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SK Newsletter: June 3, 2008 PFD Manufacturer Bios |
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Astral Buoyancy/Philip Curry Astral Buoyancy is an artistic design lab on the banks of the French Broad River in Asheville, NC. The company was founded in 2003 by Philip Curry. Astral is the world’s only company dedicated solely to the design and manufacturing of PFDs for Paddlers and Sailors with a distinct focus on quality, technical innovation, and environmental consciousness. Philip Curry has been the most innovative force behind PFD design for over 14 years. As the founder of Lotus Designs, Philip pioneered the use of Cordura and developed a new standard of fit, comfort and safety, revolutionizing the modern PFD. After selling Lotus to Patagonia, Curry realized once again that the PFD market was stagnant and resumed his design career with Astral Buoyancy. Although Astral Buoyancy was a new brand it was soon recognized as not only a leader in technical innovation but also as an industry leader in environmental responsibility. www.astralbuoyancy.com |
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Extrasport/Johnson Outdoors/Robin Skillings  Raised in Southeast Alaska, Robin Skillings has always enjoyed the outdoors and especially the water. So living near the ocean in Bellingham, WA and working for Johnson Outdoors as their Product & Project Manager for Extrasport, a quality brand built on and around swiftwater rescue, is a perfect fit for her. Robin has spent the past 14 months revamping Extrasport’s entire PFD offering for the North American, European, and Australian markets. www.extrasport.com |
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Harmony/Buff Grubb Buff Grubb is Brand Manager for Mad River Canoe and also manages the development of accessories for Harmony. He first joined Mad River Canoe in 1986. Since then Grubb has developed accessory programs for Mad River Canoe and other well known paddle sports brands including Voyageur, Headwaters, Dagger, and GAIA. www.harmonygear.com |
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Kokatat/Adam Knoeller I was born in Ventura, California and developed a love for the water while growing up on the beach. I became interested in technical apparel design while studying art at Boise  State University in Idaho, where I was lucky enough to meet a professor who designed and made all of his own clothing (including shoes). This inspired me to design and make my own ski clothing and seek employment in the outdoor industry. Fifteen years (and countless new products) later, I am proud to be working with such a great group of people. I’ve been a designer for Kokatat for 10 years. Kokatat is a truly unique company and justifiably well respected in the paddling community. Learning from our incredible design lead Penny Holt has been invaluable. A novice whitewater and sea kayak paddler, I’m lucky to be surrounded by a terrific family of Kokatat paddlers, both in-house and around the world. These folks provide the inspiration and feedback that help us provide the best paddlesports apparel available.
Kokatat is the leading manufacturer of a comprehensive line of technical paddling apparel, from Gore-Tex dry suits to life vests. Designed by paddlers for paddlers to meet the most challenging weather and water conditions. www.kokatat.com |
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NRS The people at NRS believe that you, our customer, deserve the best. We give you high-quality, affordable gear and service that’s friendly, fast and efficient. Bill Parks, our Founder and President says, “I created NRS to be the kind of company I would want to do business with. We treat our customers in the way we like to be treated.” We manufacture an extensive array of rafts, catarafts and inflatable kayaks, plus a complete line of apparel and accessories for all types of boats and boaters. Our apparel spans the range from base layers like our sun protective HydroSilk™ to fully protective drysuits, wetsuits and all the gloves, footwear and life jackets you need for comfort and safety on the water. We also partner with other top-of-the-line companies such as Werner, AIRE, Kokatat, Carlisle, Cataract, Astral, Extrasport and Aquapac to bring you even more choice in gear. If you enjoy any type of water sport, we have gear for you. If you call us, a friendly, knowledgeable human answers the phone. Our website is a goldmine of helpful tips and instruction. Our associates are boaters and we share your passions for the outdoors and the water world. We look forward to helping you plan and outfit your adventures. www.nrsweb.com |
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MTI/Palm/Gordon Colby Gordon Colby is the President of Marine Technologies International (MTI), a company based in Plympton, MA, where he is also the head of product design for MTI Adventurewear. Gordon is also a current member (and former board member) of PFDMA (Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association.), and a former board member of TASK (Trade Association of Sea Kayaking). He was also once a product designer and brand manager for Voyageur, Mad River Canoe, and Confluence Watersports. www.mtiadventurewear.com, www.palmequipmentusa.com. |