Top: Although canoe enthusiast Jack Stone (left) says canoes should touch only air and water, he was willing to bring a demo model of the luxurious Langford canoes he will be selling at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply in Grand Marais. With him is Stone Harbor manager, Bryan Hansel. Right: Bryan Hansel makes a short portage to the Grand Marais East Bay. Above: Even the logo on the Langford wooden canoes is elegant.
For several weeks, North Shore residents have watched as John Amren, owner of Superior Coastal Sports in downtown Grand Marais, closed down his coffee shop and sold off his climbing and kayaking gear. Everyone wondered what was going to happen to the tall green building next to the Whole Foods Co-op. Last week the Cook
County News-Herald
had the opportunity to visit with the building’s new owner—Jack Stone—and to learn about his new business, Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, which is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2010.
According to a press release from Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, the store will offer high-quality canoes, kayaks, camping and paddling gear, as well as guided tours and some outfitting. In the winter, the store will offer gear for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and other Nordic sports.
The public has already seen the primary product that will be sold at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply—Langford Canoes. Stone’s company, Fall River Trading, LLC, is the exclusive United States distributor of the canoes, made in Quebec, Canada. “I’ve always been a canoeist and kind of an equipment freak,” said Stone, explaining why he decided to become a Langford canoe distributor. “I was looking at canoes on the Internet and I liked what I saw at Langford.”
A trip to the Canadian Cottage Life Show to see the Langford Kevlar and wooden canoes cinched the deal. “All I need to do is put one in the water next to the competition and you’ll see the difference,” said Stone.
The stylish Langford canoes were introduced to Cook County at the June 2009 North House Folk School Wooden Boat Show in Grand Marais. Since then, Stone has established partnerships with Lake Superior Trading Post in Grand Marais and Hungry Jack Lodge on the Gunflint Trail. Both places have Langford canoes on display.
Stone said he hopes partnerships such as the ones he has formed will continue. “We’re not trying to be in competition with anyone. We hope to complement the other businesses in the area.”
Stone said his goal is to attract customers to all of the businesses in Grand Marais. “We’ll be renting canoes and kayaks on a daily basis and offering some outfitting. If we can get people to stop by our shop and spend some time— just a few people who wouldn’t have stopped in Grand Marais otherwise—and then they eat at Blue Water Café or grab a custard at Sydney’s—we’ll have accomplished something. We want them to stop in Grand Marais instead of driving through.”
It will be a few months before the store is ready for visitors, however. Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply plans a complete makeover of the building. Stone is working with the team that originally built the facility—architect Tom Barbeau of Eagan, MN; designer Richard Olson of Hovland; and general contractor Arno Kahn of Building Commonwealth of Duluth. Stone said he will be moving the staircase and opening up the mezzanine, creating office space upstairs, constructing a deck on the lake side of the store, and expanding the entryway. The deck is especially important, said Stone. “We have one of the most beautiful views of the lake in town. We want people to enjoy it.”
While construction is underway, Stone will be hiring staff and will be working with newly hired general manager Bryan Hansel to stock the products that will be available at Stone Harbor. Hansel, known to North Shore residents as a talented photographer and an area guide, has also had retail experience at Scheels Outfitters where he was the chain’s camping line leader and assistant manager. Hansel, an avid kayaker and wilderness adventurer, brings first-hand knowledge of the products the store will sell. In addition to leading tours for Lutsen Resort for the last six years, Hansel has maintained a blog filled with tips for traveling light in the wilderness www.nessmuking. com. “When customers visit our store, they will be confident that they are looking at tried and true products that we know are worth the investment,” said Hansel.
Products put to the test by Hansel and by Stone and his family members, all who have a strong connection to the area. Stone made his first Boundary Waters canoe trip out of Ely in 1962. He kept coming back, eventually with his wife, Anne, and children, T.J., Eric, and Kristin. “My kids were basically raised outdoors,” said Stone. “This has always been a destination for our family.”
It was a destination when Jack worked at Eddie Bauer in the 1970s and through the years he and Anne operated Birchwood Trading, Inc., a heavy fuel oils import/export company. Theymoved to Cook County permanently four years ago and Anne taught for a few years at Sawtooth Elementary. They made a leap of faith in 2009, forming the Fall River Trading Company to become Langford Canoe distributors. Now adults, Eric and Kristin are working with their parents—Kristin in marketing; Eric in finances. Son T.J., a Medtronic software engineer has an unofficial role—as equipment tester.
Purchasing a building, creating jobs for some local residents, and attempting to attract adventurous visitors was the next step for the family. Jack Stone said, “We want to give something back to the community that has been so good to us. We’re here for the long haul.” Or more appropriately—the long paddle…
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