The Board House’s new owners ready to welcome water sports enthusiasts at Three Oaks Rec Area
CRYSTAL LAKE — McKenna Dunn first tried stand-up paddleboarding in 2010 when she was 9 years old and the sport was first gaining popularity in Illinois.
The Crystal Lake resident has been smitten ever since. And, as fortune would have it, when longtime family friends Rick and Laurie Pasturczak were ready to sell their Three Oaks Recreation Area paddleboarding business, Dunn and her father, James Dunn, were ready to take over.
And now, 24-year-old McKenna can’t wait to share her passion for paddleboarding with a growing base of water sports fans. The Dunns will open The Board House for their first season Saturday, May 24, during Memorial Day weekend.
McKenna Dunn is highly familiar with the business. She has been working summers there providing lessons and booking rentals since 2016, and also helped out when it first opened in 2013, she said.
“This is just my happy place,” she said on a recent warm afternoon as she removed bubble wrap from some of the business’s newest equipment. “Rick and Laurie have turned my dreams into reality.
“It’s really neat to have been a part of how this place started, and now that I’m taking over, I want it to continue to be a place where families create memories,” Dunn said. “You are on vacation here one hour at a time.”
Dunn — who also is a special education teacher — noted that the lake at Three Oaks, a former gravel pit, is stunningly clean and clear. The shoreline and multiple islands provide habitat for birds and other wildlife.
“It’s great to step away and commune with nature,” the Crystal Lake Central High School graduate said. “In the mornings, the water is like glass. You can see way down into it. There are fish and beavers and turtles. You get to see the babies come out. It is just beautiful here.”
Dunn said paddleboarding is great fun for people of various ages and fitness levels. The Board House’s TAO Fit SIC boards, most ranging in length from 10 to 12 feet, are sturdy and not prone to tipping. The business now features 39 10- to 12-foot boards, up from 25, plus one 14-foot Maori board, which can carry up to six people.
“That’s our party board,” Dunn said.
During the summer, the business will be open expanded hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Planned special events include moonlight paddles, paddleboard yoga, sunset paddles, early morning cruises and meditation mornings.
One-, two- and three-hour rentals of the 10- to 12-foot boards will be $25, $45 or $55 plus tax. Rental includes board, paddle, leash and flotation vest. Weekday early-bird specials will be available from 7 to 10 a.m. for $15, $25 and $35, respectively. For other details, visit paddletheboardhouse.com, find The Board House on Facebook or @paddletheboardhouse on Instagram.
“At the heart of it all, our goal is to create a space where everyone feels welcome and inspired to get out on the water,” Dunn said. “We want to be more than just a rental service — we want to be a part of our community’s story.”
Three Oaks Recreation Area, which offers a range of activities, is located at 5517 Route 14 in Crystal Lake. Vehicles belonging to non-Crystal Lake residents incur a $5 parking fee.