This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
of Parks and Rec. Now that Offerman Woodshop has a staff of woodworkers, he spends less time elbow-deep in sawdust and more time as a mentor. “I design a lot of our pieces


and advise on how best to create them,” says Offerman with audible enthusiasm. “I envy them though, that they get to enjoy all the hours of actual, hands-on card scraping.” Though Offerman claims he’s not the only canoeist in Hol- lywood, he can’t name names— “I’m sworn to secrecy,” he says. He doesn’t do much paddling while he’s in L.A., but each year he escapes with his family on an annual trip to Minnesota, stay- ing in rustic fishing cabins. “Growing up in a pretty


thrifty farm family, I never would have known they were rustic—that’s from the point of view of living in Los Angeles and having been spoiled by the ridiculous thread counts my wife has introduced me to,” he says. There’s nothing fancy about these vacations, but that’s fine with Offerman. “You can’t beat the landscape, water, forest and sky of Minnesota’s North Woods, combined with the camaraderie of family, fresh fish, plenty of beer and libations and euchre,” says Offerman. “I’ve been all over the world on expensive vacations and I’ve never found a recreation to beat those Minnesota activities.” These vacations are also a


chance to shed his famous alter ego, including shaving off Ron Swanson’s trademark moustache. “As an actor, I’m not Ron


Swanson,” says Offerman. “I love to shave it off; I love to shave my entire head at the end of a sea- son, if I can. It turns out that my clean-shaven face is the ultimate disguise. I love playing Ron, but when we shut off the lights at the end of a season, I love peel- ing him off like a mask.” Still, the moustache comes with its fair share of benefits. When asked how important facial hair is to being a good canoeist and outdoorsman, Offerman replies, “Incredibly im-


50 PADDLING MAGAZINE


portant,” without missing a beat. “On the left hemisphere of my


moustache I store beef tallow, which can provide calories if I should get lost or I can fashion a small candle out of it. It’s a great survival item,” he deadpans. “On the right side, I store a few ounces of epoxy resin, in two parts, so that if I am fishing for a marlin and it should puncture my hull, using the whiskers and the resin, I can fashion a quick little fiberglass patch.” For paddlers interested in building their own canoe, Offerman recommends more than just growing a moustache (“Though it will help,” he ad- vises). “A paddle is a great place to start; that’s where you can get hooked.” Once familiar with the basic tools of woodworking, a canoe is much less daunting. “Ted Moores put it well,”


Offerman says. “He says, ‘Don’t look at the whole thing; don’t look at the skyscraper as a whole. Look at each piece, one at a time. A concrete foundation, some steel girders—you can only do one piece at a time.’ When you break it down like that, it’s a lot less daunting. You might feel like, ‘God, I don’t think I could make a Corvette, but I know I could thread the lug nuts onto that wheel.’ Building a Corvette is only a sequence of lug nuts when you get down to it.” Offerman is looking


forward to his next personal woodworking project, a 17-foot sleek and modern kayak design called the Endeavor. When paddling, Offerman


says he feels a direct kinship with his ancestors and the natural world. “Lest we get too cocky, though,” he writes in his book, “as soon as I start to think this way Ma Nature slaps me with a squall and dumps my canoe over a submerged tree trunk, reminding me that behind that spoke shave there still stands a jackass.” Ben Duchesney is the web


editor of Canoeroots’ sister publication, Kayak Angler. He’s a fan of Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation and bacon.


Offerman Woodshop’s canoes make frequent cameos on Parks and Rec. PHOTO: BLAKE LITTLE


This article first appeared in the Summer/Fall 2014 issue of Canoeroots.


Though Offerman claims he’s not the


only canoeist in Hollywood, he can’t name names—“I’m sworn to secrecy.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60