According to Outdoor Retailer tradeshow director Kenji Haroutunian, a trade show is like a specialty retail store. If OR Summer Market wants to sell the Paddle Sports lifestyle, it has to offer more than just gear on a shelf and the new Paddle Sports section had gear and much more at this year’s gathering.
“Paddle Sports roared back at OR this summer,” said Haroutunian, who made several changes to better accommodate the industry after it threatened to launch its own show last year. “This year’s show helped galvanize the category’s power and show it a way forward to build participation and grow the market.”
The stats back this up. The show hosted 30 new paddling exhibitors, many back after last year’s hiatus, as well as 81 new paddle shop attendees. It also organized four new Paddle Sports events at the Open Air Demo and revitalized the Paddle Zone area to highlight new products.
Much of this new energy owes its emergence to the recently formed Paddle Council, a coalition of top industry stakeholders who met throughout the year to strengthen Paddle Sports’ presence at the show. “The Paddle Council helped us gather feedback from the industry to make the show the best it could be,” adds Haroutunian, citing everything from later show dates and new Open Air Demo location to enhanced seminars and the new product gallery.
The buzz started at the Open Air Demo, where stand-up paddleboards took center stage with appearances and clinics by the likes of Laird Hamilton, Chuck Patterson and Slater Trout. In all, more than 70 brands exhibited at the demo, twice the number from 2009. From there, Paddle Sports continued its parade onto the show floor.
Jackson Kayak is on a whitewater roll. The company has tripled its workforce in the past 18 months and year-to-date sales are up 70 percent. It owes this to bringing all manufacturing in-house, thanks to four rotomolding ovens, and the hiring of such veterans as Wilderness Systems co-founder John Shepherd, former Confluence CFO Dave Olson, and Dagger founder Joe Pulliam. For 2011 the company introduces three new series of whitewater boats: the Villain, Star and Fun.
For larger paddlers Jackson points to the Mon-Star, with a length of 6’4.5” and volume of 72.75 gals. The Villain is a creek boat available in two sizes (8’2” and 8’8”), both available in standard (super linear, $1,049) or Elite (crosslink, $1,195). “It’s a great addition to our line,” said Eric Jackson, founder of Jackson Kayaks. “It’s super easy to paddle.” Led by its new touring boat, the Journey, as well as the Riviera and Regal for the outfitter market, the company enjoyed triple-digit growth in the rec kayak category.
Kokatat celebrated its 40th anniversary at the show. Highlighting the new offerings for 2011 is its lightweight GORE-TEX Paddling Suit ($744/$779), based off Kokatat’s TROPOS Supernova Paddling Suit. It carries a neo-cinch collar offering one-hand adjustment, watersports entry and relief zippers, and latex wrist gaskets with adjustable neoprene over-cuffs. It also comes with integrated GORE-TEX® socks, Cordura® seat and knee patches, reflective sleeve tape, adjustable drawstring waist and factory-sealed seams. Justyn Thompson from Watershed drybags won its Bring in Your Old Gear contest by showing up with a Kokatat paddling top that he bought for a buck. “He and his girlfriend were using them just the week before OR show,” said Kokatat’s Lisa Kincaid. “I don’t think he even knew about the contest beforehand.”
C4 Waterman made a splash by bringing its cadre of Hawaiian big-wave surfers to the show. New is the CMac 10’6”, an XXL inflatable stand-up paddle board for the heavier set that, at 34 inches wide, is the chubbiest board in C4’s line-up. Joining its growing iSUP and inflatable SUP line, it employs a progressive rocker for surfing and touring and, like C4’s other inflatables, carries the highest deck-to-hull thread count on the market. The company also unveiled a line of three-piece travel paddles, new racing/touring boards, and a bamboo paddle line. “This is our fourth year there and it was great to see SUP’s explosion this year,” said C4 co-founder Todd Bradley, who was recently appointed to the Outdoor Industry Association’s board of directors. “It’s a chance to showcase our commitment to innovation. It’s also great that OIA has officially recognized our sport and its future.”
With a new 20,000-square-foot facility and warehouse in New Jersey, as well as the hiring of North American distributor Mark Tohir, South Africa’s Fluid is sailing into 2011 with its best season to date. New on the product side is the DeTox large, an 8-foot-long, 26-inch-wide kayak carrying 71 gallons of volume for paddlers up to 250 lbs. Also new is the Big Bang for expedition use and Element in composite. “We just had our best year yet and are looking forward to carrying that momentum into next season,” said Celliers Kruger, President and owner.
After navigating tumultuous waters of late, including the bankruptcy of parent company Voodoo two years ago, Canada’s Riot has re-emerged with a new overseas manufacturing facility and ownership. “We’ve gone through a lot lately,” said Mark Pelland, who bought out former owner Jeff Rivest and now owns the company with Delphine Wu. “It’s been a difficult couple of years but we’re ready to move forward.” Riot hit the show with two new models, the Quest 10 HV and the Escape 12, a 12-foot sit-on-top.
It also added thermo-forming abilities to its factory overseas, adding more manufacturing muscle to its two rotomolding operations. Pelland added that long-time Riot athlete Steve Fischer will take on additional roles as well. “All industries go through cycles,” said Pelland. “Whitewater has been around a long time, and we plan to take advantage of it by delivering the most value to consumers at every price-point level.”
After bowing out of last year’s show, Johnson Outdoors’ watercraft division — consisting of Necky, Old Town Canoe, Ocean Kayak, Extrasport and Carlisle Paddles was back at OR this year, fresh from putting the finishing touches on its new manufacturing facility in Old Town, ME.
Old Town introduced its new Saranac 146 ($549/$579), a user-friendly, thermoformed polyethylene family canoe with contoured bow and stern seats and a center kids’ bench with covered storage compartment. “Our consumer research played a big role in it,” said Marketing Director Sara Knies, highlighting such features as storage trays and cup and rod holders. “We polled paddlers to find out exactly what they look for in a canoe and this is the result.”
Drawing on input from professional anglers, Ocean Kayak unveiled the 15’ 5” Trident Ultra 4.7 ($1,599). Based on the Trident 15 and crafted around the Prowler hull, it has more volume in front for a drier ride, moderate rocker to aid performance in swells and a more pronounced tail fin for tracking. It also comes with a replaceable wear strip on its tail fin, a large bow hatch, four flush-mounted rod holders and a reversible hatch cover with attachment points for fish finders and other accessories. After-market options include the Ice Box Fish Storage Pod, bait tank with cover and hand pump and an internal rod storage tube.
New from Necky is the Vector 13 ($899, $1,099 with rudder), the company’s first sit-on-top in nearly a decade. Key to the 13-footer’s performance: a unique touring seat with a sculpted, supportive back band and molded foam base to reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve.
It also features a nylon tank well cover with multiple adjustment points. “We gave it the best attributes of a traditional surf ski but added stability and increased maneuverability,” said lead designer Spike Gladwin.
Confluence Watersports has revamped its paddle sports presence, especially in accessories and canoe. In re-launching its Adventure Technology paddle brand, it rolled out a new logo and marketing plan and such new products as a patent-pending ferrule on its touring paddles and the new AT2 Superduty, which comes with a lifetime shaft warranty. The company relocated to Easley, SC, last year to join the rest of the Confluence brands. “That brand is a legacy brand and has been under built,” said CEO Sue Rechner. Confluence is also fine-tuning its Harmony Accessories line, with products merchandised in reusable bags.
Perhaps the company’s biggest change comes to its marquee canoe brand, Mad River. It brought on designer Jim Henry, who founded the company in 1971, and is introducing three new canoes: the Henry-designed Journey series (15’8”, $899; and 16’9”, $949); two Ultralite models of the Explorer 16 and Malecite, with a transparent Kevlar weave; and the new Expedition 176, a high-end tripping canoe.
“The quality of the product will sell itself,” said Henry. “The market’s looking for functional, innovative, light weight, strong, quality composite canoes…”
On the touring front, Wilderness Systems introduces the 14-foot Commander 140 for anglers. With a capacity of 500 lbs., it’s two feet longer than its predecessor and scaled larger in every dimension. Foot room has also been widened to accommodate larger paddlers. Perception rolled out the Impulse 10, a family-friendly rec kayak at a $399 price point, as well as the Prodigy II 14.5T, a tandem rec boat with Zone DLX seating, dual thigh pads, moveable bow seat and footbraces.
Innovations in footwear also perked buyers’ interest. Sperry Top-sider debuted its new SON-R Technology, a patent-pending “outsole-to-insole-to-brain” sensory feedback system engineered into a new line of water shoes for better traction across varied terrain.
Teva continues its focus on the environment, committing $100,000 to the Waterkeeper Alliance to assist in the Gulf of Mexico clean-up, and introducing its new Pair for a Foot campaign, which helps protect one linear foot of waterways for every shoe sold in 2011. The company estimates the program will help preserve over four million linear feet of waterways in 2011.
“The Teva brand was born on the water and we feel a strong obligation to help protect it,” said Global Marketing Director Joel Heath. On the product front, joining the popular Itunda and Ilum, Teva rolled out the Zilch ($80), an ultra-minimalist sport sandal weighing just 7 ounces and carrying a paltry 10-mm sole. “It makes you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all,” said Heath.
Keen has renewed its commitment to Paddle Sports with the introduction of the Gorge Boot ($70), a paddling bootie with an abrasion-resistant synthetic and 3mm neoprene upper, multi-point adjustable strap system, and wrapped outsole design with multi-directional lug pattern. It also carries an Aegis microbe shield-treated lining and removable EVA molded footbed with Aegis microbe shield
Chaco debuts its PRO series sandals and flips. Made with Vibram® Idrogrip rubber for extra grip on wet rocks, the PRO outsole features water-drainage channels, BiCentric footbed, a polyurethane footbed for wear and fixed straps mid-foot to eliminate flop.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary at the show, Five Ten jumped back into Paddle Sports with its new Water Tennie ($100). Designed for everyone from adventure racers to whitewater paddlers, the synthetic mesh shoe comes with drainage ports, a protective rubber toe cap, and neoprene upper with inner gaiter.
