Hoffman Estates teacher worked at paddleboard place for years. Now she owns it.
A Hoffman Estates middle school teacher and former employee of Three Oaks Recreation Area’s Board House, where people go to paddleboard, is the new co-owner of the Crystal Lake business in what she describes as her dream job.
Crystal Lake Central High School graduate McKenna Dunn officially opened The Board House, 5517 Northwest Hwy., over Memorial Day weekend. 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.
“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,” said Dunn, of Crystal Lake. “You are on vacation here, one hour at a time.”
Dunn, 24, first tried standup paddleboarding when she was 9, and has been in love with it ever since. She and her father, James Dunn, took over the business when longtime family friends Rick and Laurie Pasturczak sold it to them. Dunn said she has known the previous owners since she was 2.
“It’s exciting to carry on their legacy,” she said. “They put a lot not only into The Board House, but into the community as well, so that transition made it more rewarding.”
Dunn also is starting her career as a special education teacher in the fall at Keller Junior High in Hoffman Estates. She took on The Board House because she describes it as her “happy place” and perfectly lined up for her to take it on as a summer venture.
“Rick and Laurie have turned my dreams into reality,” she said.
The lake once was a gravel pit before it was converted into a recreation area in 2010 with activities that include swimming, rowboating, kayaking and scuba diving.
“It’s great to step away and commune with nature,” Dunn 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.”
Some changes are coming to The Board House, including an expanded fleet of paddleboards for rent, from 25 to 40, and expanded summer hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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 also has a 14-foot Maori board that can carry up to six people.
“That’s our party board,” Dunn said.
During the summer, there will be special events, including moonlight paddles, paddleboard yoga, sunset paddles, early-morning cruises and meditation mornings.
The Board House will be open for the season until mid-September, weather permitting, Dunn said. For details, visit paddletheboardhouse.com, or 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.”