Amid Labor Protests, Canoecopia Again Kicks Off the Paddlesports Season

More than 20,000 consumers descended upon the annual consumer tradeshow at Madison’s 100,000-square-foot Alliant Energy Center to attend seminars and programs, rub elbows with fellow paddlers and rub fingers on the latest products in paddlesports. And it went better for retailer host Rutabaga than things did for the governor’s office.
“The show went really well,” says Rutabaga owner Darren Bush. “It was better than two and three years ago, but down a few points from last year. A hundred thousand of so of our customers were at the capitol protesting.”

While Bush also points to higher gas prices possibly affecting attendance, that didn’t stop those who made the trip from attending packed-house programs, clinics and shows, and shopping for new wares, especially on the high-end side.

“Sales definitely shifted to higher-end products this year,” says Bush, pointing to robust sales of composite sea kayaks and paddles and Kevlar canoes. “The beginner-oriented products weren’t moving as well. The sentiment seems to be that if people are going to get involved in paddling, they want to do it right.”

One company echoing this trend is Werner Paddles. “We had a show special with our recreational paddles, but we easily up-sold people to our premium and performance core products,” says Werner marketing director Jim Miller. “This shows consumer confidence and a greater commitment to dollars for paddling.”

Bush, for one, doesn’t mind the fact that this might mean losing lower-end sales to big box outlets.

“We’re not going to spend a lot of time chasing those customers,” he says. “It takes the same amount of time to sell a $1,000 boat as it does a $299 boat. And it’s the $299 boats that end up under people’s decks.”

While overall sales might have dipped, some exhibitors fared better than they did in years past, especially in niche categories.

“Fishing kayaks and accessories are still in a growth pattern, and we also did very well in the crossover boat market,” says Legacy Paddlesports’ Woody Callaway, citing increased sales for both the company’s Native and Legacy brands. “We also sold more whitewater boats than we have in the recent past.”

Johnson’s Watercraft division, whose brands include Ocean Kayak, Necky and Old Town Canoes, reported boat sales even with last year’s show, but also saw a shift to higher-end product.

“Sales dollars were up as we moved higher-end product,” says Johnson Watercraft business director Scott Forristall, adding that 12-foot day-touring kayaks sold especially well. “The Canoecopia crowd is mature. They’re not first-time kayak buyers; they’ve kayaked for a few years, have done their research and come to the show with specific questions to help them decide which kayak to buy. This year they were definitely looking for improved performance and weight savings. Cost was secondary.”

And all this bodes well for the year ahead. “The show felt upbeat,” says Jim Marsh, publisher of Canoe & Kayak magazine. “It feels like the industry is recovering some…Canoecopia gave me the feeling that paddlesports is thriving.”

 

 

 

While Canoecopia represents the season’s first barometer of how the industry might fare, other shows also serve as a crystal ball for sales. “We look to early season sales in Florida and consumer events hosted by Mountain Man, Rutabaga, Jersey Paddler and Kittery Trading Post as key indicators for the upcoming season,” says Jim Miller, marketing director for Werner Paddles. “If early season trends holds true, consumers look like they’re ready to spend.”

 

While it opted to hold a conference call rather than its customary Canoecopia meeting, the industry’s Paddle Council is moving forward with plans and programs to better paddlesports participation. Among other things, it’s putting an industry survey together to help determine what can be done on the supply side to increase participation.

 

“We have some funds to spend and we want to make sure to use them in a way that’s useful and fair,” said Rutabaga owner and Paddle Council member Darren Bush.