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Nothing is going to stop Karen Vaccaro Marvin from selling paddleboards in Babylon this season — not even a raging fire.
Marvin, the owner of Babylon Village’s South Shore Paddleboards, was readying for her annual cleanup with the nonprofit Save the Great South Bay last month when she got the call.
Around 5 a.m., a blaze erupted on East Main Street by Route 231, damaging Marvin’s store as well as neighboring businesses.
She had to close down, but has remained resilient.
“I didn’t let a second go by,” she said.
Just two weeks later, she’s opened an 80-square-foot paddleboard shack at the Long Island Yacht Club, where she will be selling her boards and other merchandise.
Over the last five years, Marvin has used the Yacht Club at 307 Little East Neck Road to give lessons, run camps, and organize group paddles.
While her store is being restored, she will be open at the shack on sunny days from 10 a.m. to sunset. Appointments can be made in advance by calling the store at (631) 482-1822.
As for her original location, Marvin is hoping to be open by this winter.
“They are renovating as we speak,” she told GreaterBabylon on Monday.
Top: South Shore Paddleboard’s owner Karen Vaccaro Marvin at her new pop-up shed.
(Photos courtesy of Facebook)
