My History and Resume….
The Soulfish story started years ago in Central Indiana where I grew up. In my other business, Outdoor Leadership Group, I teach clients that we can look at an their interests in the first 10 years of life to learn a lot about their passions, interests and calling in life. Well, for me that can be summed up in one word - Outdoors!
I spent every day from morning to night outdoors playing in the woods, creeks, lakes and fields around our house. I grew up hunting, fishing and shooting competitive black power rifles. I won my first national championship at age 8 and continued to win half a dozen more over the years in different disciplines. Later this interest continued to develop into competitive shotgun sports like sporting clays.
As I got older, I entered my first triathlon at age 12 and not only won my age group, but placed in the top 5 overall, including the adult age-group competitors. Over the following years, I continued to compete in soccer, rugby and cycling (road and mountain bike) and got back into adventure sports fully in 2001.
In 2001 I began training to compete in long distance endurance races, including adventure races up to 12 hours. Starting in duathlon and triathlon disciplines in 2002, I became one of the founding members of Indy Rootstock Adventure Racing in Indianapolis, Indiana later that same year. We were a fully-sponsored adventure racing team with companies like GoLite, Deuter, Salomon, Suunto, Rudy Project Nite Rider behind us. We were the first (and only) Red Bull sponsored adventure racing team in Indiana and enjoyed many of the perks of a large sponsor like that from sponsorship dollars to interaction with other Red Bull athletes. During my six seasons on Indy Rootstock I raced in the Midwest as the navigator for our sub-team and also expanded into other disciplines such as solo 12-hour and 100K backcountry mountain bike racing. I give you all of this backstory not to brag, but to let you know that when you shop or go on an adventure with Soulfish, you are in good hands. I understand and appreciate the adventure, have used (and abused) the gear, am licensed and insured to guide in Michigan and have been through advanced training as a Wilderness First Responder.
The birth of Soulfish Outfitters...
As I approached 2005, my business interests began to move to guiding others on adventures in central Indiana and getting others into adventure sports. Looking for a slower pace of life and an environment that reinforced more opportunities for the active outdoor lifestyle and guiding, I left the team at the end of 2006 and we relocated our family to northern Michigan in 2007.
As we moved Up North over the first few years, I began to consider what it would look like to have an outfitter shop and guide service in Leelanau County. Having spent all of my summers traveling here for vacation, and noticing that there had never been a full-service outfitter in the area, the dream of Soulfish started to develop in my mind and eventually became reality.
In my experience over the years of taking people into the wilds, I have noticed that the power that being outdoors has always had in refreshing my soul also transcends to others when they take the time to unplug and refresh themselves in an adventure. At Soulfish, our goal is to provide retail and outdoor adventure experiences that refresh your soul!
Stop by the shop to see our gear, talk about a guided standup paddle board, kayak or flyfishing trip or whatever you would like. We are here to serve you!
Be Blessed and Get Out!
Chris and the Soulfish team!