Our Story

Founded in 2011, L2 began using the beautiful waters surrounding Chattanooga, TN to become one of the nation's first inland stand up paddle board rental and retail companies. Being a small, local company, L2 Outside fits both the progressive spirit of Chattanooga and aligns with the outdoor-adventure vibe for the region.

We have always been surrounded by two things - water & adventure.  L2 was founded in 2011 by Mark Baldwin who helped introduce paddleboarding and longboarding to the city's community via the original shop, L2 Boards, at 100 Market Street.  In 2016, brothers-in-law Seth Bigham & Dirk Unkle purchased the shop to further build local's love of paddleboarding and kayaking, upgrading the rental & sales game, eventually moving the shop across the river to Coolidge Park, the shop's current location at 131 River Street in 2018.

L2 Outside acquired it's current owners in 2020: Deb & Steve Clanin, a married couple originally from Toluca, Illinois. The Clanins moved to Tennessee with hopes of finding a fun shop to help grow within a nice city so that they could be closer to family in Nolensville, TN.  Enter: L2 Outside.  Steve has spent many years kayaking, mountain biking, hiking and trail running, making L2 the perfect fit!  Deb & Steve are very happy to call Chattanooga their new home and are pscyhed to focus on the ownership and growth of the business.  We will be introducing several new brands, events and offerings in the years to come! 

For the region, Chattanooga has an uncommon spirit of innovation and a sense of entrepreneurism. "Near perfect and near nature" is one way to describe the delicate balance that our city tries to flaunt. The local culture of Chattanooga has influences from all over, but it definitely has its own style and flavor. Fishing, boating, paddling, and bridges; water is the epicenter of Chattanooga lifestle, which fits us perfectly. Chattanooga is a paddle boarding town!

Lets face it, work is hard - it can help if you're in an industry that you're passionate about. After leaving Illinois, putting it all on the line, owners Steve & Deb have done everything to achieve the American dream and contribute to the local economy by being local, small business owners. L2 Outside is not just a business but a dream for this sweet couple. Live life outside.

Meet Kat

Growing up in Memphis, Kat moved to Chattanooga in 2008 to attend UTC and stuck around for the beauty and outdoor adventures. As an L2 Outside rental customer from the early days, she fell in-love with paddle boarding on a warm January day in 2014. She finally joined the L2 Crew as a water guru in summer 2016, when rentals were ran from a tin shed under Ross's Landing pier.

Moving up from water guru to shop rep, then on to head of sales, rentals and management, Kat has put her heart & soul into L2 for more than 6 years.  Overseeing the shop's move from 101 Market to the North Shore, she's been happy to witness the transformative growth of her favorite small business.