Two whitewater paddlesports industry powerhouses in Colorado are making huge waves as a result of a cooperative operating agreement that plays to each others strongest suits.
Colorado Kayak Supply and Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, both headquartered in Colorados legendary Arkansas River Valley, have mutually agreed to quit competing and begin to closely cooperate to deliver the best combination of retail service and instructional experience.
CKS, the leading whitewater paddlesports retailer in the West, has offered lessons through its Summit Kayak School. RMOC, the premier whitewater paddling school in the Western US, has sold paddlesports gear through its sister company, Headwaters Outdoors Equipment.
That will change beginning Jan. 1, when CKS and RMOC shed the smaller portions of each business, meaning CKS will focus strictly on retail sales while RMOC will concentrate exclusively on instruction.
“We like and respect each other, share the same friends, work in the same community and live the same dream so it makes sense to us to unite forces to provide the most comprehensive retail and instructional programs available anywhere,” said Ray Kitson, owner of RMOC and Headwaters.
While remaining separate, both businesses will share in three store locations and cross promote each others catalogs, web sites and other marketing vehicles. That means CKS will begin operating a new whitewater center in the RMOC/Headwaters building in Salida, while RMOC will have a school presence at CKSs Silverthorne and Buena Vista location. The new Buena Vista store replaces the Nathrop location, which will close later this Fall.
“Our knowledge and appreciation for rivers and the outdoors, coupled with our collective experiences as retail leaders and professional guides, gives us the ability to create a truly effective and rewarding paddlesports experience for both our companies and our clients,” said Chad Gorby. Gorby is co-owner of CKS along with his wife, Heather, and their longtime friends and business partners Earl and Cheryl Richmond.
Rather than spend marketing dollars competing against one another, RMOC general Manager Hank Bevington explained CKS and RMOC will now be able to direct their resources to not only strengthen their respective businesses but also better position the Arkansas Valley as the premier whitewater paddling destination in the country. The Valley and its 100 miles of Class I to V rapids, is well known among paddlesports enthusiasts for consistent flows, idyllic weather, friendly people and close proximity to Colorados Front Range urban centers.
