Knotty Jack

The Knotty Jack dream began to take shape at a place we called Island Forest. Whether by chance or by fate, the three of us crossed paths and for one amazing summer, we were roommates at a lake house on Lake Norman just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. As newcomers to the working world, we could not afford even half of the rent needed to live at Island Forest on our own. However, by joining t

ogether, our childhood dreams of having our own house on the water became a reality. The house itself was nothing to write home about and was dated to say the least, but the location was priceless. (See the cover photo)

As our friendship grew and memories rolled in like wake from a passing party pontoon, Island Forest became our escape from the rigors of the working world. In many ways, that summer together put things into perspective for the three of us. You often hear busy people talk about the “road to success” and the path one must take in order to reach the pinnacle. During that summer, things were much simpler and we came to the conclusion that life on the water was much better than life "on the road.” We began to surround ourselves with like minded people who refused to let their jobs or how much money they made defined who they were. What mattered was that the sun was out, the drinks were on ice, the speakers were charged, and the floats were filled with air. The water is funny like that. It has this innate ability to shift one’s priorities and narrow your view in order to focus on what is really important in life. Mainly, quality time with quality people. Those are the memories that stay with you. Like water, life is in constant motion and ever-changing. We knew our post-college fairy tale would not last forever, so we began to envision ways that we could preserve our “life on the water” long after our days at Island Forest would come to an end. It was in those moments that Knotty Jack began to take shape. We wanted to create something more than just a product or a brand, but rather a symbol of what it meant to live life with the mentality we embodied every day that summer. The word "Knotty" comes from our combination of the words knot and naughty. The word "Jack" is synonymous with a sailor. Too often in life, the dreams of sailors are constrained by the knots that tie them to the dock. At Knotty Jack, our goal is to wake up the sailor in each and every one of us. We hope to unleash the part of yourself that will allow you to untie those knots, unwind with good friends, and uncover new possibilities. For so many, a life on the water may seem like nothing more than a pipe dream, it certainly was for us before Island Forest. But no dream is out of reach. We founded Knotty Jack with the dream of helping to ignite the flame of adventure that lives within each and every one of you and we thank you being a part of the Knotty Jack family. Just remember, you can never set sail on a course towards your dreams until you untie from that dock.