Honoring the Boat
with Nicole Anderson
Boating has a way of tying deeply into who we are. The sounds of the waves, the quality time spent with family, the memories and laughs over good food and cold drinks — it's easy to be naturally drawn to the water.
For Nicole Anderson, she was born into the life of boating on the lake and forged the lifestyle into a career. She found inspiration from her entrepreneurial parents and her passion for boating — and opened Rudder USA, an online shop at RudderUSA.com.
"Whether it was boat rides with my grandparents, or having our traditional after-dinner-swims in the middle of the lake, boating has always been a crucial part of my life."
Nicole is a true all-American with boating in her blood and her dogs are having the best dog days of their lives following in her footsteps. They're co-captains, dockmasters, professional models, and full-time water adventurers. Some of their fondest memories are along the shoreline trails, docks and lakes of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
And today, you'll find a golden retriever named Rocky traveling across the United States on the back of the iconic Rudder USA Co-Captain Tee. Designed by a local Minnesota artist, "it was important to us to keep her signature nestled under the dog's tail." she told us.
"We focus on working with American suppliers and manufacturers, or using domestic screen printers and embroiders. Whenever possible, supporting American jobs is something we care about deeply. "
We'd be remiss if we didn't share part of Nicole's heritage that inspired her brand — the kind of story that warms your heart and brings a smile to your face.
"My grandfather's antique boat is named Ethyl Ruth, otherwise known as the G7, and it has been my favorite boat since I was young. It’s extremely aerodynamic and was built specifically for the Gold Cup in 1934 and sits low in the water. We've had countless boat rides in it over the years, I was in shotgun for all those rides in the G7, but never in the driver’s seat."
"Then, at 22 years old, I finally got permission to take it for a drive. It was easily the best boat ride I have ever taken. That sheer feeling of euphoria has been unmatched by any other boat ride I have taken since, and being able to handle a classic Gold Cup race boat myself was a huge check off my bucket list."
