Erica Burns stands in front of her SUP Lake Placid store on Main Street, holding 10-month-old Mitchell and 3-year-old Evalyn. (Photo provided — Lisa duBusc Miller)

Some might argue that the best view in Lake Placid is from the middle of Mirror Lake, right in the center of town. To get to that view, there are options, but we found a particularly great one that works in summer and in winter.

Born out of the desire to be with their four children, instead of relying on day care, Erica and Jake Burns channel their energy and athleticism into SUP Lake Placid at 2565 Main St. This entrepreneurial couple has just kicked off their third summer offering visitors the chance to challenge themselves while checking out the scenery from the very heart of the town.

Jake’s childhood summers spent at his grandmother’s camp fueled an early love for Lake Placid. Meanwhile, Erica affectionately exudes, “How many other towns can you skate, paddle, watch fireworks, watch a movie, listen to music, all from a lake in the center of town? Not many, not many at all.”

Whether it’s summer or winter, this remarkable family acts as quite a team, serving up paddleboards and kayak rentals to eager active visitors in the summer, then switching over to ice skates and snowshoes in the winter. They also offer a skate sharpening service. And they do it all out of their prime location on Main Street, with easy lake access right beside the newly refurbished toboggan chute.

Erica uses her degree in business management to run the store, and it also comes in handy with their brand-new storefront, Locker Room 5, located just three doors down. She can be seen running back and forth between the two stores as she oversees both with apparent ease.

Locker Room 5 was inspired by Jake’s background as an all-American lacrosse goalie at Hartwick College and as a lifelong ice hockey enthusiast, dating back to watching “Miracle” at age 6 and playing high school hockey. Jake enthuses that they “recognize the value that CAN/AM brings, as far as hockey players coming into town, which helps drive our business decisions.” Their shop carries lacrosse, hockey and Under Armour sportswear. Many of the shirt designs are Jake’s creative handiwork.

Their four children are active participants. Hilary, at age 12, is a huge helper, as is Jakey, age 9. Even Evalyn, at age 3, sits attentively on the counter to offer her adorable assistance. And their latest addition, Mitchell, is just 10 months old. As we talk, Erica holds him on her hip while feeding him, helping set up customers with paddleboards and kayaks, and fielding phone calls. She smiles and stays relaxed as the customers leave happy. Her children are certainly destined to be business savvy, raised in this customer-driven environment.

Erica affirms that “we want people to be active in the Adirondacks and enjoy their time here, so we offer SUP (stand-up paddleboard) yoga classes, and we rent our boards and kayaks for the fireworks, the ‘Dive In’ movie night, and the Tuesday night live music at the bandshell. We think it’s important to be involved in what’s going on in town. We are not a 9-to-5 business; that’s for sure. We have really great equipment, and we rotate our inventory every year to keep it all new and fresh.”

Erica also teaches their SUP yoga classes. And I can personally attest to it being a unique and wonderful way to connect with the throwback essence of this motorless lake. As I hover on the paddleboard in a down dog, admiring the upside down mountains to the tune of church bells and bullfrogs, I feel both buoyancy and timelessness.

Mirror Lake is such a peaceful respite, and as I hold various poses and try not to fall into the cool water, I know I have this family’s entrepreneurial spirit to thank for such joyful and active ways to celebrate this lake.

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Lisa duBusc Miller is a travel writer who primarily lives in Rye and visits her parents-in-law in Lake Placid.