Stafford, CT Outdoor Activities

Jim Scoggins first felt the rocking of a ship's deck in the 1950s on the rolling waters of Lake Champlain. Though he traveled south and found himself in healthcare administration for the next few decades, he never lost the passion for sailing—and eventually returned to New England to conquer more waves in the 1980s. With Sail the Sounds LLC established at three local ports, Captain Jim now uses his original sailing craft, an O'Day 39, as part of his training and charter fleet. He and his wife, Teresa, helm an ASA-certified training center, charter service, and cruising club to set guests out on the sparkling waters of Mystic River and Mystic Harbor. Captains pilot three Hunter yachts for chartered trips, as well as six Hunter 240 sailboats for captain rentals, sailing-club events, and classes teaching technique for keelboats, coastal navigation, and safely chartering parties of water-fearing cats.

"There is this amazing energy out on the water; you get a chance to ride Mother Nature. It doesn't cost anything, and there is always a freshness to it." When Global Boarding's founder Robb Reid describes his profession, it's hard to believe he has been at it for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Reid remains as passionate as when he first discovered surfing as a young boy. "It has always brought me happiness," he says.

As a professional wakeboarder and coach, Mr. Reid's dedication took him across the globe. He traveled to the beaches of Central America and learned to do everything upside down in Australia. Despite each country's beauty, it wasn't until Mr. Reid and his wife found the clear waters and nature preserves of Sag Harbor that they knew they had found what they were looking for: a home. In 2001, Global Boarding was born.

Along with a team of ARC, Level 2 Paddle Fit-certified professionals, Mr. Reid keeps his customers from surfing in the bathtub May through September of each year. Their fleet of boats can pull water gear such as tubes, wakeboards, and water skis. In Global Boarding’s kids' surf program, Mr. Reid uses wake surfing as a transitional tool to teach new surfers how to find balance atop the ocean's natural playgrounds.

The proprietor and chief guide behind Hilltown Wilderness Adventures, Marla BB, invites patrons to hitch their dreams of adventure onto the backs of her alaskan huskies for mushing, skijoring, and outdoor excursions in the Berkshires. Her hallmark attraction is mushing through both snowy hills and on dryland tracks—a unique offering for the region that has earned her attention from media outlets such as Mushing magazine and Animal Planet.

The skijoring and sled-dog school teaches novices how to captain a team of dogs either in a sled or on skis, which can give them give them a way to skip long ski-resort lift lines. Marla also leads day excursions through DAR State Forest, Chesterfield Gorge and Westfield River, and the Deerfield River Watershed, keeping bikers, hikers, kayakers, and bird watchers safe as she is a certified wilderness first responder and an expert in swift-water safety and rescue.