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| SK
Newsletter: June 2007 |
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| Our Paddle Manufacturers…. by Paul Riek |
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A few years ago while attending the Outdoor Retailer Summer
Market, a highly regarded trade show for the latest
products in the outdoor recreation industry, I had
the privilege of having dinner with a small group of
individuals that are a veritable Who’s Who of
the sea kayaking industry. The conversation meandered
from kayak design and rescue techniques to kayaking
places as different as the Bering Sea and the city
center of Austin, Texas. Someone at the table posed
the question "If you were traveling and could
carry one piece of gear along with you, what would
that be?" Only a few items were mentioned as being
that important, and the eventual consensus was that
a favorite paddle was easily the one item that would
truly make a difference on any trip, anywhere. A paddle
connects you to the water with every stroke, and a
paddle that fits your hand, has just the right length
and degree of feather, and is light enough to improve
your endurance will leave you free to enjoy what you’re
doing. Several prominent paddle manufacturers have been offering their wisdom on paddle design in these newsletters. You can see the paddles that are shaped by their knowledge by surfing through the web sites of our advertisers that are listed below. Among them you may well find the paddle that you’d take with you wherever you choose to go kayaking. |
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Aqua-Bound
was one of the first companies to utilize gas-assist
injection molding technology in the manufacture of
kayak paddles. Now, over a decade later, we do it all
ourselves from design, to injection molding, to final
product. Our attention to detail is immense, and our
quality control standards are strict. A recent survey
among retailers by GEARTREND magazine listed Aqua-Bound
as being one of the TOP TEN outdoor sports companies
to deal with. Why? Because we stand behind the products
we sell and pride ourselves on our customer service. 
composite
tip canoe paddles. We have been designing and building
the finest paddles ever since, and are always looking
for new ways to make paddles better. Our unique designs,
creative engineering, and proprietary processes create
the ultimate performance paddles featuring strength,
stiffness and light weight. We're committed to bringing
new features to the water that enhance the paddling
experience. 
Founded
in 1971, Eddyline Kayaks is committed to producing
the highest quality sea kayaks through constant research,
development and personal use. Over the years Eddyline
has created many landmarks in design, features and
manufacturing technology within the kayak industry.
Many of our innovations are now standard features or
processes used by other manufacturers. It is a point
of pride for us that all Eddyline Designs and Eddyline
Technologies are original and 
unique.
By choice we remain a family owned company, focused
on quality rather than quantity, supporting local jobs
and committed to manufacturing in an environmentally
responsible manner. We welcome you to join the Eddyline
Family.
Great
River Outfitters (GRO) is the exclusive US importer & distributor
of Valley Sea Kayaks and accessories. Valley Sea Kayaks
are manufactured in Nottingham, England and are built
to last and perform under the most demanding conditions.
Available in a number of different layups including
new vacuum-infused pro & ultra Kevlar for 2006,
Valley Sea Kayaks can be ordered with a number of custom
options. The Valley Nordkapp
recently
won the 2005 Sea Kayaker magazine Readers Choice
Award for Best Touring Kayak. We also offer the
entire line of Valley accessories including watertight
hatch covers, safety equipment, sprayskirts and Valley
replacement parts.
Jazz
kayak paddles started in South Carolina in 1999 as
Whetstone.The tooling and process methods were sold
to Fletcher Enterprises in Taupo, New Zealand in 2002,
where they have been further refined and marketed as
Jazz paddles. Jim Goree, the Engineer for Whetstone,
has arranged with Fletcher to bring these exceptional
paddles back to the US, and will sell them only through
www.jazzpaddles.com at very low internet-direct pricing.
JAZZ paddles are made with aircraft grade woven carbon
fiber fabric and toughened epoxy resins using a proprietary
resin transfer molding (RTM) method. They are comparable
to the very best carbon fiber paddles in quality, design,
weight, strength, and toughness. The Quiklok adjustable
take-apart connection gives a strong and tight fit
with both full feather and an 8 cm. length adjustment. 
Mitchell
Paddles manufactures a wide variety of paddles for
canoe and kayak. From wood to carbon, from touring
to whitewater and everywhere in between, Mitchell
has your needs covered. We specialize in custom work
on a production schedule. Please visit our website
or call us at 603-523-7004 to speak to an expert
about your next paddle.
NRS
is a leading manufacturer of paddlesports equipment.
Over the past 30 years we’ve been instrumental
in transforming paddling from an esoteric specialty
to a mainstream activity with thousands of 
Designing
and hand crafting quality kayak paddles for over thirty
years using top of the line materials.
Since
1984 Wildwasser has been providing exceptional paddling
gear. As the North American Distributors of Germany’s
renowned Prijon kayaks and paddles, Wildwasser also
produces a broad range of technical paddling gear in
our Boulder, Colorado location. 
Prijon
Kayaks are unsurpassed in the matrix of performance and durability. No
other boats combine the durability and rigidity of Prijon’s HTP plastic.
This unique hull producing skill, combined with Prijon’s 4 decades
of design experience delivers the worlds’ most proven Touring, Whitewater
and Racing kayaks. Website: