Adventure Bound OnTheFly in Ellicottville is excited to announce a merger with Don Boehmer of Highwater Hobbies in Machias. In early November, Boehmer will transfer his assortment of whitewater kayaks, fishing kayaks, sea kayaks, recreational kayaks, stand up paddle boards (SUPs) and paddle sports accessories from his store in Machias to Adventure Bound in the village of Ellicottville.
“We could not be more excited about the new Adventure Bound OnTheFly paddle sports department and programs,” says John Rounds, owner of Adventure Bound. “Don Boehmer is an immensely valuable addition to the Adventure Bound team. In addition to offering tremendous local river and gear knowledge, Don is a well-respected river sports advocate and instructor.”
Adventure Bound, originally opened by Rounds’s parents in 1971, has deep roots in the river culture. Adventure Bound operated canoe/kayak trips on the Allegheny and Cattaraugus rivers as well as canoe and kayak trips and camps in the northeast.
Rounds also manufactures his own line of SUPs under the brand “SUPonTheFly” and will be introducing those boards to the market this spring. With designs born from fly fishing excursions on the Colorado river, Lake Michigan and the Yucatan of Mexico, these inflatable boards are specifically crafted with the fly fisherman in mind. Stability of the board, gear lash down areas and industry first cooler lash down points are some of the key design features. “The cooler is not only a great place to store gear and your beverage of choice, it provides a place to sit while tying on a fly or going through trickier stretches of water,” Rounds states.
Boehmer says ” I could not be more excited about the opportunity to develop a world class paddlesports experience in Ellicottville. Adventure Bound has an incredible history in the area and great outdoor brands to compliment the paddles ports program. I am looking forward to offering great gear and river experiences to Ellicottville locals, guests and second homeowners.”
In addition to carrying SUPonTheFly brand, Adventure Bound currently carries NuCanoe, Pau Hana, Hala, Boardworks, and NRS. Boehmer is excited to continue to offer many of the brands he has partnered with over the last three years at Adventure Bound like Dagger, Perception, Wilderness Systems, Harmony, Mad River Canoes, and Werner paddles, making Adventure Bound the largest paddle sports dealer in the Western NY region.
As of spring 2016, Adventure Bound will be opening a new paddle sports demo center on the pond across from the new fitness center in Ellicottville. The center will offer kayaks, canoes and SUPs to demo as well as SUP yoga classes, SUP events for kids, fishing and clinics for teaching paddling techniques.
“Kayak fishing and SUP are two of the fastest growing categories in the outdoor industry,” says Rounds. “We are excited to offer these activities to more people in western New York and people visiting Ellicottville. We have such a wide array of water resources that make our area the perfect fit for these growing trends.”
