Shane Perrin, a well-known personality in the St. Louis paddling community, has a new business venture aimed at getting people on more sections of river, or different rivers, than the ones they now frequent.

Big River Outfitters will begin its life as a personal shuttle service for paddlers who don’t have a way to get their vessels from put-in to take-out and back. It will operate a 15-passenger van, along with 10- and six-vessel trailers, and shuttle passengers on local rivers like the Meramec based on the schedule listed on its website: bro-eureka.com.

“Currently, there’s no shuttle service to do anything anywhere,” said Perrin. “We’re trying to give paddlers as many possibilities as we can. We plan to operate seven days a week, multiple shuttles a day if needed.”

The business also will offer canoe rentals. The ultimate goal, Perrin says, is to establish a permanent location on the Big River in Eureka, Missouri. From there, it will offer 3-, 5-, and 7-mile trips ending at its property, which will have a boat ramp and landing, livery building, and space for hanging out before and after trips. The anticipated date for launching this phase of the business is June 2023.

Perrin is the founder and former owner of SUP St. Louis, which he sold this summer to colleague Stacey Drake. The stand-up paddleboard (SUP) outfitter will continue to operate on Simpson Lake in Valley Park, Missouri, as well as on area rivers. It offers instructional classes, river and sunset paddles, SUP yoga, and rentals. See supstlouis.com for a calendar of events and additional information.