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$29 for a 90-Minute Standup-Paddleboard Lesson with Rental ($64 Value)

Solo students or groups of up to four learn standup-paddleboard basics during a 30-minute land-based lesson, then test their skills atop the lake for 30 minutes with an instructor. After that point, they are ready to paddle on their own for the final 30 minutes. Lessons are generally held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays on North Lake Beach at the Three Oaks Recreation Area, but they can be scheduled Sunday–Friday upon request.

Alpine Accessories

Alpine Accessories owner Rick broke into the business more than 30 years ago, when he began working part-time at a ski shop. In 1993 he decided to strike out on his own, operating a mail-order catalog for ski accessories out of his basement and garage. Two years later, Rick set up an online store that quickly outsold his catalog, making it more obsolete than an eight-track tape crammed inside a VCR.

The website’s success led to the first brick-and-mortar Alpine Accessories, which opened in 2003. Eventually, its inventory grew beyond ski accessories to also include ski and snowboarding equipment, apparel, and rentals. Today, Alpine Accessories sells and rents K2 skis, Flow snowboards, and mountain garb such as battery-heated gloves and mittens. The store's five standup-paddleboard instructors have introduced the sport to more than 300 students this summer through its lesson and rental program. In addition, its service department tunes and waxes equipment, so skiers can show off their like-new gear when slushing down the slopes or walking along city sidewalks.