THE SALESMAN BRAD NELSON
PHOTOS: KIRK ZUTELL
WHEN BRAD NELSON SELLS SOMEONE THEIR FIRST KAYAK, he always jots a list of phone numbers, web- sites and Facebook pages on the receipt. As much as he enjoys selling kayaks, the Delta, Pennsylvania, retailer loves welcom- ing new people to the whitewater fraternity. After all, Nelson believes his Starrk-Moon Kayak Shop owes its existence to the network of boaters. Nelson has been a paddler since his parents bought a farm
near the Susquehanna River in the early 1970s. He was intro- duced to whitewater on Muddy Creek; eventually, he bought a house on the shuttle road to the creek, and opened a shop. As for the region, “I call it a no-name whitewater area with a
good amount of moving water,” says Nelson. “It isn’t North Caro- lina or the West, but West Virginia and the Water Gap is only a few hours away.” Dozens of local waterways flow high all winter, including Holtwood on the Susquehanna. Starrk-Moon started as a canoe shop, but transitioned to kay-
aks when keyhole cockpits made close-decked boats less in- timidating. Nelson’s big break came when he offered free boats and gear to a group of young skateboarders. “They went out and met the best local paddlers—guys I didn’t even know existed,” says Nelson. In turn, the skateboarders became expert paddlers, and shared their passion with a new generation. A dynasty took shape. “It’s been trickling down ever since,” says Nelson.
“LIVING AROUND HERE AND NEVER
OWNING A KAYAK IS LIKE LIVING ON THE BEACH AND NOT
OWNING A BATHING SUIT.” Nelson sells exclusively kayaks and paddling gear—“no tents,
bows and arrows or sleeping bags”—in his unique, three-story shop, which is built into the side of a hill. When he started taking trade-ins, Nelson realized that some
of the old, classic boats he was getting from customers were too special to re-sell. So he started hanging vintage fiberglass Noah Boats from Czech-American builder Vladimir Vanha from the ceiling in his second floor “museum.” “I hold onto them so people can appreciate them,” Nelson
explains. The collection also includes composite prototypes for contemporary models, including the Pyranha Speeder, Jed and InaZone. Nelson isn’t afraid to call himself a salesman. But with over 27
years of retail experience, he insists that selling kayaks comes with a moral obligation to create paddlers—something ignored in big box stores. “I’ll tell people, living around here and never owning a kayak
is like living on the beach and not owning a bathing suit,” says Nelson. “Kayaking is relatively cheap and it’s something you can do for the rest of your life. But you can’t be a loner. You have to get out and make those connections.”
This article first appeared in the 2015 Spring issue of Rapid.
www.rapidmedia.com 55
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