Away for PPA
As the President of the Professional Paddlesport Association Mike has been very busy this past month. The Week of Rivers, the fall board meeting, and the OIA Conference has kept Mike on the run. In November we will attend the Annual Conference and Trade Show.
There is usually a Week of Rivers held in conjunction with the annual conference but this year they decided to do something different. Instead of paddling in November a group of paddlers came to Voyageur In September. The PPA Members met in Duluth and then we drove them to Ely, MN. We visited PPA Members and spent the evening at LaTourell’s on Moose Lake. Mike led the group of paddlers from Moose Lake all the way back to Voyageur along the Minnesota Canada Border. The weather was cool but they had a great experience paddling and learning about each other’s businesses. On the Gunflint Trail they toured Tuscarora before heading over to Gunflint Lodge for dinner. There were people paddling from Florida, New Jersey, and Wisconsin and all of them expressed a wish to visit the Boundary Waters again.
The first week of October found Mike in Winona, Minnesota meeting with the PPA Board of Directors. Vice-President of PPA, Mike Cichanowski, is the owner of Wenonah Canoes so while getting down to business in Winona the board members were able to tour the plant and paddle the mighty Mississippi River.
This last week Mike went to Chatanooga, TN to attend the The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) annual leadership and learning conference, the Rendezvous. "The event draws hundreds of high level outdoor industry professionals to one location for seminars, speakers, and active outdoor recreation excursions that promote the growth and success of the outdoor industry. This year, OIA selected Chattanooga for the conference because of its connectedness and commitment to outdoor recreation, and the community’s focus on an environmental and sustainability ethic." To read more about the conference or OIA you can check out this website.