Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Jacobson.
Ian, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My love for Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) started in 2009 on a surf trip to Hawaii. The ability to catch smaller waves than I normally could gave me the idea that this was something I needed to start doing back home in Chicago on Lake Michigan. Shortly after beginning to SUP in the North Shore area a light went off telling me that this is something people would enjoy doing on flat water as well! By June 2009 I was open for business on Glencoe beach with 6 boards. After experiencing customers coming from as far as 4hrs away just to SUP with us I knew I was onto something! I set my sights on bigger opportunities and by 2010 was granted a contract to operate on Chicago’s busiest beach, North Avenue Beach! Today I have over 60 SUPs in my fleet and have gotten over 30,000 people on board over the years!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have definitely faced my share of adversity over the years. From overcoming hurtles to obtain contracts, adjusting to a growing industry where demand exceeded supply, subsequently prompting new competition to emerge on the scene, and through it all we have continued to grow. In addition, the day to day life of running a large scale watersports operation is no easy task in itself… If we happened to operate within a bubble, it’d be all fun and games, but we operate in the city of Chicago on Lake Michigan! Throw Chicago weather in the mix with its wind, rain and temperature swings, coupled with the waves and chop of being on an inland ocean and a heavily trafficked waterway like Lake Michigan, its not always smooth sailing to say the least. But we have learned to adjust and thrive and embrace these factors by building a dynamic operation that affords people the opportunity to experience what it feels like to walk on water in Chicago’s premier location!
Please tell us about Chicago SUP.
We are Chicago’s Original Stand-Up Paddleboarding Company! When we first started we were practically teaching people what a Paddle Board was and are honored to have had the opportunity to help cultivate the Chicago SUP community from day 1! Being one of the highest volume businesses our kind in the world, we are known for showing people (and lots of them) an awesome experience in downtown Chicago on Lake Michigan! We have been doing this almost as long as the sport has been a sport and our knowledgeable and friendly team knows just about everything there is to know about showing you an awesome and safe time on a SUP in Chicago! I was recently featured in a Standup Journal edition called SUP: 10 Years a Sport, in the SUP Pioneers section. In this article they discussed different perspectives of people that have been involved from the early days of the sport. Being featured amongst the likes of Laird Hamilton, Kai Lenny and other notable figures in the sport reinforced the impact we have created right here in Chicago! We have hosted major SUP events and will play host to even more pro athlete clinics and SUP oriented events to continue to grow the Chicago SUP community!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had the opportunity to start over I would’ve had more boards earlier on. Although we grew organically and at a pace we could maintain, there was a year or so where demand outweighed supply and we experienced longer than expected wait times. While this isn’t necessarily a bad problem to have from a business perspective, we are all about our customers, and it would’ve been awesome to have more equipment on hand to get those eager SUPers on the water quicker! Even we couldn’t foresee exactly how much the popularity of SUP would explode but we quickly took notice and reinvested and expanded our structure and our fleet. Today we have over 60 boards and waits are pretty much a thing of the past. Yet if you do have to hang on the beach for a few minutes to get on a board it’s not the worst waiting room in Chicago;)
Pricing:
• SUP Lessons – $60per person, 1.5hr package including equipment rental and up to 30min with instructor including in water instruction! (Highly recommended for first timers)
• SUP Rentals – $30 per hour, includes all equipment rental
• SUP yoga – $50 per class, 10 class pack available for $375
• Group Rates available for parties of 7+, email Info@chicagosup.com for more details
• 10x Pass – $250 (includes wist belt PFD)
• Unlimited Season Pass – $500
• Also check out our Community and Expedition paddles, including Fireworks/ Full Moon/ Party Paddles!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1600 N Lakeshore dr.
Chicago, IL 60613 - Website: www.chicagosup.com
- Phone: 773.575.iSUP (4787)
- Email: Info@chicagosup.com
- Instagram: @chicagosup
- Facebook: facebook.com/chicagosup
- Twitter: @chicagosup
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chicago-sup-chicago
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
