Making it look easy! Paddlers cruise through whitewater on the Bloodvein River.
This photo is was taken by Mark Stadel and submitted as part of the Canadian Hertiage Rivers Photo Contest. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
As early as 2015, retailers could see the last Royalex canoe leave their shops. This past summer, PolyOne announced it would cease production in April 2014 of the long-favored hull material. Since then, the paddling community has been wrestling with the ramifications of the decision and what it means for the sport.
“One year from today, we won’t have any Royalex left in our warehouse,” confirms Bill Kueper, vice-president of Wenonah Canoes.
Thanks to its near indestructability, for 35 years Royalex has been the go-to material for whitewater boaters, summer camps and remote expeditions. Aluminum was the choice for many until 1978, when Old Town Canoes and Kayaks touted the durability of its new Tripper by tossing one from the roof of its Maine factory. After it escaped virtually unscathed, paddlers took notice. Since then, Royalex has offered a compromise between durability, performance, weight and price that paddlers love and isn’t available in other materials.
While Wenonah will feel the effects of the shutdown, says Kueper, they’re in better shape than many brands since their boats are produced through a variety of manufacturing technologies.
“Royalex accounts for 19 of our canoe models, but 15 of those are also available in composite hulls,” he says. “Still, it’s going to leave a void. We’re looking at new concepts and approaches, but we don’t have the home run right now.”
The upside to the announcement is that it will stimulate and accelerate new material development, but “there are almost always some growing pains in developing new materials,” says Buff Grubb, product manager at Mad River Canoes.
One of the oldest molders of Royalex hulls, the material represents a core part of Mad River’s business, accounting for 12 of 21 models. Grubb expects there will be increased interest in durable composite materials and polyethylene [the plastic of whitewater and lower-priced touring kayaks] hulls, but notes that the cost of tooling poly hulls is five to six times the cost of a mold for a Royalex hull. “I’m afraid that will mean less evolution of design in the short term, as companies will need to keep hulls in their line longer to recoup development costs,” he says.
According to Grubb, paddlers should expect an increase in used boat prices, particularly for whitewater solo and tandem boats, given that the future supply looks finite. “I think we’ll also see paddlers babying their boats a bit more and taking better care of them, knowing that replacements might now be available,” he adds.
“There’s just nothing else like Royalex,” agrees Tim Miller, owner of Nova Craft Canoes. Royalex canoes represent a substantial portion of his business and he’s holding on to hope that another manufacturer will buy the rights to the material. “It’d be a very sad day if they close the plant and Royalex doesn’t go anywhere else,” he says.
PolyOne did not answer our queries about potential buyers for Royalex, only confirming that the company will cease production in April 2014.
Andy Phillips, owner at Composite Creations, and an expert at making composite crafts for water and air, is also rooting for a company to swoop in and buy the material line. “It’s going to hurt the industry. Royalex allowed a lot of people to enter the sport as a first-generation paddler,” he says.
According to Phillips, creating a composite boat as durable as Royalex is easy, the difference is pricing. Since composite boats are more labor intensive, customers would see a cost increase of 30 to 50 percent.
However, the boon could be new designs with performance improvements. Since composite materials are easier to manipulate, the market could see narrower bows and sterns that just weren’t possible with Royalex.
Phillips’ biggest concern right now is public outreach, letting consumers know about their alternatives.
“We have this identity crisis in paddling where plastic boats are heavy and disposable and composites are on the other end of the spectrum, with a lightweight reputation, but people are afraid they’ll crack. We need to overcome that association,” says Phillips. “Composites don’t have to be fragile. If they were, we wouldn’t be using the materials on runways and flying.
This article originally appeared in the 2014 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it on your desktop here.
To the uninitiated, paddling seems like a young person’s sport. Adventures by canoe and kayak, complete with portages, open water crossings and especially whitewater, can seem best enjoyed by young bucks. I recently read an article in Rapid titled, “Paddle Til You’re Fifty”. While the material of the piece actually encouraged paddlers to continue well into their golden years, the title stuck in my craw. Not only did it imply I was past my best-before date, but most of the paddlers I know are exceptions to that watery ceiling. Am I part of a deluded cohort, paddling my way over the edge of mortality?
I have the great fortune to offer paddling expeditions on twenty rivers across the north, from Alaska to Nunavut, all of which are life list-worthy destinations. Most people are surprised to learn the average age of our guests is 57. Of course, this means many of the clients are older than 57—the oldest was 84. In fact, Generation X and Y are noticeably absent from northern waterways, on both guided and self-guided expeditions.
Even while our own stats show that more paddlers take on big trips after they hit the 50-year milestone, these demographics fly in the face of research by the Outdoor Industry Association. The OIA’s 2013 Outdoor Participation Report shows that outdoor recreation for the average American begins a slow and steady decline starting at the age of 40. The population segment where outdoor activity is growing the fastest is in males between the ages of 13 to 17—unfortunately, they can’t afford northern river trips, nor the sleek refinements that increase the longevity of the sport for Boomers.
Indeed, Boomers and Zoomers are fully capable of enjoying the paddling world, whether in canoes, rafts or kayaks. For some, it’s not until they’re older that they feel confident in the skills required to embark on their dream destinations. Their outdoor experience, techniques and risk management abilities acquired over 50 years far make up for the bull-headed power of a 20-something.
Ultimately, economics play a big part in why there’s more grey hair on northern rivers. Being over the hill often means more disposable income, which comes with increased opportunity to travel and access to better equipment. When you factor in the skilled guides, great food and even better wine that paddling tourism offers, what’s not attractive to a golden-aged adventurous spirit.
Neil Hartling is owner of Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions, an author and Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He’s 52 and sees no end in sight to his paddling career. www.nahanni.com.
This editorial originally appeared in the 2014 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it on your desktop here.
The most recent outdoor activity participation study results are in. Cycling is huge. Trail running is still growing. On the water, standup paddleboarding is way up. Kayak fishing is really catching on. Why?
These grab-and-go activities fit conveniently into busy lives. It’s easy to grab a road bike or lace up runners and be back before dinner. Paddleboards require only a paddle and PFD. Fishing kayaks launch just about anywhere. But adventures like whitewater, canoeing and kayaking that have traditionally required more than a couple hours of commitment are sliding down our to-do lists.
I’ve written over the years in Rapid about the pros and cons of urban whitewater parks. I’ve compared them to climbing walls and foretold the slow death of real adventure. Now, I see that climbing walls and whitewater parks aren’t killing us. We are killing ourselves.
Our leisure habits are changing and the smaller windows of time we have to play outside must fit between school, overtime, traffic and daycare drops. Urban whitewater parks remove barriers, making a surf session as easy as a game of squash.
Access however isn’t a barrier for canoeing and kayaking. There is flatwater almost everywhere. The problem is that our dearly beloved tripping canoes and expedition sea kayaks aren’t exactly grab-and-go in today’s world.
Bill Kueper of Wenonah Canoe first tipped me off to this new way of thinking during a round table discussion about the state of canoeing in America.
“For years we’ve been selling people their once-a-year canoes and kayaks, the ones they take on annual trips to the Boundary Waters or the San Juan Islands,” he said. “Instead, we should be selling them boats that perform best for the water they can paddle most often.”
Bill calls these Tuesday night boats—the ones we can most easily enjoy every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or whenever there’s a few hours to escape.
“But my husband and I already have our canoe,” protested one instructor. Why, I asked her, should paddling be any different from other outdoor activities? Why shouldn’t we have more than one canoe or kayak?
Last fall, my wife and I got back into mountain biking. To enjoy our precious time together, I bought a new mountain bike. Now, on Wednesday nights we book a babysitter and join a community ride. We’ve made new friends and tailgate in the parking lot afterward. It’s fun, social and it’s easy.
In only 13 months, I’ve purchased three new bikes—all of which, for the record, cost more than any of my canoes or kayaks. I evolved from a born-again mountain biker to a guy who rides bikes—all kinds of bikes. Different bikes allow me to ride more often. Yes, I could have ridden my trail bike on the road and off big jumps, but it would have sucked.
I believe the same is true for paddling. If I’m going to get out more, it has to be easy. Otherwise I’ll spend my leisure time doing other things, or worse, nothing at all.
The river is a short walk from my office. For years I stood at my desk talking on the phone and looking out the window, dreaming about paddling at lunchtime. Why hadn’t I gone? Bill nailed it. I didn’t have my Tuesday night boat. Nothing says miserable lunch break fitness paddle more than a 70-pound Royalex Prospector. I needed my grab-and-go boat.
Increasing participation in paddling is simple. Here, in our 2014 Paddling Buyer’s Guide, you’ll find 369 canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. Buy the one, or ones, that best suit your local rock garden, lake, river, park, pond or swimming pool. Then paddle the hell out of them. No excuses.
Scott MacGregor is the founder and publisher of Rapid Media. He is the proud owner of a new 32-pound Wenonah Advantage solo racing canoe and a bent shaft carbon paddle. He won’t be taking any more calls between noon and one.
This editorial originally appeared in the 2014 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it on your desktop here.
Jaime Sharp stole this shot of a Stellar sea lion haulout while kayaking for eight days in the Broughton island group off the northeastern coast of Vancouver Island. “We could hear the snarls and growls of the sea lions from a good mile away as we navigated through the dense fog,” says Sharp. He pressed the shutter just as the sun began to burn through, revealing the noisy pinnipeds.
Location: Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia
This image originally appeared in the Early Summer 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak. To see more stunning paddling photography, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Want to see your image in our Daily Photo? Send to [email protected].
Earlier this week, a new mega-merger saw Tahe Outdoors, Europe’s leading paddlesports company, acquire Arrow Kayaks of Denmark. The acquisition grows the Tahe/Kayak Distribution family of brands to include a total of nine brands and over 150 models spanning all disciplines of kayaking.
Most U.S. and Canadian paddlers first heard about Tahe in 2012, when another new player emerged in the North American paddlesports marketplace. Kayak Distribution—based out of the old Riot Kayaks headquarters in Montreal, with satellite offices and warehouses on the West Coast in British Columbia and California—salvaged the Riot brand of whitewater and recreational kayaks, and resuscitated recently defunct Boreal Design sea kayaks and Beluga Accessories. Around the same time, Kayak Distribution owner Mark Pelland, and director of sales and marketing, Mark Hall, reached an agreement with Tahe Outdoors to bring Tahe and Zegul kayaks (and Trapper canoes) to North American shores for the first time.
In July 2013, we reported on Kayak Distribution’s acquisition of longstanding Vancouver Island-based Seaward Kayaks’ entire thermoformed division, adding 11 more models to the KD lines. The purchase of Arrow Kayaks strengthens Tahe/KD’s portfolios in the premium sea kayak segment.
Janek Pohla, President of Tahe Outdoors, sums up the strategic benefit of the acquisition: “Tahe Outdoors is already number one in Scandinavia, and this acquisition solidifies our position in the performance sea kayak market.” Arrow Kayaks has an outstanding reputation among Scandinavian kayakers for their superior quality and design. Arrow models will now be produced under the Zegul Marine label.
Taking a cue from mega-farms and mega-retail, Tahe and Kayak Distribution’s acquisitions and strategic partnerships bring the benefits of higher sales volume and unprecedented ease of distribution through the companies’ vast distribution networks. Reciprocal sales agreements between partners mean that the entire product lines of every brand are now available to each company’s respective customer bases. “Consolidating resources and operations benefits everyone,” says Pelland.
The Tahe Outdoors/Kayak Distribution portfolio currently consists of nine international brands: Tahe Marine, Egalis, Zegul, Trapper, Beluga, Riot, Boreal Design, Seaward and Arrow Kayaks. Production facilities in Quebec, Estonia, France and China ship boats to dealers in over 35 countries.
Web links:
In September 2013, Adventure Kayak joined Christopher Lockyer, Justine Curgenven and a crew of international sea kayaking talent in the Bay of Fundy for a whirlwind introduction to this paddlers’ playground. From the excitement of humpback whales inches from her kayak, to the adrenaline of a bronco surf in the (now) notorious “Walton Whopper,” Justine captures Fundy’s best in her new film, Fundy Fun.
Download the full, 20-minute Fundy Fun film at CackleTV.com.
Watch for a feature story on the Bay of Fundy and Adventure Kayak’s experiences at the first annual Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium in the Spring 2014 edition of Adventure Kayak.
With canoes overturned, tents pitched and dinner digesting we watch as Kiri grabs a fishing rod and skips down to the grassy shoreline. Bathed in the last light of the warm summer evening, the nine-year- old casts into the dark, confused waters funnelling between the narrows at the base of our campsite.
Francine and I are sitting with Kiri’s parents, Neil and Kathy Simpson, as well as Mike and Anj Cotterill while the rest of the seven children are winding down in their tents after a long day on the water.
“I got a fish!” Kiri shrieks, reeling quickly as a 15-inch walleye is pulled to the surface. Neil rushes to his beaming daughter’s aid, unhooking and admiring the gold and green fish before slipping her back in the darkening water. Donned in their pajamas, the children emerge from their weariness to cast and be similarly rewarded. The bite dies with the setting sun; the good fortune of being camped beside a pool of walleye adds a pleasant flavour to the night.
We did not choose this campsite for its angling potential. It was the only one with enough room for our group of six adults and seven children aged five to eleven. And after a full day of paddling, lining and portaging we were quite thankful to find it.
It’s our second day of a three-family canoe trip along a section of the Brightsand River, a waterway park south of the 900,000 hectare Wabakimi Provincial Park in northwestern Ontario. Via Rail dropped us off near the Allanwater River, 80 kilometres west of the town of Armstrong, Ontario. From here we head south through a series of interconnected lakes and rivers marked by the drops, rapids and portages that spell the end of the road for anything but a canoe.
Easy fishing is one of the premier ingredients for successful family fishing, and a great diversion for children on a paddling trip. However, when morning arrives it’s my wife who is first to break the silence with a thrashing fish. I wipe sleep from my eyes as I head down to the water where Francine is standing on a large boulder where the gentle current slips past a large eddy.
She is hauling in fish at virtually every cast.
Francine reluctantly follows my encouragement to release the fish, until Kathy arrives on the scene. Kathy is the only vegetarian in the group but she harbours suppressed carnivorous urges. “Oh, wouldn’t a walleye breakfast be nice,” Kathy says clutching her hands together. This is all Francine needs to hear to initiate the harvest.
One by one, pajama-clad children emerge from tents to form a growing army of anglers. I begin to feel like a soldier loading muskets in battle as I’m presented with a procession of rods needing to be untangled or retied. What a rare pleasure to watch the children catching fish right from shore.
By the time the bite dies off, many fish have been released and nine walleye lay on the bank for brunch. I clean and cook them on one stove while my daughter, Islay, makes pancakes on the other. A long line of hungry children and adults forms behind the frying pans awaiting the tasty flapjacks and fish, a combination you’d only consider when camping.
We travel only 40 kilometres over five days, striking a balance between paddling, play and angling. Each day as we move along the waterway to a new campsite, I’m in awe of how three canoes can comfortably transport 13 people, two dogs and a mountain of gear.
We certainly don’t break any speed or distance records; with predominantly hot and clear weather our progress is kept in check by the dark, swirling pools at the base of falls and rapids, as tempting for angling as they are for swimming. While some in our party swim, others fish, deftly plucking large walleye from the stained water beneath.
Discover more routes and adventure stories in the Canoeroots and Family Camping’s Spring 2010 issue, where this article was first published. For more great canoeing content, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
TiTsDeep is at it again. Here’s Webisode #3: Stouts & Sisterhood.
“Boofs. Blood. Screams. Slaps. Stouts. In this episode, Katrina Van WIjk and Nicole Mansfield stout around the Pacific Northwest during the high water season.
Produced by Tits Deep and in-the-flicker.com
Edit: Erin Galey”
Steve Rogers dreamed about photographing Haida Gwaii’s ethereal rainforest mist for years before finally making the trip to the remote island archipelago and finding uncharacteristic bluebird weather. “We spent 10 days avoiding sunburn, watching epic sunsets and carrying way too much raingear,” jokes the Squamish, B.C.-based photographer.
Location: Moresby Island, British Columbia
This image originally appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak. To see more stunning paddling photography, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Want to see your image in our Daily Photo? Send to [email protected].
