Necky Kayaks will stop making whitewater boats, at least for 2009, a spokesman for the company confirmed Wednesday. Necky, a unit of Johnson Outdoors, will continue providing dealers with 07 boats left in inventory and could re-examine the business after 2009, said spokesman Mike May.
“For 09 they are out of whitewater,” said May. “They wont have any new models, but there will be stock available and they will sell through that so dealers won't be left hanging. This was not something they took lightly.”
The decision frees up resources JOUT needs to compete in the recreational and touring markets, which dwarf the whitewater market. In 2007, whitewater kayak sales at specialty stores declined in the high-singles in units and low-singles in dollars on a slight decline in average selling prices, according to data provided by OIA. In terms of units, whitewater kayaks represented less than 10% of boat sales.
