Looking for ways to get out on the water this summer? Maybe it’s time to visit one of NKY’s kayak kiosks.
With plenty of lakes and, of course, rivers, around the region, there are tons of spots to enjoy the warm weather on the water, but you may not own a kayak, or if you do, you might not have space to store it, that’s where kayak kiosks come into play.
Christopher Schack knows that storage can be a real issue for some.
“I live out in Alexandria,” Schack told LINK. “I have an acre of property. I have plenty of spots to place a kayak, but when you go down to Newport, you don’t have as many options because it is a dense urban environment.”
Schack’s company, Schack’s Yaks, has an innovative twofold program: It provides lockers so those with kayaks can store them by the river, so they don’t have to lug them around and find creative storage solutions. It also offers hourly rentals in kayak kiosks for people looking to take a quick trip on the river.
The first kayak kiosk the company put together was in Augusta. They placed one in Newport after being approached by city officials who wanted a creative solution to their urban kayaking problem.
“It was an issue that we were presented, and I think we did a pretty good job of addressing it,” Schack said.
Here’s how the kayak kiosk works. Prospective kayakers must download an app; then they scan a QR code, which in turn will pop open the door to a locker that has a kayak, a life jacket and a paddle.
You can then take out the kayak, leave your stuff in the locker (other than your phone, because you’ll need it to reopen the locker), and head out onto the river. You’ll be charged by the hour through the app. When you’re done, drop the kayak back in the locker.
The kayak kiosk in Newport was the first in NKY, and Schack said that since its opening, they’ve gotten a lot of interest from other municipalities.
Recently, a lake was donated to the city of Walton, and they added a Schack’s Yaks kayak kiosk. Schack also noted that they have recently received approval to add one in Wilder and are hoping to open it soon.
In February, the Kenton County Fiscal Court awarded a bid to Schack’s Yaks to bring a kiosk to Doe Run Lake, which officially opened this spring.
Rhonda Ritzi, recreation programs coordinator for Kenton County Parks, said they had heard of Schack’s Yaks after the Newport location opened and thought it would be a good amenity to offer at Doe Run.
“We thought it would be nice for folks that might not have the resources or have a kayak of their own,” said Ritzi. “This would give them the opportunity to even just try it out.”
Ritzi said this is their first season offering the kayaks, and people have been excited for the opportunity. She said she hasn’t gotten any complaints yet.
“You know, if they’re not calling me, they’re having a good experience,” said Ritzi.
The expansion this year, Schack told LINK, was set back a bit due to the historic flooding the region experienced in April.
“This past year, it has been a lot harder, because a lot of these communities that we’re in, they were really affected by the floods,” said Schack.
In Newport, the kiosk location is right on the river, and during times of high water, Schack said, the kayak storage boxes are moved off the concrete pad they sit on to prevent them from getting flooded or swept down the river.
During the flooding in April, the boxes had been removed, but the pad itself ended up covered in 3-4 inches of mud and muck. However, Schack said that Newport City Manager John Hayden and Public Works Director Ray Ebert got a team together to clean the pads off quickly.
Working positively with local municipalities is very important to Schack. He said that every time they get approval to open a location, they have had great experience and positive feedback.
“They understand that we are here for the customers,” he said.
Looking forward, Schack is hoping to expand to more locations throughout Northern Kentucky and even onto the Ohio side of the river. He said they are also going to be adding bicycles alongside the kayak rentals in the future.
“The river was always just kind of a backdrop, and that was it,” Schack said. “There weren’t really activities on it other than just kind of watching it. So it’s cool to be able to add something to a waterway that’s always been there.”
Rentals start at $15 for the first hour and $10 for every additional hour. Find more information about Schack’s Yaks at schacksyaks.com.