The past three months have seen significant staffing changes at two of the largest paddling organizations in North America. After nine years of working with Paddle Canada, Graham Ketcheson, the organization’s Executive Director, has resigned from his position. Christopher Stec has also resigned from his post as the Chief Operating Officer at the American Canoe Association.

Since joining Paddle Canada in 2010, Ketcheson led the organization through growth and change. He helped implement better membership and course registration strategies and solutions, newsletter and social media communication with members, and a partnership with Rapid Media, so all Paddle Canada members receive a complimentary subscription to Paddling Magazine or Kayak Angler. During his time with the organization, Paddle Canada aimed a media campaign at educating paddlers to be smarter on the water, reaching millions of Canadians.

“One of my realized goals was to bring financial stability and profitability to Paddle Canada and to see the organization succeed by using smarter technologies while cutting traditional operating expenses,” says Ketcheson. “The organization has seen 30 percent growth during this time, mostly in membership and course offerings, plus more than a tripling of operating budgets.”

“Graham had many positive traits he brought to the team at Paddle Canada,” says Jeff Martin, current President of Paddle Canada. “He is a people person who can effectively communicate and problem solve when members had questions. Over his nearly 10 years with Paddle Canada, he was able to effectively manage staff and many vital volunteer committees and communicate the vision of the organization.”

“It’s hard to say goodbye to an organization I have so much passion for,” wrote Ketcheson following his March resignation. “Our organization is in such a better place now compared to 2010, when I first arrived in office. We are at a much more sustainable level and have an excellent mix of courses, program offerings and great brand recognition in the outdoor marketplace. We have established partnerships with outdoor manufacturers, safe boating and government partners. The future of Paddle Canada looks bright.”

Ketcheson has taken on a role as managing director at OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River. It’s still in the paddling world, but a big change of duties and responsibilities. Ketcheson says he is excited to “learn a lot more about the world of commercial rafting, which is brand new to me.”

Christopher Stec also announced his resignation effective March 8, 2019, from his job as Chief Operating Officer at the American Canoe Association. In his resignation letter, Stec stated he was grateful for everything accomplished by staff and members of the American Canoe Association since his beginnings with the organization, and was unavailable for further comment.

Both Paddle Canada and the American Canoe Association are in the process of hiring new staff. “In terms of filling the Executive Director’s role, we have a hiring committee in place currently and have advertised the position over the last month,” says Jeff Martin of Paddle Canada. “We have also shared the job advertisement through Paddle Canada social media platforms and through word of mouth. Graham has left some big shoes to fill.”

Gearlab, pioneer of the first modern Greenland-style paddles with exchangeable tips, has partnered with engineer Declan Nowak to develop a mechanism to measure the forces on a carbon fiber Greenland-style paddle in the water, allowing Gearlab designers to increase paddle strength and efficiency.

“In the industry, there is no set standard for testing stress placed on the paddles,” says lead designer and co-founder, Henry Chang. “All Gearlab products go through systematic and rigorous research, usability analysis, and field testing. As part of that process, we needed a way to measure how much force is in each stroke and determine the strength-to-weight ratio.”

In consultation with engineers at Gearlab’s design laboratory in Taiwan, Nowak designed an Arduino-powered sensor that records the force exerted by a paddler’s hands on a paddle. An Arduino is a small lightweight microcontroller that is perfect for data-recording applications because it records information to an SD card.

“Using the sensor, I was able to determine the maximum force a paddler is likely to apply in ideal paddling conditions,” Nowak explains. “By knowing the stress a paddle can withstand in controlled lab tests and what the average force of a paddle stroke is, Gearlab can ensure that every paddle will handle tough conditions and meet customer expectations.”

As a result of this collaboration, Gearlab applied these results in developing the new Kalleq paddle (from the Inuit word for lightning) to be released this spring. The new Kalleq paddle, which is even lighter in weight than other models, offers a new sharper edge that improves paddle efficiency in the water, as well as paddling stability. The Kalleq has a redesigned internal carbon fiber structure that offers greater strength and durability in harsh conditions than previous models. And Gearlab’s signature exchangeable tips are smaller and the blade slightly wider than previous models.

With these innovations, the user can go farther and faster, with less stress to the shoulder and arm joints. The tests ensure that as the paddles become lighter, they maintain Gearlab’s rigorous durability standards.

*To simplify the graph, no data is recorded when the sensors registered a force of zero.

** While the analysis states that the units of kilograms are a force, the paddle is actually moving the mass of water. The force on the paddle will depend on how fast the paddler is accelerating. For the purposes of this experiment, I assumed that the paddler’s acceleration was the same as the acceleration due to gravity—which is significantly more than the rate a paddler would be accelerating.

Nowak says the next step will involve refining the sensor system and analyzing paddle strength using computer models in various water conditions. He also plans to put the new flagship Kalleq paddle to further tests this summer with Gearlab’s chief engineer, Chung-Shih Sun, on a 740-mile expedition on the historic Northern Forest Canoe Trail through the Northeastern United States and Canada.

In the future, Nowak aims to work with Gearlab to establish a universal metric for paddle companies.

“While each kayak paddle company has its own internal standards for product development, Gearlab is working toward establishing a universal standard,” Nowak says. “This new standard will allow the consumer to compare the strength of paddles manufactured by different companies, the strength of various lengths and widths of Greenland paddles, and even the strength of different types of paddles—such as Euro blades versus Greenland paddles.”

For more detailed information on Nowak’s Arduino-powered force sensor and field testing, go to gearlaboutdoor.com/PaddleForceTest.

About Gearlab:

For the past eight years, Gearlab has designed and manufactured Greenland-style carbon fiber paddles for ocean kayakers around the world. Created by a team of award-winning industrial designers and outdoor enthusiasts, the paddles are adapted from indigenous Inuit designs. Greenland paddles provide a long range, efficiency, and precision while reducing injury and fatigue. Made from 100% continuous carbon fiber material, Gearlab perfects thousand-year-old ergonomics with advanced material strength and durability. Gearlab paddles will open up a new realm of adventure for both weekend kayakers and expert paddlers. Find out more about the benefits of Gearlab paddles at www.gearlaboutdoor.com.

Coinciding with Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Week, Globalstar Canada Satellite Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, today announced it has partnered with The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) to promote safety and security for alpine adventurers and remote workers.

The partnership was established out of the mutual objectives shared by ACC and Globalstar, including the encouragement and practice of outdoor activities and exploration and the promotion of those skills among Canadians. As part of the partnership arrangement, Globalstar Canada is providing the ACC with SPOT X 2-Way Satellite Messengers as well as access to satellite services, for use by adventure guides and alpine maintenance teams.

“We are excited to be partnering with Globalstar Canada this year as part of our safety mandate, adding the SPOT X 2-Way Satellite Messenger to our safety and communications gear,” said Keith Haberl, Marketing Manager, Alpine Club of Canada. “The ACC is passionate about adventure. Every year we run more than 50 guided adventures in remote alpine locations and maintain the largest network of backcountry huts in North America. It is essential that we ensure our guides and hut maintenance teams have a reliable way to keep in touch with our office, for both safety and logistical reasons. In case an emergency arises in a remote location being able to communicate isn’t optional, it’s essential. With SPOT X we’ll be able to ensure this for our workers.”

“SPOT is trusted and proven satellite technology used around the world by tens of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and remote workers who need to stay connected when venturing beyond cellular,” said Fintan Robb, Senior Director of Marketing, Globalstar Canada Satellite Co. “Through our partnership with the ACC, adventure guides and hut maintenance teams can now easily access the 2-way connectivity and security of SOS that the SPOT X 2-Way Satellite Messenger provides. As the official satellite communications provider for the ACC, we proudly support a 100-year old organization that is part of the fabric of Canada’s mountaineering community. Announcing this partnership during Emergency Preparedness Week underscores how passionate we are about safety in the outdoors and the importance of including SPOT as part of adventure planning and essential safety gear.”

SPOT X is the latest addition to the award-winning SPOT family of products, providing affordable, off-the-grid messaging and tracking for hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts. Through a direct connection to the GEOS International Emergency Coordination Center, SPOT has triggered more than 6,200 rescues around the globe within the last ten years, approximately one-third of which have taken place in Canada. With 2-way text messaging capabilities, SPOT X users can better communicate during their adventures to keep in touch with family and friends, or if necessary, emergency personnel. Lone workers can check-in and provide detailed status of their situation when working in remote locations and receive direct replies back with updates.

[ Further Reading: Gear Review – SPOT X Two-Way Satellite Communication System ]

Established in 1906, the ACC is Canada’s national mountaineering club with more than 17,000 members. Its vision is to bring together, and give voice to, Canada’s mountaineering community. Its mission is to promote alpine experiences, knowledge and culture, responsible access and excellence in mountain skills and leadership. The organization operates the largest network of backcountry huts in North America, from the Neil Colgan Hut in Banff’s Valley of the Ten Peaks (highest hut located at 9,700 feet) to the Keene Farm Hut (lowest hut located at 1,115 feet). The ACC runs guided adventures out of its national office in Canmore, which last year had 54 adventures and 634 participants. It also runs a General Mountaineering Camp every year in the high alpine.

About Globalstar, Inc.

Globalstar is a leading provider of customizable satellite IoT solutions for customers around the world in industries such as government, oil and gas, emergency management, transportation, maritime and outdoor recreation. As a pioneer of mobile satellite voice and data services, Globalstar allows businesses to streamline operations via the Globalstar Satellite Network by connecting people to their devices, supplying personal safety and communication and automating data to more easily monitor and manage mobile assets. The Company’s product portfolio includes the industry-acclaimed SmartOne asset tracking products, Commercial IoT satellite transmitters and Duplex satellite data modems, the innovative Sat-Fi2 satellite wireless IP hotspot and the SPOT® product line of personal safety, asset and communication devices, all offered with a variety of data service plans.

Note that all SPOT products described in this press release are the products of SPOT LLC, which is not affiliated in any manner with Spot Image of Toulouse, France or Spot Image Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia. SPOT Connect is a trademark of Spot LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.