Kayak fun proliferates

Ozark Mountain Trading Company's demo day draws adventurous to Lake Avalon

Bella Vista’s first kayak demo day gave locals a chance to try out several compact, human-powered boats on Lake Avalon.

Kayaks for the Saturday event were provided by Ozark Mountain Trading Company, a regional kayak dealer.

Jason Adams is part of Ozark Mountain Trading Company’s pro staff and worked with nonprofit organization Fish It Forward to organize the event.

“What we want to do is spread the idea of kayaks and kayak fishing,” he said. “We wanted to get people out here and get them on a boat for the first time.”

Bella Vista resident Jenine McMahon-Peace said she brought her two children, Bennett Peace, 12, and Lyndi Peace, 9, to try kayaks.

McMahon-Peace watched from the shore and talked with other parents as her children paddled around the lake, returning one

plastic boat, then trying a different one, with regularity.

She pointed to her daughter, who had just taken a bright yellow stand-up kayak, legs dangling from the side as she paddled away from shore.

“Crying in the car saying she didn’t want to do it and here she is,” McMahon-Peace said. “She stood up!” McMahon-Peace appreciated the vendors who brought boats, as well as staff who were eager to help her kids learn how to pilot them.

Bella Vista resident Becky Binne said she came out with her husband, Allen, in search of something fun to do with her Saturday.

Becky Binne found it difficult to get onto the demo kayak, she said, but it was easy to ride once she was in place.

“Almost 70 years old, my first time riding a kayak — or one of those things,” she said, motioning to the stand-up, pedal-powered kayak she’d just returned to shore with. “If I can come out here and do this, anyone can.”

" Almost 70 years old, my first time riding a kayak — or one of those things."

Becky Binne

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Bella Vista resident Aaron Pavlak and his pug-terrier mix AJ test ride a sitdown kayak together. The dog was nervous at first, Pavlak said, but he didn’t take long to relax and enjoy the ride. “He’s just an adventure dog,” Pavlak said. “He likes to go...

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista A crowd gathers near the edge of Lake Avalon to try out a variety of kayaks and watch friends and family on the water during Saturday’s demo day.

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Josh Adams, 12, sits on a kayak near the edge of Lake Avalon and takes a short break. Adams was helping out with the event, tethering not-in-use kayaks and helping people on and off the test rigs. “It’s been really fun,” he said.