“Confluence Watersports, parent company to eight market-leading paddlesports brands, today announced that it has been acquired by J.H. Whitney Capital Partners, LLC (“J.H.Whitney”), a private equity firm based out of New Canaan, Conn.

The company will be re-named Confluence Outdoor and will continue in its commitment to the watersports market, with an expanded vision to grow the business into a full-service outdoor recreation company.

“We are very pleased to be brought into the J.H. Whitney family,” said Sue Rechner, who will continue in her role as President & CEO of the newly formed Confluence Outdoor. “Confluence has always been an active and invested member of the outdoor industry, and we are fortunate that our new partnership with J.H. Whitney will enable us to build upon our success in paddlesports as a platform for future expansion. Their respect for and commitment to our industry is well demonstrated, and I feel certain that our shared excitement will foster continued growth and achievement for Confluence and the industry.”

The company’s operations and facilities – including manufacturing, design and engineering, research and development, customer service, sales and marketing teams – will remain in its current Greenville, S.C., location. Confluence Outdoor will continue to invest and play an active leadership role in paddlesports and the outdoor recreation industry.

“We have had our eye on a partnership with Confluence for years,” said Paul Vigano, Senior Managing Director at J.H. Whitney. “The company has been such a significant and flourishing player in this space, and we have an immense respect for Sue and her team. J.H. Whitney has long been passionate about the outdoor recreation industry, and we are excited to support continued success and growth for the new Confluence Outdoor. I have no doubt that with our combined strengths and knowledge, we will accomplish all we’ve set out to do and more. We look forward to being a part of building that future, both for Confluence Outdoor and for the outdoor community as a whole.”

For more information on Confluence Outdoor, please visit www.confluenceoutdoor.com.

About Confluence Outdoor

Confluence Outdoor is the result of the blending of eight unique watersports brands: Wilderness Systems®, Perception®, Dagger®, and Wave Sport® kayaks, Mad River Canoe®, Adventure Technology® paddles, Bomber Gear and Harmony® accessories. With a full representation of canoes, kayaks, and paddling apparel and accessories, ranging from touring and recreational to high-performance whitewater products, the Confluence brands are well suited to fully outfit paddling enthusiasts throughout all phases of their paddling life. For more information about the company, please visit www.confluencewatersports.com.

About J.H. Whitney & Co.

J.H. Whitney, established in 1946, was one of the first U.S. private equity firms pioneering the development of the private equity industry. Today, J.H. Whitney remains privately owned and its main activity is to provide private equity capital for small and middle market companies. J.H. Whitney is currently investing its seventh private equity fund, J.H. Whitney VII, L.P., for major endowments, foundations, pension plans, and high net-worth families. Investment activities are focused on small and middle market buyouts of market leading companies that are poised for growth in a number of industries including consumer products and retail, healthcare services, specialty manufacturing and business services.”

Retired Polish engineer Aleksander Doba, 67, completed his second trans-Atlantic kayak crossing Saturday April 19 when he landed in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, wrapping up a more than six-month odyssey at sea.

If you aren’t familiar with the incredible story of Aleksander “Olek” Doba, you should be. In 2011, the then 64-year-old splashed onto the world scene when he completed a 99-day, 3,400-mile trans-Atlantic crossing from Senegal, Africa, to Brazil, South America, in his custom 21-foot kayak, Olo.

Just three years after setting the world record for longest duration ocean crossing in a kayak—and becoming just the fourth person to kayak across the Atlantic (and only the second, after Peter Bray’s 2001 crossing, to accomplish the feat enitrely under paddle power, without sail)—the 67-year-old was at it again.

The indefatigueable Olek—as his friends and thousands of followers (Doba’s Google+ page has received more than 5.4 million views since his journey began) know him—set out from Lisbon, Portugal, on October 6, 2013, and has been paddling nearly continuously across 5,400 miles of open ocean to his planned landfall in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Incredibly, both of Olek’s journey’s have been entirely self-funded—no sponsor logos plaster his beloved Olo, paddling the Atlantic is simply Doba’s idea of a fulfilling retirement.

Solo and unsupported, Olek has battled storms, prolonged saltwater exposure and multiple equipment failures. He averages about 30 miles per day, but in January and February strong southwest winds, Gulf Stream currents and a series of storms in the infamous Bermuda Triangle stalled his progress for over a month and pushed him backwards over 100 miles.

In late February, a broken rudder forced Olek to head for Bermuda to make repairs. After a month hunting for a ride to the GPS coordinates where he’d veered off course in January, Olek found the 325-mile lift south he needed to resume his record attempt. The sailing ship Spirit of Bermuda, a replica of a 19th century Bermuda sloop, dropped Doba off in the Atlantic on March 27 in a dramatic—and very nearly tragic—launch.

Journalist Cooper Stevenson of Bermuda’s The Royal Gazette, reports:

“Shortly after Mr. Doba and his kayak had been safely lowered into the ocean, a large swell broadsided the three-masted sloop, causing it to roll on top of the kayak. The 1,300-lb kayak became trapped under the ship’s rub rail, inflicting severe damage.”

With typical determination, Doba simply cut away the damaged structure and announced he would continue as planned. Another mishap broke his navigation light and radar antennae, which he repaired using a boat paddle and soda bottle.

April 17th marked Olek’s 193rd day at sea (162nd, excluding his Bermuda stop-over)—by far the longest trans-oceanic kayak journey in history. But he was in no rush.

Doba expects to have another 30 years to explore the world, friend and fellow Polish explorer Piotr Chmielinski told CNN earlier this week—members of Olek’s family are known to live to 100.—Virginia Marshall

Read more about Doba’s incredible trans-Atlantic crossing here. 

From a thousand sentimental valentines, to beautifully-varnished courting canoes, to clever songs that explore just how many things can be rhymed with “canoe,” canoes and romance go together like, well, a horse and carriage. In the early years of the twentieth century, on countless summer evenings across North America, the waterways were full of young men and women chatting, courting, paddling and sometimes canoedling as they sought a little quiet time together afloat.

With the help of hundreds of images gleaned from postcards, advertising, sheet music and magazines, accompanied by the strains of popular songs, movie clips and of course a collection of luxurious courting canoes, the Canadian Canoe Museum will explore this engaging topic in a new exhibit opening Wednesday April 23rd, 2014. Learn more about this new exhibit here. 

The exhibit will feature some of Ken Kelly’s canoe, which were featured in the Spring 2014 issue of Canoeroots. Read this feature story here.