Little Bay Boards “Building your dream” …one board at a time.
There is no better start of a story then one of a father fulfilling a request from his nine year old daughter who requested a paddleboard…but the request was she did not want one from a store, but something a little more unique and special. Her father, Jason Thelen who just happened to be a master carpenter, knew that he could create something that was one-of-
a-kind for her. What followed in the Spring 0f 2012 was production on his first custom paddle board. What Jason did not expect is that when he and his daughter would be out paddle boarding, people would come up and ask questions…”where did you get that amazing board?” and “where can I get one?” This is where “Little Bay Boards” was born, in a small workshop/garage at their home.
Through Jason’s research on wooden surfboards, he came across Paul Jensen’s name, who was in the business of crafting hollow, wooden surfboards. The two of them discussed the differences in wave structures and fresh water versus salt water boards, and how to create lake-specific boards for our Michigan lakes. Soon, the demand for the boards sky- rocketed and Jason realized that the art that went in to the custom boards was truly his passion. Today, Little Bay Boards has found their home in a larger facility in Petoskey where these timeless and beautiful boards are hand-crafted – each one unique with a special character all their own.
