs $499 plus shipping. She said she chose the line
after trying out boats all day long in Big Fork this
past May.
With safety in mind, Sissel also
recently took a water rescue class on Flathead Lake
two weeks ago. Although the water temperature was 58
degrees, she noted she was very comfortable in a
neoprene wetsuit.
“Maybe I’ll be swimming in November
(with the wetsuit),” she said with an adventurous
smile.
Otherwise, Sissel said she expects
kayaking season to go on as long as it’s pretty warm
outside.
Having had many vocations in her
life--real estate, property management, and lots of
non-profit volunteering--the silver-haired Norwegian
enjoys writing as an avocation.
And of course, there’s travel.
It was during her travels that she
encountered a sign that noted she was passing Crazy
Woman Road. When it came time to name her kayak
business, she said, she tossed around many ideas.
“I tried 100 different names--and this
one stuck,” she grinned. Sissel hopes that people
who come here will have “a sense of humor and
adventure,” perhaps attracted by the humorous name.
Sissel is happy to be involved in this
business. “People have been so positive and
supportive. Many people have stopped by,” she noted.
And she’s happy to be in this business,
well, because she obviously loves kayaking.
Sissel grew up canoeing with her family on camping
trips. “They were my best memories of childhood,”
she explained.
Sissel encourages people to give
kayaking this way a try, as it’s a very healthy
sport. “I want to get people involved in the sport.
It’s an ecologically-friendly activity that brings
people close to nature—and it’s a beautiful
environment here.”
Hours of Crazy Woman Kayaks are Tuesdays
through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays, 1 to
7 p.m., and by appointment. Weather, hours and rates
are subject to change.
Reservations can be made at www.CrazyWomanKayaks.com or by calling Crazy Woman
Kayaks at 827-0052.
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