Geist resident creates, sells the EZ Rec-Rack kayak carrier

0

Geist-area resident Ira Mercurio has always loved to kayak but had trouble transporting his recreational craft.

Loading and unloading a kayak onto a car can be cumbersome. Mercurio recognized a need for kayakers to be able to easily transport their kayaks. That is how he created the EZ Rec-Rack kayak carrier.

CIG Business local 0108 Kayak rentals
Ira Mercurio created the EZ Rec-Rack to easily transport heavier kayaks on top of cars. (Submitted photo)

“I started kayaking seven or eight years ago,” Mercurio said. “I started off with smaller kayaks, but eventually the heavier fishing kayaks became more popular, which are really tough to load onto cars. I made a trailer first. We were going to go on spring break after that, but the place we booked wouldn’t allow trailers.”

That inspired Mercurio to create a rack that sits atop a car. He started tinkering with it on Feb. 1, 2017, and by Feb. 15, 2017, he had a working prototype.

“I took it to Florida and it worked great,” he said. “It’s kind of snowballed since then, but really it was the need for me to have something to help me load my kayak.”

Encouraged by his wife, Mercurio built more EZ Rec-Racks to sell to other kayakers.

“I filed for the patent mid-March of 2017, and then had a patent completed last August,” Mercurio said. “It was really quick. The lawyer was really surprised that it happened that fast with no questions asked.”

Mercurio believes the reason the patent was granted so quickly is because there is nothing else on the market like the EZ Rec-Rack, which sells for $679.

“It’s all aluminum and then it’s powder coated,” Mercurio said. “The reason for that is a lot of the guys that do these fishing kayaks are saltwater guys, and so anything that’s less than that would just get completely eaten up by the elements.”

To purchase the EZ Rec-Rack, visit ezrecreationalracks.com.


Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Share.

Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact