• Schitty Canoe provides canoe rentals in Springfield, Missouri.
  • Refurbished canoes offer unique paddling experience.

You won’t have trouble finding your boat among the others on shore when you rent from this Springfield, Missouri, canoe livery. It’s the dented one with orange-and-blue swirls and a Schitty logo on the side.

The Schitty Canoe Company, which opened in 2019, specializes in rentals of refurbished canoes. Co-founders TJ Holman (Show-Me SUP), Travis Miller, and Shane Perrin (SUP St. Louis) realized a need for an affordable canoe rental option in the Springfield area and have dedicated their efforts to restoring the glory of boats deemed past their “use by” date.

Why go with old and, ahem, crappy canoes?

Instead of purchasing thousands of dollars in shiny new ones, the Schitty crew decided to get creative and have some fun.

“Pretty and new things have no stories. We want to provide our customers with goofy memories while having a unique paddling experience,” Holman said. “With this concept, we decided to give the refurbished canoes loud paint jobs, add some humor, and point out all the flaws to make it fun for our customers.”

Do the canoes leak? “Only a little.” Are they dented? “Yup.” Do they hold beer (or soda)? “Definitely.”

Most importantly: they float. And you’re sure to turn heads when plying Missouri’s waterways in your canoe, be it Cake, The OG, or The Number Two.

Kidding aside, the Schitty crew does take its paddling seriously, providing clients with quality paddles, USCG-approved PFDs, Pelican dry boxes, and SealLine dry bags. The company offers trips on waters including Springfield Lake, Finley River, and James River. Or you can set up a “take and play” date and have your own adventure, so long as your car, truck, or trailer can transport a canoe.

“They say good things come to an end. Well, with us, they don’t. They just get Schitty and provide more joy and laughter as they wander their way down new adventures,” said Holman.

Author: Nick Tilley is a regular contributor to Terrain Magazine.