ABOUT US

Northeast Paddlers is an information/communication resource and online gear store for paddlers in the Northeast Region and across the globe. Founded by Wayne Mercier in 1996, the Northeast Paddlers Message Board holds close to 25 years of connections, discussions and gear swaps. 

In 2020, the site was passed on to Travis Moise and Esther Stokes, passionate paddlers and the owners of Utah Ski Gear. What began as a fall cleaning to clear out excess skis from their garage back in 2011, soon became something much bigger. It wasn't long before Travis and Esther had left their jobs as Ski Instructors at Brighton Resort and began doing online sales and personalized gear fittings out of their home full time. 

In 2016, the couple was able to move the business into a brick and mortar shop and today, Utah Ski Gear has become a mainstay in the online tuning supplies space while continuing to provide excellent service to local customers.  The mission of Utah Ski Gear has always been to make skiing more approachable and affordable for everyone. With a combination of sharing knowledge, personalizing service and respecting every price point and customer, Utah Ski Gear has been able to achieve success in a highly competitive industry.  

For Travis and Esther, Skiing and Paddling were activities that they discovered later in life, as young adults. Fortunately for them, they had friends and experienced mentors leading the way and that late start didn't stop them from diving in deep. Since that time, the couple have used their own resources to lead the way for others.  

When it comes to Northeast Paddlers, Travis and Esther hope to apply the Utah SKi Gear principles and infrastructure in a way that will benefit the pre-existing community here and those who have not yet discovered the world of paddling. In this latest reincarnation of the Northeast Paddlers Message Board, the site continues to serve as a public hub for discussion, gear trades and community building while also providing an online store for the sale of high quality, affordable paddling gear. 

Finally, the thing that has made NPMB so special in the past, is that the majority of the content comes straight from the users. The pictures, discussions, tips and stories that have populated the site for the past 25 years will continue to be the heart of this site.

Click here to create an account and get in on the action! 

Got suggestions? Products or features or anything else you'd like to see? We’d love to hear them.