Paddle with Purpose

By Alexis Bohlinger

When you hear the phrase “bucket list,” you might picture a far-off, once-in-a-lifetime adventure that feels just out of reach. But now, there’s a new kind of Bucket List Experience right in the heart of St. Clair Shores — and it might be just what your summer soul needs.

Bucket List Experience, founded by Adrian Reetz, is a stand-up paddleboard company launching from Trader Todd’s Marina on the Nautical Mile. Designed to help you connect with nature, move your body, and reset your mind — all before your first cup of coffee — it offers something truly special.

With early morning paddles, grief-healing sessions, SUP fitness classes, and mom-only rides, each experience is rooted in community, mindfulness and movement. Here, you can catch a breathtaking sunrise, feel the water beneath your feet, and reconnect with yourself. Best of all, it’s accessible, affordable and welcoming — so you can return time and time again.

Reetz’s journey began in 2022 during a challenging transition in her life as a newly single mom. A chance encounter with a SUP (stand-up paddleboard) group while canoeing in Austin sparked something. “I had a cast on from a dirt bike accident, but I told myself, once it’s off, I’m trying this.”

The first time Reetz got on a paddleboard, she was shaky — but she was immediately obsessed. After taking a class at Metro Beach through a friend’s rental company, she soaked

up every tip and trick she could making it her mission to master the sport. She bought a seasonal pass, packed her own meals, and spent every spare moment exploring the shoreline. She even paddled under the Mackinac Bridge. But when winter hit and she was still working at Rocket Mortgage, she found herself wondering, ‘What now?’ That’s when it hit her — “I need to open up my own paddleboard company.”

Reetz started small — working out of her car and asking for a lot of forgiveness. “That first year was hard but necessary. It showed people the need for something like this locally,” she shared. “Now, going into our third season, we are looking forward to having a permanent launch system — a floating dock with a kayak and paddleboard launch — sponsored by On Pointe Contracting.”

Fan favorites include the sunrise paddle. “We’re so lucky to see the sun first crack over Lake St. Clair,” Reetz says. “We start with a mantra — releasing anything negative and asking the sun to give us what we’ve been searching.”

Reetz also created the Confident Early Riser guide to help people start their day with intention, clarity and confidence — the perfect companion to an early morning paddle. With her upbeat personality and creative flair, she puts a playful spin on the guide, using fun mantras, bright colors and practical tips to inspire and energize other women as they begin their day.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Reetz is also a proud mom to her eight-year- old son, Paul, who’s become a part of the business, often drawing logos and joining her for events. “When he sees me working hard, making tough choices, he’s learning how  to  build  something  meaningful. That’s what it’s all about — adventure, creativity and doing it together.”

This summer, Adrian plans to expand her paddleboard experiences with events for  couples  and  singles,  team-building collaborations with local gyms, and moonlit yoga sessions on the lake.

“Being a business owner, a mom and a fiancée isn’t easy,” she says. “But with every sunrise paddle and every smile on the water, it’s 100 percent worth it.”

For more on Reetz and Bucket List Experience visit bucketlistexp.com.