Paddlesport is coming up in about a week and a half here in Jersey; I'll take a look at the GP vendors. But, as with anything "new", some people always prefer to buy rather than make; they don't have the time, the interest, or the skills. The growth in GP use around here is phenomenal--some of it may be due to perceived advantages of the skinny stick; some of it is a "follow the leader" thing, as most of the paddlers using the GP are very social folks. As a solitary old "rogue elephant" myself, I continue to be fully satisfied with my Euro. I generally do 17-20 nautical-mile daytrips, while my GP-wielding cohorts generally spend more time at play, and don't usually paddle that long or far. May be just coincidence.