Industry Spotlight: SouthernWood Paddle Company
Above: The wood grain takes on different hues after sitting underwater for unknown periods of time, making each paddle unique. Below: Hemp oil helps protect your paddle from moisture damage. Photos by Rachel Fesko
O
ur focus in this spotlight is on Larry McIntyre and his SouthernWood Paddle Company. From his workshop in Charlotte, N.C., he crafts these gorgeous paddles from reclaimed or salvaged cypress wood, taking paddling to another realm. Southern Tides: It’s probably a safe bet that, like many of us, your passion for the water is what started this journey? Tell us a little about yourself. Larry McIntyre: Absolutely! Being outside has always been a part of my life. Keep in mind that as a kid growing up in the late 1970s and 1980s personal computers didn’t really exist, at least not for the masses. I didn’t own my first cell phone until after graduate school and didn’t own a smart phone until I turned 35! The result was that when we wanted entertainment as kids, we went outside and played. My earliest recollections of being in a canoe are fishing for bluegill with my dad in Delaware and fishing for smallmouth in Maine with my dad, grandfather, and uncle. These are among my favorite childhood memories. I also learned countless outdoor and general life skills during my time in scouting and am very proud to say that I earned my Eagle Scout in 1992. College took me to West Virginia University where I tried my best to take full advantage of the state’s abundant natural resources. I was fortunate to spend time fishing the numerous rivers and streams the Mountain State has to offer. Following college, I moved south to Charlotte, N.C. There I started a career in healthcare administration where I’ve worked for the past 18 years. Along the way I met the girl of my dreams, got married, and we now have two beautiful children who keep us busier than we ever imagined possible. Over my past 20 years as a “geographical southerner,” my experience on the inland waterways and rivers of the mid Atlantic has been supplemented by time spent on the lowcountry waterways in and around Folly Beach, S.C. I’m fortunate to be able to fish, paddle, and at times surf (albeit not always well) in a part of the South that has become our second home! Being on the water, any water (for me in the low country region of South Carolina), heals the soul and resets the mind when life gets hectic. May 2019
Southern Tides Magazine
13
